A Reasonable Policy to Increase Inventory of Affordable Housing and Support of Local Serving Businesses

By Ken R. Wachtel

A REASONABLE CITY POLICY TO INCREASE THE INVENTORY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE COMMUNITY

From my work on the Mill Valley Affordable Housing Committee I am well aware that the community needs more affordable housing so more of those who work here can also live here. Those who work in our community (including our schools, at the Redwoods, and Safeway) need and deserve an affordable home in Mill Valley. Mill Valley enacted a temporary second unit moratorium program which was very successful. I think promoting second units and small apartments or small apartment buildings is a good idea.

Mill Valley should explore the idea of investing in and support other low and moderate income housing efforts to the extent financially and legally possible. This was done with the Pickelweed project several years ago and was very successful. In the proper circumstances the City should consider other means of directly supporting such projects. In doing so the City would be investing in its own future.

On the planning and development side, I would consider amending the zoning ordinances to provide an incentive to single family home builders to create dedicated affordable housing units. This could be accomplished by offering a larger Floor Area Ratio (FAR) credit for those who included second units held as affordable housing.

There should be consideration of affordable housing in all planning decisions. This is a difficult issue. There is not one answer or solution. We need to look at several possible methods.

SUPPORT OF LOCAL SERVING BUSINESSES

The business community is the engine that makes a city viable. Mill Valley is home to a large and varied business community: including lumber yards, hardware stores, clothing stores, restaurants, grocery stores, shoe repair shops, car repair facilities, dance studios, cinema and live theatre venues, antique stores as well as video rental stores. The City must work with these businesses to facilitate their success.

While I do not believe in rent or price controls, I will work with the City Council to foster success among local serving businesses. Whether this can be implemented by a gentler conditional use permit process or some other method needs to be studied. Our local businesses should be encouraged to have a greater involvement in planning discussions and decisions so we can be sure this is a city in which they can continue to do business. Business regulations (such as hours of operation) should be flexible and creative to meet the needs of the businesses and the community. The bottom line is, however, that we all need to shop in our local stores so they can prosper and afford to pay their rent.

Several years ago, the City was working with a Downtown Business Alliance to form a Business Improvement District. The goals were good but the implementation was not. If the businesses are interested in this project the City Council should work to see its success.