Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Sacramento Bee: Curtis Park Railyard redevelopment land cleanup progress

Developer Petrovich says toxic cleanup of Curtis Park railyard nearly complete

Published: Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011 - 12:00 am | Page 1B
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After eight years of scraping, digging and battling with the neighbors, the developer of the vacant Curtis Park railyard said Monday he is just a few weeks away from finishing his cleanup of the toxic site.

An estimated 300,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil – enough to fill neighboring Hughes Stadium to its brim – has been dealt with, much of it placed on hundreds of train cars and hauled to Utah, said developer Paul Petrovich. The soil that is least toxic will be placed underneath streets in the development, which sits just north of Sutterville Road next to Sacramento City College. Clean soil from far beneath the surface will cover the rest of the 72-acre parcel.

Once the $24 million cleanup project is complete and the wet winter weather subsides, Petrovich plans to begin building streets and utilities. After that, the proposal calls for a mix of housing and retail to go up once the market rebounds.

Driving around the site on Monday, Petrovich marveled that after nearly a decade, he was close to beginning construction to replace "a hole in the ground that once was laden with cancer-causing contamination." A toxic cleanup firm and state specialists have performed regular tests on the site, he said. The state Department of Toxic Substances Control will need to sign off before the cleanup is officially done.

Among the plans for the Curtis Park Village are to build 189 single family homes, most of them similar in style and design to the homes found in the leafy Curtis Park neighborhood, which borders the project's eastern side.

Petrovich said home builders will chose from 10 styles, including Tudor, Spanish revival and Craftsman.
Historically, Petrovich has been a developer of grocery and drug stores. Most are in suburban neighborhoods, but in recent years he has built several urban projects, including the R Street Market at 19th and R streets and the Whiskey Hill Lofts nearby. Petrovich plans to build retail stores on the south side of the Curtis Park development, along Sutterville Road. That portion of the plan attracted opposition from members of the area's community group, the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association.

Petrovich said retail tenants would likely include a grocery store, coffee shops and restaurants. An entertainment complex and gym are also in the plans.

The project – once a Union Pacific railyard – is the city's second-largest infill development, behind only the downtown railyard. It has been the object of much debate since Petrovich took over the land in 2003.

"The neighborhood has been waiting 25 years to replace that dirt," said the area's City Council member, Jay Schenirer.

More than 200 neighborhood meetings were held on the development, and Petrovich once said he made 42 changes to his plans at the request of the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association. After Petrovich agreed last year not to store toxic soil under a 7-acre park on the site, the neighborhood group backed off threats of a lawsuit.

A planned footbridge connecting the site to Sacramento City College and its light-rail station also pleased neighborhood residents.

Now, the neighborhood is "cautiously optimistic" about the plans, said Patrick Soluri, the president of the Sierra Curtis board.

"Obviously, people are happy that construction (the removal of the toxic soil) is coming to an end," Soluri said. "We're looking forward to the development next year, and I hope that we are able to be engaged in the project."

Petrovich and city officials said the project will provide an economic boost.

Once completed, the $250 million development will contribute $2.7 million in annual property taxes to the city, along with nearly $1 million in sales tax. Millions more will be spent on building fees as the development moves forward.

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