Council got asked to approve new zoning
The City Council is expected to pass a resolution amending the city’s plan with a piece of waterfront property.
The Vallejo City Council is expected to pass a resolution Tuesday night amending the city’s general plan in connection with a prime piece of waterfront property that city officials hope will be the new Vallejo Police Department headquarters.
Last month, the city’s Planning Commission recommended that the council do two actions: change the general plan designation and existing Mixed Use Planned Development (MUPD) plan for 400 Mare Island Way from business/ limited residential to public facilities and institutions.
For the past year, City Hall has been adamant the police department needs a new headquarters as the department’s current home on Amador Street requires significant repairs.
“The building does not meet current seismic regulations and it is vulnerable to future events that could significantly compromise emergency communications between citizens, dispatchers and first responders,” city staff wrote in a report to the council about 111 Amador St. “The first floor of the Police Department is below ground level and is not accessible to persons who require certain ADA accommodations. The building has become overcrowded and has resulted in the expansion of services to five additional facilities that are equally inefficient in terms of building quality.”
There has been pushback from some in the community, concerned with placing police services on the waterfront. They have raised questions about noise, future flooding in the area due to climate change, costs and safety in the surrounding area.
The seven-person council approved spending $13.4 million last February to purchase the two-story 60,000 square-foot building, which use to house State Farm Insurance.
Costs have ranged between $10 to 20 million to renovate the building for police use — including installing a ballistic rated wall along most of the building. There are also plans to build a 2,400-square foot physical training building and a 7,175-square foot service building.
City Hall expects to move all entire police operations to 400 Mare Island Way, which includes holding cells, locker rooms, the Emergency Operations Center, vehicle sally port, community rooms, police offices, investigation room.
City staff have also said the project, because it includes renovating an existing building, earthquake retrofitting of an existing building, and new building construction of less than 9,575 square feet, meets the definition for an exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQ A).
Future environmental review isn’t required, they said.
The existing police building will be used for the Public Works Corporation yard functions, staff said.
The Vallejo City Council will meet at 7 p.m., Tuesday inside the Vallejo City Hall Council Chambers, 555 Santa Clara St.