Alleys

Horse-friendly alleys discussed

2009-11-09T07:22:32Z

Sacramento soon may get something it hasn't seen in decades -- new water troughs and hitching posts.

And folks, that ain't nothin' to snort at. Especially if you're a police horse on your appointed rounds.

Seventy to 80 years after falling out of use, horse-friendly street hardware may make its way into alleys that are being developed as part of a new "alley activation" effort. A trough and a post, paid for through private funding, will be added first to one of two pilot alleys under development in the Handle District.

More are possible on other Midtown alleys as property owners get involved in the effort, said Julie Young, a developer who launched the organized alley-use movement here.

"I would suspect you would see those every four to five alleys," she said.

The idea arose when developers working on the alley projects asked the Sacramento Police Department what could be done with the alleys to reduce crime. Sgt. Chris Taylor, who heads the department's four-year-old Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design program, recommended the troughs and posts along with certain kinds of lighting and a list of other suggestions.

That was welcome news to the force's tiny Mounted Police Unit. And to the furry ears of Bolo, Oak, Loot, Breyer and Ted.

The first trough and post will be installed in the pilot alleys, which stretch from 17th to 19th streets between L Street and Capitol Avenue. As a mostly public relations unit, the Mounted Police, led by Sgt. Sherry Bell, concentrate on Old Sacramento and K Street Mall up to the Sacramento Convention Center.

Places to water and tie up the five geldings will allow the unit to cover a larger stretch of its beat, which extends east to 19th Street. Officers currently venture that far once a week or when they get calls.

"If you have them, the mounted unit is more likely to travel down that way at lunch time, because they know that there will be water there and a place to hitch," said Sgt. Norm Leong, police department spokesman. "If there are services there for horses, the horses are more likely to use it."

Funding for the troughs and posts, which are recommendations only, would not come from the police budget, Leong said. Costs and funding haven't been worked out for areas other than the pilot alleys, Young said.

The unit wouldn't extend patrols throughout Midtown, but would have water and posts available if needed, he added.

Now, police horses get water at a large water feature at City Hall or from the decorative fountains at 13th and K streets. If an officer needs to dismount to take a restroom break, the horse must be tied to a tree or lamp post, which aren't always sturdy enough for the job.

The unit has been used during big events ranging from the 2003 protest against the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the World Trade Organization to the New Year's Eve ball drop on K Street Mall last year.

"They say a horse is worth 10 people (officers) on foot for crowd control," said Billy Lyons, a 42-year veteran of the force who retired as a Mounted Police officer. "It gets the officer up high and they can see more."

During big demonstrations, Sacramento Police and the California Highway Patrol's mounted unit, which patrols the state Capitol, must get horse reinforcements from Sacramento County, Folsom, and Placerville and San Joaquin counties, Bell said.

Sacramento has had police horses since the Gold Rush. Horses carried officers and pulled police wagons through the streets until the 1930s or '40s. By the end of their era, there was just one mounted officer patrolling downtown and another patrolling Land Park, which once had a bridle path, Lyons said.

The police horse stable had been near Alhambra Boulevard and K Street.

Today, Sacramento's horses spend each night tucked away in a barn on Front Street. The building was part of a Navy and Marine Corps base built in 1937, and was used later used as a detox facility. The unit shares the barn with CHP.

Last week, a vet made a housecall to check up on three horses. Mounted Police officer Dave Turner walked horses while the vet watched. Other horses stood in the sunshine in turnouts and ready pens. Cats and a peacock named "Sam" roamed the grounds.

The Mounted Police Unit was revived about nine years ago by officers Mike Lopez and Allan Grundel, who put themselves through a mounted police school in San Francisco and won a $120,000 grant to start the part-time unit. The city's SWAT team helped build stalls in the barn. The officers had to buy their own horses. That unit proved its worth while working the Thursday Night Market, Bell said.

Two full-time officers staff the unit: Turner and Skyler Baldock. Bell oversees the department's Marine Unit and foot patrol, in addition to the mounted unit. Lyons and another retired officer have not been replaced due to lack of funding, said Bell. She's trying to re-establish a reserve unit of officers with their own horses.

Horse experience is not a requirement for joining the unit, but it helps. Lyons and Bell had horses in the past, but Baldock had no experience with the animals when he joined the unit.

A 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. shift includes feeding, cleaning and grooming horses; cleaning dung from stalls and holding pens; and taking care of tack — plus going out on rounds.

