Letters to the Editor, Oct. 31

Formula Businesses 

We know now that those blue and orange signs “Vote yes on local” are misleading. We will not vote this November to preserve the look of our downtown or the number of “formula” businesses allowed to replace locally owned shops. We can speak up.

The City Council must address this issue with a “formula retail ordinance” that expands the boundaries of the retail area and codifies “formula business.” The 2030 General Plan protects businesses directly facing the Plaza, but not those around the Plaza, which explains why Faherty can slip into Ooh la Luxe’s space.

Councilmember Kelly sounded the alarm at the August 19th meeting: If the council fails to enact a retail ordinance to protect downtown businesses, it will be just a matter of time before formula businesses move in and force local businesses out.

Kelly can’t act without the other members’ support. But some members are unsure if this is even the council’s job, and some believe this task will require the same “scrutiny and attention” as the cannabis dispensary ordinance. Really?

Mayor Hagele noted that if Measure O passes, more people will live downtown, increasing the retail demand. Yes. What kind of retail? Chipotle? Hegele’s daughter would be “head over heels” if Chipotle moved nearby. If she gets her wish, will El Sombrero and Taco Grande survive?

Our council can’t be expected to anticipate every economic eventuality and define every exception. However, they can expect that their inaction is a “slippery slope” with anticipated consequences.

Planning Director Scott Duiven and City Manager Jeff McKay explained the issues, defined terms and provided implementation options. A draft “Formula Retail Ordinance” has been ready since 2011. Is this that hard?

Our City Council will address this again on December 2nd. They want community input. They could use direction. Speak up. 

Pamela Rudd
Healdsburg

Paranoia and Worry

Last week’s letters in the Tribune brought you a replay of arguments against Measure O—once again selling paranoia and worry.

What’s painfully obvious is that none of the writers have presented any actionable alternative to Measure O—though they claim to be “pro-housing.” Voters need to understand that a rejection of Measure O will not set the stage for new policies, but will instead guarantee inaction and exacerbation of Healdsburg’s oppressive housing woes deep into the foreseeable future.

For example, the “guardrails” (income-restricted housing) they see missing are a proven stonewall to development. And their suggestion of asking the voters to pay for yet another election, this time in support of a smaller version of Measure O, is a pipe dream. Elections are expensive and exhausting, and this version of “Plan B” will never get to the ballot. Voters don’t have the patience for yet another go-round. It’s an ineffectual plan that would be dead on arrival.

The opponents essentially warn us to “beware of hundreds of massive, unaffordable luxury units!” But the numbers they’ve cooked to support their “worst case is inevitable” conclusions about Measure O have been shown to be patently misleading. Still, they parade them out. Another rebuttal does not bear repeating here. They’ve tested your patience enough.

Housing opportunities under O are intentionally limited, modest and workable for Healdsburg’s middle class. There’s no hidden agenda, no surprises and the homework done to back the Measure up was exhaustive—and supported by years of public input. Just review the City’s in-depth Housing Element update, for starters. Measure O responds to and incorporates Healdsburg’s concerns about growth, water and preservation of our unique small-town character.

Please join Corazón, Healdsburg 2040, Senator McGuire, Sonoma County Democrats and many more local leaders by voting Yes on O!

Stephen Barber
Healdsburg

Honor the GMO

I am a 35-year resident of Healdsburg, and the 2000 Growth Management Ordinance (GMO) has been the one intelligent planning tool that has managed to keep Healdsburg a comfortable and quality-of-life living environment. Now, the City Council, supporting the wine and tourism industry, which wants a dependable service sector to live nearby, is promoting Measure O to the voters. This Measure would blatantly disregard the 2020 GMO and allow multiple multi-family projects, to include thousands of cars, north to south along Healdsburg Avenue, the city’s only main thoroughfare.

Can you imagine that for Healdsburg? They want the voters to “trust” them, yet they do not want to honor the 2000 GMO voters. After surviving two major droughts since 2015 with no rain since April of this year, the climate change advocates are now endorsing Measure O.

The U.S. government is $35 trillion in debt, California is in perilous debt and inflation, which may escalate into a recession, is pushing the working class into unwanted debt. Adding to the dilemma, the wine and tourism industry is experiencing a serious decline in wine consumption. Not the right time or plan.

Healdsburg is a working-class town with some paying property tax on a credit card. Measure O is tragically flawed and may be the demise of a once-wonderful country town. The private equity firms, corporations and politicians do not care about your quality of life. In 10 years they will be gone and taxpayers, not renters and tourists, will be left holding the financial debt and headaches.

Kevin J. McCann
Healdsburg