The Feb. 15 groundbreaking of the 72-acre lot that neighbors Sacramento City College brought the campus one step closer to becoming a bridge between the Land Park and Curtis Park neighborhoods. The vacant lot east of Hughes Stadium and the Union Pacific rail line, which once served as a rail yard, is being transformed into a neighborhood by Petrovich Development Company. The new community will be called Curtis Park Village, a residential and retail development featuring a pedestrian bridge connecting it to the City College light rail station. “On the north side, it’s going to be single family housing, parks, low-income senior housing, apartments and condominiums,” said City College Vice

A Curtis Park microbrewery that plays up Sacramento's railroad history is one step closer to opening after winning approval from the city Planning Commission. Two craft beer fans expect to open Track 7 Brewing Company, a microbrewery and tasting room, in mid-September if other necessary permits and licensing are granted. Southern California transit analyst Ryan Graham and Sacramento mortgage underwriter Geoff Scott said they hope to start working on an adaptive reuse of a 380-square-foot space 2,100-square-foot space inside a warehouse at 3747 W. Pacific Ave., near Sutterville Road and 24th Street, within a month. The Sacramento Planning Commission voted 8-1 Thursday night to grant a sp

A long-debated topic in the Curtis Park neighborhood came potentially one step closer to its resolution Friday morning during a hearing at the Historic City Hall. Representatives from the community, concerned about the future of some 57 “Heritage Tress” in the Curtis Park Village development, presented a collaborated compromise designed to mitigate the impacts of any tree removal with the project firm, Petrovich Development Company. “Heritage trees” are the large oak trees that pepper within the boundaries of the Curtis Park Village. The land they now occupy is contaminated with various toxins due to the pervious industrial railroad shops that formerly stood on the site. Sierra Curtis Ne

There has been an enthusiastic debate simmering in the Curtis Park neighborhood for quite some time now. The topic of discussion: heritage trees in development zones and their proposed removal. But through the passionate exchanges from local residents and the developer of the project, cooler heads express the need for civility. I learned this while speaking candidly with two citizens working hard behind the scenes on this hot-button topic over the weekend. Patrick Soluri, Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association president, gave me the CliffsNotes version of information from years of hearings, public meetings, press releases and e-mails from neighborhood advocates. In a nutshell: The Petrov

The Friday, January 21st hearing at which development firm Petrovich Development planned to request a permit from the City of Sacramento to remove Heritage Trees from his Curtis Park Village site has been cancelled until a future date. The postponement is the  result of a meeting arranged between Sacramento Councilmember Jay Schenirer and members of the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association (SCNA) on the evening of January 19th. Representatives of SCNA’s Neighborhood Concerns Committee who attended the meeting are encouraged about what transpired, and feel that what was agreed upon and what is still being discussed amounts to good news for trees at the future site of the development proj

The Sacramento City Council on Tuesday night unanimously gave final approval to the contentious Curtis Park Village project, which had drawn criticism from many Curtis Park neighbors. Councilwoman Lauren Hammond, who represents Curtis Park in District 5, expressed her satisfaction with the project’s conclusion by singing the words: “This is it.” Developer Paul Petrovich’s Curtis Park Village has raised concerns among neighbors because it involves the cleanup and development of a contaminated area. A Sept. 28 report from city staff noted that the project could include 259,000 square feet of commercial and office space, 527 residences and a 6.8-acre park. Rosanna Herber, president of the

No one can remember the last time a Sacramento City Council member broke into song. But at Thursday's packed council meeting, Councilwoman Lauren Hammond sang out just two words from the 1972 Bobby Vinton classic, "Sealed With a Kiss:" "In September...." Hammond sang out because she'd felt the tension rising in the chamber. The council faced a couple hundred impassioned Curtis Park residents. They were there to discuss, at length, the crucial environmental impact report regarding the neighborhood's railyard development. In September. That appeared to be when the meeting would finally end. "It made everybody stop and laugh," Hammond said Monday. "Because of that, we could continue."

An overflow crowd packed Sacramento City Hall Thursday night for a public hearing on the environmental impact report for the proposed Curtis Park Village development. With a unanimous vote, the City Council certified the report following four hours of testimony, staff reports and council discussion on the expected impact of developer Paul Petrovich's $211 million plan to construct housing and businesses on an old Western Pacific railyard near Sacramento City College. More than 400 people filled the council chamber and an upstairs overflow room. Saying they don't oppose the infill project, some nearby residents sought to postpone a decision by asking for an environmental impact report (EI

 The fate of the controversial Curtis Park Village development project will be reviewed by the Planning Commission Thursday. The project has been billed by developer Paul Petrovich as a way to blend nearby housing styles into a new community, but neighbors disagree, arguing that it's a design stuck in the past. “We hope everyone in this city is watching as the 72-acre parcel between Land Park, Sacramento City College and Curtis Park goes to the Planning Commission for review,” said Rosanna Herber, president of the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association (SCNA). “Designed the right way, the development could meet the growing need for housing and retail space near the heart of the city and

In a lively neighborhood-wide gathering rivaled only by the annual flea market, Curtis Park residents on Oct. 6 encouraged and criticized plans to develop Curtis Park Village in the adjacent, long-contaminated Union Pacific Railyard. Local developer Paul Petrovich, president of the Petrovich Development Company, hosted the community meeting at his Stone Pointe complex on Freeport and Sutterville to explain plans for the development and let residents voice concerns. The atmosphere grew tense as attendees questioned him about everything from toxic-cleanup safety regulations to his taste in public art. Petrovich's proposal is to create a sustainable community with residential and retail z

Mayor Kevin Johnson is worried that the state’s plans to take local revenues could lead to more layoffs of city workers and slow major development projects. County government officials are also alarmed about the state’s plan, which could be approved by the Legislature on Thursday. Legislative officials and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are planning to use local funds to help balance the state’s $26.3 billion budget gap. The Legislature may take $1 billion in gas tax funds and $1.7 billion in redevelopment funds from local governments throughout the state. The state plan also includes borrowing $2 billion in revenues from local property taxes. Earlier this month, the city laid off 135 worker

The city of Sacramento has won $55.8 million in Proposition 1C funds for infill redevelopment, the city announced late Tuesday. On Monday, the California Department of Housing and Community Development approved money to help fund infrastructure for four projects: the Railyards, Township 9, Curtis Park Village and Capitol Lofts. Proposition 1C was approved by voters in November 2006. The $6 billion Railyards project will get about $30 million, said city spokesperson Wendy Klock-Johnson. The new funding brings the project's total public bond funding to at least $115 million. “This is a step in the right direction for our city in terms of economic development and creation of employment op