East Bay

By John King

When an Alameda County judge this month ruled that Pleasanton must loosen its development rules to allow large amounts of new housing for all income levels, he sent a message that could ricochet around the state.

The ruling by Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch found the prosperous city of 68,000 at fault for a voter-approved cap on the number of housing units allowed within its borders. Roesch based his decision on a California law that requires cities to make land available to accommodate their share of regional housing needs - and that is a standard that most municipalities don't meet.

If the Alameda decision stands, and if other cities face legal challenges, the result could reshape the landscape of California suburbs and small cities - conceivably forcing them to reconsider height limits or increasing the density in their downtowns.

"The next few weeks, everyone is going to take a look at this and see what it might mean," said Cathy Cresswell, the deputy director for housing policy development at the state's Department of Housing and Community Development. "Some might want to take another look at how they've addressed this very important state requirement."

Cresswell was referring to the Regional Housing Needs Allocation, a formula used since 1980 but, like many state edicts, often ignored.

The idea is simple: Likely growth is determined regionally, with housing needs tied to job creation. Regional planners then break up this amount among cities and unincorporated county areas so housing is located near jobs.

Local governments then must demonstrate that they can allow such growth to occur.

The decision by Roesch faults Pleasanton for capping its number of housing units at 29,000. There are currently more than 27,000, yet the city's general plan clears the way for an additional 45,000 jobs by 2025.

To meet the state requirement, Pleasanton was supposed to make room for 5,059 units between 1999 and 2006. Instead, the city issued 2,156 housing permits - 43 percent of the desired amount.

But if the cap on units is unusually blunt, Pleasanton's resistance to housing is typical of the region.
Falling short of goal

According to a study of housing production between 1999 and 2006 conducted by the Association of Bay Area Governments, just 24 of 102 cities in the region produced more housing than requested by the state.

In terms of housing for lower-income residents - a need also addressed in the formula - the results were even more lopsided: Of the 61,000 moderate-income units that ABAG hoped for in this period, 17,697 were built in the Bay Area.

While Pleasanton attorneys have yet to comment on the ruling, plaintiffs are open about the larger message they seek to send.

"The bottom line is, it's the law" that local government must respond to state edicts, said Wynn Hausser of Public Advocates, which argued the Pleasanton suit on behalf of Urban Habitat Program, a social equity advocacy group. The suit was joined last year by state Attorney General Jerry Brown.

"Everybody has to share in the region's growth, the positives and negatives," Hausser said. "The law doesn't say everything has to be urban, but we're going beyond a point where communities can be enclaves."
Concentrate the growth

One way to accommodate growth in suburbia is to allow slightly taller apartment buildings and condominiums in the center of town, to concentrate it near BART or bus stops, and loosen zoning so that single-family neighborhoods can sprout cottages and "in-law" units.

This sort of strategy has been touted for the past decade by advocates of what is called "smart growth." And, more recently, the message has been taken up by environmentalists who see compact development as a way to get people out of their cars and to preserve open space.

"There certainly has been a demand for those sorts of ideas," said Paul Fassinger, the research director for ABAG. "The trouble has been getting (local governments) to understand that this might be a good idea for them, not just for somebody else."

If Roesch's ruling is upheld - and is applied elsewhere - those governments might have less wiggle room in the years to come.

Judge Strikes Down Pleasanton Housing Cap

A judge has rulled a 1996 voter approved cap on the number of housing units in Pleasanton is unconstitutional, which may lead to more affordable housing. Thuy Vu reports. 

 http://cbs5.com/video/?id=63103@kpix.dayport.com

The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee finished assigning a pool of $800 million in federal stimulus funds to affordable housing projects in California. The funds came from tax credits that affordable developers can sell to raise money for projects. The market for those credits declined along with the economy, but a provision in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allowed developers to exchange previously awarded and unused tax credits for $0.85 in cash per $1 of credit.

California State Treasurer Bill Lockyer was responsible for awarding the grants, which will be distributed to developers within 60 days.

Prison Strike Update: Prevented From Delivering Care, Healthcare Workers Locked-Out of Alameda County Jails Hold Candlelight Vigil

OAKLAND, CA – Nurses, physician’s assistants, dental assistants and others who provide medical care at Alameda County’s two correctional facilities held a candlelight vigil outside the Glenn Dyer Detention Facility after being prevented from returning to work by their employer, Prison Health Services, following a one-day unfair labor practices strike.

By Mike Rosenberg

Like many Bay Area residents who rely on public transit to get out around, Redwood City resident Trevor Irwin feels helpless when fares rise and service levels drop.

Irwin, who pays $750 monthly for rent and bills, has cut his grocery budget to $40 a week to cope with a 25-cent SamTrans bus fare hike in February 2009, while preparing for another one coming this February.

By Jeb Bing

The Pleasanton City Council has finalized its decision two weeks ago to rezone 32 acres of commercial properties in the Hacienda Business Park for high-density residential use and at the same time established a task force to help shape the needs of any residential expansion before actual development plans are proposed.

Download the KALW Story on the Oakland Airport Connector. Featured on Thursday, November 19, 2009.

City hopes new projects will increase tax revenue
By Jason Sweeney
SAN LEANDRO — Economic activity has slowed around the country, but that doesn't mean big things aren't in the works in San Leandro.

"We're in an interesting situation in that there is a recession, but there are still a lot of projects going on in San Leandro," said Cynthia Battenberg, city business development manager. "There's actually a lot of exciting development going on."