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Greetings!
The link shown below gives access to videos from the White House showing the President's address on September 10, several other talks by the President and other officials, and scenes of victims of August 21st chemical weapon attacks:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy/syria
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"Plan Bay Area" Adopted in July
On the 18th of July the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) adopted Plan Bay Area, an integrated transportation and land-use strategy through 2040 that marks the nine-county region's first long-range plan to meet the requirements of California's landmark 2008 Senate Bill 375, which calls on each of the state's 18 metropolitan areas to develop a Sustainable Communities Strategy to accommodate future population growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks. Working in collaboration with cities and counties, the Plan advances initiatives to expand housing and transportation choices, create healthier communities, and build a stronger regional economy.
MTC and the ABAG Executive Board jointly approved both the final Plan Bay Area - which includes the region's Sustainable Communities Strategy and the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan - and an associated final Environmental Impact Report. The ABAG Executive Board separately approved a state-mandated Regional Housing Needs Allocation for 2014 through 2022. MTC separately approved the 2013 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which updates the list of Bay Area projects that receive federal funds, are subject to federal action, or are considered regionally significant; as well as a final Air Quality Conformity Analysis that establishes both the TIP and Plan Bay Area comply with federal air pollution standards.
Plan Bay Area provides a strategy for meeting 80% of the region's future housing needs in Priority Development Areas (PDAs). These are neighborhoods within walking distance of frequent transit service, offering a wide variety of housing options, and featuring amenities such as grocery stores, community centers, and restaurants. Identified by cities and towns across the region, the PDAs range from regional centers like downtown San Jose to suburban centers like Walnut Creek's West Downtown area, and smaller town centers such as the Suisun City Waterfront. The Plan funds mixed-income housing production and locally-led planning in PDAs.
Plan Bay Area's transportation element specifies how some $292 billion in anticipated federal, state and local funds will be spent through 2040. Nearly 87 percent (or $253 billion) will be used to maintain and operate the transportation network we already have. Another way of looking at the distribution of the revenues - which include fuel taxes, public transit fares, bridge tolls, property taxes and dedicated sales taxes - is by mode of transportation. Maintenance and operation of the Bay Area's existing public transit services will receive about 54 percent ($159 billion) of the revenues. The remainder includes 32 percent for street, road, highway and bridge maintenance; 7 percent for transit expansion; and 5 percent for roadway and bridge expansion. A $3.1 billion reserve comprised of anticipated future funding through the California Air Resources Board's Cap-and-Trade program for greenhouse gas emissions accounts for another 1 percent of expected revenues.
Excerpted from webpage link
The March 28 issue of the Social Justice Newsletter had an article Draft of Plan Bay Area Released for Comment containing detailed information about the plan, link. A glossary of terms used in the Plan is available at link
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Brief Links
One Great Big War, David Brooks, New York Times, August 29, 2013, (possibility of growing sectarian strife in the Middle East), link Iran Surprises Itself and the World: A new president may take his country in a new direction, Suzanne Maloney, Brookings Institution, link
Great Stagnation in American
Education, Robert Gordon, New York Times, link Healthcare for All Californians, link Obamacare: How It Should Be Fixed,
In Western Europe health care for all is a reality,
California Health Care Coverage,
Health Insurance Market Places begin open enrollment Oct. 1, 2013
People who need to purchase health insurance should be looking at plans in the Market Places/Exchanges beginning October 1, 2013. They can compare health plans and costs to make good decisions for themselves and their families.
For more information see link.
U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheet: Cuba,
Recent purchase option will push Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park beyond 9,000 acres,
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Recently Approved Housing Developments in Pleasanton
The City Council zoned 9 properties at 30 units/acre to accomodate Pleasanton's affordable housing needs as determined by the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) for 2007 to 2014. Based on Pleasanton's jobs/housing imbalance and plans for future jobs growth, RHNA identified a need for 1,076 housing units of housing affordable to families earning below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI) in Alameda County (about $40,650 for a 3 person household), 1,599 housing units for families earning below 80% AMI (about $58,000 for a 3 person household), and 720 housing units for moderate income families earning 81- 120% AMI (about $59,000-$97,500 for a 3 person household). This Moderate Income category is considered served by all market rate units in 30 unit/acre apartment complexes.
Out of these 9 properties, the Council has approved 4 projects so far. These are
- The Residences at California Center, 305 apartments at Rosewood and Owens Drives
- St. Anton Partners, 168 unit apartment complex at 5729 W. Las Positas Blvd
- The Commons at Gateway, 210 apartment units and 97 single family homes, stretching between I-680 on the west to Valley Avenue on the east and south of the Safeway shopping center
- The Auf der Maur development, 345 unit upscale apartment complex at Bernal Ave and Stanley Blvd
They are for-profit apartment developments, with some affordable units provided through the City's Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance (IZO). Out of the total 1,028 units approved, only 125 units, or about 12% will be affordable to families earning below 50 and 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) in Alameda County. Pleasanton's IZO calls for a minimum of 15% affordable units, but such ordinances were recently invalidated by court decision. Therefore, Pleasanton was unable to require compliance. As a result, only 12% affordable units were obtained from all 4 developments. These units consist of 71 units affordable @ 50% AMI, 16 units affordable @ 60% AMI, and 38 units affordable @ 80% AMI.
Also the 76 affordable (@50%AMI) from the 506 unit BRE Hacienda project (approved last year) should also be added to the number of affordable units, for a total of 147@ 50% AMI.
The City's success in securing a higher percentage of more deeply affordable units is to be applauded. However, the number of affordable units provided through our unenforceable IZO makes only a small dent in actual number of units needed to serve Pleasanton's workforce through 2014. Furthermore, the market rate units will create an additional need for below-market-rate affordable units that is greater than what these developments provide using the IZO approach. The IZO method also produces far more moderate income units than Pleasanton needs, which wastes limited land resources.
Affordable units built: 0
Affordable+market rate units approved on land zoned 30 units/acre for affordable housing: 1,534
Units affordable at 50%AMI: 147 approved/1,076 needed per RHNA or 14%
Units affordable at 60-80%AMI: 54 approved/1,599 needed per RHNA or 3.4%
Units affordable at 81-120%AMI: 1,333 approved/720 needed per RHNA or 185%
City adoption of new affordability standards and strong incentives to ensure a nonprofit housing component in all future apartment complex developments on land zoned to provide affordable housing would set the percentages right, prevent overbuilding, and allow Pleasanton to meet workforce housing needs.
Information supplied by Becky Dennis and Pat Belding
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