"They're not like cars. You have to be here twice a day," Lyons said. He's been with the unit almost from the beginning.

Officers also clean up after their horses if they poop in Old Sacramento or anywhere pedestrians walk.

The officers have developed strong bonds with the horses. Lyons and Oak have worked together for so long that the 20-year-old bay will kiss him over and over again, given the chance. The horse follows Lyons everywhere and knows how to open metal gates with its teeth.

Since retiring in 2006, Lyons has spent many hours volunteering to keep the unit going. Bell nicknamed him "Eye Candy" because she calls him to go out in parades, but not enforcement.

"He gives me so much time, I'd be lost without him," she said.

All but one of the horses are quarter horses. Bolo is a cross between a quarter horse and a Belgian draft horse. Baldock, who is 6 feet 3 inches tall, usually rides him.

Bolo's name was "Coors" when he first joined the unit. But that name didn't quite fit the Police Department, so it was changed to Bolo, which stands for "Be On the Look Out,"Bell said.

Six-year-old Bolo is the unit's youngest horse, but also the most stalwart.

"When it hits the fan, he's the guy you want to be on," Lyons said.

The horses are chosen for calm temperaments and trained not to react to situations that might spook other horses, such as sudden movements or people shouting.

Loot is another horse known for not spooking easily. That's partly due to his personality and partly because Loot's done the job longer than the other four horses.

"He's like, 'I know what I have to do and I want to go do it,' " Bell said.

The unit normally patrols or trains 7 days a week. Horses and officers may respond to fights, crashes, aggressive panhandlers and shoplifters. But usually, working with the unit is very different than other police assignments, said Bell, who's been on the force for 20 years.

Horses and riders spend plenty of time greeting visitors in Old Sacramento. They also represent the department in parades.

"I've dealt with some of the worst stuff you could ever see in society. But on the Mounted Unit, we get to deal with people in a positive environment," Bell said.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. For more photos of Sacramento's Mounted Police Unit, click here.

Alley renaissance envisioned

2009-08-03T03:43:50Z

The two Midtown alleys stand largely quiet and deserted, except for the occasional rumbling delivery truck and dumpsters crouched behind buildings. The alleys have a hidden, tranquil feel in contrast to busy streets they run between.

A third alley holding the entrance to Old Soul coffee house gets more foot traffic and cars heading surreptitiously to and from a state parking garage. So many cars, in fact, that they rob the alley of that serene environment.

One group has another vision for what these alleys could become.

They see al fresco dining in an upscale restaurant row reminiscent of San Francisco's Belden Street. They see a small, affordable, alley-front condo building that doesn't add to urban sprawl. They see an inviting pedestrian alley helping to link visitors to a cheap, after-hours parking garage in one of the city's hottest areas.

Cities from San Francisco to Austin, Seattle, Portland and beyond have transformed these old service streets into intimate, charismatic spots for smaller businesses and residential flats. For the last year and a half, several dozen people known collectively as the city's Alley Activation Committee have met regularly to initiate a similar movement in Sacramento. They've also started bringing project ideas to city staff.

"It's an exciting way for a mature, well-developed city to rediscover an asset right under its nose," said developer Jeremy Drucker, who co-chairs the committee and developed 9 on F, the grid's first certified green residential project. "One thing that's great about alleys is there's this whole element of surprise, of discovery. It's a little magical."

On Aug. 11, the committee -- made up of architects, developers, engineers and property owners --
will present the Sacramento City Council with ideas for three prototype alleys: two alleys stretching from 17th to 19th streets between L Street and Capitol Avenue in one of Midtown's hottest areas, the Handle District; and a third from I to J streets between 16th and 17th streets across from Memorial Auditorium. City staff will present an overview of the alley activation efforts.

Council members will be asked to approve naming guidelines championed by Councilman Steve Cohn, as well as staff recommendations that city staff continue working collaboratively on this effort to create three model alleys.

The standard 20-foot width of alleys give them an Old World feel that charms many and entices some to see their potential as prime urban real estate. But these alleys are also being seen as a way to build connected, sustainable communities that are more pedestrian- and bike-friendly and don't require costly infrastructure because it already exists, said committee Co-Chair Julie Young, a developer who kick-started the organized alley-use movement here.

The value of alley-front property has risen recently, especially in the most sought-after areas, after Midtown development has experienced a growth spurt. The people on the committee said they believe alley activation is an idea whose time has come in Sacramento.

"It's very much a Zeitgeist," Drucker said.

