Letters to the Editor 8-13-15

Make a decision
Editor: I appreciate Ms. Gold taking the time to read and then comment on my housing observations of July 9 (“Market Rate Housing,” July 30, 2015). I was not deprecating the merits of Urban Growth Boundaries. Those are excellent tools for limiting sprawl and establishing green belts between cities. I approve. I was only pointing out that the campaign to adopt our UGB was organized and funded by the San Francisco elite whom Healdsburgers often deride.
I was also pointing out that most urban planners call for infill, increased density, when UGBs are adopted. Our growth management ordinance of 2000 frustrates that corollary. Yes, our GMO allows the construction of “affordable housing,” but no builder who must pay his workers can afford to build such low-income housing – any more than the Ford Motor Company can build pre-owned cars.
The sale of new homes or autos to the well-employed or semi-retired middle class pushes their cast-off units down the economic food chain, to accommodate the less-fortunate.
Ms. Gold’s solution appears to involve throwing (other people’s) money at the problem via subsidies. I would urge Ms. Gold to complete her argument by making clear from whence those funds are to come.
My earlier call, which I now repeat, is simply to urge our City Council to make a decision. Are we to stymie construction within Healdsburg, thus escalating the value of housing already inside the moat? Are our councilors directing the working stiffs to live in Windsor and Geyserville? Or will they take steps to accommodate the nurses, carpenters and firefighters here at home?
Tom Reed
Healdsburg
Johnson Street
Editor: There certainly is a lot of talk in our little town about changes. Sometimes it seems like change happens too fast, and other times it seems to happen too slow. For instance, I live across the street from the old Healdsburg Hospital, which has been a total disaster for 30 years. It has been a favorite place for some of the rebellious types to meet, smoke, drink, make out, take drugs and do wall graffiti throughout the years. One time I even witnessed seeing a bunch of kids in the parking lot having a party with a tank of laughing gas.
I have seen it set on fire and have watched the weeds grow and seen multitudes of dogs using the lot for a bathroom. It has housed lots of rats, skunks, raccoons and homeless or runaway people. Lots of young “Tom Sawyers” and “Ghost Busters” have adventured into the old morgue and crematorium.
Finally, after many years, the previous owners sold the property and a new fellow bought it with the dreams of making himself a fine home and producing other nice homes suitable for our charming concrete “historic” street. You know the one with those great old street lights. (By the way some need painting.) Almost everyone is constantly fixing up their houses and yards to keep the community not looking like it did for many years, but much better.
So, our new future neighbor (John), a gentleman and his family attempt to get started at improving our neighborhood by removing some old rundown, filthy dangerous, unrepairable, ugly buildings. The new security fencing hasn’t made the situation look any better, but in truth, it has slowed down the kids looking for a place to do some naughty stuff.
It seems like John has certainly spent a lot of time and money trying to get started. My guess is that City Hall is slowing down the process of getting rid of that old eyesore. They want more tests, reports and permit fees. I can see he is pouring money into the property, after paying a lot of money to purchase it. His blueprints of the plan seem logical and could help him build a nice home for himself and selling of the other lots would help to pay back a huge investment in the run down property.
Giving the “go ahead” would provide employment and new tax revenues for the county and the city. Just think, the sooner it gets started, the sooner it will be over. It is good weather to do some of those things now.
How many more meetings, reports, environmental surveys, etc. do you need, for goodness sake? Come on planners, let’s get it on. Properly done, and with the less “red tape” it will greatly improve the entire neighborhood. We can handle five more houses, but anything larger will require many changes in the street.
Johnson Street is already pretty busy being a bicycle route and there are lots of cars parked on the street as well. It is a favorite place for taking walks and walking the dogs. More people mean more chances of getting hurt. More possibilities of crime, more security, more water usage, more people parking on the street, and so on.
Incidentally, Johnson street is only a one lane road when there are vehicles parked on both sides of the street, so more vehicles parked on the street will mean more chances of head on collisions.
In closing, a couple of houses on Johnson and a couple more houses on Lincoln probably will not impact the community, and will get rid of that bizarre old haunted crematorium, and local hooligan hangout. We will welcome John and his family to our street. Stop by if you need to borrow a tool or a cup of sugar. You’ll like my wife, Vickie, she is sweet.
Floyd Latimer
Healdsburg
Council, get serious
Editor: I was amused by the article that appeared in the Tribute on August 6, 2015 “City crafts ‘advisory’ message to landlords.” The city council members were only able to make suggestions to the 25 rental property managers, while making it very clear these were not  laws or enforceable. Was this done to ease the growing concern among Healdsburg Property Managers or to ease the growing concern of low income renters?
One of my favorite suggestion was not raising rent more than 10 percent a year. When was the last time an agricultural worker, domestic worker or a hospitality person received a 10 percent a year pay increase?
 A family in Healdsburg who pays $1,500 a month in rent, equals to $18,000 a year. By raising the rent by 10 percent this family is now paying $19,800. If a family member makes $15 per hour after taxes, the average pay would be $23,775 per year. After paying rent this leaves a grand total of $5,775 per year or $481 a month for all other monthly expences. President Clinton said it best during the 2012 Democratic Convention, “Just do the math.”
The Healdsburg City Council has an opportunity and an open window to make a move in the right direction, stop letting big money make your decision for you and support the workers who are the backbone of making Healdsburg an extraordinary tourist town.
Start by establishing a mandate that requires landlords and property managers to place tenant’s deposits in a trust fund raising interest that is paid to the tenants when they move from their property.
Property owners of land that has been designated in the General Plan for senior or low income housing should be required as part of the permit process to develop the whole property and not just a percentage of the property for this use.
City Council, the time for jokes and cajoling is over, it is time for you to make the right choice.
Heather McCoy
Healdsburg