Someone could have saved 19 minutes and 30 seconds by letting the train cross...then open for the Hornblower...but then, UP's signal controls are a national system.

Bill is 100% correct about the rendering source (and the Q&R location).

Looks SUPER!

A request to the worldly...put aside your well earned cynisym for a paragraph or two...don your imaginations...and visualise me this... Sacramento's Cultural Arts Riverfront, a necklace of arts and culture stretched like pearls along the living artery of our river - the Crocker, an ode to the visual arts; a brand-new state-of-the art perfoming arts center; a large event center; museums; restaurants...all along a walkable riverfront promenade. A living riverfront. That's the proverbial bid-assed, hairy, audacious goal...but my worldy friends, one that is already in process. The Crocker is up and has reset expectations and impressions about Sacto's high-end art scene. The City is pushing through parts of the river promenade. The haute-restaurant scene has already reached Old Sac. The event center (my name for the long-winded Sports and Entertainment Center) is finally in the eye of a furious civic debate, which suggests it is finally real enough to sweat over. Ironically, the event center may also hold the keys to a new perfroming arts center on the river. If AEG is truly interested in operating a 20,000 seat event center where they may book, say, 200 shows a year...is it possible they would be even more interested if there were also 2,000 seat venue that could book another 400 shows a year, adding another stop for their touring acts? Other generations have left their marks on this city...rail, a raised grid, ag canning, the Citizen, Elks and Memorial Auditorium...the list is long. But for all those accomplishments, no one has opened the riverfront. Perhaps we can do that...and frankly, given the realities of economic development, we need the gravity of an event center to see that happen in this lifetime. I'm for it. The details of the deal, the place and the surroundings matter... a lot. But to say "no" closes many doors, while saying "yes" gives us the chance to do great things.

This can work, and frankly it HAS worked. Four years ago, the City combined the Design, Preservation and Planning Commissions to review the Railyards project. The process was wildly successful as the focus and energy of the public, and the commissioners, lasered in on issues of joint concern. Duplicative comments were reduced, the developer (ahem...) could not play hide-the-ball between commissions and the synergies of bright minds in a room together lifted the level of dialogue. To Lisa's comment re "ugly" projects, the Design commission of course in not an aesthetics commission, but reviews project's conformation with existing guidelines...something City staff does already, and frankly, with the quality of the remaining staff, does very well. My only concern, expressed by Michael Notestine, is the logjam looming when the economy resumes. The seperate commissions worked well to stagger project reviews...when development resumes, staff staff (and certain activists) may wish they had another round or two of hearings to slow things down. Personally, I think it's a smart move.