The committee has identified 41 Midtown alleys as potential sites for alley activation, which can be as simple as attractive paving and lights, plants and signs. Those would be the alleys between I and J streets, K and L streets, and L Street and Capitol Avenue, from 16th to 28th streets.

The cost of permeable pavers and concrete bands, solar lighting, planters, trees, benches, signs, trash enclosures and electrical hookups for trash compactors (but not overhead utilities) would cost at least $180,000 per alley, Young said.

The committee expects to seek up to $5 million in local funding to pay for alley beautification, said Midtown Business Association (MBA) President Aaron Zeff, a developer/property owner. He proposes creating a restaurant row near Memorial Auditorium.

MBA recently took about 15 committee members on a tour of Pasadena's developed alleys to show what can be done.

"These alleys don't require much at night time to become pretty," Zeff said. "I think it's an opportunity to create something special in an environment that's been successful in other cities. If Pasadena can create nice alleys, why can't Sacramento?"

Upgrades would be expected to cost $150,000 to $300,000 per alley, according to Cohn. The total to improve 41 alleys at that cost would be about $6 million to $12 million.

MBA has already hired a consultant to help locate funding. City funding and grants through the Sacramento Area Council of Governments are two possible sources, Cohn said.

However, the future of those 41 alleys is in the hands of the people who own property on them, said Young, regional manager for Valley Commercial Contractors and a developer through Young Clifford LLC.

"I wouldn't want people to go into this (council) meeting and think we know what's best for the city," she said.

The committee is evaluating potential funding sources, environmental and economic returns on investments and potential alleyscape pieces such as trash containment, lighting, benches, signs and landscaping, she said.

While the alleys are largely lined by businesses, there are some homes and apartments on the north side of Capitol Avenue between 17th and 19th streets. Questions have been raised about emergency vehicle and garbage truck access, access for the disabled, unattractive dumpsters, alley access blocked for residents and funding.

Committee members have been meeting with city staff, the area's neighborhood group and residents to ensure pilot alley development meets government regulations and solves other concerns, Drucker said.

One benefit to using the backs of buildings or deep, 160-foot lots for commercial or residential space is that alley-front prices are lower than street-front. Residential units can be priced lower; Drucker's condo project called "Stitch" would be targeted to singles or young couples with $40,000 to $60,000 incomes.

Alleys are also enticing to entrepreneurs. Sidewalk cafes, tailors, tiny art galleries, funky boutiques and other unique enterprises can better afford alley space, Drucker said.

"You can start to bring back the smaller businesses that have been priced out of Midtown," he said.

Committee members are studying ways to eliminate overflowing dumpsters, clean up alleys and improve security through lighting and increased use.

The model projects will develop "baseline" plans that meet city approval for shifting some alleys from primary uses for vehicles and trash collection to pedestrians and alley-front commercial, residential or mixed-use. Those already-approved plans can then be used by other people who want to activate alleys, Young said.

Zeff is proposing to build an alley "restaurant row" in a block where he owns much of the property, between I and J streets, from 16th to 17th streets. He envisions turning two cavernous old buildings into mixed-use space with alley-facing restaurants. The block contains only businesses. Zeff is applying for a permit to close or temporarily encroach on the alley for sidewalk cafe use.

Zeff and his wife, who grew up in Sacramento, moved their family here from San Francisco's Nob Hill seven months ago. Zeff owns Priority Parking Inc. of San Francisco and has substantial business interests in Sacramento, which include property, parking garages and lots, and Harv's Car Wash.

Sacramento's potential and the possibility of creating a Belden Street here helped him decide to move his family from the San Francisco Bay Area just seven months ago.

"Sacramento, I'll admit, has its challenges with the front sides of streets, let alone with its alleys," he said. "But in certain alleys, there are fewer landlords, fewer complexities and, frankly, fewer people that are sticks in the mud."

Another person leading the effort is Sacramento architect Ron Vrilakas. One of Vrilakas' earlier projects was to rehab a turn-of-the-century house where restaurateur Ernesto Jimenez opened Ernesto's Mexican Food at S and 16th streets.

The pair teamed up again when Vrilakas designed an innovative mixed-use building at 18th Street and Capitol Avenue. Anchored by Jimenez' newest restaurant, Zocalo, the building also houses Dragonfly Restaurant and 58 Degrees wine bar. Vrilakas built his architectural office over Zocalo and two residential units on the alley behind Zocalo. He also laid pavers over the existing alley to the end of his building.

