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Residents and unions press council to pause hotel deal, cite Surplus Land Act and labor concerns
Summary
Multiple public speakers — local residents and building-trades representatives — asked the council to delay approval of the hotel DDA, citing compliance with the Surplus Land Act, missing feasibility and CEQA analyses for the expanded hotel and the need for prevailing‑wage/local‑hire commitments.
Several residents and union representatives urged the council to delay approval of the hotel DDA to resolve legal and labor issues before the city sold or committed public land.
Jorge Sabala, speaking for the Western State Regional Council of Carpenters, said his group represents roughly 800 carpenters near the site and asked the council to "delay the approval of this item" until the workforce and contracting questions are clarified. "We were asking for prevailing wages," Robert Ramos of Ironworkers Local 416 said, adding that without developer commitments the project "is not where this project is headed."
Jordan Sisson, who delivered a formal comment letter referenced by staff, told the council there remain "live issues whether or not the Surplus Land Act has been complied with" and flagged what he described as missing feasibility studies and CEQA documentation tied to the larger hotel footprint. "If you get a pause for tonight, that could be done in a responsible manner," Sisson said.
Other commenters called the plan a "bait and switch," warned about traffic and pollution impacts, and asked the council to prioritize affordable housing or community benefits in disposition-of-public-land decisions. Councilmembers acknowledged the concerns and encouraged the developer and unions to negotiate, but the council declined to delay the vote on the DDA.
