Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, Commends GCC in a Letter

Dear Friends,

Thank you for the invitation to participate in today's "Transportation for America: Seizing the Opportunites" briefing organized by the Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities and the San Francisco Foundation.

Although my Congressional duties prevent me from attending, I am pleased to recognize the efforts of the Great Communities Collaborative and others to expand the conversation about strengthening and improving the state of our transportation infrastructure and our communities as a whole.

Our nation is facing a gravely weakened economy, and American families are under siege from job losses, high gas and food prices, the mortgage crisis, and turmoil in the financial markets.

Just as the President and Congress worked together this fall on an economic rescue plan to help bring stability to our financial markets, we must now take additional action and pass a jobs creation and economic recovery stimulus plan.

In the 111th Congress, we will build on the legislation of the House passed in September-but which was blocked by Republicans in the Senate--to create jobs by rebuilding our roads, bridges, and highways. We will prevent cuts to vital government services such as health, education, and public safety; extend unemployment benefits; and help families cope with rising food costs.

The stimulus bill will be an important step toward rebuilding and renewing our infrastructure, but we must do much more.

Rebuilding America is a national security issue. 90% of our oil imports are used for transportation. With investments in public transportation, more efficient roadways, and a broadband backbone that removes commuters from roads, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil and its implications on our foreign policy.

Rebuilding America is an economic issue. By improving our efficiency, we improve our competitiveness, create the next generation of good-paying jobs and strengthen our economy here at home.

Rebuilding America is an environmental issue. Making greener choices will bring us cleaner air and water, reduce sprawl and congestion, and cut greenhouse gases, to the benefit of the American people and our planet.

The organizations, foundations and other partners represented here today will play a crucial role in building support for investment in transportation infrastructure as Congress moves forward with reauthorization of surface transportation programs in the coming year.

While recognizing the need to maintain our current infrastructure, you are highlighting the importance of diversifying our transportation options to reduce the focus on driving and increase our options for bus and rail transit, walking, biking, and transit-oriented development while creating vibrant communities.

Last year, Congress took major steps to reduce global warming pollution, passing sweeping legislation to increase vehicle fuel efficiency to 35 miles per gallon by the year 2020. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the year 2020 alone will be the equivalent of taking 28 million of today's cars and trucks off the road.

In 2007, public transportation ridership reached its highest level in 50 years. While this upward trend is tremendously encouraging, it is overloading many of our systems, and making the need for infrastructure investment all the more pressing.

We must also invest in intercity passenger rail, and I am proud that before adjourning in October, Congress passed comprehensive legislation on Amtrak, high-speed rail, and rail safety. This past November, voters in California approved building high-speed rail, and will bring to America a system enjoyed around the world.

In the 21st century, we face scarcity of any number of natural resources. And after eight years of the Bush Administration, we face a scarcity of federal financial resources for investment in infrastructure. But with a broad coalition of environmental, transit and labor organizations, there is not scarcity of ingenuity, no scarcity of urgency, and no scarcity of commitment.

In Congress, it is our responsibility to protect the American people, grow our economy and create good paying jobs, strengthen America's families, and preserve our planet and promote energy independence. All of these can be accomplished through rebuilding our infrastructure and engaging the public in our 21st century vision.

As Speaker of the House, I am grateful for your leadership in renewing and rebuilding America's tranportation infrastructure.

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House

See the original letter.

Mixed-use proposal near BART draws mostly support

Karen Holzmeister, The Daily Review

SAN LEANDRO -- Support for San Leandro Crossings outweighed opposition by more than 3-to-1 Monday, seven months after the City Council approved the general outlines of the massive commercial and residential development proposed for a tract straddling the downtown BART station.

The hearing was part of a process expected to lead to a Planning Commission vote on the project before year's end, and a final City Council vote in early 2009.

Often-emotional testimony from 31 speakers during the three-hour council hearing overshadowed developers' efforts to detail the first phase of what is proposed to be 200,000 square feet of commercial space and 700 apartments or condominiums.

Concerns about an initial 100-unit rental complex -- described as "affordable" by proponents and "low-income" by opponents -- attracted more attention than parking, traffic congestion and street realignment issues near the BART station on San Leandro Boulevard near Davis Street.

San Leandro Crossings, if built, would be the city's first transit- oriented development project -- designed to get people out of their cars, and to provide more places to shop, work and live within a half-mile of Davis and East 14th streets.

"We can move forward, be more inclusive and give our kids a chance to move in (to new housing)," said Dennis Davis, a resident of San Leandro for 60 years.

Or, said Davis, a deacon at St. Leander's Catholic Church, a block east of the BART station, "We can sit on our hands and let fear- mongering stop us."

