Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "alleys"

Alleyways of Sacramento receive names, part four

2011-11-05T04:31:15Z

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, The Sacramento Press profiled the alleys in the central city that were formally named on Oct. 11 by an ordinance approved by the City Council. Below is the final installment of the new alley names.

Rice Alley

Curt Pow, the 36-year-old owner of Elixir Bar and Grill, has his business situated on the corner of Rice Alley and 10th Street.

“I’m okay with Rice Alley,” he said, adding that the Asian theme fits into much of the area’s culture.

While Pow said that he believes the names won’t directly help his business, he doesn’t think they will hurt it, either.

“What our area needs right now is retail business,” he said. “The city should allocate more effort for helping businesses rather than naming the alleys.”

Solons Alley

Jeff Standley, a 28-year-old sales associate at the Constantly Growing speciality hydroponic shop located along Solons Alley, said that the naming may help out with bringing more foot traffic into the alleys and then into the stores.

“Generally, people are looking for a main street,” he said. “If you can designate (the alleys) a little better, I assume it will be better for directions.”

Standley said that a name like “Sutter’s Alley” would have been more recognizable and memorable to local residents and that maybe the city should have named it that instead of Solons.

Tomato Alley

Uptown Alley

Dana Nolan, 56, was walking through her neighborhood on the south side of downtown Sacramento near Uptown Alley. She said she wondered why they named the alley “Uptown” since it is so far south.

She added that the names should have been more historically relevant.

“I think it would sort of get a sense of the neighborhood character,” she said. "I can go over to the cemetery and pick seven names just off the top of my head.”

Nolan also said that it adds too many names to a city that has streets with more than one name, like Capitol Avenue and Power Inn Road.

“It’s bad enough that you have to remember that there are three names for M Street,” she said, referring to Capitol Avenue, which becomes Folsom Boulevard.

Victorian Alley

Victoria Grant, 32, and her husband, George, 31, live along Victorian Alley. Victoria Grant is a nurse, and George Grant is in the military on active duty.

Victoria Grant said that naming the alleys would make it easier for people to identify where they are.

But George Grant said that he was less than enthusiastic about the naming.

“It’s just an alley,” he said.

Victoria Grant said that she liked that her name was very similar to the alley’s.

What do you think of the city's names for the alleys? Leave your thoughts in the conversation below.

John G. Hernandez contributed to this story.

Alleyways of Sacramento receive names, part three

2011-11-04T05:17:27Z

On Oct. 11, the City Council approved an ordinance that officially named the alleys of the central city. On Tuesday and Wednesday, The Sacramento Press highlighted many of these alleys, including their new names and what residents and business owners think of them. More alleyways are included below.

Leistal Alley

Cohn said Leistal Alley is an alley that the city has put resources into renovating.

With a lighted walkway and an upscale pavement job, co-owner of Old Soul Coffee Jason Griest said he hopes that all of the other alleys will soon be similarly renovated.

“We see a lot more foot traffic in the alley now that they’ve renovated it,” the 36-year-old Midtown resident said.

Griest said that he thought a better name for the alley would have been “Old Soul Alley” as an homage to the coffee shop that gives the alley its character and charm.

Matsui Alley

Bombay Bar and Grill is located on Matsui Alley and 21st Street, and Manager Amit Kumar, 35, said that the naming will make it easier for customers to find restaurants located along the alleys.

Kumar also said that naming the alley after someone prominent will help it stand out from some of the other alleys.

Neighbors Alley

Opera Alley

The 17th Street. Commons housing complex is located on Opera Alley.

Louise and David Thompson, two seniors who live near Opera Alley, run the Interfaith Experience, a community outreach group that seeks to unite different churches in the area.

Louise Thompson said that she thinks naming the alleys is a great idea that was long overdue.

But Louise Thompson said that she believes that the city should have looked more into the history and character of the alleys to find the most suitable names for each one.

“There are all kinds of dramas that happen within these alleys,” she said. “If we were to really concentrate on the particular landscapes that create these alleys, then we could be recording history and giving (the alleys) a sense of place.”

David Thompson said that he agreed with his wife.

“There is always history that gets eroded and lost, and naming (the alleys) accordingly would keep that history alive,” he said.

He added that he thinks it would be a good idea to call Opera Alley “Commons Alley,” because of the housing complex.

Powerhouse Alley

Powerhouse Alley runs south of P Street and next to the Fremont Community Garden.

