Important....
Modesto Bee articles re West Park and Gerry Kamilos
Commuter train before Supervisors -- no chance?
Company attorney asks West Side to keep an open mind about proposal
Article on
politics of Crows Landing development
Kamilos sends out letters to West Side residents
PCCP West Park LLC link to RFP
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Kamilos unveils details for site
06/21/2007 Key details of a grand
plan for a huge Crows Landing business park emerged before a
steering committee Wednesday morning, hours after developer
Gerry Kamilos kept them from a hostile crowd in Patterson.
The steering committee, ma... |
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Developer renews vow of no homes
06/20/2007 PATTERSON -- Gerry
Kamilos handed the City Council a written pledge Tuesday
night promising not to use the Crows Landing project as a
cover for housing, as his critics have suggested. But
council members and the audience of about... |
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A Changing Landscape
06/17/2007 HIGHWAY 33 %X97 Every
so often, the West Side commands attention. We know it's out
there, a land apart, with its lush, hot fields, tractors
crowding country roads, the rust-brown Diablo Range jutting
sharply just beyond. But it's... |
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West Side Chronology
06/17/2007 1805: Spanish explorers
stationed on the coast scout the West Side, occupied for
centuries by Yokuts Indians. 1844: Don Juan Pacheco builds
an adobe fortress near Los Banos. 1849: Col. Andrew Jackson
Grayson, who led a wagon trai... |
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Don't trust Kamilos or Monteith
06/12/2007 Dick Monteith said he
was having difficulty understanding why Jim DeMartini and
some West Side residents still don't trust Gerry Kamilos.
Are you kidding me? Add yourself to the list of the
untrusted, Dick. Far be it for West Sid... |
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McCain visits Modesto
06/12/2007 Whatever else you know,
or think you know, about Arizona Sen. John McCain, know
this: The man who would be president of the United States is
a good listener. And that's a very important trait, said
Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazi... |
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VIDEO: Sen. John McCain visits Modesto, discusses
immigration reform
06/11/2007 Sen. John McCain
attended a private event at Dewz Restaurant in Modesto,
hosted by State Sen. Jeff Denham and developer Gerry
Kamilos. McCain discussed his presidential campaign,
immigration reform, and California's water resourc...
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News & Notes
06/11/2007 Giuliani visits; McCain
up next Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a 2008
Republican presidential candidate, spent a few hours Sunday
near Hughson at a private fund-raiser at the home of
businessman Jim Duarte. Giuliani arrived... |
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Guiliani, McCain in Modesto area
06/07/2007 Two of the leading
candidates for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination
will visit the Modesto area next week for fund-raisers.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani will appear Sunday
afternoon at the home of Jim Duarte, nea... |
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Crows Landing plan moves ahead
06/06/2007 Stanislaus County
supervisors said little and discussed even less Tuesday
about a plan that would transform the old Crows Landing
Naval Air Station into a short-haul rail hub. Once again,
Supervisor Jim DeMartini, whose district ... |
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County to hear plans for naval base |
| So far, so good. That's the message
members of the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors
will hear later this morning, during a briefing on
negotiations with PCCP West Park. Led by Gerry Kamilos,
the Sacramento-based company has 12 months to flesh out
plans to reshape the former Naval Air Station at Crows
Landing into a business park, industrial center and
short-haul rail hub. But there's still a long way to go.
At the heart of the Kamilos concept is the creation of a
short-haul rail hub at Crows Landing, providing direct
access to the Port of Oakland. Supervisor Jim DeMartini,
whose 5th District includes the West Side community,
remains skeptical. "I just don't think this rail project
is real," he said Monday. "I've called it a Trojan horse
for housing and I stand by that." Kamilos denied he's
planning a "bait and switch." He said his proposal will
not include any form of residential development, a point
also made in a staff report to be reviewed by
supervisors later today. "I know |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:06/05/07 05:51:00 |
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News & Notes |
| Summer hours start at Stanislaus
State California State University, Stanislaus, has
started its summer hours schedule, which continues
through Aug.24. Office hours are 7:30a.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday through Friday. The university will resume its
regular 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule Aug. 27. Fall semester
classes start Sept. 5. The university's Vasche Library
has a separate summer schedule that includes evening
hours to accommodate summer session students and
faculty. The summer library schedule can be checked on
the Web at http://library.csustan.edu/hours/index.html .
Spare the Air days return to the valley |
| Online Section:
Local |
Published:06/05/07 00:00:00 |
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Allies mobilize against Kamilos |
| A small but influential group of
Patterson people has formed to battle Gerry Kamilos'
plan for a business park at the nearby Crows Landing air
base with a rail link to the Port of Oakland. "There
will be a lot of money to be made by Kamilos if he can
railroad this through, all at the expense of the West
Side," reads a portion of the group's newly created Web
site. Its home page shows a circle with a line slashing
over a picture of a train, with the words "the greatest
threat to Patterson in its history." Kamilos on Tuesday
invited all input, including from critics, about his
hopes of turning the former 1,527-acre air base into a
4,560-acre industrial center. The West Side-Patterson
Alliance for Community and Environment, or WS-PACE, will
collect signatures at the Patterson Apricot Fiesta this
weekend, said spokesman Ron Swift, former publisher of
the Patterson Irrigator. "We're asking people to sign a
petition showing their dissatisfaction with the plan,"
he said. Kamilos' company, PCCP West |
| Online Section:
Local |
Published:05/30/07 00:00:00 |
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Proviso put on helping Kamilos |
| PATTERSON %X97 The City Council
wants to see a public presentation of Gerry Kamilos'
plans for the short-haul rail link between the Crows
Landing air facility and Oakland before they will help
the Sacramento developer. And council members want him
to make the presentation. Until he does, the city won't
permit its traffic consultants to meet with Kamilos to
discuss ways to offset the impact the rail project would
have on Patterson. Kamilos asked for the city
consultants' help as part of the preparation process to
apply for bond money for the project. "I'm not going to
help him plan this process," said Councilwoman Annette
Smith. "I know what it will do to our downtown,
residents, property values and our way of life. "We
haven't seen a plan," Smith added. "We know there is
going to be major impacts, and until he shares his plan,
we can't begin to mitigate. I don't want rail in
Patterson. The only way to mitigate it is to move the
rail." Kamilos, who did not attend the meeting Tuesday
night, is negotiating |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:05/16/07 03:08:00 |
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The Agenda |
| STANISLAUS COUNTY BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, basement chamber, Tenth
Street Place, 1010 10th St., Modesto. On the Net:
www.co.stanislaus.ca.us/bos/AgenMin.htm Consider request
from fire protection districts to discuss fire service
options. |
| Online Section:
Local |
Published:05/13/07 00:00:00 |
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Local Session Presenters or Award Recipients |
| Local people scheduled to appear as
session presenters or award recipients: Carol Channing
and Harry Kullijian, Modesto Channing, a Broadway star,
and Kullijian, founder of an educational foundation,
were childhood sweethearts who married in 2003.