Now Vrilakas is one of the architects helping to design these potential urban-infill projects. He's the architect behind the two alley construction projects, which involve restaurants on one alley and a condo building on another.

"Ron has always tried to raise the bar for Sacramento because he has a large worldview of how communities work and how communities become sustainable," said Young.

The two prototype alleys running from 17th to 19th streets between L Street and Capitol Avenue are building on Vrilakas' efforts there, which have turned the intersection of 18th and L streets and nearby blocks into one of Midtown's most popular areas. Vrilakas also built a five-story, mixed-use residential building nearby at 1801 L St.

Young got interested in the city's alley potential through a project to construct a small, mixed-use building on a now-vacant lot at 1813 Capitol Ave., next to the Zocalo building. She and developer Sotiris Kolokotronis, who built L Street Lofts, laid attractive pavers over the rest of the 18th to 19th streets alley.

Now Young proposes turning that alley into an appealing, pedestrian-friendly corridor that, when combined with the 17th to 18th streets alley, will link diners and shoppers to the East End Parking Garage, a state-owned garage where the public can park for a $2 flat fee nights and weekends. Requests to do hardscape improvements and beautification for those two alleys are being considered, said Stacia Cosgrove, a senior planner with the city.

The second prototype alley would contain a three-unit, model condo building constructed behind a house at 1717 Capitol Ave., a deep lot facing Old Soul and currently owned by Jimenez, who's lived in an alley-facing house behind Ernesto's for more than a decade.

Jimenez is not on the committee, but he supports alley activation as a way to create infill development and encourage business owners to be more responsible for their property and garbage. Businesses must pay for their own garbage removal. Improving alleys -- which may include consolidating dumpsters on each alley into one central, enclosed location with a compactor -- should address current problems with alley garbage and overflowing business dumpsters, he said.

"It adds to the fabric of the city," Jimenez added.

Last week, Drucker turned in permit applications to the city's zoning administrator for the necessary entitlements for his environmentally conscious "Stitch" model. That building would serve as a sales model for three years, he said.

In a meeting last week, committee members said they recognize that proposing to spend money to improve alleys may be a tough sell to some. They're collecting information about how alley activation could generate more local spending and city revenue in the form of permit fees and property and sales taxes.

Jason Griest and Tim Jordan blazed a trail for other small-business operators when they opened Old Soul in the back of a warehouse at "1716 L St. Rear Alley" in 2006. They believe alley activation could make the city cleaner and more walkable, while helping to contain sprawl and protect outlying natural or rural areas from development, said Griest.

"Sacramento, in my opinion, is the only big city in California that can still redefine itself," he said. "I think Sacramento has a lot of potential. It could be the base for a lot of great ideas."

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. She can be reached at 916-804-2856 or suzanne@sacramentopress.com.

Land deal close for Stitch

2009-11-03T05:18:04Z

A plan to build condos on some of Midtown's alleys may push ahead this week with the sale of a back lot on L Street.

Homeowner Deanna Marquart is close to an agreement to sell 60 feet of her lot to Jeremy Drucker and other developers of an alley housing model called Stitch, the parties announced Monday.

Selling the land for $100,000 will allow her to pay off the mortgage on her house at 2216 L St. Marquart, vice president of the Urban Design Alliance, said she also supports the concept.

"I think this is the kind of development Sacramento needs," Marquart said. "Sacramento has to become denser in its residential development, and this is really a very desirable way to accomplish that."

Construction is expected to begin within a week on a sales model behind 1801 Capitol Ave. Construction on Marquart's back lot should begin in three or four months, after the model is completed, Drucker said.

City of Sacramento departments — which ones are not quite clear — have approved splitting the deep lot for this construction. The property has been zoned for that kind of development in the new general plan, Marquart said.

Drucker is the developer who brought the central city its first certified "green" residential building, 9 on F at 1419 F St. He teamed up for the project with architect Ron Vrilakas, Township 9 developer Ron Mellon and veteran construction company owner Jim Cuttle.

Drucker studied at UC Davis for three years and transferred to California College of the Arts, where he received a bachelor's degree in architecture. For the next year and a half, he helped a nonprofit redevelop slums in India.

After returning to the United States, he saw that Sacramento's central city was experiencing a spurt of construction and other signs of rejuvenation.

"Sacramento is now at an interesting point where the commute is becoming a geological constraint, and downtown and Midtown are starting to come alive," he said. "The thing that's exciting about Sacramento is it's a city that's in the midst of really some great changes. There's a lot of growth and opportunity. The future of Sacramento has not yet been written."

