Albany Patch recently posed nine questions, about challenges faced by the city, to the four City Council candidates up for election Nov. 2. See our full election guide here. Click each candidate's name to view a general Q&A completed in August.

What are the biggest issues the city needs to consider in approving the Safeway redevelopment project?

MARGE ATKINSON

The on-going issues are parking, access and size of the proposed new store.  The Planning and Zoning Commission, neighborhood groups and Safeway have been working diligently to come up with compromises and plans that address some of the above over more than a year.  I think they are making progress and I look forward to a successful outcome so that Albany customers can enjoy and shop at an updated, modern store.

FRANCESCO PAPALIA

This long overdue upgrade could potentially transform the appearance and foot traffic for the benefit of all the businesses on Solano Avenue if it is done well. Since it takes up a whole block, how it meets the sidewalk sets the tone for how the casual shopper perceives that section of Solano Avenue. The moving of the store to Solano eliminates the visual "dead zone" that the existing asphalt parking lot now presents to anyone on foot walking on the avenue. The present plan offers two visually interactive zones with the centrally placed entrance and the elevated café similar to Fonda's outside seating area.

The appropriate size of the structure is always one of the most difficult factors to determine. Hopefully this new store will bring new, sorely needed shoppers to the avenue who will use their time to go to other stores. We need to remember that this store should be big enough to meet the area's needs for the next 30 to 50 years. An often overlooked factor is the need for storage of sufficient stock to keep the shelves full. The current store is woefully lacking in storage. Better storage capacity means better prices and choice.

Parking capacity should include an inviting and secure area for bicycles in multiple locations in the front and in the rear. The hardest problem to solve is always the traffic patterns of motor vehicles. The movement of cars and trucks will impact the immediate neighbors on Neilson and Curtis streets the most. Finding the best solution will require the utmost care and creativity. All options, including changing a street to one way and/or using blockades to redirect traffic to Solano should be considered. In the coming decades we will want to have the ability of easy access by foot, bike, car and public transportation. Maybe we will have a local shuttle bus that can use the AC Transit stop now planned in front of the store. I have been shopping at Safeway for over 20 years and I hope to have a new store there that I can easily walk or bike to from my home on Key Route Boulevard.

JOANNE WILE

The neighbors and members of the Planning and Zoning Commission have been excellent advocates for a reduction in the large size of the proposed building.  They are also addressing the issues of traffic safety along the streets adjacent to Safeway. I support their work.

CARYL O'KEEFE

The biggest issues to consider for approving any project, including Safeway, are conformance with city planning and land use codes, listening to public comment, and addressing any problematic outcomes of an Environmental Impact Report ("EIR", which includes traffic and other concerns to neighbors). Fortunately the city has done a lot to build environmental and energy-efficient requirements into current code, to help Albany achieve its environmental goals. 

So far in this process, Safeway has revised the proposal to meet code, and Safeway has made changes to address neighbors' concerns.  The Solano Avenue Association reports that most merchants around Safeway are enthusiastic about the additional business a modernized and larger "anchor" Safeway could bring to smaller stores on the avenue. 

Tomorrow's Question: Many neighbors on the west side of the city have advocated for a park on Pierce Street. Would you vote to support this park? If so, what steps would you take to make the park a reality?