A blog about Marinwood-Lucas Valley and the Marin Housing Element, politics, economics and social policy. The MOST DANGEROUS BLOG in Marinwood-Lucas Valley.
Friday, April 12, 2013
STEEL: Petty Dictators Abound in the Regional Governmental and Transportation Agencies of California
Citizens are determined to fight back against unreasonable ABAG goals. |
Ms. Steel is clearly from conservative side of politics. In keeping with our goal of "creating conversation" about housing quotas in Marinwood-Lucas Valley, we are interested in publishing many points of view. Please submit your articles or links to add to the conversation to: savemarinwood@gmail.com
Arrogance, Despotism, Tyranny
Petty Dictators Abound in the Regional Governmental and Transportation Agencies of California
(Part 2: Useful Idiots of the Ruling Elites)
Mimi Steel, Exclusive to the California Political News and Views,10/06/11
Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) in their efforts to develop a 25 year soviet style top down plan called Plan Bay Area (www.onebayarea.org ) are aided and abetted by the “social equity” crowd. Two of the key players in this effort are TransformCa (www.transformca.org ) and Urban Habitat (http://urbanhabitat.org/uh/newfront ). Both organizations bring people in force to the MTC hearings to lobby for “social equity” and “transportation justice”. Their demands are embedded in policy:
… the proposed alternative scenarios utilize the Priority Development Area (PDA)
framework (which)…. has a strong emphasis on social equity ….(and) adopts a Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) methodology …known as the “175 percent income redistribution”. .. The Complete Community framework, along with the affordable housing strategy of RHNA, is the primary method by which social equity is built into the land use scenarios.
Para2 Steve Heminger, Executive Director of MTC wrote a Proposed Alternatives Letter to the One Bay Area Plan dated June 16, 2011 (http://apps.mtc.ca.gov/meeting_packet_documents/agenda_1687/ProposedAlternativeScenario_06.16.11_1.pdf ).
Their positions are represented on MTC Policy Advisory Council which includes three subgroups in the area of social equity. There are nine members (one from each county) representing communities of color and issues affecting low-income communities or environmental justice. Of these, four members represent communities of color and four members represent environmental justice/low-income issues; the ninth member is representative of either category. In addition, nine members (one from each county) represent issues related to transportation for seniors and persons with disabilities. Four members represent seniors and four members represent people with disabilities; the ninth member is representative of either category. (www.mtc.ca.gov/get_involved/advisory/ )
For the visioning process, MTC partnered with 14 non-profit Community Based Organizations (CBO) through a competitive bid process to help engage low-income communities and communities of color in Plan Bay Area. MTC sent special notices to all these groups. No such invitation was issued to the taxpayers and, in fact, MTC was disconcerted when taxpayers showed up.
Back to our two lobbiest organizations for social equity. TransformCA (www.transformca.org ), a recipient of $800,000 worth of grants from the taxpayers of Alameda County, promotes transportation justice. They lobby to make significant new investments in communities that rely on public transit, allocate transportation investments to reduce income and racial disparities, and help low-income communities increase their power to influence transportation and land use decisions.
Urban Habitat( http://urbanhabitat.org/uh/newfront ) also lobbies for transportation justice. Remember the wonderful people trying to close down BART last month? You guessed it. Here’s a brag from the Urban Habitat website:
Public transportation riders and supporters across the country will speak out on Sept. 20 to protest proposed federal spending cuts that would gut public transit and highway funding. In Oakland, members of ACCE, Genesis, Urban Habitat, the Transportation Justice Working Group and Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 192 will gather at 14th and Broadway at 4:45 p.m. for a “Call to Action” as part of “Don’t X Out Public Transportation Day,” which is being organized by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).
(http://urbanhabitat.org/tj/all )
When not rioting in the streets, one of their leaders, Carl Anthony, is testifying in front of the MTC promoting the “social equity” solution. Carl Anthony is a founder of Urban Habitat and received an award from the Ella Baker Center (an organization founded by the communist, Van Jones). By the way, members of ACCES (the new name for ACORN in California) were also lobbying.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Is the Marinwood Priority Development Area for Real?