The developers say they have identified other 160-foot-deep residential lots that could hold Stitch condos in alleys. They're working to find interested property owners. The proposed construction increases the value of the land, and the developers are offering three times the appraised value for the back 60 feet, about $60,000 to $100,000, depending on the location.

The design or exterior of the three-story buildings and purchase agreements could differ depending on the surrounding architecture and neighbors' concerns, Drucker said.

Marquart, for instance, has requested that one of the condo building garage's three parking spaces be reserved for the front house. She will lose a two-car garage that she uses for her car, storage and a studio.

Parking spaces may be a priority in neighborhoods like hers that are heavily impacted by commercial parking needs, Drucker said, while in historic districts, buildings may differ in form, material or color.

"We are not proposing a one-size-fits-all solution," he said. "We want to be responsive to people's concerns and their needs."

Marquart has worked as an independent public policy consultant for 25 years. Upon retiring in January 2007, she planned to sell her four-bedroom house and move elsewhere in Midtown. Then she learned about Stitch and decided to sell the back lot and her house, and buy one of the two-bedroom condos in back.

Now, she says, selling the back portion alone will allow her to remain in the 100-year-old house where she's lived for 25 years and where she raised her kids.

"Right now, other than having a garage to park my car in, that property isn't doing anything for me," she said. "I am on a fixed income. If I could pay off my house, that would improve my monthly financial picture substantially."

The contract has taken time to put together because the lot is being split and the developers are buying the land outright, she said. The contract also contains provisions that would require the property owner to buy the land back if the developers, due to financial reasons, don't build within a certain timeframe.

Marquart said she likes the building's design, which she described as a blend of contemporary and traditional.

"The compromise they're working on would be an asset to the neighborhood," she said.

Drucker said he and the other developers want to build residential units with "integrity."

"A lot of development is bad — profit dictates the project," he said. "I don't want to go out and build the quickest, cheapest project. I want to go out and build a building that, in 20 years, I can come back and be just as proud of as when I started. I think that's part of being a responsible citizen."

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

You can lead a horse to water...

2009-11-13T05:46:47Z

Developers looking for ways to reduce crime in Sacramento's alleys have grabbed onto an idea that will draw mounted police.

That idea is to provide places where horses can get water and hitch up securely for short periods. While that conjures up Old West visions of water troughs and hitching posts for many, — including developers who described them as such — the reality may be much more 21st century.

An ideal way to provide water would be a small fountain or water feature such as the small Native American drum fountain at City Hall, said Sacramento police Sgt. Chris Taylor.

The idea is to make alleys more charming and useful, he said.

"Right now, our alleys — they're kind of no-man's land," Taylor said. "It's almost like we've made a social decision that we're willing to give them over to the miscreants and the bad guys.

"As a community, we don't strive to make them beautiful spaces where people want to be," he said. "If you change that and make them spaces where people want to socialize and do things that contribute to the community, then it will be a safer place because the bad guys will feel uncomfortable in the alley."

Taylor, who heads the Police Department's Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design program, made a list of suggestions to make developed alleys safer.

Horse-friendly facilities are just one recommendation. The right lighting and more windows are two more.

Rather than flood alleys with a lot of overhead lights, Taylor suggests installing vandal-proof, heavy-duty footlights in pavement to create pedestrian-level light and eliminate hiding spaces.

"Some people think the more light you put in a space, the safer it is," he said. "What I'm talking about is a nice, even light that doesn't create harsh shadows. People can drop back into those shadows and think about committing a crime."

He also suggests that builders add windows that face alleys.

"If you look at our downtown, buildings are appropriately built to face the street," he said. "The back of the building was the alley. The front was much more heavily windowed.

"Buildings were built without a lot of opportunities for people inside to look out at the alleys," Taylor said. "I've encouraged them to consider adding widows to the alley side, so people in structures have more opportunity to look into the alleys. If (criminals) see a lot of windows, they're going to be less likely to commit a crime because they don't know who's watching."

For horses, Taylor recommends water features without high walls so horses can reach the water.

A place to hitch horses could be as simple as a ring secured to a concrete building or a metal decorative sculpture that could double as a bike rack, he said.

Design plans being considered for two pilot alleys stretching from 17th to 19th streets between L Street and Capitol Avenue would include public and private space. Horse-friendly features likely would go in private space on the property line, said Taylor and Stacia Cosgrove, a senior planner for the city.