Conference attendees will fete their accomplishments at
an awards lunch Wednesday. |
| Online Section:
Local |
Published:05/08/07 00:00:00 |
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Controversy surrounds Kamilos' contributions |
| Gerry Kamilos' political
contributions have become controversial in Stanislaus
County. He gave $28,000 to an independent political
group that sent fliers attacking county Board of
Supervisors' candidate Gary Lopez during the November
campaign. Lopez was running against incumbent Jeff
Grover, a strong supporter of Kamilos' Crows Landing
bid. Kamilos is one of the biggest contributors to Gov.
Schwarzenegger, donating more than $300,000 to his
campaign. And he is a member of presidential candidate
Sen. John McCain's financial advisory committee. |
| Online Section:
Local |
Published:05/07/07 00:00:00 |
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Builder got his start in oil fields |
| Who is Gerry Kamilos? A Sacramento
native, Kamilos, 47, is the son of a grocer. A job with
a heating, ventilation and air conditioning supply
company after high school got him interested in
mechanical engineering, and he headed to California
State Polytechnic University, Pomona. A class in
petroleum engineering led him to expand his interest,
and he wound up with a dual major in mechanical and
petroleum engineering. He graduated from Cal Poly Pomona
in 1984. |
| Online Section:
Local |
Published:05/07/07 00:00:00 |
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What's Kamilos up to? |
| Suspicion and mistrust run deep on
Stanislaus County's West Side when the topic is
developer Gerry Kamilos. Rumor and innuendo surround
Kamilos, who is negotiating with the county to develop a
business park on 4,560 acres around the Crows Landing
air facility southeast of Patterson. County Supervisor
Jim DeMartini called his business park proposal "a
Trojan horse" for a housing development. Others have
suggested that Kamilos wants to bring the Bay Area's
garbage into the nearby Stanislaus County landfill on
the short-haul railroad he has proposed, or that he
intends to develop 12,000 acres rather than 4,560 acres.
Some feel he influenced county board members with
political contributions to win the board's approval for
a one-year exclusive right to negotiate a master
developer agreement for the air facility. But people who
have worked with Kamilos on projects in Sacramento and
San Joaquin counties paint a very different picture.
County and city officials, a college administrator and
other developers |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:05/07/07 00:00:00 |
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VIDEO: Gerry Kamilos discusses the Crows Landing Air
Facility |
| Developer Kamilos has been chosen to
negotiate a development agreement at Crows Landing Air
Facility. TROUBLE VIEWING? View on YouTube Video podcast
available for PC and iPod at iTunes - search for Modesto
Bee. LOCAL VIDEO ARCHIVE |
| Online Section:
Videos |
Published:05/06/07 20:01:00 |
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Crows Landing is a public matter |
| At the April 17 Patterson City
Council meeting, a report was given regarding the latest
meetings of the Crows Landing Air Facility ad hoc
committee, attended by Councilwoman Annette Smith on
behalf of Mayor Becky Campo. I was concerned to hear
that developer Gerry Kamilos had asked for a closed-door
policy for negotiations. I believe no minutes of these
meetings have been kept. This is opposite what the
county has promised residents. The Crows Landing
facility is owned by the county; it is not the private
property of the Kamilos group. I wonder what is being
kept from the public, and why. Eliminating the public's
right to know and to participate in this important
process by denying them access to documents and
discussions would seem to be an attempt to thwart the
California Public Records Act. It is unforgivable. |
| Online Section:
Letters
to the Editor | Published:04/26/07 04:35:22 |
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The Agenda |
| THE AGENDA STANISLAUS COUNTY BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS: 5:30 p.m. special closed session with
labor negotiator; 6:30 p.m. regular meeting,Tuesday,
basement chamber, Tenth Street Place, Modesto. |
| Online Section:
Local |
Published:04/15/07 00:00:00 |
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West Siders still puzzled, angry over Crows Landing vote |
| Most on the West Side of Stanislaus
County, from Vernalis to Newman, still are angered and
in shock over the Board of Supervisors' Feb. 28
selection of West Park LLC's proposal for industrial
development at the abandoned Crows Landing air base. We
knew there were plans to convert the base into some
other use as soon as the county took over ownership in
2004. West Side officials knew some of what was being
considered based on what supervisors asked for in their
request for proposals. Patterson officials were on the
special Crows Landing Steering Committee and advisory
panel. Ultimately, that panel's advice was ignored. As
details of the West Park proposal became clearer, our
level of concern grew dramatically. We heard the
proposal for many trains a day going through downtown
Patterson on their way to the air base. |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:04/02/07 00:00:00 |
The links below may no longer be working during
the redesign of the Modesto Bee Website which started on July
25th. It's surch engine for past stories is down.