Kai Bender, of the Creekside neighborhood on downtown's northern edge, contended San Leandro doesn't need "low-income housing."

Current residents would pay more for police and schools if low-income housing is built, Bender insisted. Residents of such housing would exacerbate problems in the downtown area, where "shopping is not a pleasure" because "panhandlers hit you up," he added.

The City Hall council chamber was packed with about 115 people at the start of the hearing. The number dwindled to about three dozen by the time the session ended at 10:30 p.m. Monday.

The 31 speakers included 23 in favor of San Leandro Crossings, seven against, and one resident who said he was neutral. Of the 23 backers,
18 were city residents.

Westlake Development Partners of San Mateo is the San Leandro Crossings developer. It has partnered with Bridge Housing of San Francisco to build the 100-unit San Leandro Crossings West complex of one- to three-bedroom apartments for families earning annual incomes between $22,600 and $46,500.

The first phase of development would include:

• The 100 units on the west side of BART, between Martinez and Alvarado streets and Thornton Place.
• An adjoining BART parking garage with 329 spaces.
• Westlake's 200-unit San Leandro Crossings East, studio to two- bedroom apartments that will be rented at market rates. It would be built on a block bounded by San Leandro Street, West Juana Avenue, Carpentier Street, and St. Leander's parking lot and schoolyard.

Reach Karen Holzmeister at 510-293-2478 or kholzmeister@bayareanewsgroup.com

San Jose leaders try to reverse urban sprawl

James Temple, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer

Strip malls and low-rise office parks dominate the landscape of northern San Jose, but a long-term redevelopment plan could make over large swaths of the area along decidedly more urban lines.

Over the next three decades, the city wants to add more than 30,000 new homes and 80,000 jobs within walking distance of a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority light-rail line on North First Street.

Planners, architects and environmentalists applauded the approach during a tour Saturday of recent developments exemplifying the model in the area. They argued that compact and transit-oriented building is among the most effective means of reducing driving, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and creating better functioning cities.

Many Bay Area cities are pursuing similar models, and these advocates say many more should do as the region struggles to absorb what the Association of Bay Area Governments predicts will be 1.6 million new residents over the next 25 years.

"There's so much opportunity to accommodate new growth in areas like this and put together all the pieces that make a complete community," said Michele Beasley, representative of the San Francisco planning group Greenbelt Alliance, which organized the tour for more than 50 people on the light-rail line. "We really see in the development of the First Street corridor how other (counties) and cities around the region could do in-fill development."

San Jose, the region's largest city, has a special responsibility for meeting the Bay Area's expanding population needs because past development patterns have left it with much underutilized land, City Councilman Sam Liccardo said.

"There are no cities in this region with the capacity for growth like San Jose," he said. "We need to think carefully now about how we plan for it, knowing that the suburban sprawl model is an environmental and fiscal dead end."

John Frith, representing the California Building Industry Association, has said in past interviews that there needs to be a balance between environmental aims and providing affordable housing. Infill alone cannot keep up with population growth, and there remains strong demand for affordable, single-family homes in suburban areas, he said.

San Jose largely developed along sprawling lines during the post-war period as a bedroom community subsequently supplemented with mostly one- and two-story office buildings. As a result, the city has long grappled with a housing and jobs imbalance, and with swelling traffic concerns, as residents drive in and out of the city for work, said Dennis Korabiak, program manager with the San Jose Redevelopment Agency.

The North San Jose Area Development Policy, established in 2005, attempts to address these challenges by loosening density and other restrictions on residential and commercial construction in the district, while requiring both to move forward together. The core area is about 600 acres, twice the size of San Francisco's Mission Bay redevelopment area.

The plan allows for nearly 27 million square feet of office, research and development, and retail space, within close proximity of 32,000 new housing units. Ideally, this will allow people to live, shop and play near where they work, making transit or walking preferable to driving, Korabiak said.

"When you have that type of density, you make it a lot more friendly for walking," he said. "The decision was, let's not build out anymore, let's build up."

San Jose ranked second with a score of 69 on the Greenbelt Alliance's latest Bay Area Smart Growth Scorecard. The list evaluated cities according to their current building policies (as opposed to existing developments and infrastructure) in areas like project density, urban growth boundaries and affordable housing. Petaluma and Napa bracketed the city at the top of the list, with scores of 70 and 65, respectively. The bottom three were Atherton, Belvedere and Hillsborough, respectively, earning a 3 and two zeros.

San Francisco ranked 19th with a score of 49.

The city has the region's highest concentration of office and residential towers along transportation lines. But many of the battles over long-term planning policies have centered on the conflict between meeting new housing needs in the city and preserving existing homes, neighborhood character and industrial businesses. Many slow-growth advocates argue that the flurry of residential and office construction that began with the dot-com boom has forced out longtime residents and small companies, and that policies to prevent it in the future are critical.

