Jan Lucca, who owns Lucca Bar and Grill, 439 First St., received unanimous Historic Preservation Review Commission approval Thursday to make some alterations to a vacant lot at 116 West E St. so he can operate an outdoor bar and restaurant there.
Benicia, start your engines: 22nd annual Panther Band Car Show to fill up First St. Green on Sunday
Row upon row of gleaming vintage cars, pinstriped hot rods and shiny fire trucks will fill the First Street Green on Sunday for the 22nd annual Panther Band Car Show. “Steve Wymer is running the show this year,” Panther Band Booster President Jeff Arkin said. Amid all the chrome and fins, grilles and big engines, […]
Kind rewind: Community leaders show off ’70s styles for local charity
If City Manager Brad Kilger, City Councilmember Alan Schwartzman and attorney Steve Gizzi had no professional modeling experience, the audience couldn’t tell at Wednesday’s fashion show to benefit the nonprofit Community Action Council’s senior meals program. The three men, attired in fashions by the visiting Williamson and Company men’s clothiers of Napa, danced their way […]
Report outlines why Benicia train station is unlikely
Council member backs off long-time wish; city may pursue water taxis instead City Councilmember Alan Schwartzman has been a long-time advocate of a train station in Benicia, one that would make it so travelers wouldn’t have to go to Martinez or Fairfield-Suisun City to travel to Sacramento or San Jose on the Capitol Corridor. On […]
City Council says leave Mills Act alone — for now
Queue of property owners urge support for program Benicia City Council heard a queue of Mills Act contract property owners loud and clear Tuesday night and told city staff to forego any consideration of ending those contracts, even when they come up for renewal. The panel told employees to leave the program as-is for the […]
Bar owner eyes vacant lot for new restaurant
Jan Lucca will ask the Historic Preservation Review Commission on Thursday to approve some minor alterations to a vacant lot at 116 West E St. so he can build a new outdoor restaurant. Associate Planner Suzanne Thorsen wrote in a report to the HPRC that the site is between Lucca’s established restaurant, Lucca’s Bar and […]
Anonymous no longer: ‘Garden of Innocence’ gives funerals, names to abandoned children
In 1999, Elissa Davey of Vista learned that a baby had been found dead among the trash in Chula Vista. “Who would do something like that?” she thought. “I couldn’t forget it.” Eventually, Davey called the coroner’s office where the baby’s body had been taken and asked what had happened. She was told the body […]
Finance Committee to discuss fees, funds and investments
Benicia Finance Committee will hear multiple reports Thursday morning, including an oral report on a citywide study of fees. The fee analysis is part of a comprehensive look city officials and employees are making of Benicia’s financial structure in hopes of correcting its ongoing fiscal imbalance.
Construction hours amendment to be heard on June 11
A proposal to reduce the hours that construction of any type can take place in Benicia’s residential areas will be given a public airing in June, Suzanne Thorsen, Benicia associate planner, said.
Street lights not working? Public Works wants to know
Whether it’s a street light that doesn’t come on at night or one that is shining during the day, Benicia Public Works employees are asking residents to report the malfunction. Benicia completed a streetlight retrofitting project in December 2012, converting 2,300 existing high-pressure sodium lamps to more energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) or induction-light lamps.