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State fire agency eyes Crows Landing for base |
| Stanislaus County's Crows Landing
air facility may have a couple of public service tenants
in its future. The California Department of Forestry and
Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, is interested in using the
airfield, and preliminary talks are under way to develop
a West Side hospital that could locate on or near the
former naval air station. Developer Gerry Kamilos of
PCCP West Park LLC is negotiating with the county to
develop a business park on the base and surrounding
land. He welcomed both ideas Wednesday. The county
received a letter from Cal Fire expressing interest in
using the airport, said county Supervisor Jim DeMartini.
Cal Fire may be interested in moving firefighting air
tankers, flight crews and support staff from Hollister
to Crows Landing, DeMartini said. "They would be a
really good tenant," he said. The air tankers would
qualify the airport for Federal Aviation Administration
grants, but wouldn't generate heavy air traffic,
DeMartini said. According to Cal Fire, Hollister
responds |
| Online Section:
Local |
Published:03/22/07 00:00:00 |
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Shelter expansion moving forward |
| "An embarrassment." "Shameful."
"Heartbreaking." "Smelly, ugly, outdated and dangerous."
People used those words Tuesday to describe Stanislaus
County's animal shelter, just before county supervisors
voted 4-1 to develop an expansion plan. Supervisors also
endorsed applying for state bond money that could bring
short-haul rail service from the Port of Oakland to the
former naval air station at Crows Landing. And, they
voted to seek enterprise zone status for much of
downtown Hughson. Dog owner Sally Mears, one of many
pleading for a better animal shelter, said, "(Former
officials) could not see the inhumane, out-of-date,
cruel killing facil-ity they had." A "needs assessment"
presented Tuesday envisions nearly tripling the size of
the 13,000-square-foot pound built in 1974. Better
ventilation, easier cleaning and separating more animals
would help decrease the kill rate of 14,000 per year, a
consultant said. "There is quite a bit of death there at
the shelter," said Mary Whetstone, president |
| Online Section:
Local |
Published:03/21/07 00:00:00 |
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Grover invites state scrutiny |
| A transportation consultant with a
financial stake in the Crows Landing air base
development contributed $3,000 last year to Stanislaus
County Supervisor Jeff Grover's re-election campaign.
Responding to a Bee inquiry, Grover acknowledged Friday
having disclosed only half the amount in his public
financial records. Calling it "an oversight," he said he
would immediately submit an amendment and invite
scrutiny by state investigators. Grover previously was
criticized by some West Side residents for voting Feb.
27 in favor of a developer who had donated $28,000 to
slam Grover's political opponent. The developer, PCCP
West Park, hired and works closely with transportation
consultant D.J. Smith. The partners intend to build a
business park on 4,560 acres %X97 land that includes and
is adjacent to the former naval air training base. One
of the key elements to the project is a short-haul rail
system. Grover maintained that neither donation
disqualified him from favoring the firm's proposal in
last month's |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:03/10/07 00:00:00 |
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West Siders checking for mysterious targets on their
backs |
| The residents of the West Side,
especially those who live in and around Patterson, can
be forgiven if they're not thinking warm fuzzy thoughts
about their county government these days. After all, the
ruling county body just recently heard testimony from
(it seemed) just about every individual and group along
Highway 33, imploring the Board of Supervisors to either
adopt no plan for the redevelopment of Crows Landing
Naval Air Station, or, if one was adopted, that it be
the smaller, far less intrusive proposal from Hillwood.
The supervisors listened attentively to hours of pleas
and passion from West Siders (i.e., no supe was heard to
snore), and then calmly gave those people the digital
salute with a 3-2 vote to negotiate with a high-rolling,
hardball-playing, politically wired Sacramento
consortium headed by Gerry Kamilos. |
| Online Section:
Community Voices | Published:03/09/07
00:00:00 |
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Short Take: Supes divvy Crows Landing jobs |
| Before any jobs can take root at the
Crows Landing air facility, a lot of work will have to
be done. Tuesday, the Stanislaus County Board of
Supervisors did a good job divvying up some of that
work. Jim DeMartini and Dick Monteith will serve on an
ad-hoc committee to oversee negotiations with master
developer Gerry Kamilos %X97 who plans to make rail
traffic the focus of his development. They represent a
balance %X97 DeMartini still appears angry over the
split decision that named Kamilos as the developer, and
Monteith appears well satisfied. Tom Mayfield says he,
too, will track negotiations. Jeff Grover has been the
most vocal supporter of Kamilos' plan to triple the size
of the industrial park to 4,560 acres and make it part
of a regional transportation strategy. County CEO Rick
Robinson said Grover will lead the county's lobbying
efforts to get part of the $2.1 billion in bond money
for goods movement. Finding money to improve the grade
separations along Highway 33 will be difficult, so
Grover's task is |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:03/07/07 00:00:00 |
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Leave Grover off team dealing with Kamilos |
| Jeff Grover should not be part of
the county's team responsible for negotiating a contract
for development of the Crows Landing air facility.
Negotiating such a large deal will be tricky enough; it
doesn't need to be complicated by Grover's connection to
Gerry Kamilos %X97 the winning bidder. County Chief
Executive Officer Rick Robinson told reporter Tim Moran
on Wednesday that he wants Grover and Supervisor Jim
DeMartini to serve on an adhoc committee to oversee the
negotiations with Kamilos to build a business park on
4,560 acres around the 1,527-acre Crows Landing site. |
| Online Section:
Opinion |
Published:03/02/07 00:00:00 |
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Mayfield's deciding vote cast at last moment, and is not
meant to last forever |
| In this strange world of politics,
big decisions seldom are made on the spur of the moment.
