Should Benicia allow data centers? City grapples with zoning
Benicia Planning Commission is considering banning large-scale data centers and limiting smaller ones under the industrial zoning code.
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City of Benicia awarded ‘groundbreaking’ $30 million in Valero settlement money for just economic transition and clean air projects
The City of Benicia will receive $30 million of Valero settlement funds in a landmark Bay Area Air District grant to improve air quality and build a new local economy without a refinery.
Benicia schools get $10 million from Valero settlement funds for clean air projects
Benicia Unified School District was awarded $10 million of Valero settlement funds from the Bay Area Air District Wednesday for clean air projects, part of a new grant process to redistribute money from air quality fines to impacted communities.
‘We will keep rising.' Benicia’s vandalized LGBTQ+ public art will be repainted
Benicia artists are resolved to keep painting LGBTQ+ pride art after vandalism targets downtown mural. Police are investigating.
Air District recommends $30 million to City of Benicia, $10 million to school district
Bay Area Air District staff recommended the City of Benicia get $30 million and Benicia Unified School District get $10 million in Valero Refinery settlement funds in the Catalyst Grant.
Say goodbye to $5 Lyft rides in Benicia. The price is going up
Benicia City Council voted to increase $5 Lyft rides to $7. Seniors, veterans, disabled and low-income will still pay $4 or $3. The program will be funded with Transportation Development Act money.
Benicia News: Hazardous waste landfill, Valero, subsidized Lyft rides top City Council agenda tonight
Benicia City Council at Aug. 18 meeting will discuss IT Panoche hazardous waste landfill located off Lake Herman Road near Rose Estates, updates on paths for Benicia’s economic transition and the future of the Valero refinery land, and proposed changes to the city’s subsidized Lyft program.
Benicia News: School Board race, new business funding and developers target local hawk
School Board candidate deadline approaches Updated Aug. 8: Three seats on the Benicia Unified School District Board of Trustees were open for election this November – the deadline to file was extended to Aug. 12 at 5 p.m. Why it matters: Board members will continue to face tough budget decisions
Will Benicia City Council incumbents run unopposed? Deadline to file is Friday
Two seats on Benicia City Council are up for election in November. The deadline for filing candidacy is Friday.
Benicia Ballot: Charter city, property transfer tax proposals head to November polls
Benicians will decide whether the City adopts a limited charter and property transfer tax when they head to the November 3 polls after the City Council adopted resolutions to move the measures forward on Tuesday. Voters rejected similar proposals two years ago. City Council members approved a resolution to allow
Benicia News: Rose Estates public comment opens & who pays for Valero redevelopment?
Long time, no see, hey? We set out to fill a gap in local, original reporting here in Benicia with this newsletter. And then, unexpectedly, we spent the last several months building much more. It's been a blur of meetings, business filings, considering grant applications, and conversations with
Valero redevelopment: Who will pay for new roads, service lines, parks?
Plus, read Signature Development Group's latest report submitted to the City of Benicia Valero-contracted Signature Development Group may submit a formal planning application to the City of Benicia as soon as this fall to redevelop the energy company’s 900 acres along East Second Street. The developer’
Art
Benicia Art: A Phoenix rises on First Street in new mural
A Phoenix has risen on Benicia’s First Street in a new mural with the intention of inspiring hope and lifting each other together through change in uncertain times. Bay Area artists Kemit Amenophis and Mike D’Amelio began painting the large public art piece in May on the north-
News
Benicia News: Arts Festival, Business License Tax and Voting day!
Today is the last day to vote in the California Primary Election. Here’s the info you need to get your ballot in if you haven’t done so already. Even if you forgot to register, you can still vote. To vote in person, find your polling place here. Ballots
Benicia News: When will your street get fixed?
In a few months, Benicians can expect to start seeing an uptick in long-overdue road repairs, starting around Cambridge Drive. The construction ushers in a four-year plan to fix Benicia’s failing roads, overwhelmingly funded by money raised through Measure F, a half-cent sales tax approved by
When is your Benicia street getting fixed? Find out.
Recent sales tax increases will help fund about $5.5 million in annual street paving over the next four years across most of Benicia. Why it matters: * Benicia’s 198 miles of city streets received a D grade in 2026, scoring 52 out of 100 on the Pavement Conditions Index,
News
Q & A: Valero fined another $3.25 million for 118 air quality violations at Benicia refinery
Valero Refining Company has agreed to pay $3.25 million to the Bay Area Air District to settle 118 violations of air quality rules in Benicia, California.
News
Swings will soon return to downtown’s Playground of Dreams
Swings will be installed at the Playground of Dreams on First Street in Benicia within the next six weeks. The historic wooden play structure at the downtown park requires major restoration work that won't likely begin until 2030.
Benicia News: Valero's exit, city finances, and Opening Day on the Strait
Welcome to The Benicia Bridge newsletter. It’s official: after nearly 60 years as a refinery town, Benicia’s stacks have gone cold. Valero officially stopped refining at its Benicia plant with no plans to start up again. What does that mean for the City's finances? The City
News
Valero delayed reporting the March flare tower incident that caused Benicia shelter-in-place
Valero delayed reporting the March 26 flare tower release, which remains under investigation by several agencies. The plant may not have reported the flaring to state authorities at all, had it not been for Solano County officials’ urging. A distinctive black plume from one of Valero’s three flare stacks
Valero cut its Benicia fire crew, hopes for outside aid in case of tank fire
Valero laid off its refinery firefighters in Benicia. Now, company executives have said they hope to rely on the Benicia Fire Department, contractors, and neighboring refineries to provide the manpower needed to tackle a future fire. Valero completed its latest round of layoffs this week, leaving about 70 employees, General
End of Era: Valero has closed Benicia refinery, plans total exit
Company representative says Valero has no plans for a “tank farm” and will likely leave in the next two years For the first time in nearly 60 years, Benicia’s refinery stacks have gone quiet as Valero has officially stopped refining at the plant, general manager and vice president, Lauren
Benicia news: Valero workers, broken solar panels, the port & the $700m question
Welcome to The Benicia Bridge newsletter. Weather: Rain and thunderstorms are expected through Sunday. Benicia is preparing with sandbags available for residents at the Benicia Corp Yard (2400 East Second St.) and East E St. parking lot off First St. Here’s a quote of the week: "Would you
Benicia has a rare deep water port. Here's what it would take to fix it
Benicia City Council learned about improvements needed to maintain the Port of Benicia, as well as potential work that could attract more seafaring customers – to the cost of $700 million. Background: The City of Benicia received a $750,000 grant to develop a Port of Benicia Facilities and Infrastructure Modernization