The draft plan for the Western SoMa district, an effort largely led by neighborhood groups, starts with the position that: "Proposed new land use development shall primarily serve the needs of existing residents and businesses. Citywide and regional needs are subordinate to existing local needs."

Taking an opposing view, Gabriel Metcalf, executive director of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association, said the plan doesn't allow for appropriate height and density increases in the district, especially along areas of signification public transportation infrastructure like the Fourth Street corridor.

"The city is constantly tempted to turn its back on the region and only pay attention to protecting who's here now," he said. "The overriding environmental imperative of our age is to stop sprawl. We do that by concentrating growth inside already urbanized areas."

E-mail James Temple at jtemple@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page B - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Source: http://articles.sfgate.com/2008-08-17/bay-area/17124777_1_bay-area-cities-san-jose-redevelopment-agency-population-growth

Release of New Report on Community Benefits and Development in the Bay Area

EBASE releases new report: "Building a Better Bay Area: Community Benefit Tools and Case Studies to Achieve Responsible Development"

Community Benefits and Development in the Bay Area

What:  Release of new Bay Area report on successful community benefit policies and projects entitled Building a Better Bay Area: Community Benefit Tools and Case Studies to Achieve Responsible Development.

When:  Wednesday, September 17, 2008
              12noon-2pm (refreshments provided)
 
Where:  Ginn House Large Conference Room
                Preservation Park
                660-13th Street, Oakland
                (Entrance on 13th Street and on Martin Luther King Jr. Way)
                3 Blocks from 12th Street City Center BART

The time is ripe for rethinking the conventional wisdom about economic development.  More and more, local elected officials are using a wide range of tools to bring affordable housing, good quality jobs, and neighborhood services to their communities.
 
With information from over 70 local jurisdictions, gathering close to 200 policies, and compiling 15 case studies, the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy's Building a Better Bay Area report finds an impressive array of community benefits integrated into development projects.  These development-related benefits are raising the standard of living for thousands of area residents and workers.
 
Part toolkit and part reference guide for local government officials and staff, the Building a Better Bay Area report describes how responsible development orients the benefits of new development toward the greatest needs of a community, and helps communities achieve higher standards and benefits from real estate and economic development projects.
 
On Wednesday, September 17th, 2008, the lunch-time release of Building a Better Bay Area will feature a presentation of the findings of the report, followed by responses from community organizations engaged in community benefit initiatives and local staff and elected officials who will speak to how these tools work in the public sector.

To RSVP, please contact Jennifer Lin: Jenny@workingeastbay.org or call 510-893-7106 x 321.

http://www.workingeastbay.org/article.php?id=620

Transit villages on rise

Contra Costa Times

THE $366 MILLION TRANSIT village at the Pleasant Hill BART station is the right project, in the right location at the right time. Such a positive view was not always the case.

When a transit village was first proposed 28 years ago, there were few civic leaders who thought it was a good idea. Suburban sprawl was advancing as families moved into homes farther and farther from job centers.

Gasoline prices hovered around $1 a gallon and a large suburban home in the far eastern stretches of the Bay Area was affordable for many buyers in the 1980s and 1990s.

But things have changed dramatically in the past few years. Home prices skyrocketed, with easy short-term financing leading to a flood of foreclosures. Gas prices are well above $4 a gallon and mortgage money is more difficult to obtain.

As a result, the rental market is looking good, especially in areas closer to jobs and public transportation. That's why the Contra Costa Centre Transit Village at the Pleasant Hill BART station has become so attractive.

The first phase of the project, a 1,547-space parking garage, opened last month. On Thursday, ground was broken on the second phase of the project.

Construction is under way on 422 upscale apartments and 35,590 square feet of retail space, with a completion date in late 2010. Work on the 100 condominiums in phase two will be delayed for two years because of the housing slump.

A third phase of the transit village will include 270,000 square feet of office space and a 19,400-square-foot conference center.

The combination of residential, retail and office space near mass transit has a bright future as oil prices rise and people make greater efforts to conserve energy by driving less.

If more people are able to live, work and shop in one location as well as have easy access to mass transportation, transit villages are likely to sprout up in many other locations.

Transit villages already have been established successfully at the Richmond, El Cerrito Del Norte and Fruitvale BART stations.

Pittsburg is paving the way for a similar village of retail, office and residential development at what will become an e-BART station near the intersection of Highway 4 and Railroad Avenue.

Walnut Creek also is considering such a development, and Dublin plans to build a retail hotel complex near its station.

Transit villages not only provide a more energy-efficient and convenient lifestyle, they can give downtown areas new economic and cultural vitality, and help compensate for the sharp downturn in single-family home construction.