They're researched, thought out, lobbied and frequently
bought and paid for. Which makes Tom Mayfield's call
Tuesday one of the more unique ones the Stanislaus
County Board of Supervisors has seen in a long, long
time. In a decision that waffled somewhere between a
coin-flip and pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, Mayfield voted
to give PCCP West Park LLC one year of exclusive
negotiating rights with the county to develop the former
Crows Landing Naval Air Station. "That's about the way
it was," Mayfield said Wednesday. "Push the 'A' button
or the 'B' button." Mayfield claimed that until the very
moment Board Chairman Bill O'Brien called for a vote on
whether to accept the West Park proposal, he wasn't sure
how he'd vote. Dissatisfied with the other proposal, by
Ross Perot Jr.'s Hillwood, Mayfield saw only two
options: Support West Park or say no to both and wait
for a better plan to surface. "I darn near didn |
| Online Section:
Columnists: Jeff Jardine | Published:03/01/07
08:36:00 |
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Crows Landing, Chapter Two |
| The battle is over, and Stanislaus
County chose PCCP West Park LLC to negotiate a
development plan for the Crows Landing air facility. Now
it's time to roll up sleeves and iron out the details.
West Park has 12 months to work out a master developer
agreement for the 1,527-acre former naval air station,
acquired by the county in 2004. The county hopes to
develop it into a business park to create jobs and tax
revenue. West Park's proposal calls for creating a
short-haul rail link between the air facility and the
Port of Oakland, and developing a 4,560-acre business
park. The Board of Supervisors likely will choose an ad
hoc committee Tuesday to negotiate with West Park. Who
should be on the committee? County Chief Executive
Officer Rick Robinson is recommending two supervisors --
Jim DeMartini, who adamantly opposed the West Park
proposal, and Jeff Grover, an ardent supporter.
DeMartini is an obvious choice despite his misgivings
about West Park, Robinson said, because the development
is in his |
| Online Section:
Local |
Published:03/01/07 00:00:00 |
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West Park Wins |
| After three hours of pleas and
soul-searching speeches, the Stanislaus County Board of
Supervisors on Tuesday chose a proposal to bring
short-haul rail service from the Port of Oakland to the
Crows Landing air facility. PCCP West Park LLC, headed
by Sacramento developer Gerry Kamilos, won the
supervisors' endorsement on a 3-2 vote over Texas-based
Hillwood, owned by Ross Perot Jr. Most of the public
comment on the issue was from West Side residents and
farmers who favored Hillwood's more modest proposal, or
no development. Supervisors Dick Monteith, Jeff Grover
and Tom Mayfield voted for West Park, and Bill O'Brien
and Jim De Martini favored Hillwood. The vote gives West
Park the exclusive right to negotiate with the county
for 12 months on a master plan to develop the 1,527-acre
former naval air station. Grover and Monteith said the
scope and potential of West Park's rail proposal held
too much promise to pass up. Mayfield talked of growth
and resistance to change, and voiced opposition to
aspects |
| Online Section:
Local |
Published:02/28/07 00:00:00 |
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West Siders' wishes, common sense ignored in Crows
Landing vote |
| Ignoring the pleas of West Side
residents and the arguments of most of the residents who
addressed them Tuesday morning, Stanislaus County
supervisors opted for the higher-risk choice as
developer of the Crows Landing air station. On a 3-2
vote, the board agreed to negotiate exclusively for the
next year with PCCP West Park. That is the Sacramento
partnership that hopes to cash in on money from the
state transportation bond to bring containers from the
Port of Oakland into Crows Landing via rail. The West
Park concept rests so heavily on short-haul rail that
its promoter, Gerry Kamilos, hasn't been able to
articulate what he will do with the 1,527-acre former
naval air facility if the bond dollars don't come
through. But because his proposal calls for developing
more than 4,500 acres, there's wide suspicion that he'll
try to go back to his original stated intention %X97 to
include housing. |
| Online Section:
Opinion |
Published:02/28/07 00:00:00 |
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Supervisors pick rail plan for Crows Landing site |
| Sacramento developer Gerry Kamilos
won the right to negotiate a master development contract
with Stanislaus County at today's Board of Supervisors
meeting. Kamilos' PCCP West Park LLC firm won on a 3-2
vote over Hillwood, headed by Texas-based Ross Perot Jr.
Supervisors Dick Monteith, Jeff Grover and Tom Mayfield
voted to approve West Park, while Bill O'Brien and Jim
De Martini voted against the proposal. |
| Online Section:
PM
Updates | Published:02/27/07 14:40:03 |
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Supervisors pick Kamilos for Crows Landing site |
| Sacramento developer Gerry Kamilos
won the right to negotiate a master development contract
with Stanislaus County at today's Board of Supervisors
meeting. Kamilos' PCCP West Park LLC firm won on a 3 to
2 vote over Hillwood, headed by Texas-based Ross Perot
Jr. Supervisors Dick Monteith, Jeff Grover and Tom
Mayfield voted to approve West Park, while Bill O'Brien
and Jim De Martini voted against the proposal in the
12:15 p.m. action. The vote gives West Park a victory in
a hard-fought competition to develop the 1,527-acre
former Naval air station. Stanislaus County acquired the
Crows Landing facility in 2004. Officials hope to
develop a business park on the land to create jobs and
additional tax base. The county's request for proposals
drew just the two developers, each with a very different
vision of how the project should be shaped. The PCCP
West Park proposal is built around a short haul rail
link with the Port of Oakland, to be funded by
transportation bond money from the state, along with |
| Online Section:
PM
Updates | Published:02/27/07 12:20:24 |
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Hillwood plan offers many jobs, less risk |
| The companies competing to become
master developer of the Crows Landing air facility
aren't really trying to sell us a business park or a
development plan or even jobs. They're trying to sell us
a vision of our future. The two appear fundamentally
different, but there are important similarities. Both
Texas-based Hillwood Investments and Sacramento-based
PCCP West Park will bring thousands of jobs to the
county; both will make some people rich; both will alter
forever three West Side communities. Both offer and
promise excellent opportunities. But only one company is
positioned to deliver exactly what it promises, and that
company is Hillwood. Tuesday's vote by the Stanislaus
County Board of Supervisors will start the clock on a
year of negotiations to develop a detailed plan for
1,527 acres that includes an airstrip about a mile from
Interstate 5. In choosing Hillwood the county gets a
partner that has delivered exactly the kind of project
