Mayor Dismisses Coalition Downtown Plan as Residents Push for Hearing
City Council • LivermoreNovember 10, 2026
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Livermore's long fight over downtown resurfaced Nov. 9, 2026. Supporters of a Community Coalition plan for a hotel, park and community center pressed the City Council to put their concept on the Nov. 23 agenda, and Mayor John Marchand dismissed it as an unattributed drawing. In the same session, residents shaken by recent ICE arrests in Livermore asked for city ordinances limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The council approved its consent calendar without dissent and took no action on either request.
- Downtown dispute reignites: Six open-forum speakers addressed downtown, and most backed the coalition's alternative to Eden Housing's project.
- Mayor rejects coalition concept, saying no member has identified themselves. Councilmember Ben Barrientos asked how to bring it forward.
- ICE arrests prompt calls for non-cooperation and zoning ordinances. Staff say state-required regulations are being finalized.
- Hotel update set for Nov. 23, when the council next meets.
Downtown Plan Fight Moves to Council Dais
Why it matters: The dispute pits Eden Housing's approved and funded workforce housing project against a coalition concept for a four-star hotel, a park and an arts or community center on the same downtown ground. Whether the coalition plan ever reaches a public agenda now depends on council procedure, not public comment.
The basics: Downtown Livermore is governed by a 2018 specific plan, a long-range zoning and design blueprint for the area. City Manager Marianna Burch reviewed projects completed under the plan and Eden Housing's funded project. She noted that referendums and an initiative have delayed downtown projects, and said a hotel update is coming at the Nov. 23 meeting.
Where things stand: Coalition supporters made a coordinated push during open forum. One speaker urged serious consideration of the alternative plan. Greg Scott read a statement from a Community Coalition board member requesting an agenda item. Rob Bloom, a coalition supporter, asked the council to put the plan on the Nov. 23 agenda. A fourth speaker backed the plan's large park and pointed to Sonoma as a model. A lifelong resident who described herself as a social scientist urged the council to reconsider downtown apartments and treat the site as a community tool.
The other side: Not every critic of Eden's project endorsed the coalition. One speaker opposed the Eden development because of its cost per unit and its location, and argued for spreading low-income housing across the city.
The sharpest pushback came from the dais. Mayor Marchand said no coalition member has publicly identified themselves and called the effort bad theater.
"This is a drawing that a couple people came up with, and someone with very deep pockets has been able to get this in their newspaper," said Mayor John Marchand.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The council took no action. Councilmember Barrientos asked how to initiate a presentation of the coalition plan. He was told that initiating an agenda matter requires consulting the city manager and winning the concurrence of two colleagues. Burch will brief him.
That threshold gives the rest of the council a gatekeeping role. Eden Housing and future residents of its workforce housing benefit from the status quo. Coalition backers need two more votes just to get a hearing. The mayor's reference to "deep pockets" signals that funding and messaging behind the coalition will draw scrutiny if the plan advances.
What's next: Staff will present a downtown hotel update at the Nov. 23 meeting. Watch whether Barrientos finds two colleagues to concur.
Residents Ask Livermore to Draw a Line on ICE
Why it matters: Recent ICE arrests in Livermore, along with reports that the federal government could use FCI Dublin, the nearby federal prison, as an immigration detention facility, brought an organized group of speakers to the podium. They want the city to wall off local resources from federal enforcement.
Where things stand: At least four open-forum speakers addressed immigration. One condemned the Livermore arrests, warned about a possible detention facility at FCI Dublin and urged officials to act. Yang (Anna) Yu, an immigrant who works as a paralegal and substitute teacher, asked for an ordinance barring city resources from civil immigration enforcement. Virginia Wirtz asked the council to protect families, describing a child whose parents were taken by ICE.
Dana, a public commenter, laid out the most complete list of requests:
- A city statement opposing ICE use of FCI Dublin
- A non-cooperation ordinance
- A zoning ordinance barring detention facilities
- A community preparedness plan
- A plan to enforce those policies
The other side: Staff stressed the limits of city authority.
"Immigration enforcement is a federal matter that we do not get engaged in," said City Manager Marianna Burch.
Burch said the city is finalizing model regulations required by the state and developing regulations on how property can be used. The property-use rules respond most directly to the zoning request, though she did not say whether they would bar detention facilities.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The council took no ordinance action. Councilmember Evan Branning and Vice Mayor Kristie Wang both expressed support for affected residents. Wang said she is coordinating community support for immigrants.
"I'm helping to coordinate all that," said Vice Mayor Kristie Wang.
For immigrant families, the outcome is sympathy and administrative work in progress, not the binding ordinances advocates requested. Their requests remain formally unaddressed.
What's next: Staff are finalizing the state-required regulations and the property-use rules. No timeline was given. Residents can ask when those rules will come to the council and whether they will address detention facilities.
Partners Report In: Energy, Arts and Federal Aid
AVA Community Energy: Howard Shea, CEO of AVA Community Energy, reported $13M in savings for Livermore customers. AVA is a community choice energy provider, and Livermore is a founding member. It serves about 90% of local accounts, roughly 34,000 in total. Its default Bright Choice product runs only about 0.5% below PG&E rates, so AVA's pitch rests on its programs:
- A 25-year solar power purchase agreement, a long-term contract to buy power from solar and storage installed at city sites
- Smart home charging
- E-bike rebates
- Battery programs
Council questions covered heat pump water heaters, commercial incentives and low-income programs.
Livermore Valley Arts: Chris Carter of Livermore Valley Arts reported a $176,000 net profit and 17% revenue growth, though ticket sales dipped from January through summer. He cited 198 Bankhead Theater programs, a $689,000 gala, a $1M challenge campaign and sponsorships for cultural celebrations, including Juneteenth. He thanked the city for the Great Elephant Migration exhibit, which is drawing visitors to downtown businesses. The Bankhead turns 20 next year.
Human Services Commission: Chair Maxwell Nelson described the constraints on federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Those constraints include a 15% cap on public services spending. Nelson also reported a two-year grant cycle that began in 2025 and higher limits for the Social Opportunity Endowment Fund. Mayor Marchand said Livermore's CDBG allocation is under half a million dollars and has been repeatedly threatened by Washington.
Minor Items
- Consent calendar approved by unanimous voice vote; motion by Councilmember Steven Dunbar, second by Councilmember Branning (individual tally not stated).
- Surplus reinvested: Mayor Marchand praised item 6.6, saying the city is reinvesting its surplus while neighboring cities face structural deficits.
- Light system funded through a budget extension to speed fire response and buses, Councilmember Branning noted.
- Cybersecurity warnings: Greg Scott urged serious attention to infrastructure vulnerability on item 6.5. Another speaker urged the city to use free software instead of Windows for security reasons.
- Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance board chair Marty Sutton promoted its Power of Giving event and announced that Vice Mayor Wang is an Unsung Hero finalist.
Looking ahead: The council adjourned to Nov. 23, 2026, when staff will deliver the downtown hotel update. The coalition plan and the city's response to ICE are both likely to return during public comment.