Ordinarily, the Woodland Journal would simply post excerpts and a link to Yolo Sun articles. This story however, called "Parking Plays Pivotal Role for Courthouse Site – Multi-Level Garage Structure Appears Inevitable, Uncertain Cinema Scenario Affects Parking Study" contains too many factual errors to let go without scrutiny.
The following statements from the article are not true:
Yolo Sun reported: "The pivotal reason that WRDA must now become involved is that apparently, the state doesn’t specifically recognize potential contingencies for parking garages within its process of project and budgetary purview — only surface parking.”
Fact: See page five of the Trial Court Capital-Outlay Plan that is contained in the Judicial Branch AB 1473 Five-Year Infrastructure Plan Fiscal Year 2009-2010. The state clearly specifies a budget total of $458,892,500 for courthouse parking structures. The state made an error in its initial planning for the New Woodland Courthouse and did not include any money for a parking structure here.
Yolo Sun reported: "If this parking was installed within conventional, surface lots: five acres — two full city blocks within Woodland’s downtown area — adjacent to the new courthouse facilities would become engulfed in asphalt." And – "The logic is: (a) the new courthouse must be located in downtown Woodland, (b) Woodland will avoid losing the courthouse or winning an asphalt sea for its downtown area..."
Fact: The state has never proposed five acres of continuous asphalt to cover the downtown. Surface parking can be achieved by using existing parking spaces. Downtown Woodland has 2,251 (see below).
Yolo Sun reported: "Reimbursement thus seems especially likely — because the proposed parking garage will cost only about $7 million ($20,000 per space in a 350 space garage)." And "Even factoring in the land cost (uncertain at this time), it seems there is ample funding available for this project – from state and federal sources – inclining matters toward substantial WRDA reimbursement."
Fact: There are no contracts or agreements with any local, state or federal agency to reimburse the city for building a parking garage. There are no concrete plans for a garage and therefore no estimates. The 350 space garage is short of what the state has said they need for parking (420 to 430 spaces, down from 668 that the city staff was originally trying to sell council).
Yolo Sun reported: “In this case,” relates Shallit, “the courts project will bring $160 million dollars to Woodland. It will stimulate job creation, new business development and re-energize downtown."
Fact: The courts are already here. They are already bringing dollars to Woodland with the existing 1,226 downtown spaces provided by the city, 220 spaces provided by the county and a total parking inventory of 2,251 within Elm, North, Fourth and Lincoln.
Yolo Sun reported: “The amount [of money] the state has set aside for (surface) parking acquisition is about $8 million, which they can use to reimburse us for acquisition and construction,” Shallit continues."
Fact: That is just simply false. According to two state sources the $8 million is the total the state has budgeted for total land acquisition of the courthouse project. About $2.8 million is allocated for surface parking. The state WILL NOT mix these funds with construction of a garage.
This is just a portion of the erroneous information that has been siphoned from the city through the Yolo Sun. The Woodland Journal encourages other reports and other views on community issues... if the reports and views are based on facts. In this case, Yolo Sun is clearly a conduit for unchecked propaganda. Reader beware.
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