Brandon Louie, a 30-year-old community organizer who lives in Boulevard Park, said that naming the alleys is a good first step in utilizing the space that the alleys provide.

“I think giving the alleys an identity gives us more of an incentive to clean them up,” he said.

But Louie said that he doesn’t want the naming to be just a symbolic gesture and that it is important that Sacramentans take action to redevelop them soon.

Louie said that it would be hard to come up with a better name than “Powerhouse.”

“Maybe The People’s Alley,” he said. “Something a bit more communal.”

Quill Alley

Quill Alley is perhaps one of the busiest alleys in Sacramento, as it is home to the 16th Street light rail station, where many people come into Sacramento from the suburbs.

Ray Thompson, a state worker from Land Park, said that his main concern was that the names be in order alphabetically.

When asked about the name “Quill,” the 48-year-old said that he would have tried another name that better kept up with the history of Sacramento.

“Quill is more like pens or writing,” he said. “I probably would have named it something to do with rail or industry.”

What do you think of the city's names for the alleys? Leave your thoughts in the conversation below.

John G. Hernandez contributed to this story.

Central city alleys receive names, part two

2011-11-03T03:41:34Z

On Oct. 11, Steve Cohn’s 5-year-old idea to give the alleys of Sacramento their own formal names was finalized, giving them what many residents describe as a new sense of character.

In a continuation of Tuesday’s article, The Sacramento Press has highlighted many local businesses along the alleys and spoke to residents regarding their thoughts on the alleys’ new names.

Fat Alley

Khalid Khan’s liquor store, called Don’s Bottle Shop, is located on Fat Alley and 16th Street. Khan, 60, said that naming the alleys won’t do his business any good.

“I don’t have control over what (the city) wants to do,” he said.

He emphasized that the city should be more focused on finding more direct ways to promote local businesses, and that naming the alleys is a distraction from more important issues.

Government Alley

Sacramento is the capital city of California, and Cohn said that Government Alley’s name is an acknowledgement of the city’s importance in state politics.

Midtown attorney Jan Kaworsky said that while he believes that the effort to name the alleys is worthwhile, he would have chosen different names.

“I probably would have named Government Alley ‘Anti-Government Alley,’ ” he said.

Historic Alley

As the alleys progress further south into Midtown, businesses begin becoming more prevalent on their corners. Old Soul at Weatherstone, one of Sacramento’s popular coffee bars, is located on the corner of Historic Alley along 21st Street.

Jeramy Robinson, 25, is a manager at the coffee bar and lives right by Historic Alley.

“There’s a lot of activity that would benefit from having a name for this alleyway,” he said, referring to the many homes and businesses within the vicinity.

He said that the name “Historic” is very fitting for the alley, especially since Old Soul at Weatherstone is located in the building that housed Sacramento’s first cafe.

Although supportive of the idea, Robinson voiced some concerns about the alley naming.

“It’s a new idea on the grid system,” he said. “It might confuse people that aren’t necessarily familiar with (it).”

When asked what he would have named the alley, Robinson said that he would have given it a name that relates even more closely to Old Soul at Weatherstone.

Improv Alley

Jazz Alley

Jazz Alley spans several busy areas in Sacramento, cutting through the hearts of Downtown and Midtown. Off of 10th Street is Broadacre Coffee, a new coffee bar owned by Justin Kerr, Jacob Elia, Lucas Elia and Andrew Lopez.

Kerr and Elia, 21 and 23, said they think that while the idea to name the alleys had good motives, the names that were chosen are lackluster and uninteresting.

“I think they could have come up with a better name than Jazz Alley,” Kerr said. “I know the process took a long time, but the names are kind of generic.”

Kerr said jokingly that a more appropriate name for Jazz Alley would have been “Java Alley” because of their store’s location.

Elia said that he can see how naming the alleys would aid police in responding to emergencies more quickly.

“If you can say, ‘I’m on Jazz Alley and 10th St.,’ now they know you’re not just somewhere (in between) Ninth and 10th (streets),” he said.

Kayak Alley

Bernice Gamino works at Harv’s Carwash, located on 19th Street and Kayak Alley. The 28-year-old resident of Natomas said that she isn’t confident that naming the alleys will produce positive results.

“I think it might confuse people,” she said. “A lot of people don’t even know that they (named) them, and the names are weird.”

She suggested that naming the alleys after things all Sacramentans would recognize would have been better.

“I would have named it Kings Alley,” she said. “It’s the first thing I think of when I think of ‘K’ and Sacramento.”

