North & East locals concerned about 23rd Street parking, homelessness, safety

You can travel through Richmond City Council District 6, which represents the North and East neighborhood and part of East Richmond, by cruising San Pablo Avenue, from a corner of Cutting Avenue by Interstate 80 at its southeast corner to its northern border, defined by the Lytton Casino in San Pablo.

Part of  its western border can be traced along 23rd Street, a heavily traveled business corridor marked by many ethnic eateries and small grocers. It’s a hub of history and culture with iconic spots like Andy’s Donut Stop and street vendors that make some of the best churros in town.

Between these thoroughfares lies the heart of the neighborhood, where this reporter spent a day on foot, informally interviewing residents, both voters and nonvoters alike, about the issues they think the Richmond City Council should be addressing as voters prepare to cast their ballots in the Nov. 5 election.

There are two District 6 candidates: incumbent Claudia Jimenez and Shawn Dunning.

According to US Census data, in the 94805 zip code — which encompasses the district — the median household income in 2022 was $101,932. Hispanics or Latinos make up the largest demographic group at 34.5%.

Jimenez, a member of the Richmond Progressive Alliance, was elected to represent District 6 in 2020. Dunning’s most recent run for office was a 2022 mayoral bid, which he lost to current Mayor Eduardo Martinez.

‘I won’t be voting,’ one man says. ‘Things council does don’t make sense.’

Homelessness, affordable housing and public safety were the most frequently mentioned issues by residents who spoke with Richmondside.

Arthur Vigil, owner of Custom Glass Tinting at the corner of San Pablo and Clinton avenues, expressed his pessimism about the election process.

“I won’t be voting in this election. There’s a lot of things they do that don’t make sense,” Vigil said, adding that he feels his needs are not represented by any of the current council members. “I’ve lived here since the late 1970s, and things aren’t the same anymore. People don’t care.”

Vigil, who has lived in the North and East neighborhood for 50 years, said the city has failed to address trash that’s illegally dumped near businesses but also says businesses don’t care about keeping the city clean.

“I went to the McDonald’s on 23rd Street and Macdonald and saw tons of garbage spilling out with rats, but when I went to ask for the manager to talk about the trash the employees got mad at me for asking,” he said. “Richmond wasn’t like that before. It used to be nice here, but now people will toss trash outside their windows near my shop, and I have to clean it up.”

He also said he’s stopped calling Richmond police because he feels their hands are tied and  they come too late after an issue arises to actually make a difference.

“It’s not their fault though. It’s the way the laws are written. I see people stealing from grocery stores all the time and that’s why they do it because they know nothing is going to happen to them,” Vigil said.

Jimenez supporter feels main issues are fireworks and sideshows

A few blocks away, Nava Mizrahhi was walking near Michelle Obama Elementary School. 

Mizrahhi, a former member of the Richmond Arts and Culture Commission, said she moved to the neighborhood about 10 years ago from Oakland in search of more affordable housing. She said she plans on voting in this election and always tries to vote.

“I think safety and community diversity are the most important issues here,” she said. “I’ve seen positive changes since I’ve been here. Some of the things that are bothersome are around the 4th of July — the lead up and afterward — with fireworks and sideshows, but it’s not just an issue here but citywide.”

Other than that, Mizrahhi said, she feels that the community is tight-knit and safe for the most part.

“I feel very welcome here. It is a nice working-class town,” she said, about Richmond’s diverse population. “Obviously there are the haves and have-nots, but it is close knit. I didn’t expect that (when I first moved here).” 

She added that she has had positive experiences interacting with councilmember Jimenez and feels like there is an open line of communication between Jimenez and district residents.

“I definitely will continue to support her. I recently spoke with her (at a neighborhood meeting), and she was listening and not trying to argue with anyone,” Mizrahhi said.

Retired electrician concerned about housing, homelessness

Deeper into the heart of the North and East on 36th Street, retired union electrician Larry Johnese — a Richmond resident for the past 12 years who has also lived in other parts of west Contra Costa County — said he is planning on voting this November and feels that the most important unresolved issue is the affordability of housing in the district and the city at large.

“It’s ridiculous. My stepson who makes good money can’t afford to live here,” he said.

Another issue, he added, is homelessness and how Richmond fits into the greater regional picture. Recently, the city shut down a long-time homeless encampment behind the Target on Macdonald Avenue near the southern portion of the district.

“Nobody seems to have a solution for it. Nonetheless, it is in our face — I’m not saying that in a negative way but in the sense that we can’t ignore it,” Johnese said. “It is way bigger than any one city, and anyone who tries to blame a local politician is really missing the boat, but the contradiction is that we have to be involved in some way.”

He said he feels that the Richmond Police Department has “calmed” but added he doesn’t have facts to confirm his perception.

He said he had a 2017 interaction with Richmond police during a search for a suspect where a sergeant was upset that he wouldn’t let them onto his property.

“I told them ‘I just came from my backyard, there’s nothing going on back there,’ and a couple of the officers in the street just turned around looking at me, like ‘What?’ ” he said, describing their astonishment. “They had been going down the street, and if people weren’t home they were just going into their backyards.”

He also criticized how the police drive.

“Apparently turn signals don’t work on police vehicles,” he said. “I’ve seen so much bad driving from them, but what are you going to do?”

Johnese said he is “content,” with Jimenez as his representative. Although he is not as involved with city politics as he used to be, he tries to stay up to date on City Hall news.

“I don’t really have much interaction with her, but I have neighbors who have more interaction and most people seem satisfied,” he said. “I’m not unhappy, and I wasn’t unhappy to see the (former Mayor Tom) Butt dynasty swept out of power.”

23rd Street business owner says parking is a problem

Marvin Carranza has owned and operated Marvin’s Mobile Auto shop at the corner of 23rd Street and Brooks Avenue for the past 15 years and lives in the neighborhood.

According to Carranza, he is in the process of getting his citizenship and can’t vote yet though he would like to eventually participate.. However, he feels the sentiment among his friends and family who can vote is disenfranchisement.

“There are many who feel like ‘Why should I go vote, if I don’t work, I don’t eat,’ ” he said. “They don’t feel like it benefits them directly.”

He told Richmondside that the most pressing issues affecting him are parking enforcement and public safety along the 23rd Street corridor.

“Right now we have had a lot of problems with space for the cars we service,” he said. “The parking enforcement people will come and give out tickets even till 7 p.m. in the evening.”

Part of the reason parking has become a problem for those in the automotive repair industry, he said, is that to take one car out of a small shop, more cars need to be moved out onto the street.

“There are cars that don’t have current tags because we are trying to get them to pass smog, and sometimes those cars will get towed,” he added. “They don’t even give me warning or a chance to move them back.”

Though Carranza said he understands that the streets need to be orderly and clean, he feels that city representatives should establish relationships with automotive service businesses owners in the area. He also said that businesses suffer due to the inconsistent parking enforcement along the street.

“They really should give us a chance to move or a warning,” he said. “People won’t come and support these businesses if they are worried about tickets or a lack of parking.”

He said he’s seen people from other parts of the Bay Area, even as far as San Mateo, come to Richmond to try and sell their cars, parking them along the street for days at a time.

“The ones who suffer the consequences are the business owners.”

In regards to public safety, Carranza said he has dealt with thefts at his shop, sex workers soliciting in front of it and bullet hole damage to the front.

“What can we do? We are here and do what we can, but we aren’t here at night (to prevent it),” he said.

Overall, Carranza said he feels there needs to be more city support for business owners in the North and East.

“Look around here. Everything is dead,” he said. “We have had a long time now of seeing the economy the way it is. There just isn’t business.”