Lately, we have heard that Supervisor Susan Adams is telling the community that Marinwood is not a "Designated" Priority Development Area. This is factually correct. Marinwood is a "Potential" Priority Development Area which means it needs to widen roads (like Miller Creek Rd) and change zoning before it can become "Designated" PDA and receive funding. The above map was created in 2008.
Here is information you should know about PDAs.
Priority Development Areas (PDAs):
What is a PDA and why are they happening
without community input? Apparently the County and the Supervisors do not
have to consult the community before they apply to the regional agencies of
ABAG & MTC to make YOUR community a Priority Development Area (PDA).
This is all driven by the desire for grant money. They state
"local commitment to developing more housing" but that isn't the
community's "local commitment", it is your elected official's
commitment. What is the carrot that is driving
our County officials to rush-rush and designate our communties as PDAs?
ABAG and MTC are using Federal transportation dollars as an incentive - $800
Million to be exact for the One Bay Area grant program. The Marinwood
area is a Potential PDA and will become a Designated PDA once certain things
are in place. That is why you have to look out for things like meetings in your
community that the County wants to have for things like "traffic
enhancements" - installation of traffic signals, widening of roads for bike
lanes or other reasons...things like that.
This is cut-and-pasted directly from the One Bay Area
website (without any commentary) and the link is below if you want to read
more - bottom line, pay attention
to what is going on right now in your community.
Priority Development Areas (PDAs) are locally-identified,
infill development opportunity areas within existing communities. They are
generally areas of at least 100 acres where
there is local commitment to developing more housing along with
amenities and services to meet the day-to-day needs of residents in a
pedestrian-friendly environment served by transit. To be eligible to become a
PDA, an area had to be within an existing community, near existing or planned
fixed transit or served by comparable bus service, and planned for more housing.
Where are the Priority Development Areas?
More than 60 jurisdictions (plus several Congestion Management Agencies) submitted applications for well over 100 PDAs. The areas nominated include most of the places in the Bay Area served by fixed transit, major bus corridors, or planned transit under MTC’s Resolution 3434. Together, these areas comprise about 115,000 acres of urban and suburban land, less than 5 percent of the Bay Area's total land area. However, even though this is a small proportion of the region's land area, the proposed PDAs could accommodate over half of the Bay Area's projected housing growth to the year 2035, mostly at relatively moderate densities.
More than 60 jurisdictions (plus several Congestion Management Agencies) submitted applications for well over 100 PDAs. The areas nominated include most of the places in the Bay Area served by fixed transit, major bus corridors, or planned transit under MTC’s Resolution 3434. Together, these areas comprise about 115,000 acres of urban and suburban land, less than 5 percent of the Bay Area's total land area. However, even though this is a small proportion of the region's land area, the proposed PDAs could accommodate over half of the Bay Area's projected housing growth to the year 2035, mostly at relatively moderate densities.
The compact growth envisioned through these PDAs is based
in large part on local aspirations and community context. The
PDAs reflect the diversity of the communities in the Bay Area. To learn more
about what these communities envision for each PDA, visit the Priority Development Area Showcase. You can also view a list or printable map of the
adopted Priority Development Areas.
Applying to Become a PDA
1. The
County applies for a community to be a PDA.
2. It is
either adopted regionally as a Designated
Planned or Potential Priority Development Areas. In
general, these categories relate to readiness for funding:
a. Planned
area would be eligible for capital infrastructure funds, planning grants, and
technical assistance.
b. Potential area would be eligible
for planning grants and technical assistance, but not capital infrastructure
funds.
3. A Potential PDA can move to Designated Planned
status once a plan has been completed for the area. Must be approved by a City
Council or Board of Supers. It must ensure that:
a. It
includes a map designating the land uses for the area
b. Identify densities/development
intensities for planned land uses
c. Include
implementation actions and plan
4. Designation
Criteria for PDAs
a. It is
within an existing urbanized area
b. Has existing or planned
infrastructure to support development and will provide range of services and
ameneties to meet daily needs of residents for transportation options.
c. The area
has plans for a significant increase in housing to meet the minimum density of
the slected “place type” in the Station Area Planning Manual including
affordable units.
d. Must be near an existing rail
station or ferry (1/2 mile distance) or served by bus in a transit corridor
with minimum headways of 20 minutes during peak commute hours or is an area
defined as a planned transit station per MTCs resolution 3434 (SMART Rail).