Funding would come from private donations, not from money for public infrastructure, Cosgrove said.

California Highway Patrol's mounted officers are as likely to use the facilities as the city's mounted unit, said Taylor, who spoke to members of the CHP unit.

Mounted police officers would clean up after their horses in the alleys, Taylor said. The officers already clean horse droppings in Old Sacramento and anywhere pedestrians may go, said Sgt. Sherry Bell, who leads the Mounted Police Unit.

Mounted police can serve several purposes in alleys. They can be a deterrent just by being there, but in a way that builds community and evokes Sacramento's roots, Cosgrove said.

"If the police were to have a presence on an alley, to have them idle in a patrol car is not as warm and approachable as an officer on horseback," she said. "I think it would be a nice way to draw the community closer together."

Taylor said he was surprised alley developers have embraced features for horses. He's made the same recommendations to other developers, but the idea didn't get far — partly because their projects were further along, Taylor said.

"These people who are working on the alleys liked the idea and scooped it up," he said.

Photo by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Pilot alley projects to council Tuesday

2009-08-09T01:59:32Z

A group interested in transforming alleys will present three prototypes to the Sacramento City Council Tuesday.

A restaurant row concept is proposed to hold a mix of outdoor cafés just steps from Memorial Auditorium. Another could contain an alley-front condo sales model. The third would demonstrate the vision for alley hardscapeimprovements.

The Alley Activation Committee is proposing three pilot alleys in Midtown. Two would stretch from 17th to 19th streets between L Street and Capitol Avenue in the Handle District, and a third is proposed for the alley from I to J streets between 16th and 17th streets.

"It's thinking about the whole piece of how do people live and work in the city," said committee Co-Chair Julie Young.

Midtown's blocks contain the same configuration: shallow lots on numbered streets and 160-foot deep lots on lettered streets. Developer Jeremy Drucker hopes to build a compact, three-unit condo building at the back of a deep lot behind a house at 1717 Capitol Ave. The residential units would face Old Soul coffee roastery, which also sits on the alley running from 17th to 18th streets, between L Street and Capitol Avenue.

Designed by architect Ron Vrilakas, the "Stitch" building would contain environmentally conscious interiors and a market-rate, ground-floor unit fully accessible for individuals with disabilities. Exteriors would be designed to fit the neighborhood. A roughly 700-square-foot, one-bedroom unit would cost about $250,000. An 1,100-square foot, two-story unit with two bedrooms would cost about $350,000, said Drucker, who co-chairs the Alley Activation Committee.

"The benefit of working with Ron — a great architect — is there's no wasted footage," he said. "When you're in the space, it feels 50 percent larger."

Drucker's aim is to create affordable housing in "unaffordable" neighborhoods for single people and young couples or families — without demolishing existing housing. He believes the condos would be most ideal for outlying, residential alleys in Midtown, rather than business districts.

For three years, the sales model will be used to show property owners what they could potentially do to increase income and raise the value of their property, he said. The units would then be sold.

"It could be a rundown garage back there, a weed patch or some sort of under-performing part of their property," said Drucker.

Developer Aaron Zeff is proposing to turn two cavernous old buildings currently used for parking into mixed-use space with alley-facing restaurants between I and J streets, from 16th to 17th streets. Taking a cue from San Francisco's Belden Street, the restaurants would feature upscale dining with outdoor seating on the alley.

The historic character of the buildings would be maintained, he said. A 25,600-foot building at 1630 I St. contains old timber trusses and a mezzanine that may be used for a 160-foot dining loft. The other building, which sits directly on 17th Street, contains arched ceilings and barn doors[.]

"That's what people want -- they want to dine in an interesting space," said Zeff.

A restaurant row there could attract Memorial Auditorium visitors and downtown workers to stay in the city longer rather than fleeing for the suburbs, Zeff said.

The third alley, which sits between L Street and Capitol Avenue from 18th to 19th streets, behind the Zócalo building, would help form an attractive, walkable corridor giving diners and shoppers easy access to the East End Parking Garage. That also would serve as a model for what can be done to accentuate Midtown's existing character and increase accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Attractive paving has already been laid there by Vrilakas; Young's development company, Young-Clifford; and developer Sotiris Kolokotronis. Additional beautification could include trees, planters, benches, signs and solar lighting. Lighting options include tiny Italian lights overhead and in-ground lights, Young said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Pilot alley condos move forward

2009-10-23T04:12:30Z

A prototype condo building will be constructed on a Midtown alley after approval by the city earlier this month.