the county envisioned when it began trying to acquire
the property |
| Online Section:
Local |
Published:02/25/07 00:00:00 |
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Despite Kamilos expenditure, Grover should take part in
debate on Crows Landing |
| Should Jeff Grover step aside
Tuesday, when it comes time to choose a master developer
for the Crows Landing air facility %X97 one of the most
important votes of his tenure on the Stanislaus County
Board of Supervisors? The Patterson City Council thinks
so, and told the supervisor exactly that in a letter
last week. We don't agree. Grover should participate,
even if he votes against what The Bee and many others
feel is the better proposal. |
| Online Section:
Opinion |
Published:02/25/07 00:00:00 |
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West Side Vision |
| Tuesday, the Stanislaus County Board
of Supervisors will choose a master developer for the
Crows Landing Air Facility, a 1,527-acre former naval
air station the county acquired in 2004. Hillwood, a
Perot company, and PCCP West Park LLC are competing for
the county contract to develop a business park on the
West Side property. The Bee posed the following
questions to the leaders of both firms: Q: What attracts
you to the Crows Landing Air Facility? Ross Perot Jr.,
owner of Hillwood: You look at our background in
developing properties like this, we've been doing it for
16 or 17 years. We do a lot of airport development; we
are tops in the country. We have a large development in
Fort Worth and also in San Bernardino. When we see
opportunity in an area like this, redevelopment of a
Navy base, John (Magness, senior vice president at
Hillwood) responded. The county wanted a development
model. We envision another San Bernardino partnership
(like Hillwood's Alliance California development in San
Bernardino |
| Online Section:
Local |
Published:02/25/07 00:00:00 |
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Hillwood honest by comparison |
| Regarding " Firm donated to
supervisors' backers " (Feb. 14, Page A-1): I am
appalled by the response of Supervisor Jeff Grover. Does
Grover want the public to think that $28,364 spent by
West Park/Kamilos to attack his opponent in an extremely
close race does not influence his vote on West Park's
proposal? This is a textbook case of buying political
favor. It gets even better. Gerry Kamilos stated in the
Patterson Irrigator (Feb. 14) that the California
Taxpayer Protection Committee participates in many races
and he claimed he was not aware of its decision to
oppose Gary Lopez. Kamilos wants us to think that he
wrote two checks totaling $28,364 to a political action
committee without knowing to which candidate the money
was going to? Give me a break. If Kamilos doesn't know
where his own money is spent, why should the public
trust him with their money? |
| Online Section:
Letters
to the Editor | Published:02/23/07 05:05:18 |
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Study: Light-jet plan might fly in Crows Landing |
| The concept of "very light jets" as
a job generator at the Crows Landing Air Facility holds
some promise, but also faces some challenges, according
to a county study. The concept was raised by one of the
two contenders vying to develop the 1,527-acre former
Naval air station for Stanislaus County. The county
acquired the air facility in 2004 and wants to develop
it as a business park to create jobs and added tax base.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to choose Tuesday
between the two developers. Hillwood, a Texas-based
company owned by Ross Perot Jr., raised the potential of
the air facility attracting a new category of aircraft
called very light jets, or microjets. The jets are
smaller and less expensive than conventional business
jets. Just now reaching the market, they seat six to
eight people and cost $1 million to $3 million.
Proponents envision very light jets becoming the
backbone of an air taxi system offering an alternative
to conventional airlines, delivering passengers to
smaller |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:02/23/07 00:00:00 |
|
Crows Landing conflict is feared |
| The Patterson City Council wants
Stanislaus County Supervisor Jeff Grover to abstain from
voting on which firm should be the master developer of
the Crows Landing Air Facility business park. The Board
of Supervisors is scheduled to vote Tuesday on the
master developer issue. The county acquired the
1,527-acre air facility, a former Navy air station, in
2004. Supervisors hope to develop a business park on the
site to create jobs and additional tax revenue. Two
firms are vying for the right to develop the property:
Hillwood, owned by Ross Perot Jr., and PCCP West Park
LLC, headed by Sacramento-based developer Gerry Kamilos.
The Patterson council voted unanimously to have its city
attorney ask Grover to abstain from the vote, based on a
campaign contribution made by one of the developers.
West Park contributed $28,364 to a group called the
California Taxpayer Protection Committee, which mailed
negative campaign fliers targeting Grover's opponent in
the November election. Grover said he had no knowledge |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:02/22/07 15:34:00 |
|
For sale: Diablo Grande |
| Diablo Grande Winery & Resort is for
sale, and the man who would bring short-haul rail to the
old Crows Landing Naval Air Station is talking about
buying it. As of Tuesday, however, no deal had been
struck between Gerry Kamilos, Diablo Grande LTD and
Donald Panoz, the multimillionaire entrepreneur who 15
years ago created the 33,000-acre resort community in
the Stanislaus County foothills west of Patterson.
"Right now," said Dwain Sanders, Diablo Grande's vice
president of development, "we have no agreement to sell
the property. We're just talking. It's all just talk." |
| Online Section:
Local |
Published:02/21/07 00:00:00 |
|
Development plan takes a hit |
| A Stanislaus County-commissioned
study shoots holes in a proposal to build a short-haul
rail link between the Port of Oakland and the Crows
Landing Air Facility. But Sacramento developer Gerry
Kamilos, whose proposal to develop the Crows Landing Air
Facility is built around the rail link, says the holes
are in the study, not the idea. The Stanislaus County
Board of Supervisors is expected to choose between two
master developer proposals for the air facility at its
Feb. 27 meeting. The county acquired the 1,528-acre
former Naval Air facility in 2004, and hopes to develop
it as a business park to create jobs and a bigger tax
base. PCCP West Park LLC, headed by Kamilos, and
Hillwood Development, owned by Ross Perot Jr., are vying
to develop the land. The West Park proposal is tied to
an effort to link the air facility with the Port of
Oakland by using a rail line that would carry freight
and improve commuter passenger service. The proposal
hinges on an application for transportation bond money |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:02/18/07 03:45:00 |
|
Intrigue roils decision on Crows Landing |
| There must be enormous profit
potential on the old Navy airfield south of Patterson.
