3B Public Hearing 2007 0904 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Agenda No. 07-13 July 12,2007 Page 5 of 8 TOD project as one of the best opportunities to address the need for affordable housing for families in San Leandro. However, we are concerned the proposed plan will not meet the housing needs that exist as it is currently written. We understand that one function of an EIR is to discuss inconsistencies between the proposed project and general and regional plans. I believe the following inconsistencies should be highlighted. The City has not met its ABAG regional housing needs assessment targets for the period ending in 2006. By the end of 2006, the City was short on its housing needs by 87 very low income units, 107 low income units, and on the other hand, the high-income units were over by 644. The current affordable housing policies within the TOD plan are insufficient to catch up. The current version of the TOD plan could result in the development of mostly for- sale market-rate housing that is unaffordable to over 75% of San Leandro households. Even with 15% of these units being affordable, they are only required to be moderate income units. It neglects extremely low and very low income families, whereas if more rental units are built that would accommodate these incomes. A transit-related development should provide housing for all segments of the community, and with a mix of price ranges to provide housing choices for residents of all incomes. Rental units for families are a key. Because we know that low-income people ride transit twice as frequently as this. This is the primary goal of the plan, to increase transit ridership. Esperanza Alcantar, 1458 Ardmore Drive, San Leandro I am a pali of COR too, and the reason I am here today is because we looked at the report, and we think it does not reflect the needs of the workers to have housing close to their jobs. Currently, a lot of workers live outside of San Leandro, and they commute here. So it is polluting when they drive a lot coming to work here. If we want to think about it, the best thing to do is to have their housing close to their jobs. A lot of these workers don't make a lot of money, so we need to address the need for affordable housing for those workers. Otherwise, this is not going to be to reach any progress at all. So just think about the people that come from outside to work here. They cannot make it to living here. So my message is just please consider affordable housing for all those workers. Marilyn Winkler, 1662 Graff Court, San Leandro As a property owner, I was invited to the June 22 luncheon where the City of San Leandro presented to the San Leandro Downtown Business Association its strategy for the future. At that time, I was dismayed to hear the proposal to cut BART parking by 11 %. The downtown planning group is forgetting that San Leandro is primarily a bedroom community, with most of its wage-earning population using our close freeways and BART to their jobs. It is these wage-earning commuters and their families who support our local retail shops and merchants. This is the group that should be considered most, as they are the key to San Leandro's economy. How many of you have tried to park at BART at 9 a.m.? I have. Parking is full. One has to walk a long way to get on BART. San Leandro's working people and citizens should not be ignored. With projected increase of San Leandro population, it would be a terrible mistake to cut BART parking. Parking should be increased, at least 25% to encourage BART's use. This is what green is about, and is environmentally sound. The City should make its productive workers and citizens proud of living in San Leandro, and give them the convenience of increased