Summary of City of Richmond Design Review Board Meeting

January 12, 2005

Submitted by Beverly Galloway

The meeting was technically a "Study Session", meaning that there was nothing voted on by the DRB.  Most of the meeting concerned the Toll Brothers Pt. Richmond Shores (Petromark project. 

    First the Toll Brothers (TB) team presented its plan.  This is the 2nd time they have presented this exact plan.  After the last DRB meeting, suggestions were made, and certain perspective sketches were requested, but TB had done nothing.  

    Then our group, aka the Coalition of Concerned Citizens (CCC), presented our plan.  We made it clear that we did not oppose development of the Petromark/Terminal One site per se, but rather objected to the uninspired, insensitive and anti-contextual  plan that TB has deployed.  This part of the presentation is attached in full (see POINT RICHMOND2.doc).

    Jonathan Livingston then went through his plan, and showed how it fit the site, maximized view options for residents, improved sightlines for those looking at it, treated the pier like a pier and not a bocce ball court, and provided a nice apron along the water for the Bay Trail and for public enjoyment.  The key element is to relocate Brickyard Cove Road down  toward the water, and move the buildings back against the hills.

    Comments were made by the East Bay Regional Park District and TRAC (Bay Trail) representatives.  EBRPD has some problems with each plan, but sees more in our plan that they like than they see in TB plan, which is problematic for them.  TRAC was favorable toward our plan.

    Then there were comments from those in attendance.  I would say 50 people were in attendance, and 15 or so signed up to speak.  Several very articulate speakers from Brickyard Landing shared their points of view, and other Landing people were in attendance.  A number of other Brickyard Cove residents gave comments which were fascinating particularly in the historical depth they brought to the discussion.

    I think it is fair to say that the CCC plan (ours) won the hearts and minds of those in attendance, including several DRB members who actually stated their preference for our plan.  There was a lot of energy in the room.  I had the feeling that our supporters really GOT the essence of our plan, understood how it would work, and what the advantages were for the local community.  The comments were really thoughtful and substantive.  (We have a LOT of right-thinking, smart people in our community who really value the water and what it brings to our lives.)

    TB's team--project manager Mary Larson, their landscape designer, and their architect came off as quite ignorant about the nature of a Bay-side community, as shown by their buildings of which only 40% of the units have views, their lack of feeling for the water, and their insistence that the REAL views were of Mt. Tam, not of the Bay.  It was quite surreal, actually, to listen to them, in my opinion. 

    Although Toll Brothers was admonished by the DRB to go back to the drawing boards and consider the ideas in our plan, I would be amazed if they did anything but the most cosmetic of changes.

    The sense that I had was that both the City and the Developer are interested in moving the project ahead as quickly as possible.  The City wants the per unit revenue.  Toll Brothers is a public company, and they need to keep on schedule with their profit projections. 

    If last night had been an election, we would have won it.  But it was not, and we have much to do to effect the changes we would hope to see. 

    We appreciate the support you and Rita and others at the Landing have demonstrated.  Although no future meeting has been scheduled, I shall certainly keep you informed.  If anyone wants to contact me directly, they can get my number from you.  I'd be happy to talk to anyone.

    Thanks for your work.

    All the best, 

Beverly Galloway