I'm on the planning commission for my little town and these laws, in combination with the state level directive of new RHNA housing targets (for us, a town of 14,000, the new unit target is 1,125)...
I'm on the planning commission for my little town and these laws, in combination with the state level directive of new RHNA housing targets (for us, a town of 14,000, the new unit target is 1,125) has lit a fire under city government. We have until June to produce a comprehensive zoning plan that is acceptable to HCD and if we do not meet that deadline we end up in the same situation. Honestly, it's freaking awesome. The specter of complete loss of control of the NIMBY groups has them eager to work out an actual plan and allows us to change an ancient general plan. This is where I get really excited, we get to develop a completely new general plan that includes studies about housing, climate resiliency, traffic, tree canopy coverage, albedo, and a lot more. The policy window this has created is once in a lifetime!
This is housing. Can you imagine if there were similar situations for green power generation or any number of other things where the "you're screwed if you don't do something"-factor is high? This...
This is housing.
Can you imagine if there were similar situations for green power generation or any number of other things where the "you're screwed if you don't do something"-factor is high?
This is a policy window of a lifetime. This is what politics is supposed to be about all the time: everyone working together to find solutions to problems as they arise, to plan ahead, to at least do the bare minimum and make things gradually better.
Completely agree! It has actually created a window for green energy as well because it lets us integrate a climate mitigation and adaptation plan. One of the neighboring cities is going for full...
Completely agree! It has actually created a window for green energy as well because it lets us integrate a climate mitigation and adaptation plan. One of the neighboring cities is going for full electrification by 2030 and some local proponents are attempting to push for a similar process. I can't see it happening here (the town is smaller and less affluent), but I think there might be some pretty progressive targets set compared to the municipalities of the rest of the state (baring the bay area).
Joining the commission has really changed my mind on local politics because it feels like there is more wiggle room than I anticipated and very few people can either muck things up or push forward progressive legislation. I didn't realize what a domino act it was.
That is. . . not a lot of time for a committee to cover all those topics! I feel like you just have to pick 1 or 2 pet issues and run with them. I'd probably do traffic calming and dark sky rules.
That is. . . not a lot of time for a committee to cover all those topics!
I feel like you just have to pick 1 or 2 pet issues and run with them. I'd probably do traffic calming and dark sky rules.
Totally, we don't have to have the new general plan finished by June, just the zoning component. There has been footwork on the proposal for a year prior as well so while the deadline is short, it...
Totally, we don't have to have the new general plan finished by June, just the zoning component. There has been footwork on the proposal for a year prior as well so while the deadline is short, it has stopped the usual opponents to zoning. Suddenly everyone who only seemed to have hachets now come with seeds. It's still going to be contentious, but it has removed some of the blockage.
We're creating sub-committees to break up the work. I'm joining traffic and safety to try and expand out from our great, but overly centralized bike network; as well as climate adaptation (we're on the coast). I'll likely be making some content for other subs but those are my pet projects. My partner is on the Traffic and Safety commission as well so it'll be fun to work together on it.
I like one of the comments: "Is this real or are you writing fanfiction?" They were supportive, but this almost has a "too good to be true" vibe. The only thing I don't like about it is the...
I like one of the comments:
"Is this real or are you writing fanfiction?" They were supportive, but this almost has a "too good to be true" vibe.
The only thing I don't like about it is the poverty requirement should be higher than 20% of construction for people making less than 80% of average. I live in a cheaper part of Orange County, and help my mom manage an apartment complex (we don't own it, just collect rent and enable maintenance to do their job on-site for reduced rent), and we get a lot of Section 8 (subsidized housing) requests, especially since it was mandated to accept them by the state. They aren't a majority, but in my working class neighborhood I'd estimate threy're more than 20%, and these are just the folks who are poor enough to get it, ignoring the people above "poverty" but still in it.
I liked the point made in Strong Towns that "affordable" is about prices and often has little to do with the physical aspects of the housing. "Affordable" housing disappears when prices go up and...
I liked the point made in Strong Towns
that "affordable" is about prices and often has little to do with the physical aspects of the housing. "Affordable" housing disappears when prices go up and reappears if they go down, even if it's the same housing.
Housing economists call this “filtering”: the process by which a housing unit moves into a different price tier and houses a different type of resident. Homes can filter up, or they can filter down. Historically, down was the predominant direction—homes and often whole neighborhoods, as they aged, tended to become cheaper (in relative, often not absolute terms) and to be occupied by residents of a lower socioeconomic strata. Research by Freddie Mac has found that in the 2010s, in high-cost cities like Los Angeles, the overall direction of filtering switched from down to up.