Watch for tomorrow’s story that will include more of the alleys.

What do you think of the city's names for the alleys? Leave your thoughts in the conversation below.

John G. Hernandez contributed to this story.

Central city alleys receive names

2011-11-02T06:04:54Z

After initially being proposed five years ago, City Councilman Steve Cohn’s idea to name Sacramento alleys has finally been put into action. On Oct.11, the City Council approved a list of new names for the alleys.

Cohn said that the alleys need names to help residents identify them more easily.

“Instead of saying ‘the alley between L and Capitol,’ you could just say the name of the alley,” he said.

The process for naming the alleys took so long, Cohn said, because it is very complicated.

“It took a while because we had to do a lot of outreach,” he said. "It's part of the rules and regulations for naming streets."

Cohn said that approval was needed from various administrative agencies like the Department of Transportation, the Sacramento Police Department and the U.S. Postal Service. Permission from these agencies was needed to coordinate and integrate the new names without creating duplication or confusion.

All of the alley names begin with the letter of the street they are directly south of. However, there was often disagreement on what words should be used for the naming.

“My original proposal was names of international cities, and some (residents) liked that, but others didn’t,” Cohn said.

To reconcile the differences, he said that city staff asked local neighborhood and business associations, such as the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, what kind of names they would like to see by holding public events throughout 2008 and 2009. Names relating to Sacramento's history and culture were often popular, like Democracy and Jazz.

The proposal was also delayed several times during the past five years.

"It was put on the shelf from time to time," Cohn said. "There wasn't a lot of people working full-time on it."

Cohn said that street signs will not be put up on the alleys anytime soon, especially with their $300 price tag.

“Little by little, as the economy improves and our budget improves, we may go back and appropriate the money,” he said.

The alleys are located in between B and W streets, and many stretch between Third and 30th streets. The first letter in each alley’s name is the same as the street that it is directly south of.

The Sacramento Press high-lighted some of the alleys below.

Blues Alley

Blues Alley is located in the northern part of the city that lies near many industrial buildings and residences.

Saleh Tyebjee, 26, is an engineer who lives in the downtown area. He said that although naming the alleys gives them some much-needed character, the names will ultimately make it more difficult for people to navigate on the grid system.

“It’s one of the nice things about living on the grid,” he said. “You always know where you are. (Naming the alleys) makes it a little more difficult to find your way around.”

Tyebjee said that if he could have named the alley, he would have called it “Grant Alley” because the alley runs right up to Grant Park.

Chinatown Alley

South of Blues Alley is Chinatown Alley, which runs through some of Sacramento’s oldest neighborhoods.

Jeff Laible lives off of Chinatown Alley. The 52-year-old installation mechanic said that he believes naming the alleys will actually help people navigate better throughout the central city.

“It’s not just the alley between C and D,” he said. “If you say ‘Chinatown Alley,’ you know which one it is.”

Laible said that he has no preference when it comes to names for the alleys, as long as everyone actually knows the alleys’ names.

Democracy Alley

Eggplant Alley

Forty-seven-year-old promoter and resident of Eggplant Alley Jerry Perry said that he had trouble understanding how the name “Eggplant” was decided on.

“I cannot believe that they couldn’t find something more relevant historically than the word ‘eggplant,’ ” he said. “(It) sounds like some 1920s cartoon character lives here.”

Perry said that he has lots of ideas for the alley that he thinks would have been more suitable, like “Excellent Alley.”

“I think it would have been more exciting if they had found more historical Sacramento characters,” he said. “A lot of the names they chose are weak.”

The rest of the alleys will be showcased throughout the course of this week.

What do you think of the city's names for the alleys? Leave your thoughts in the conversation below.

John G. Hernandez contributed to this story and created the video.

Alley work set to begin

2010-07-20T00:27:38Z

The Midtown alley next to Old Soul Co. was expected to be closed to through traffic starting Monday when utility upgrades were scheduled to begin.

A contractor working for the city's Department of Utilities was expected to start a $187,000 project to replace 80- to 100-year-old, underground water and sewer pipes running the length of the alley, located from 17th to 18th streets between L Street and Capitol Avenue, as well as to adjacent properties.

"They've reached the end of their useful life, and it's time to replace them," said Jessica Hess, spokeswoman for the city's utilities department.

The work is the first step in a nearly $400,000 pilot alley project to improve the alley hardscape. The project is a joint effort between the city and the nonprofit Alley Activation Alliance, a private committee spearheading an "alley activation" movement in Sacramento.

