If you want to see 'The Artist," you'll need to go to Tower Theatre

With the December 14, 2010, decision by the Woodland City Council, a thousand-plus local supporters of the State Theatre Renovation and Expansion project (Project 105 in the Downtown Specific Plan) were denied experiencing fine feature films in our own historic theater this summer. The plan presented by local developer Ron Caceres was highlighted by a "grand opening" simultaneous to a 75th Anniversary for the State Theatre.

Woodlanders and regional movie buffs won't be able to experience such films as "The Artist," (six Golden Globe nominations) in a clean, restored theater... and may not even be able to experience any film downtown as the city-favored Paul Petrovich multiplex shows no sign of opening at all. City council is considering purchasing the site of the multiplex but refuses to say why. Rumor has it that Petrovich is at odds with Cinema West (imagine that) and wants to trade 801 Main Street for the newly acquired 22-acre parcel given to the city by the New Woodland Partners (who were denied annexation by the city in favor of Gateway II).

Read more at WoodlandRecord.com.

2011 in review: Pimentel "put on blast" during Jan. 18 council meeting, subsidies revealed for Petrovich

During the January 18 Woodland City Council meeting, Pamela Bird-Dunn expressed her disappointment in city councilman Art Pimentel on behalf of the Woodland community's African-American Steering Committee. Bird-Dunn said that Pimentel has not come through on some promises in his role as mayor. City staff later recommended that the city council adopt a proclamation recognizing African-American History Month during the February 1 council meeting.


From the Woodland Record:

This is the second in a series of articles that will review a year of civic planning in the City of Woodland. In January, concurrent to a city council meeting held on Jan. 18, it was revealed by the Woodland Record that the City of Woodland was letting a Petrovich riverfront property slip under the radar during public sessions about the Woodland Davis Clean Water Agency (WDCWA) surface water project.

The outing by the Record prompted a Petrovich press release the next day that claimed he will give the city a deal on the property needed for an alternative intake facility. The release wasn't sent to the Record, but to the Daily Democrat, so we were delighted to call attention to irregulaties in Petrovich's stories.

See "Petrovich sends press release, price tag for two Woodland parcels now comes to $2,500,100," published January 19:

In an obvious response to the Woodland Record article "Council agenda item fails to reveal another city partnership with Petrovich land" published Monday night, Sacramento developer Paul Petrovich has issued a press release to announce he will sell an up-to-this-point secret 19.1 acre parcel to the City of Woodland for only $100. That brings the total of that parcel and his I-5 onramp parcel purchased by the city last year to $2,500,100."

In the press release published by the Daily Democrat called "$100 for Woodland water intake site" (concocted by the cub reporter Geoff Johnson) Petrovich was quoted: "When I got Gateway rezoned, (the city) required me to reinvest in the downtown. Nobody does that. So I bought the Third and Main property to try and stimulate the downtown, and everybody thinks there's some big thing down there." Third and Main is the location of his proposed multiplex - at the site of the historic Electric Garage building.

Read more at WoodlandRecord.com

2011 in review: Pimentel takes lead in clearing path for Petrovich projects

From the Woodland Record:

This is the first in a series of articles that will review a year of civic planning in the City of Woodland. Topping the headlines from WoodlandRecord.com was the continued favoritism shown toward Sacramento developer Paul Petrovich and his projects.

2010 proved to be no fluke, as it was business-as-usual in 2011 for our council led by Art Pimentel (the council-appointed honorary mayor). Pimentel and fellow council members Skip Davies and Martie Dote made sure that their previous work was not in vain as Petrovich gained advantages for his Third and Main multiplex project and gained approval for his Gateway II annexation with the Pimentel/Davies/Dote vote.

Starting in January, a month after the December 14 council snub to a thousand State Theatre supporters, Woodlanders first learned about Petrovich's secret riverfront property that was part of the Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency project.

A January 18 Woodland Record article describes how his property – known only as AP 057-170-04 in closed session agendas – is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Petrovich projects in Woodland. Woodland Record readers are reminded in the article that Pimentel received a disproportionate amount of contributions for his 2008 city council campaign from Petrovich - under four different LLC aliases - and his employees.

Read more at WoodlandRecord.com.

Yolo Sun: Council credibility at stake with lawsuit against Petrovich

Excerpt from Part One of the Yolo Sun investigative series "Yolo Court to rule on challenge to city council approval of Petrovich’s Gateway 2 project:"

Woodland City Council and Paul Petrovich have a very big court date.

During the planning process leading up to municipal approval for Petrovich’s latest proposed development project, several allegations and objections were raised about unlawful city council conduct concerning this approval.

Two days after city council approval of Petrovich’s project in September, Davis-based California Clean Energy Committee, through its attorney Eugene Wilson, filed a dense and detailed legal challenge to this project alleging various forms of failure to comply with state environmental law.

Thus, Paul Petrovich’s biggest-yet development project, 60+ acres of wide open, general commercial (C-2) zoning set to be annexed into Woodland, adjacent to his Gateway 1 development, alongside another 90+ acres of farmland Petrovich also owns (which because of this (Gateway 2) project would become inclined toward eventual development) — as well as political credibility of a majority of Woodland City Council — is now set for a key judicial hearing on a Petition for Peremptory Writ Of Mandate in Yolo County Superior Court on March 29, 2012.

It’s well worth noticing that this hugely significant lawsuit will be proceeding toward its conclusion (absent appeal) during a period of time coinciding with the political campaign for Woodland’s next city council election (June 5, 2012).

On November 3, 2011, attorneys for City of Woodland in defense of Petrovich’s Gateway 2 project became Remy, Thomas, Moose and Manley — a relevantly famous law firm, which has for decades published the ultimate litigation (reference) guide involving CEQA.

Read more at WoodlandRecord.com