City Loan Terms Finalized
In Which: The new Planning Commissioner is revealed at last. HPD gets grant money for traffic safety. And the Jackson Sign projects gets delayed.
Movie Theater Loan Finalized
The City of Hayward will finalize the terms of the $8,600,000 loan it made to the Hayward Economic Development Corporation (HEDC). Starting on January 31, 2025, the HEDC will start paying back the money that allowed it to purchase the Century Theaters building on B Street to save it from potential closure. This is the final step in a process that started over a year ago when the then-owners listed the building for sale without the City’s knowledge.
In response, the City created the HEDC for the express purpose of buying this building—and perhaps others in the future. In January, the City Council approved the $8,600,000 loan to the HEDC to purchase the anchor building at 1069 B Street in Downtown Hayward, out of concern for the damage that new corporate owners could do to the already struggling Downtown. City Council hopes to be a model landlord and use the property to revitalize that corner of Downtown.
The loan will be repaid over the course of 15 years and earn the City $4,346,000 in interest payments from the tenants—on top of getting the $8,600,000 back, of course. After this, it’s up to the County Oversight Board to approve the sale before the California Department of Finance has the final say over the deal.
Who’s That Planning Commissioner?
The City has finally announced the Council’s picks for the vacant Commission seats. But the most important one is the Planning Commission. The Commission has been short a member since Aiden Ali-Sullivan left at the end of January. Councilmember Ray Bonilla Jr. then announced—seemingly without consulting the rest of Council—that the seat would remain vacant until appoints were made in August.
The new Planning Commissioner will be Jeffery Haman—former Chair of the Keep Hayward Clean and Green Task Force. Hailing from the Hayward Hills—along with at least 2 other Commissioners—Haman has a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from UC Berkeley and has been running Haman Construction since 1989. He owns at least one additional property in Unincorporated Alameda County and is doubtless in tight with the current Council establishment.
The Alternate for the Planning Commission is Vasko Yorgov. Originally hailing from Bulgaria, he works as a Project Developer for Eden Housing—right here in Hayward. He also has a background in urban planning and development which he puts to good use for affordable housing. It’s unclear why Council chose Haman over Yorgov—the meeting was technically public, but not recorded—but Haman having “done his time” on a task force likely played an outsized role.
On paper, Yorgov would make more sense considering there is already a Commissioner who has construction experience—Commissioner Meyers—but nobody who has experience in affordable housing. But since Planning Commissioner turnover has been fairly high in recent years, it’s possible Yorgov will still get a seat at the table.
More Grant Money For HPD
The Hayward Police Department received a $265,000 Selective Traffic Enforcement Program grant from California Office of Traffic Safety. HPD plans to use the funds to “reduce the number of persons killed and injured in collisions,” according to the Staff Report. The list a number of strategies that they’ll be using the money to fund:
Impaired driving enforcement.
Enforcement focusing on distracted driving.
Seat belt enforcement.
Special enforcement encouraging motorcycle safety.
Enforcement and public education in areas with high bicycle/pedestrian collisions.
Media outreach strategies designed to enhance public awareness, educate the public, and deter poor behavior.
Most of these strategies would seem to involve more checkpoints and tickets issued for people, though some departments are thinking creatively these days. The increased media outreach feels excessive, considering that HPD already has a full-time social media staffer to help massage their relationship with the public.
It’s also important to remember that using armed officers for traffic enforcement frequently turns out poorly for the driver. This grant is in addition to the nearly $30,000,000 in salary savings that HPD retains annually.
Mission Blvd Renovation Delays Explained
The renovations to the northernmost section of Mission Blvd in Hayward have been delayed for several months. It was unclear what was causing the delays—fulfillment issues, money shortages, or anything else. But a request for an additional $57,600 from the Public Works Department sheds some light on the problem.
According to the Staff Report, multiple underground fuel storage tanks have been discovered in the construction area along Mission Blvd. Likely belonging to former gas stations, these tanks have to be removed and the soil around them have to be tested for contamination. After digging into the sidewalk along Mission, three storage tanks were discovered between Grace Street and Melvin Court.
After these tanks are removed—barring any soil abatement—the project should continue as planned.
Jackson Gateway Sign Gets Do-Over
The City Council is going to reject the only bid they received for the Jackson Gateway Sign replacement—a project specifically requested by Councilmembers Roche and Andrews. The only bid was 20% over the engineer’s estimate—over $140,000 more expensive—so they’re hoping to get more bids at the end of October.
The plans will include interlocking pavers, a dry fountain, and new native trees to make for a low-maintenance monument. The style will match the monument in South Hayward and, according to Council proponents, show some love to a neglected part of town. The project was kick-started last year with a few thousand dollars of reserve funds at the behest of Councilmembers Roche and Andrews—both of whom have apparently wanted to replace the sign for some time.
The staff report alleged that the monument will create a sense of place in the “heart of the Jackson Triangle.” The location, at Jackson and Sylva, is in the very top corner of the Jackson Triangle neighborhood, which is bound by Jackson, Mission, and Harder.
The projected completion time of June 2025 will likely be delayed.