At the same time, developer Jeremy Drucker, who is a leader of the alley group, is building an alley-front condo project on the alley facing Old Soul coffee roastery.

Pedestrians and residents who live on that block will still have access to the alley. When needed, construction work will be stopped to allow people access to private parking on the alley at all times. Businesses including Old Soul, 1716 L St., will remain open, Hess said.

Larger pipes will be installed to improve water, sewer and storm drainage service, reliability and water pressure in case of fire protection needs. For example, an 8-inch waste water pipe carrying combined sewage and storm water will be replaced by a 12-inch pipe. New pipes will also be installed at a greater angle than the old, nearly parallel system to increase the speed of water flow, which will help keep drain inlets from backing up and help prevent street flooding.

The city will also replace water valves, manholes and drain inlets.

The alley group has raised money and in-kind donations for the rest of the alley improvements, which will include lighting, planter boxes and a trash enclosure.

Once the utilities work is finished, the city's Department of Transportation will begin to rebuild the alley surface with permeable paving stones. The City Council approved using $100,000 in community development block grant funds for permeable pavers.

Utility work will take place from early July through mid-August. The rest of the work is expected to be completed by early to mid-September, Hess said.

Pilot alley projects move forward

2010-05-20T04:41:34Z

The Midtown Business Association voted Wednesday night to kick in $20,000 toward nearly $400,000 in improvements for a prototype alley running from 17th to 18th streets between L Street and Capitol Avenue.

At the same time, a three-unit condo building has been under construction since February next to that alley. Construction workers have created a shell containing three condos and a garage.

Developer Jeremy Drucker is building the alley-front "Stitch" project as a three-year sales model for other property owners and prospective tenants. Facing Old Soul coffee roastery, the project sits at the back of a deep lot behind a house at 1717 Capitol Ave. The building is expected to be finished near the end of July.

Led by MBA President Aaron Zeff, a majority of board members agreed to provide $20,000 toward at least $132,000 in permeable paving stones for the alley. The money will come primarily from a surplus parking management fund, said MBA Executive Director Rob Kerth.

The city of Sacramento's Department of Utilities has agreed to replace 80-year-old water and sewer lines — work estimated at $181,000. The City Council approved using $100,000 in community development block grant funds for permeable pavers. The total cost to install pavers may be higher, depending on bids, Drucker said.

The nonprofit Alley Activation Alliance, formed by the private committee spearheading an "alley activation" movement in Sacamento, is still seeking $30,000 for speciality items like planter boxes and construction of a masonry trash enclosure that will be built on a leased 10-foot by 20-foot parking space, said Alley Activation Committee Co-chair Julie Young.

The rest of the $391,230 budget is coming from in-kind and private donations,Young and Drucker said.

"We're trying to put in infrastructure and encourage people to respond creatively to that," Young said.

Cities from San Francisco to Austin, Seattle, Portland and beyond have transformed old service streets into intimate, charismatic spots for smaller businesses and residential flats. For two years, several dozen people have been working as the Alley Activation Committee to initiate a similar movement in Sacramento.

The committee members have identified 41 Midtown alleys between I and N streets they see as having potential for improvements that would encourage alley-front business and residential development.

Before the vote, several MBA members asked where funding would come from for other alleys to be developed and for alley maintenance. Some were concerned businesses or the city would be expected to come up with the funding.

"We don't want to look to the city for money" for other alleys to be improved, Young said. The committee will explore other options, such as private donations from foundations or corporations, or property-based improvement district funds, Young said.

The question of who would be responsible for maintenance hasn't yet been answered, but maintenance should be minimal, she said.

"Ultimately, the alleys are still maintained by the city," she said.

The city will handle construction. Work to replace water and sewer lines is expected to begin in July. Surface improvements — installing permeable pavers if possible — would start in late summer. Resident's water and sewer services should be shut off for no more than four hours at a time while connections are made, Drucker said.

A homeowner who lives several blocks away from the Stitch sales model has signed a contract for the second alley-front residential unit to be built on her deep lot. All three units must be pre-sold before construction would start, Drucker said.