This is it. When local politics cannot boil down to Not In My Back Yard, the results are predictable. Laws that require reasonable planning or the local politicians have to accept what others put...
It is a perfect example of a substandard zoning code creating housing shortages.
This is it. When local politics cannot boil down to Not In My Back Yard, the results are predictable.
Laws that require reasonable planning or the local politicians have to accept what others put forth is a necessary evil for those local politicians to do their jobs.
If only there could be federal rules the same way to force federal US politics to deal with issues rather than just electioneering.
I think citizen referendums have potential, but they also have a high potential for abuse. For ever positive referendum, there would probably be three that are funded by big players to avoid...
I think citizen referendums have potential, but they also have a high potential for abuse. For ever positive referendum, there would probably be three that are funded by big players to avoid regulation.
I'm on the planning commission for my little town and these laws, in combination with the state level directive of new RHNA housing targets (for us, a town of 14,000, the new unit target is 1,125) has lit a fire under city government. We have until June to produce a comprehensive zoning plan that is acceptable to HCD and if we do not meet that deadline we end up in the same situation. Honestly, it's freaking awesome. The specter of complete loss of control of the NIMBY groups has them eager to work out an actual plan and allows us to change an ancient general plan. This is where I get really excited, we get to develop a completely new general plan that includes studies about housing, climate resiliency, traffic, tree canopy coverage, albedo, and a lot more. The policy window this has created is once in a lifetime!
This is housing.
Can you imagine if there were similar situations for green power generation or any number of other things where the "you're screwed if you don't do something"-factor is high?
This is a policy window of a lifetime. This is what politics is supposed to be about all the time: everyone working together to find solutions to problems as they arise, to plan ahead, to at least do the bare minimum and make things gradually better.
Ah, so government needs the procrastinators motivation: Panic.
Completely agree! It has actually created a window for green energy as well because it lets us integrate a climate mitigation and adaptation plan. One of the neighboring cities is going for full electrification by 2030 and some local proponents are attempting to push for a similar process. I can't see it happening here (the town is smaller and less affluent), but I think there might be some pretty progressive targets set compared to the municipalities of the rest of the state (baring the bay area).
Joining the commission has really changed my mind on local politics because it feels like there is more wiggle room than I anticipated and very few people can either muck things up or push forward progressive legislation. I didn't realize what a domino act it was.
That is. . . not a lot of time for a committee to cover all those topics!
I feel like you just have to pick 1 or 2 pet issues and run with them. I'd probably do traffic calming and dark sky rules.
Totally, we don't have to have the new general plan finished by June, just the zoning component. There has been footwork on the proposal for a year prior as well so while the deadline is short, it has stopped the usual opponents to zoning. Suddenly everyone who only seemed to have hachets now come with seeds. It's still going to be contentious, but it has removed some of the blockage.
We're creating sub-committees to break up the work. I'm joining traffic and safety to try and expand out from our great, but overly centralized bike network; as well as climate adaptation (we're on the coast). I'll likely be making some content for other subs but those are my pet projects. My partner is on the Traffic and Safety commission as well so it'll be fun to work together on it.
I like one of the comments:
"Is this real or are you writing fanfiction?" They were supportive, but this almost has a "too good to be true" vibe.
The only thing I don't like about it is the poverty requirement should be higher than 20% of construction for people making less than 80% of average. I live in a cheaper part of Orange County, and help my mom manage an apartment complex (we don't own it, just collect rent and enable maintenance to do their job on-site for reduced rent), and we get a lot of Section 8 (subsidized housing) requests, especially since it was mandated to accept them by the state. They aren't a majority, but in my working class neighborhood I'd estimate threy're more than 20%, and these are just the folks who are poor enough to get it, ignoring the people above "poverty" but still in it.
I liked the point made in Strong Towns
that "affordable" is about prices and often has little to do with the physical aspects of the housing. "Affordable" housing disappears when prices go up and reappears if they go down, even if it's the same housing.
This is it. When local politics cannot boil down to Not In My Back Yard, the results are predictable.
Laws that require reasonable planning or the local politicians have to accept what others put forth is a necessary evil for those local politicians to do their jobs.
If only there could be federal rules the same way to force federal US politics to deal with issues rather than just electioneering.
I think citizen referendums have potential, but they also have a high potential for abuse. For ever positive referendum, there would probably be three that are funded by big players to avoid regulation.