Two Bay Area city council members serving on a regional commission suffered the political consequences of supporting a controversial regional housing initiative, not from their constituents, but from their colleagues.
Rachel Swan reports for the San Francisco Chronicle on the second city council member who serves on 21-member Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to suffer political consequences for voting on Dec. 19 to authorize the commission's approval of the Committee to House the Bay Area (CASA) Compact, a new 15-year regional initiative to address the Bay Area’s housing crisis that includes building 35,000 homes a year throughout the region.
Redwood City Councilwoman Alicia Aguirre lost her spot on the MTC last week. She represented San Mateo County, where mayors of 20 cities regularly meet to select members of boards and commissions. Several mayors told Aguirre that because she backed CASA, “they couldn’t vote for me.”
As posted Jan. 25 after the Bay Area's other major regional planning agency, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) executive board, voted 21-9 in favor of the CASA Compact, veteran Rohnert Park Councilman Jake Mackenzie, who chairs the MTC and voted to approve the compact, was "stripped by his own City Council Tuesday night [Jan. 22] of influential posts on the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit board and [the Sonoma County Transportation Authority]," reported Kevin Fixler for The Press Democrat.
Earlier this month at a City Council meeting, he faced an hourlong tongue lashing from each of his four fellow council members for backing the CASA Compact...
His fate lies with a selection committee of nine [Sonoma County] mayors who will vote Thursday [Jan 31], and then pass their recommendation along to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors for a final confirmation next month.
The political consequences suffered by Mackenzie and Aguirre "signal that sharp disagreements remain over how to address the regional housing crisis," writes Swan.
Leaders in some communities feel they are being forced into policies emanating from San Francisco and Oakland, while others see aggressive regional action as imperative.
The CASA Compact [pdf], which pushes a 10-point agenda based on the "three Ps: Production, Preservation, and Protection," "will likely serve as a guide — and as political ammunition — for new state legislation," continues Swan. "Besides setting housing goals, CASA recommends adding taxes, loosening zoning near transit centers and establishing a regional rent cap, among other things."
Hat tip to MTC Transportation Headlines.
FULL STORY: Local leaders find that supporting Bay Area housing plan spurs anger at home
Regional Attempt to Address Housing Crisis Advances in Bay Area
A regional, comprehensive, and controversial approach to tackling the housing affordability crisis in the nine-county Bay Area, including strategies to render renter protections and new housing production, has cleared three major hurdles.
Legislation Introduced to Enable the Bay Area to Tackle Housing Crisis as a Region
A new bill would grant the Housing Alliance for the Bay Area taxing authority to raise revenue in the nine-county region to find solutions to the housing crisis. Another bill would reduce the voter threshold below two-thirds for eligible taxes.
Tolling All Lanes
Bay Area transportation planners are studying a radical idea to reduce traffic congestion and fund driving alternatives: tolling all lanes on a freeway. Even more radical, the plan considers tolling parallel roads.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs
Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.
DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)