49ers threaten to block Joe Montana's project over parking

The 49ers are tackling the need for more parking at Levi's Stadium, which is scheduled to open in August in Santa Clara, by threatening to block Joe Montana's development project nearby. The 49ers are tackling the need for more parking at Levi's Stadium, which is scheduled to open in August in Santa Clara, by threatening to block Joe Montana's development project nearby. Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close 49ers threaten to block Joe Montana's project over parking 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

The 49ers need more parking for their new stadium- and are threatening to block Niners great Joe Montana's plans to build a hotel and entertainment center next door unless they get it.

With Levi's Stadium set to open in August, the team is in a sprint to try to figure out where people will park not just on game days, but when non-football events are held during the week.

Under terms of the 2012 stadium deal, the 49ers are entitled to 789 parking spots on land where Montana's company intends to build a hotel, stores and office space. The site is just across the street from the stadium.

"Their position has been that unless we find other parking acceptable to them, they may not allow the project to go forward," said City Manager Julio Fuentes.

Just sharing parking spaces with the development won't do, the team says. Niners President Larry MacNeil told city officials in a letter Feb. 10 that if Montana's $400 million project goes ahead, Santa Clara needs to come up with 8.5 acres of replacement parking free of charge.

So far, the team has rejected most of 4,000 spaces that the city has proposed as too distant, too waterlogged or beset by other problems.

One suggestion the team has informally floated is to use nearby youth soccer fields as a parking lot on game and event days - something the City Council says is out of the question.

"This is the beginning of the discussion,' said Mayor Jamie Matthews. "I'm sure we will work through the issues."

Robert Mezzetti, an attorney who represents Montana Property Group, did not return calls for comment.

It's a high-stakes game for the politicians who sold the stadium to voters in part by touting the development projects it would attract - just like Montana's - and promised that their kids' soccer fields would be safe.

Call forward: The state Senate's passage of the kill-switch bill was as much about the legislative body's reputation as it was about smartphones.

The point was driven home by state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, right after the bill proposed by San Francisco Democratic Sen. Mark Leno initially fell two votes shy of passing. That vote happened after lobbyists from the phone and tech industry worked the Capitol hallways hard.

In a closed-door meeting, Steinberg made it clear to fellow Democrats that - while he wasn't telling anyone how to vote - the bill was going to clear the Senate.

It's no secret that the Senate is under the gun because of ethics and "pay to play" allegations, with one of its members convicted of perjury and two more facing corruption charges.

In fact, Steinberg canceled the annual President's Cup golf tournament last month at the Torrey Pines resort in La Jolla (San Diego County) - where lobbyists contribute $30,000 to $65,000 for a weekend of golf with lawmakers - because of appearances.

Although the Democrats still took the money.

Apparently Steinberg was following the old Jesse Unruh adage that "if you can't drink their booze, take their money, sleep with their women and then vote against 'em, you don't belong in politics."

Oakland pulse: A new poll shows Oakland Mayor Jean Quan narrowly leading a pack of declared and potential challengers - but with just 20 percent of the vote, she's still trailing "undecided."

The David Binder Research poll, commissioned by Oakland's corporate-sponsored Jobs and Housing Coalition, surveyed 400 likely voters from April 28-30. Quan's 20 percent was followed by City Councilwoman Libby Schaaf at 15 percent, with former Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente - who has run twice for mayor but given no hint he plans a third bid - at 13 percent.

All the other candidates placed in single digits, led by political communications professor and TV analyst Joe Tuman at 8 percent, Port Commissioner Bryan Parker at 7 percent, attorney Dan Siegel at 5 percent and City Auditor Courtney Ruby at 4 percent.

With six months to go before the November election and 25 percent of voters still undecided, the race remains wide open.

The survey's margin of error was 4.9 percentage points.

"This is just a snapshot in May," said Greg McConnell, president of the Jobs and Housing Coalition.

McConnell said the pollsters tossed De La Fuente's name into the mix as "a stalking horse" to gauge the possible effect of any well-known latecomer jumping in.

In November, a Binder poll showed Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan - who hasn't said she's running - in first place with 26 percent, compared with 20 percent for Quan. Kaplan wasn't included in the latest poll.

Incidentally, the poll also found that former KPIX-TV anchor Dana King is making a strong showing in her District Two council race, leading Peralta Community College District board President Abel Guillen, 27 percent to 7 percent. Most people, however, haven't made up their minds - 53 percent were undecided.

Why Walmart? State Democratic Party Chairman John Burton joined the chorus of Democrats and labor fans who were not at all happy that President Obama picked Walmart as the place to make a point about solar energy.

"I want to convey my deep disappointment in the decision to highlight one of the most anti-worker, anti-women corporations," Burton wrote in a note to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

"It's quite embarrassing for us as Democrats."