The Planning Division of the Sacramento Community Development Department granted a parking waiver and a side yard variance on Oct. 8 for a pilot alley residential project known as "Stitch" when developer Jeremy Drucker worked out compromises to address nearby residents' concerns.

"The biggest concern was how heavily that block is impacted for parking," said Drucker, who previously developed 9 on F, the central city's first residential project certified by the U.S. Green Building Council for its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Drucker made his comments Thursday at meeting of the Alley Activation Committee.

Drucker's newest "green" building will contain three condos and a garage at the back of a deep lot that is behind a house at 1717 Capitol Ave. The architect is Ron Vrilakas.

The residential units would face Old Soul coffee roastery, which also sits on the alley that runs from 17th to 18th streets, between L Street and Capitol Avenue. That's one of three alleys where property owners are currently proposing pilot alley projects.

Drucker is helping to lead an "alley movement" in Sacramento. Some people involved in a so-called alley activation effort have expressed interest in potential retail and other uses. Drucker said his goal is to add housing that builds density in Midtown without demolishing historic architecture, and to do so at a cost that keeps young people from being priced out of the housing market.

"These old homes are expensive," Drucker said. "They're often more than most people can afford — from a purchase standpoint and even maintaining the properties."

Expected to open in May, the Stitch building will be used as a sales model for three years, after which time the units will be sold, Drucker said.

The back of the lot had been used as parking for eight cars belonging to people who worked for restaurateur Ernesto Jimenez, who uses the house as an office, or at his restaurant Zocalo, at 1801 Capitol Ave. Jimenez also owns Ernesto's Mexican Food, at S and 16th streets.

Neighbors already cramped on parking in the bustling Handle District were worried about the elimination of the eight spaces and an agreement to allow Jimenez or an employee to park in one of the prototype garage's three spaces.

Drucker has agreed to rent a parking space in a nearby lot for one tenant. He also will provide a one-year public transit pass to that tenant, who will live in a ground floor unit accessible for the disabled.

The city also granted a variance allowing a side yard, which will be used for a courtyard entrance, to measure 5 feet 6 inches instead of the standard 10 feet, Drucker said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Pilot alley project to get $100,000

2009-09-24T02:45:37Z

Work on a pilot alley project may begin next year after $100,000 in community development money has become available, Sacramento City Councilmember Steve Cohn said Wednesday.

The money is coming from unused federal community development block grant (CDBG) funds leftover from a street lighting program in North Sacramento's Ben Ali neighborhood.

Like most lighting projects, this one came in way under budget, enabling some funds to be used instead for public infrastructure in Midtown's first "alley activation" project, said Cohn, whose Third District encompasses both neighborhoods.

"Our hope is that it'll be part of a larger program that will make use of a lot more alleys," he said.

Cohn and members of an Alley Activation Committee in Sacramento see at least some of the central city's 600 alleys as under-used resources that could provide more space for business and residential development, thus preventing urban sprawl while adding to the city's charm.

"It really fits with the whole sustainability concept of making use of existing spaces and the existing infrastructure," he said.

A specific project description is needed to meet federal requirements for the funds, he said.

Within the next few weeks, the Alley Activation Committee is expected to create a plan outlining how public and private money will be used on this pilot project, which consists of two alleys stretching from 17th to 19th streets between L Street and Capitol Avenue. The goal is to create an attractive, well-lit pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly corridor, giving diners and shoppers easy access to the East End Parking Garage.

City Development Services staff will give input on the plan. Councilmembers have discretion over how CDBG money for their districts is used, so the plan doesn't need City Council approval, said senior city planner Stacia Cosgrove.

Developer Jeremy Drucker is also proposing to build a condo building on one of those alleys. Developer Aaron Zeff has proposed creating an upscale restaurant row in a third pilot alley located from 16th to 17th streets between I and J streets.

The CDBG funds may be used for such things as drainage, landscaping and lighting. Benches and other aesthetic improvements must be paid for by property owners, Cohn said.

The Midtown Business Association hired consultant Martha Lake to form a nonprofit organization to search for private and public grants and accept donations, as well as to create a collaborative partnership between business people spearheading alley activation and community-based organizations and residents. Work on applying for 501(c)3 has just begun, Lake said.

The city wants to see private investors make financial commitments to the pilot alley project and a program to activate alleys before releasing the CDBG funds, Cohn said.