Supervisor Susan Adams |
For a related stories, see the video where Supervisor Adam tells ABAG that PDAs are approved by the local communities and TAM documents planning for growth in Marinwood
Stop the urbanization of Marinwood-Lucas Valley! |
Will the "market rate" apartments in Marinwood Village be Section 8?
On October 27, 2012, Brad Wilban, VP of Bridge Housing answers questions concerning Section 8 Housing in Marinwood Village. About 10 units may be Section 8 tenants who pay a portion of their rent through section 8 vouchers. He estimates that about 5 % of Bridge Housing's portfolio are Section 8 tenants (550 tenants). This makes sense because Bridge Housing develops almost 100% affordable housing and very little market rate.
Tenants who pay for market rate units generally prefer to be in market rate apartment communities.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
VIDEO: Citizen Marin Meeting on March 20th
This is the March 20, 2013 presentation by Bob Silvestri, author of "The Best Laid Plans" presented his views and solutions for affordable housing in Marin County before an audience of 300.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Proof of the Coming Huge Growth of Marinwood Priority Development Area
A "glorious future" for Marinwood-Lucas Valley? |
Go to page 176 of TAM Documents for 04/9/2013
Editors Note 4/9/2013 6:30 PM: In keeping with our policy to provide truthful and reliable information, we must admit an error earlier in the day that said 31% growth. We read from the employment chart but not the household growth chart. It still is shocking since Marinwood-Lucas Valley is taking on huge growth burdens in our 5.78 square miles. I encourage you to take a look at the TAM documents since it provides insight to the fantastic expectations of growth in Marin.
From the expected growth of 900 low income households called for in our Housing Element, Marinwood-Lucas Valley will grow 37.5%. We currently have about 2400 households.
If you go to page 176 of 200 you will see a chart that gives a city by city estimate of population growth. Note that the 101 Corridor and the Marinwood Priority Development Area are expected to grow by a Huge Amount.
No wonder why the Supervisors and Planners don't want you to know! The rest of the county is showing growth rates of 4-8%.
They are concentrating all of the growth here as plainly seen in this official document.
The TRUTH is available for those who are willing to dig for it. This was sent to me by www.tamalmonte.org which is facing as similar struggle as us. I never would have had time to look for this myself.
We are being exploited plain and simple.
Some of the "supporters" of all of this growth have direct business ties to these developments. You must ask yourself, "Why would anyone want growth in the community without a direct benefit?" It will definitely change our community into an urban area with all it's associated problems. The new "non profits" will pay little taxes for this new development leaving the rest of us to pay for schools and government services.
I do not think it is an exaggeration to term this as "The invasion of the politicians, bureaucrats and developers". Marinwood-Lucas Valley did not ask for this growth, nor have we been consulted or even fully informed. Even today, we are told not to "worry and believe the terrible claims". Look for yourself.
Time to Awaken!
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Who's interest do our politicians represent? |
VIDEO: What is the cost of "Affordable" Housing?
Non profit developers actually have an incentive to build expensive housing. A bigger LIHTC tax credit to sell on the open market to wealthy investors gives them a greater revenue. Here is a news report of a Maine project where the local cost for affordable housing is far in excess of local real estate development costs. This is one of the "secrets" housing advocates don't want you to know. Bridge Housing, proposed developer of Marinwood Village just completed a similar project in Emeryville at $500,000 per apartment or roughly 3 times the per square footage cost of single family homes in Marinwood/Lucas Valley.
You have to wonder... It would be cheaper to buy foreclosed homes and renovate .. but alas developers can't make money doing this.
Monday, April 8, 2013
VIDEO: Understanding the Grand Utopian promise of Urban Marinwood/Lucas Valley
Peter Calthorpe - USHSR NYC 2011 from Steven Skemp on Vimeo.
The above presentation is by Peter Calthorpe, who along with Andres Duany is considered the prime visionary of Smart Growth for the Bay Area and now Vision California.
His firm, Calthorpe Associates helped create the vision for Portland, Oregon and was the prime consultant for advocating the urban plan for St.Vincents/Silvera Ranch in the early 1990s. That plan envisioned 7000-9000 homes and was soundly rejected by local Marinwood/Lucas Valley residents.
