Main street

Equal annoyance to all
No good word goes unpunished. A few weeks ago I wrote about my impressions of Kyle and Katina Connaughton and their plan to open a restaurant in the new building at North and Center streets. I got mixed responses.
The day after the column came out, I got a call from a reader who scolded me for calling the restaurant concept “precious and pricy” and suggested that we’re lucky the Connaughtons have chosen to settle here and that I should apologize.
Another reader emailed to scold me for being too nice and said he was “embarrassed” for me for what I wrote.
A third reader – who was brave enough to use strong language but not brave enough to sign their letter – wrote in and accused me of writing “as if you are their PR person.”
So, I was both too mean and too nice? A veteran newspaperman once told me that if I wrote an opinion piece that enraged everyone equally, I had done my job.
I guess I nailed it that time. Thanks for reading and reacting.
Along the lines of equal annoyance to all, let’s look at the recent growth management imbroglio. No one is happy, and a clear path forward is unknown.
The current growth management ordinance, adopted in 2000, works well to control growth and boost housing costs. The “supply and demand” argument works, in a limited way, in this case. By discouraging any growth beyond government-subsidized projects and high-end homes, it has locked the shrinking middle class out of the housing market.
Even the GMO’s most ardent supporters agree that it should be modified to allow middle income housing.
But, doing away with it entirely? That’s the conclusion of months of work and hundreds of hours of study, meetings and discussions by Healdsburg’s Community Housing Committee, who were frustrated after looking at a series of half-measures that might not help enough, and unrealistic suggestions to force those pesky developers to build affordable housing whether it makes money or not.
After sitting through lots of meetings and reading tons of emails, reports and commentaries, the wisest words I’ve read so far are at the top of this page, in James Dolan’s letter, where he writes: “(Healdsburg’s) very reluctance to build changes it, just as surely as a construction boom would do.”
He’s right: there are consequences to doing nothing, just as there are consequences to doing too much. The “no-growth” vs “no-control” decision that will face Healdsburg voters in November is no decision at all.
The city’s intention to craft a Housing Action Plan that will truly get us where we want to be is laudable, but the only valid response to this plan is to ask how it will be enforced.
Will Healdsburg become a Wild West for growth? Of course not, that’s just political blather.
Or will we become a gated community, with invisible gates that can only be opened by an expensive golden key?
Where’s Goldilocks when we need her?
The Stare family, founders of Dry Creek Vineyards, have long been sailing fans, so it only makes sense that Dry Creek has been chosen as the official wine of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Races in New York and Chicago. Being chosen as the “official wine of …” can be a big deal to a local winery and the Stares worked hard for it.
Can you help a good cause help itself? The West Side School Jogathon is June 1, and the school is looking for sponsors for the event. The proceeds will help build a safe running track at the school and purchase play equipment.
Even though most people care more about helping than recognition, gratitude is good and anyone who donates $100 or more will get their name added to the commemorative shirt for the event. The deadline to sponsor is this week, so contact Lindsay Woolman at [email protected] if you can help.
Ray Holley suggests that you help. He can be reached at [email protected].