The city could request bids for public infrastructure contracts by early next year, and work should start no later than spring or summer, he said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Resident finds sanctuary in historic alley digs

2009-12-28T05:16:25Z

From the moment Chris Lango laid eyes on it, he had to have it.

The interior wasn't even built yet — just an empty shell in a rundown old building designed in 1924 to showcase motorcars.

But he knew this loft on the alley would be everything he wanted in urban living -- creative, a bit rough, hidden away in the middle of the city.

An exterior remodel, part of an adaptive reuse, was well underway. He was captured by the history of the building and the story of its architect.

"I was blown away," said Lango, 45. "I've always liked unique living spaces. If you like city living, I guess living in an alley is the most urban. Certainly, the most gritty."

Lango was living in an apartment over nearby City Treasure, now home to Crepeville, when he met the redevelopment's architect and building co-owner Ron Vrilakas inside an old warehouse originally used for car repairs at what was then 18th and M streets.

Vrilakas told Lango all about the Arnold Brothers Motor Cars building and its architect, Leonard Starks, who designed Sacramento landmarks including the Alhambra Theatre and the Elks Building.

Lango fell in love with the place. In the summer of 2004, he was the first to move into one of two lofts Vrilakas designed in the back of the building near 18th Street, on the alley between L Street and Capitol Avenue. The building also houses Zócalo, 58 Degrees & Holding Co. wine bar and other businesses.

The alley is part of a two-block alley infrastructure improvement project awarded $100,000 in community development block grants on Dec. 15 by the Sacramento City Council. The council voted unanimously after only one person, city council candidate Shawn Eldredge, spoke out against this use of funds.

A sports producer for KCRA-TV until recently, Lango produced a feature on Starks for the station.

The 20-foot-high walls of his loft rental contain mementos of the building's long life -- a framed copy of a Sacramento Union story about the building's construction as the Sacramento headquarters for Hudson and Essex cars, a black and white photo of Starks, even a sign made from a city directory during the building's earlier days as Ansel Hoffman Saloon, run by a boxing promoter who later became a county supervisor.

"This building has been many things on the way to being what it is now," he said.

The roughly 1,200-square-foot loft features a trussed ceiling, brick walls, polished concrete floor, separate bedroom area and an L-shaped loft reachable by ladder. Lango has made the loft his home, letting the space influence his design of the interior and his creation of objets d'art.

"I was scared when I moved in here, 'cause I'm a sports guy and this place was empty," he said.

The space is so unique that his loft was used in the movie, "Her Minor Thing," directed by Walter Matthau's son, Charlie. They used everything, right down to Lango's candles, for a love scene between the leading characters, a reporter and a photographer.

"It's weird to see your couch on film," Lango said.

Lango is very supportive of an "alley activation" movement being spearheaded by developers, architects, business owners and the city of Sacramento. He sits on the group's Alley Activation Committee. And he likes poking holes in the way people see alleys.

"The perception of alleys is that they're dirty, there's trash and dumpsters everywhere, they're torn up and there's a lot of weeds," he said. "Most people don't think of alleys as cool places. You're just off the beaten path and yet you're right at the heart of everything."

Lango has been warmly welcomed by the building's owners, Vrilakas and Zócalo owner Ernesto Jimenez.

"Before any project was even started, he wanted to live here," said Jimenez, who described Lango as "an inspiration" for the history he uncovered while working on stories about Starks and other Sacramento history.

The best part about living on an alley is that the location and the big, open loft space in the former warehouse are unique and allow him to be creative, rather than restricted by traditional, enclosed rooms, he said. Lango likes the way it was designed to be its own sanctuary, with an enclosed courtyard entry next to the alley.

He said the biggest challenge for him is noise, but the worst is over, after Lango lived through two to three months of pile-driving during the construction of the L Street Lofts on the same alley. He said he's gotten used to the sound of trucks making early-morning deliveries.

Increased parking demands from new alley residences like these are a problem for some existing neighbors. These two lofts don't come with parking, so Lango has a permit to park on the street like most Midtown residents.

Several people have lived in the loft next door.

"It probably isn't for everybody," Lango said. "But if you can dip your foot outside your comfort zone and shift how you perceive life, you can create a place that's unique."

Safety can be another issue on alleys. On his way in and out of his home, Lango has learned to pay more attention to the "nooks and crannies" where someone could hide in the alley. Graffiti is more of a problem. But Lango said he's accepted everything that comes with living in a city alley.

"That's just part of the urban experience," he said. "I think if you live in an urban setting like this, you have to buy into the whole experience."

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.