Otherwise, why would the choice of a master developer
have become the most ferociously debated political issue
in recent memory? A U.S. congressman, a state senator
and two Assembly members have weighed in on what appears
to be a local decision. The mayors of Newman and
Patterson and other officials have taken sides. Business
groups are split; arguments have shown up in The Bee and
over coffee throughout the county. Then there's the
money. One group spent at least $28,000 to influence the
election of a county supervisor through a third-party
attack ad. |
| Online Section:
Local |
Published:02/18/07 00:00:00 |
|
Air facility proposals take wing at Board of Supervisors
meeting |
| For Marie Assali, plans for the
Crows Landing Air Facility hold the promise of a more
efficient way to get her Hughson company's almonds to
world markets. For Patterson City Councilman Sam Cuellar
Jr., they pose the threat of a huge increase in train
traffic and problems for his city. West Side farmer
Norman Crow sees a threat to some of the finest farmland
in the world. Lance Ingeman of Modesto sees a potential
solution to valley air problems. Opinions voiced Tuesday
on the two proposals to develop the 1,528-acre former
naval air base were varied, to say the least. One
speaker wanted the board to reject both plans and leave
the base as it is. The two developers, Texas-based
Hillwood Inc. and Sacramento-based PCCP West Park LLC,
each gave an hour synopsis at the Stanislaus County
Board of Supervisors meeting of how they wanted to
develop the base. On Jan. 17, the Crows Landing Steering
Committee endorsed the Hillwood Properties proposal. The
final decision rests with the supervisors. The |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:02/14/07 03:25:00 |
|
Short Take: Turnout shows interest high in Crows Landing |
| About 65 people were in the meeting
chambers Tuesday morning when Stanislaus County's
supervisors heard competing proposals for bringing jobs
to the Crows Landing air facility near Patterson. That
was a strong indication that people are keenly
interested in the future of the county's West Side. That
nearly all those people were still in their seats 3%XBD
hours later when the last comments had been recorded
provided an exclamation point. Clearly, people realize
the importance of this decision. They heard a
representative of a company owned by Ross Perot Jr.
explain how it would make the airstrip the centerpiece
of the project. Gerry Kamilos explained how he wanted to
tie the area into a regional rail transportation plan.
After they finished, both faced tough questions from
supervisors and then heard 13 people voice opinions or
concerns. Such input can only help supervisors make a
good decision; it is clear the electorate is engaged.
Supervisors are scheduled to pick one proposal (or
neither) at their next meeting |
| Online Section:
Opinion |
Published:02/14/07 00:00:00 |
|
Public opinions varied on Crows Landing proposals |
| For Marie Assali, plans for the
Crows Landing Air Facility holds the promise of a more
efficient way to get her Hughson company's almonds to
world markets. For Patterson City Councilman Sam Cuellar
Jr., it poses the threat of a huge increase in train
traffic and problems for his city. West Side farmer
Norman Crow sees a threat to some of the finest farm
land in the world. Lance Ingeman of Modesto sees a
potential solution to valley air problems. Opinions
voiced today on the two proposals to develop the
1,528-acre former naval air base were varied, to say the
least. Some want the board to reject both plans and
leave the base as it is. The two developers, Texas-based
Hillwood and Sacramento-based PCCP West Park LLC, each
gave an hour synopsis at this morning's Stanislaus
County Board meeting of how they wanted to develop the
base . The county, which owns the former air base, wants
to develop a business park on the land to create jobs
and tax revenue. West Park is the more ambitious
proposal |
| Online Section:
PM
Updates | Published:02/13/07 14:28:03 |
|
Leave nothing to chance in Crows Landing vote |
| Today's discussion of the future of
Crows Landing Air Facility will begin with a coin flip.
That's incredibly appropriate. Board Chairman Bill
O'Brien will toss a coin to decide which of two
prospective master developers will get to present its
plan last (or first, if they prefer) to the Stanislaus
County Board of Supervisors. Each presentation will last
about an hour, followed by questions. The board will
vote in two weeks; they could pick one plan, or neither.
Supervisors are right to take their time %X97 this
decision is hugely important to the entire county. In
2003, the Navy turned over its World War II-era training
station north of Crows Landing to Stanislaus County. A
mile from Interstate 5, its 1,529 acres are considered
prime for business. But what kind of business? The
county asked for proposals from potential master
developers and got two that were quite different: PCCP
West Park, owned by Sacramento developer Gerry Kamilos,
would use a short-haul railway to tie the air station to
the |
| Online Section:
Opinion |
Published:02/13/07 00:00:00 |
|
|
|
Supervisors will take up air station development plans |
| The battle over who should develop
Stanislaus County's 1,528-acre Crows Landing Air
Facility arrives Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors.
Two developers vying for the right to plan and build a
business park at the former naval air station southeast
of Patterson offer very different visions for the
property and the West Side. Hillwood, a company headed
by Ross Perot Jr., envisions a business park wholly
within the air facility property. It would be oriented
to truck traffic, with the possibility of using the
runway at the site to attract small, corporate jet
traffic and businesses related to small jets. PCCP West
Park LLC, headed by Sacramento-based developer Gerry
Kamilos, bases its proposal around a short-haul rail
connection between the Port of Oakland and the Crows
Landing facility. The West Park proposal includes land
surrounding the air facility, and the developer has
negotiated options on thousands of nearby acres. Both
developers promise new industry and thousands of jobs.