Graphic provided by Jeremy Drucker. Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter covering business and development 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Underground Sidewalks Update at Preservation Commission Meeting

2009-08-03T18:05:16Z

This Wednesday, August 5, Sacramento's Preservation Commission will hear an update on the "Underground Sidewalks" survey project. This survey has explored much of Sacramento's surviving underground sidewalk structures, and is preparing a detailed report on their current condition and historic context. An earlier meeting, held in March, outlined what the survey would do(sacramentopress.com/headline/5128/City_Will_Survey_Underground_Sidewalks) and this meeting will present the initial findings of the survey team and report their progress. The final report on the underground sidewalks should be completed by September of this year.

The meeting will be held at Sacramento's City Hall, 915 I Street, in the City Council chambers on the first floor. The meeting starts at 5:30 PM and the Underground Sidewalks survey will be the first of several staff reports presented at the meeting.

A complete agenda of the Preservation Commission meeting can be found here:

www.cityofsacramento.org/dsd/meetings/commissions/preservation/2008/PC_Agenda_8-05-09.cfm

Sacramento's underground sidewalks are a side effect of a massive street-raising project, executed from the 1850s to the 1870s and intended to keep downtown Sacramento above water during the region's frequent floods. Brick walls about 12 feet high were built at the street edge and filled with dirt, but the spaces between the buildings and the street were left open, and were the building owner's responsibility to cover and fill. Over the past 130 years, many of these spaces have been filled in or demolished by subsequent development, construction and sidewalk repair.

This survey, funded by a local nonprofit and a matching state grant, is intended to document all of the surviving "Underground Sidewalk" spaces in downtown Sacramento and research the methods used to build these structures. The survey will have many potential uses, possibly including the creation of a historic district, or facilitating an "Underground Sidewalks Tour" program similar to that found in Seattle and other cities. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments to the Preservation Commission and the consultants conducting the survey.

The City Preservation Commission was created by the City Council. Its powers and duties include: to develop and recommend to the City Council preservation policies appropriate for inclusion in the General Plan and other regulatory plans and programs of the City and to provide oversight relative to the maintenance and integrity of the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources; to review, nominate, and make recommendations to the City Council on properties eligible for listing in the Sacramento Register as Landmarks, Historic Districts and Contributing Resources as set forth in the Historic Preservation Chapter, Title 17, Chapter 17.134, of the City Code; to review and approve preservation development projects of major significance and appeals of Preservation Director decisions per the Historic Preservation Chapter, Title 17, Chapter 17.134, of the City Code.

Meeting location: New City Hall
915 I Street- 1st Floor, Council Chambers
August 5, 2009 - 5:30 P.M.

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.

City Will Survey Underground Sidewalks

2009-03-27T16:47:23Z

Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Time: 5:30-7:30
Location: Historic City Hall, 2nd Floor Hearing Room, 915 I Street

On Tuesday, March 31, the city of Sacramento invites downtown property owners and community members to a Public Workshop to find out about the Raised Streets-Hollow Sidewalks Historic Survey. Join the Public Workshop, learn about the survey and ask questions.
-----------------------
This survey, funded by a local nonprofit and a matching state grant, is intended to document all of the surviving "Underground Sidewalk" spaces in downtown Sacramento.

In the 1860s and 1870s, Sacramento's Board of Trustees undertook a project to raise downtown Sacramento's streets above flood levels by building brick walls at the edges of the downtown streets and filling those walls with dirt. This resulted in streets as much as 12 feet higher than their original level. Building owners either used teams of screw jacks to elevate their building to the new street level or simply made their second floor into the new ground floor. Because the building owners were responsible for the space between their building and the street, most built brick vaults over the sidewalk area, leaving the old sidewalk as a covered but accessible underground space. Most of the street raising was done between approximately I and L Street, from Front Street along the river to 12th Street to the east.

Over the intervening 130 years of development, new construction and redevelopment destroyed or damaged much of the original underground sidewalk areas, to the point where only a handful remain. This survey will document surviving remnants and research the methods used to build these structures. The survey will have many potential uses, possibly including the creation of a historic district, or facilitating an "Underground Sidewalks Tour" program similar to that found in Seattle and other cities. For those interested in learning more about the survey, the methods used, or those who hope to take a peek inside the history of Sacramento, this public workshop should be very interesting.

Sacramento's underground sidewalks have become the subject of local legend, and there are many myths associated with them. Most bear little resemblance to reality, but excite the imagination. They even appear in works of historical fiction, like James D. Houston’s Bird of Another Heaven:

"Soon another man spoke, his voice soft, almost a whisper. “I have heard of tunnels,” he said, “underneath the city of Sacramento and they are lined with the doors and windows of buildings, built there many years ago. I have not seen this, but I know a fisherman who is part white and part Indian. He was down there when he used to clean the streets. He tells me there is a city underneath a city, with streets and alleyways, built before the great flood, and dark as tunnels now. Anyone who died in the floods, this is where their spirits go.”

