Timelines

This is a timeline of event leading up to the present to help people understand when things happened, and why.

  • February 13, 2017 – The City Council considered an amendment to the Downtown Specific Plan to restrict residential buildings in the downtown core to three stories. David Eichler from Legacy Partners spoke in opposition. The height restriction was not implemented.
  • February 27, 2017 – City Council directed City staff to prioritize two issues for the downtown catalyst sites: the location of a downtown hotel, and sufficient parking to accommodate future uses.
  • April 24, 2017 – City Council appoints a 19-member Downtown Steering Committee (DSC) to devise a downtown public engagement process and engages Placeworks to perform a public outreach.
  • June 2017 – Legacy Apartment project submits an application to the city to develop an apartment project on the old Groth Brother’s site.
  • September 11, 2017 – City Council removes campaign donation limits for local elections, including for Mayor and City Council.
  • September to early November 2017 – the downtown public engagement process is undertaken by Placeworks.
  • November 17, 2017 – the Placeworks Downtown Public Engagement Final Report is published.
  • November 29, 2017 – City Council accepts the Placeworks report.
  • January 2018 – City Council approves the Downtown Plan, and directs staff to implement it.
  • March 6, 2018 – Livermore Planning Commission holds hearing about Legacy Partners project.
  • April 23, 2018 – City Council instructs staff to negotiate Development Agreement with Legacy Partners.
  • May 31, 2018 – John Marchand holds a campaign kickoff party at Attitude Aviation’s hanger. The donation of the hanger use, as well as other features of the party (DJ, caterers, etc.) were not declared on his filed campaign disclosure forms. In an Independent article on 10/25/2022, Marchand claimed the use was declared “on page 29 of Form 460 Schedule C, filed on Aug. 1, 2018”, though that line lists a donation by Mony Nop for supplies for the event. (see page 29 of Marchand’s 8/1/2018 campaign disclosure form)
  • June 11, 2018 – City Council approves Development Agreement with Legacy Partners for 222 apartment complex on the old Groth Brothers site.
  • September 19, 2018 – David Eichler, Senior Managing Director for Northern California at Legacy Partners, donates $467 to Mayor Marchand’s re-election campaign. Marchand’s state campaign donation disclosure form lists Eichler as a Livermore resident and “real estate agent” at “Legacy” – Eichler lives in Piedmont and is not licensed as a real estate agent in California. The listing of the employer as “Legacy” for a “real estate agent” also makes it appear the person works for the Legacy Real Estate firm on Second Street, rather than for Legacy Partners. (see page 4 of Marchand’s 9/19/2018 campaign disclosure form)
  • November 26, 2018 – City Council approves a Disposition, Development and Loan Agreement with Eden Housing.
  • August 23, 2019 – the city releases an Election Code 9212 Report for the citizen’s ballot measure scheduled for November 2020. On page 8, paragraph 5, it indicates the Eden Housing project will have one- to three-bedroom apartments instead of studio and one-bedroom indicted in the Approved Plan. The ballot measure was later withdrawn by the initiating group.
  • March 3, 2020 – Measure P is voted on and passes by about a 2 to 1 margin.
  • May 2020 – Central Park Plan ballot measure proponents withdraw measure from November ballot.
  • October 26, 2020 – City Council had scheduled reviewing Eden Housing on their agenda but then removed it.
  • November 3, 2020 – Election Day 2020. Councilmember/Vice-Mayor Woerner was elected as the new mayor, Carling was re-elected as a councilmember, and Kiick was elected as a new councilmember.
  • December 7, 2020 – City Council Workshop where Eden Housing presents new designs with bigger buildings containing one- to three-bedroom apartments, a smaller park, and an income cap for applicants of 60% Area Median Income.
  • April 20, 2021 – City Planning Commission reviewed Eden’s new proposal (updated from December 2020) and voted to approve it 4-1, with Commissioner Stein the dissenting vote.
  • April 26, 2021 – City Council discusses a response to complaints regarding Commissioner Stein’s comments during the April 20 meeting. An audio recording of his comments can be found here. The Council votes to have a special meeting on May 3, 2021 to discuss possible actions, including removal from the Planning Commission.
  • May 3, 2021 – City Council meets again to discuss possible action against Commissioner Stein, and decides to retain him as a Planning Commissioner but require him to attend training and to tour Livermore’s affordable housing developments.
  • May 4, 2021 – City Planning Commission revokes ability for apartment developer to pay an “in lieu” fee to opt out of including “affordable housing” units in new developments.
  • May 24-25, 2021 – City Council discussed and approved Eden Housing’s proposed development plan. The Council also declared that the site, which is known to be contaminated with toxic substances and requires clean-up, is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
  • June 6, 2021 – Katerra, the contractor for the Legacy Apartments construction, declared bankruptcy halting all activity on the Legacy construction site.
  • June 24, 2021 – Save Livermore Downtown files a lawsuit against the city.
  • June 25, 2021 – San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board published a report that “called the city’s proposed cleanup for the old Lucky site ‘neither appropriately justified nor acceptable.'”
  • August 1, 2021 – San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board begins additional soil drilling and testing to determine the nature and extent of the contamination level of the old Lucky site, which was found to be more extensive than previously reported.
  • August 27, 2022 – John Marchand’s election campaign accepted $9400 total from two people affiliated with Attitude Aviation. In an Independent article on 10/25/2022, Marchand claimed “The connection to Attitude (Aviation) was undeclared”, even though his disclosure form lists one of them as an administrative assistant at Attitude Aviation. The other person’s LinkedIn page identifies her as Director of Business Development and Marketing at SkyCam Aviation (SkyCam is owned by Attitude Aviation). (see Marchand’s 8/29/2022 campaign disclosure form)

References:
[1] Placeworks Downtown Public Engagement Final Report
[2] Resolution Agreement with Placeworks
[3] Downtown Project History
[4] City of Livermore Newsletter – Winter 2018
[5] Elections Code Section 9212 Report Regarding the Petition entitled “Citizen’s Initiative Changing Development Regulations in Downtown Livermore, and Amending Regulations to Allow Housing at the Civic Center”
[6] Pleasanton Weekly: Legacy at Livermore development moves forward – June 18, 2018
[7] June 11, 2018 City Council Agenda packet (warning, very large file)
[8] March 6, 2018 Planning Commission Agenda