Council focuses on affordable housing
Last week’s interesting--but not surprising--3-2 split City Council vote to move forward on formalizing a controversial “draft housing element” foreshadows a renewed focus on housing density and the city’s role in providing space for lower-cost, multi-family units.
The city’s latest state-mandated affordable housing plan allows a potential 1,027 new residential units on 14 sites, with 847 on the city’s westside and 180 on two Savi Ranch locations. Density levels include 631 units at 30-units-per-acre, 141 at 20 and 255 at 10.
In opposition were Nancy Rikel and Mark Scwhing, likely to face voters for re-election in November 2012. Reluctant supporters were John Anderson and Tom Lindsey, whose terms don’t expire until 2014, and termed-out Jim Winder, who leaves council next year.
But big interest on the November 2012 ballot--aside from the city’s vast number of GOP voters eager to defeat President Barack Obama--will turn to a Measure B vote, necessary to permit rezoning of residential properties above 10 units per acre.
The city must “address the substantial constraints to housing imposed by Measure B,” according to a letter from a state official in the imposingly titled Division of Housing Policy Development of the Department of Housing and Community Development.
In fact, the official warned that rezoning on the sites identified by the city for potential higher densities must be implemented by June 2012 or the city housing element would no longer comply with state law.
However, due to election expenses, the state extended compliance to November 2012, which would only cost the city an extra $8,500 to add a Measure B vote to the general election ballot rather than an estimated $104,500 to $179,500 for earlier ballots.
“In addition to direct election costs, it is anticipated that additional city costs would be earmarked for a Measure B education program,” stated a June 7 staff report to council.
Past Measure B elections were expensive, hard-fought and decided by narrow margins.
In 2006, voters approved B, with the provision requiring a public vote on major zoning changes, by a 299-vote margin, after “no” forces raised a city record $174,150 from outside-the-city developers and real estate interests to fund the opposition campaign.
In the first public vote in 2010, voters defeated a proposal to rezone 3.2 acres at Savi Ranch to allow up to 30 units per acre by a 197-vote margin with developer National Community Renaissance spending $44,752 to promote a “yes” vote.
Should voters defeat higher-density zoning changes in a 2012 election, serious consequences might result, such as a court overturning B, lawsuits by low-cost housing advocates and a state take-over of the municipal planning processes.
Density has long been the electrified third rail of local politics and candidates suffer at the polls if they are perceived as soft on the number of dwelling units allowed per acre.
Three of the city’s five original council members were defeated in 1970 after they were pegged by opponents as “high-density supporters,” and the 1970 voter referendum on a 13-acre “apartment zone” behind what is now Henry’s Market nixed the project.
Rikel’s and Schwing’s “no” votes place them on the popular side of the issue and they’ll no doubt cast similar votes on the upcoming ordinances and resolutions to formalize last week’s split decision.
The city’s latest state-mandated affordable housing plan allows a potential 1,027 new residential units on 14 sites, with 847 on the city’s westside and 180 on two Savi Ranch locations. Density levels include 631 units at 30-units-per-acre, 141 at 20 and 255 at 10.
In opposition were Nancy Rikel and Mark Scwhing, likely to face voters for re-election in November 2012. Reluctant supporters were John Anderson and Tom Lindsey, whose terms don’t expire until 2014, and termed-out Jim Winder, who leaves council next year.
But big interest on the November 2012 ballot--aside from the city’s vast number of GOP voters eager to defeat President Barack Obama--will turn to a Measure B vote, necessary to permit rezoning of residential properties above 10 units per acre.
The city must “address the substantial constraints to housing imposed by Measure B,” according to a letter from a state official in the imposingly titled Division of Housing Policy Development of the Department of Housing and Community Development.
In fact, the official warned that rezoning on the sites identified by the city for potential higher densities must be implemented by June 2012 or the city housing element would no longer comply with state law.
However, due to election expenses, the state extended compliance to November 2012, which would only cost the city an extra $8,500 to add a Measure B vote to the general election ballot rather than an estimated $104,500 to $179,500 for earlier ballots.
“In addition to direct election costs, it is anticipated that additional city costs would be earmarked for a Measure B education program,” stated a June 7 staff report to council.
Past Measure B elections were expensive, hard-fought and decided by narrow margins.
In 2006, voters approved B, with the provision requiring a public vote on major zoning changes, by a 299-vote margin, after “no” forces raised a city record $174,150 from outside-the-city developers and real estate interests to fund the opposition campaign.
In the first public vote in 2010, voters defeated a proposal to rezone 3.2 acres at Savi Ranch to allow up to 30 units per acre by a 197-vote margin with developer National Community Renaissance spending $44,752 to promote a “yes” vote.
Should voters defeat higher-density zoning changes in a 2012 election, serious consequences might result, such as a court overturning B, lawsuits by low-cost housing advocates and a state take-over of the municipal planning processes.
Density has long been the electrified third rail of local politics and candidates suffer at the polls if they are perceived as soft on the number of dwelling units allowed per acre.
Three of the city’s five original council members were defeated in 1970 after they were pegged by opponents as “high-density supporters,” and the 1970 voter referendum on a 13-acre “apartment zone” behind what is now Henry’s Market nixed the project.
Rikel’s and Schwing’s “no” votes place them on the popular side of the issue and they’ll no doubt cast similar votes on the upcoming ordinances and resolutions to formalize last week’s split decision.
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 PM
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