Main Street

Ray Holley
Have you ever wondered how Healdsburg got to be so darn cute?
Put another way, how did our downtown core become an engine of
economic prosperity?
No matter how you ask the question, the answer is that it didn’t
happen by accident. Beginning in the 1980s, community leaders made
deliberate decisions with far-reaching consequences.
And, I would argue that it’s time to make decisions like that
again.
The 1980s was a time of dramatic change for Healdsburg. It began
in 1981, with the formation of the Community Redevelopment Agency,
now known as the RDA. A redevelopment agency is a political
instrument that allows a public entity (usually a city, but
sometimes a county) to keep more of the property tax that’s
generated in a certain geographical area. In Healdsburg, that area
is more than half the town. Instead of giving most of our property
tax money to the state, we get to keep a bigger chunk of it, based
on increases in property values.
In the 1980s, the RDA focused on what I call The Big Idea –
urban renewal in the downtown core. The city purchased the entire
block of Healdsburg Avenue from Matheson to North (along the west
side), and tore down the derelict hotels. Redevelopment funds were
spent to bury utilities underground, spruce up the Plaza, put in
brick paving, benches and trash cans (the “streetscape” concept)
and subsidize exterior building improvements (through façade
grants).
Along with planning and land use decisions, The Big Idea was
used to transform Healdsburg into a pedestrian friendly visitor
destination, which community leaders – then and now – saw as the
only way to preserve our small town charm. As former Mayor Carla
Howell has been quoted as saying, after a discussion about bringing
a K-Mart downtown, “we had to choose, it was marts or tarts.”
Since the 1980s, the RDA has had a softer focus. Millions of
dollars in redevelopment funds have been spent (appropriately) to
build affordable housing, and the city has used RDA funds to
supplement community programs, assist community organizations, and
promote economic development and the visitor industry.
But, we haven’t had another Big Idea, and we’re due. The RDA is
going to “sunset” in 2014, five short years away, and we have to
think about how to create an economic legacy. City leaders are hard
at work trying to extend the RDA’s lifespan, and it might work, but
the time is now to think about the future.
Will we extend the downtown along the railroad tracks to the
depot, which will be renovated to accommodate the SMART Train? Will
we acquire commercial land and build a business incubator, perhaps
focused on food and wine? Will we build an art colony, live/work
units for professional artists who contribute so much to our
community’s personality and well-being?
Will we use redevelopment funds to buy foreclosed homes and
resell them to nurses, teachers, cops and firefighters? Will we
install a giant solar array that powers the entire community? How
about a “people-mover” – some sort of electric jitney that connects
the community along the Foss Creek Pathway? Maybe we should buy one
of the old lumber mills in town and build a small university?
Most redevelopment agencies end with a whimper, not a bang. City
Councils, concerned (as are we all) about the “don’t change a
thing” sentiment in California, use the funds to support
good-but-small ideas, and shy away from Big Ideas.
I hope that we’re different. I hope that as our RDA comes to an
end we turn our thoughts to the future and have the courage to
entertain another Big Idea, one that will benefit Healdsburg for
years to come.
u
Mark your calendars for September 24, and start talking about
carpooling to the Rialto Cinemas in Santa Rosa, for a screening of
“Straightlaced – How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up.” The film
features candid interviews with more than 50 teenagers, who speak
frankly about how gender and sexuality expectations impact their
lives.
“Straightlaced” tackles the challenges inherent in coming of age
in the 21st Century, and as we ponder our future, it’s important to
remember to be gentle with our fellow travelers, no matter how
different they look or act. This is a film that needs to be seen –
these young people need to be heard. You don’t have to agree or
disagree with their choices, but you owe it to yourself to
listen.
Ray Holley is all ears. He can be reached at [email protected].