Hopefully, this survey will help us more fully comprehend a well-known but little-understood aspect of Sacramento history.

Alleys into Sacramento's future

2009-03-26T07:28:59Z

The smell of stale urine, trash, puddles, cracked pavement - these are the things one might find in a dingy, unkempt alley. But can Sacramento turn those alleys into commercial and residential areas resembling something more like an oasis, complete with plants, permeable pavement and a sense of safety?

That is what more than 75 Sacramento residents met to discuss on Wednesday, March 25. A monthly gathering organized by Sacramento's Urban Design Alliance (UDA), this week's dialogue was entitled Alleys in Sacramento's Future, and was standing room only for about a third of the crowd.

The meeting began with everyone introducing themselves, viewing a photograph of an alley, and telling what they liked, or didn't like about it. No one seemed completely disappointed or disgusted with the alleys, with most describing something positive.

Panelists Jeremy Drucker, principal of Stitch-Space, and Aaron Zeff, project developer of Restaurant Row, gave brief presentations about why they were inspired to develop alleyways. Tom Pace, long-range planning manager for the city of Sacramento, added that "Alleys should feel enclosed and safe, and give people opportunity to make use of backyard space."

This was followed by a facilitated dialogue moderated by Brian Fischer, founder of Midtowngrid.com. More than a dozen people brought up issues that developers should consider when remodeling alleyways.

Several people noted that many alleys smell like garbage. Some businesses have trash cans in their alleyways, and we in general seem to simply lack the ability to clean our alleys enough others said.

Another important issue was the slope of many alleys being American Disabilities Act (ADA) noncompliant, meaning they are inaccessible to disabled people who are in wheelchairs.

Others brought up the point that fire and emergency response vehicles might also not be able to access alleyways.

Several others mentioned that though delivery trucks might block many alleys and create a hazard during the day it was agreed that each case should be looked at differently, so that each alley has an organic feel. A few others mentioned that alleyway trucks also pollute the air with their loud obtrusive sound.

A number of people voiced their concerns that the history of many of these alleys should be addressed and even be focused on during a renovation, while others discussed how to deal with storm water in alleys.

Zeff closed with a challenge to citizens and the city to give their input and help create interesting alleyways so as not to create another suburb.

Next month's free meeting will be held at the same location – the AIA Central Valley Conference Room at 1400 S Street in Sacramento on Wednesday, April 29.

ALLEYS IN SACRAMENTO'S FUTURE

2009-03-23T21:09:38Z

Urban Design Alliance-Sacramento (UDA) presents 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue:

When: March 25, 2009, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Where: AIA Conference Room, 1400 S Street (wheelchair accessible)
Admission: FREE EVENT, open to anyone who cares about design. Please come early, several displays to view!

Panel Presentation -- UDA has asked the two developers on the panel -- Jeremy Drucker and Aaron Zeff -- to describe what they initially saw, including where, that inspired them to come up with a comparable development concept for an alley in Sacramento. Tom Pace, the City of Sacramento's Long Range Planning Manager, will comment on alley concepts he has seen in a variety of locations; in addition, he will provide information on the "density bonus for alleys" that is included in the recently approved General Plan.

Visual Presentations -- UDA will provide a continuous slide show comprised of alley photographs from around Sacramento, California, other cities and states, and other countries. *** Developers Drucker and Zeff will display renderings of the concepts they are in various stages of proposing. *** Terry Green (Williams+Paddon) will display boards that depict a color-coding scheme for alley ID-&-safety. *** Ron Vrilakas (Vrilakas Architects) will display boards that depict alley landscaping and traffic management concepts suitable for alley-fronting retail and residences.

Dialogue -- UDA encourages attendees to arrive early in order to have time to view the displays prior to the opening presentation. Following the panel, Brian Fischer, Director of Business Development, Sales, and Marketing for Midtown Grid, will facilitate a dialogue that ensures everyone an opportunity to ask a question and/or offer a comment on the presented concepts and information.

Light Refreshments -- water and snacks (e.g., pretzels, crackers)

Questions: Deanna Marquart, UDA Vice President, marquart-policy@comcast.net, (916) 444-2042

Information about UDA: www.udasacramento.org [recently reconstructed and updated]