West Side residents |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:02/12/07 03:25:00 |
|
Railroad between Crows Landing, Oakland on right track |
| I'm heading to the Bay Area at 6
a.m. in order to avoid the worst of the traffic. As I
enter Interstate 5 from Gustine, I have to run the
gauntlet of trucks that line both sides of the onramp.
It feels like I'm entering a narrow, steep-walled
canyon, especially in my little hybrid. All along my
way, at Newman, Crows Landing, Patterson, Westley, and
especially at the rest area before the I-5 and I-580
split, the offramps and onramps are lined with trucks. A
couple hundred truckers are waiting, often with engines
running, for the right time to get back on the freeway
to deliver their loads in the Bay Area. It is a minor
irritation, I know. But I wonder if the situation might
change, at least a little for the better, if there were
a short-haul rail line from Crows Landing to the Port of
Oakland. |
| Online Section:
Community Voices | Published:02/09/07
00:00:00 |
|
Crows Landing proposals get hearing on Feb. 13 |
| The Stanislaus County Board of
Supervisors will officially hear the two proposals for
developing the Crows Landing air facility at its Feb. 13
meeting. After each one-hour proposal, the supervisors,
and then the public, will be able to ask questions. The
future of the long-dormant Naval Air Station has become
a very hot topic throughout the county. Two heavy
hitters are vying to become the master developer for the
1,528-acre site. Texas-based Hillwood Properties, run by
Ross Perot Jr., has a substantial history developing
such sites. Sacramento-based PCCP West Park, owned by
Gerry Kamilos, has several projects completed or under
way in Northern California. West Park is promising more
jobs by expanding the project to nearly 6,000 acres and
relying on rail; Hillwood will stick to the base and
says it won't need any subsidies to build its planned
project. A steering committee twice has endorsed the
Hillwood plan. But supervisors get the final say, and
will cast their votes Feb. 27. |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:01/29/07 03:25:00 |
|
County closing in on jobs opportunity |
| Ross Perot Jr.'s Hillwood Properties
won the endorsement of the Crows Landing Steering
Committee on Wednesday to be the master developer of
Stanislaus County's Crows Landing Air Facility. But the
battle isn't over. That recommendation now goes to the
Board of Supervisors, which isn't bound by the advisory
vote. County Deputy Executive Officer Keith Boggs said
the board's vote probably will be taken in early
February. The county is seeking a master developer to
build a business and industrial park on the 1,528-acre
Crows Landing Air Facility, a former Naval air station
acquired by the county two years ago. The county hopes
the air facility will become a major job generator on
the West Side, and add to the county's tax base. Two
bidders submitted proposals: the Texas-based Hillwood,
owned by the Perot family, and PCCP West Park, headed by
Sacramento developer Gerry Kamilos. The committee voted
6 to 4 in favor of the Hillwood proposal at the end of a
nine-hour meeting in which both developers gave |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:01/18/07 04:25:00 |
|
Air facility presentations today |
| Contrasting visions of how
Stanislaus County's Crows Landing Air Facility should be
developed are to be presented today at the Alliance Free
Enterprise Center in Modesto. The all-day session of the
Crows Landing Steering Committee is to include
presentations by PCCP West Park, headed by Sacramento
developer Gerry Kamilos, at 9 a.m.; and Hillwood
Properties, headed by Ross Perot Jr., at 1 p.m. Each
presentation is to be 90 minutes, followed by an hour of
questions from the steering committee and 15 minutes of
public questions. The steering committee is to discuss
the proposals and possibly act at a session starting at
4 p.m. The meeting starts at 8 a.m. at the Alliance
center, 1020 10th St., Modesto; it's open to the public. |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:01/17/07 03:45:00 |
|
West Side up in arms over map |
| A map of a 1,900-acre development
proposal near Patterson is drawing controversy for what
it showed outside the property as well as on it. The
property is just south of the county's Fink Road
landfill. It is described on the developer's Web site as
a "billion dollar master planned community" with 7,000
housing units, a town center, and commercial, retail and
distribution facilities on 400 of the acres. A
Sacramento company called Urban 44 is proposing the
development and intends to submit plans to the county in
two months. But a concept map on its Web site showed
thousands of acres beyond the 1,900 in the development
proposal, laid out in urban uses that would generate
tens of thousands of houses and apartments between
Patterson and Crows Landing. County Deputy Executive
Officer Keith Boggs, who was seeking West Side economic
development sites, found the concept map on the
Internet. The broader concept map was removed from the
Web site by Friday, but not before it caused an uproar
among county |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:01/17/07 03:25:00 |
|
Crows Landing proposals draw queries |
| PATTERSON %X97 West Side residents
peppered Stanislaus County officials about all aspects
of the proposed development at the Crows Landing Air
Facility on Friday %X97 from air and water quality
issues to potential housing development and tax
subsidies. The town hall-style meeting drew about 70
people, who wrote questions on index cards for the panel
of public officials. A Crows Landing Steering Committee
appointed by the county is considering proposals from
two developers for a master plan for the 1,528-acre
former naval air facility. The county wants to develop
the airfield into a business park to generate jobs and a
bigger tax base. County Deputy Executive Officer Keith
Boggs gave the audience a brief history of the project
and a quick description of each of the proposals. The
housing question came up quickly. County Supervisor Jim
DeMartini said the Board of Supervisors has made clear
that it does not want housing as part of the air
facility development. "We are not going to accept
residential |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:01/13/07 03:25:00 |
|
Air facility panel alerted to possible conflict of
interest |
| Three or four members of a committee
that will be deciding on a master developer for a
business park at the Crows Landing Air Facility might
not be able to vote on the issue next week. Questions of
conflict of interest have surfaced on the Crows Landing
Steering Committee, prompting a letter to committee
members from Stanislaus County Counsel Michael Krausnick
spelling out problem areas. One of the committee members
has suggested that members be required to file financial
disclosure forms. The steering committee will be
considering proposals Wednesday from two developers to
master plan the county's 1,527-acre Crows Landing Air
Facility. Its recommendation will be forwarded to the
county Board of Supervisors. The committee consists of
19 members representing the Board of Supervisors, the
cities of Patterson and Newman, the community of Crows
Landing, the county Planning Commission, agriculture and
citizens from the five county supervisorial districts.
