Richmond Design Review Board, Planning Commission to look at Point Molate hotel-casino resort
By Katherine Tam, Contra Costa Times
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
RICHMOND – Two citizen advisory bodies will make recommendations to the Richmond City Council on the hotel-casino resort proposed for the city’s waterfront.
The Design Review Board will review design review documents in December, and the Planning Commission will review the final environmental impact report by Dec. 31 at the earliest.
The Guidiville Band of Pomo Indians and developer Upstream want to build a resort at the old Point Molate Naval Fuel Depot north of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Plans call for a 240,000-square-foot casino with 124,000 square feet of gaming; 122,000-square-foot conference center; 48,000-square-foot entertainment center; 300,000 square feet of restaurants and shops; two hotels totaling about 1,100 rooms; 145 acres of hillside open space; a 35-acre park; and a 1.5-mile segment of the San Francisco Bay Trail.
Guidiville and Upstream need federal and state approval, beyond navigating the city’s review process.
The suggestion that the Design Review Board and Planning Commission should give more input to the City Council roused concerns among hotel-casino resort supporters, who worry an extended review will stall a project they see as critical to providing jobs locally. A City Council majority said it is about getting more feedback on an important issue.
The deadline to comment on the draft environmental impact report is 5 p.m. Oct. 23.
The document is at Richmond Main Library, 325 Civic Center Plaza; Richmond City Hall, 450 Civic Center Plaza; and online at www.pointmolateeis-eir.com/documents/draft_eis-eir/report.htm. Written comments can be submitted to Lina Velasco, Senior Planner, City of Richmond Planning Division, 450 Civic Center Plaza, P.O. Box 4046, Richmond, CA 94804.
originally published at: http://www.contracostatimes.com/richmond/ci_13506931