The NEW AND IMPROVED for Marinwood/Lucas valley is "Smart Growth" filling our neighborhoods with hi density housing, rezoning our single family homes to multi-family apartments and reduce lot sizes. As you watch the video, you need to ask yourself, "where have these "Smart Growth suburban cities actually been successful ?" see: Debunking Portland: the City that doesn't work/
Sunday, April 7, 2013
VIDEO: The plan for Affordable Housing in the Bay Area and EIR presentation 4/16/2012
Good overview of ABAG housing mandates that will literally change the Bay Area forever.
Despite some of the hot rhetoric, there is some important information here to provide you with some perspective on the One Bay Area Plan.
From: MTC Public Information <info@mtc.ca.gov> Subject: Draft Plan Bay Area EIR Released To: lizdale@ymail.com Date: Wednesday, April 3, 2013, 12:53 AM
Three public hearings are
scheduled as an opportunity to provide oral comments specifically on the EIR.
Oral comments on the Draft EIR also can be made at one of nine public hearings
scheduled for the Draft Plan Bay Area.
April 16, 2013
|
Tuesday
April 16, 2013
|
Wednesday
April 17, 2013
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|||||||||||
10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
|
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
|
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
|
|||||||||||
Embassy Suites Hotel,
Novato/Larkspur
Room
|
Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter Auditorium
|
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Library, Rooms 225/229
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101 McInnis Parkway
San Rafael
|
101
8th Street
Oakland |
150 E. San Fernando St.
San Jose |
Written comments may be mailed to:
MTC-ABAG Public Comment
Draft EIR - Plan Bay Area
101 8th Street, Oakland,
CA 94607
Or email your comments to:
The Draft Plan Bay Area is the region's long-range
transportation and land-use/housing blueprint, which charts a course for
accommodating needed housing growth within our nine counties while at the same
time decreasing greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks.
The public comment period for both the Draft EIR and Draft Plan Bay Area extends until 4 p.m., Thursday, May 16, 2013. The Draft EIR and Draft Plan Bay Area are slated for adoption by MTC and ABAG in summer 2013.
Northgate Mall and Marin Civic Center Neighborhoods to be over run with affordable housing
The Marinwood Priority Development Area is all land east of Las Gallinas. |
Editor's Note: It is bad news to be named a Priority Development Area. This will mean your neighborhood is targeted for complete complete change into an Urban Transit Oriented Development. Both Marinwood and the Civic Center Mall Area have been named Priority Development Areas. The Northgate Mall is planned to have a "ring of 5 story affordable housing complexs" Civic center near Autodesk will have many more lowrise blocks of government homes. Naturally the neighbors are upset. Government actions have already severally impacted their property and home prices have plummeted.
Our "leaders" are not listening.
We must act to demand their attention.
Our neighbors at QASSR are taking action. Below are excerpts from a note that I received today.
Should we be concerned less than our neighbors in San Rafael and Novato?
From QASSR ( Quiet and Safe San Rafael)
IMPORTANT PERSPECTIVE
The Civic Center Station area plan will FOREVER change
north San Rafael. This area has been designated as a PDA (Priority Development
Area) and approved by ABAG. This designation puts a bullseye on Civic Center
for massive redevelopment. Over the next 20 to 30 years Civic Center will be
rezoned to allow high density stack and pack housing at the highly dense 35+
units per acre. Many of these units will be designated as affordable units,
which ranges from very low, low to moderate income based tax payer subsidized
housing.
The mayor, councilors and town planners and council will
tell you that NOTHING will change the look and feel of north San Rafael, but
this is likely untrue!!! Lead council candidate Kate Colin made this chilling
statement...
Once this plan goes through and they adopt the One Bay
Area Sustainable communities strategy which is a regional blue print from ABAG
we will be forced to follow the plan or else...
1.) ABAG will withhold transportation dollars from San
Rafael and / or Marin and 2.) We will get sued by Social Justice groups to force
very low and low income housing into our communities! Do NOT be fooled. The city will rezone. The transformation will
happen over time and by the time people start objecting it will be too late. As
citizens of San Rafael you MUST put a stop to this wreckless planning that
doesn't consider our community input. Get your friends to come and oppose this.
Come to our next meeting. Volunteer to distribute fliers. Email everyone you know in town. We need to have a voice in our future!
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