Elizabeth Patterson on the General Plan - Questions & Answers

QUESTION: General plan - If, over the next 20 years, Benicia develops according to the general plan, how would it differ from a town developed according the dictates of Seeno, Valero, Amport, and the other large outside businesses seeking to dominate the process?

The Seeno project as proposed would tilt Benicia toward an Antioch or Fairfield kind of place. The identity of Benicia and its hills would be gone. The connection of historical Benicia – a town with a difference - would be broken and it would become simply yet another industrial park. We have a chance to create the vision of facilities matching our housing with new jobs, using our assets of hills, proximity to historic downtown, waterfront access (not available any place else on the Strait) and the ambiance or a very progressive and special place. One possibility could be a modern campus research facility. The topography could be used as an asset for the campus adjacent to trails walks along riparian corridors, offices built within the topography in a true campus like setting all within walking and bicycling trails to vast open space in Sky Valley and the Tri-City open space lands. Think of an executive hotel built on different levels with fantastic views. The alternative view by Seeno, is flat terraces with tilt up garages for low end limited industrial.

Valero is Valero. It is a refinery that processes oil. My vision is to develop a cap and trade policy that begins with our schools and city buildings to reduce greenhouse gases by using solar panels and replacing our fleets of vehicles with zero emission cars and also establishing school bus service again to reduce single auto trips. This approach (basically meeting the goals of AB 32) would enable Valero to be in business for a very long time, with less pollution.

Amports is a port facility of little benefit to Benicia. We are in the planning stages for the vision for what the port could evolve into. Whatever that is it must be compatible with the Lower Arsenal’s history and small businesses.

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