One of the developers, PCCP West Park, headed |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:01/12/07 03:45:00 |
|
Port-to-county rail proposed |
| A consortium of public agencies in
the Bay Area and the Northern San Joaquin Valley is
working to create a railroad connection between the Port
of Oakland and the west side of Stanislaus County for
freight and passenger service. The rail link through the
Altamont Pass would bring freight containers from ships
at the Oakland port to the county-owned Crows Landing
Air Facility, where they could be loaded on trucks for
distribution up and down the Central Valley and beyond.
The rail service also could take containers of
agricultural products from the valley back to the port
for export. Commuter rail service could be extended down
the west side of Stanislaus County as well, once the
rail corridor is established. Discussions on the rail
link started about 10 months ago, and include the Port
of Oakland; Alameda, San Joaquin and Stanislaus
counties; Altamont Commuter Express Rail Service and
Capital Corridor train service; and Alameda County
Congestion Management. The group is preparing an
application |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:12/24/06 04:25:00 |
|
Business park plans criticized |
| Two major developers with
contrasting visions for the future of Stanislaus
County's West Side are vying for the right to develop a
business park on the Crows Landing air facility. The
1,527-acre former naval air station was turned over to
the county in October 2004. The county Board of
Supervisors wants to convert it to a business park that
would generate jobs and tax dollars. But a request for
proposals for a master developer drew just two
responses. The contenders are Hillwood Corp., a Texas
company headed by Ross Perot Jr., and CPPC West Park,
headed by Sacramento developer Gerry Kamilos. Both have
extensive experience in large-scale developments.
Hillwood developed the 17,000-acre Alliance Texas
business park near Dallas/Fort Worth International
Airport, as well as the 2,000-acre Alliance California
business park near San Bernardino. The company has
experience in developing abandoned government
facilities. West Park's Kamilos has been involved in
developing Metro Air Park, a 1,900-acre |
| Online Section:
Crows Landing Air Facility business park |
Published:12/18/06 04:25:00 |
|
|
The following links are
to Modesto Bee coverage. For the most part, they are in date order, but
that isn't always the case as yet. Mostly the oldest stories start at the
bottom. These may be, for the most part, duplicates of the above stories.
Kamilos
meets with CL steering committee ModBee 6-21-07
Kamilos
speaks to city council 6-19-07 ModBee.com
The West Side, a Modesto Bee article 6-17-07
1st
PCCP West Park quarterly staff report for Board of Supervisors
6-5-07
Allies mobilize against Kamilos 5-30-07
Crows Landing is a public matter
Proviso put on helping Kamilos
Officials
to ask state for road, rail money
Close vote puts DeMartini, Monteith on Crows
Landing committee
Leave Grover off team dealing with Kamilos
Mayfield's deciding vote cast at last moment, and
is not meant to last forever
Another snap Mayfield decision
Grover needs to answer questions
Grover invites state scrutiny
Crows Landing plan negotiators picked
West Siders still puzzled, angry over Crows
Landing vote
Short Take: Supes divvy Crows Landing jobs
West Park Wins
- Published
02/28/07
State fire agency eyes Crows Landing for base
Officials to ask state for road, rail money
Despite
Kamilos expenditure, Grover should take part in debate on Crows Landing
- Published 02/25/07
Grover contribution investigation
Jeff
Grover's May campaign finance report
Jeff
Grover's January campaign finance report
Study:
Light-jet plan might fly in Crows Landing
- Published 02/23/07
West Side
Vision - Published 02/25/07
Hillwood
plan offers many jobs, less risk
- Published 02/25/07
Many in
community already have chosen a favorite proposal
- Published 02/25/07
Builder got his start in oil fields
May 7, 2007
Controversy surrounds Kamilos' contributions
Builder calls railroad key to fixing problems
What's Kamilos up to?
VIDEO: Gerry Kamilos discusses the Crows Landing
Air Facility
What's Next?
West Siders' wishes, common sense ignored in
Crows Landing vote
West Park Wins
Supervisors pick rail plan for Crows Landing site
Supervisors pick Kamilos for Crows Landing site
Despite Kamilos expenditure, Grover should take
part in debate on Crows Landing
Hillwood plan offers many jobs, less risk
Many in community already have chosen a favorite
proposal
Decision Time: Crows Landing
Rail line may work with changes
Why Patterson favors Hillwood's Crows Landing
proposal
Study: Light-jet plan might fly in Crows Landing
Crows Landing conflict is feared
For sale: Diablo Grande
Development plan takes a hit
February 18, 2007
Intrigue roils decision on Crows Landing
Firm donated to backers of supervisors
Air facility proposals take wing at Board of
Supervisors meeting
Short Take: Turnout shows interest high in Crows
Landing
Public opinions varied on Crows Landing proposals
Leave nothing to chance in Crows Landing vote
Supervisors will take up air station development
plans
Railroad between Crows Landing, Oakland on right
track
Crows Landing proposals get hearing on Feb. 13
Can Crows Landing project go green?
Bringing more jobs to Stanislaus rests in
leaders' hands
County closing in on jobs opportunity
Air facility presentations today
West Side up in arms over map
Rush to develop Crows Landing site could cost
west side
Crows Landing proposals draw queries
Air facility panel alerted to possible conflict
of interest
Town Hall Meeting
At a glance
Port-to-county rail proposed
Business park plans criticized
Landing base prime for
industrial park