Both of South County’s cities recently missed opportunities to
assist their struggling downtowns, but so far, only one city is
taking steps to correct the mistake.
“You cannot afford to wait for perfect conditions. … Opportunities are easily lost while waiting for perfect conditions.” – Author Gary Ryan Blair
Both of South County’s cities recently missed opportunities to assist their struggling downtowns, but so far, only one city is taking steps to correct the mistake.
Gilroy City Council twice turned down the opportunity to help South County Housing save its downtown Cannery housing project.
South County Housing, a nonprofit agency that’s played an important role in Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy, was caught in the steep economic slide. According to a recent Gilroy Dispatch article, South County Housing needs help to “pay off $3.6 million of a $17 million loan from Union Bank that was due in December.”
South County Housing proposed that the city of Gilroy buy a 50 percent stake in four unsold Cannery project townhomes so that the agency can make that payment. The city would then rent the townhomes until the housing market recovers and they can be sold. Making that payment unleashes a domino effect of other positive impacts for South County Housing.
But on a 3-3 vote, the city declined to spend $676,100 from its housing trust fund on this project. Councilman Perry Woodward recused himself because he owns property in the area. Councilmen Bob Dillon, Dion Bracco and Craig Gartman cast the no votes that doomed this proposal.
The money in the city’s housing trust fund cannot be used for non-housing purposes. It can’t pay the salaries of laid-off city workers. It can’t pay the raises of city workers who kept their jobs. It can’t go to the maintenance of parks or roads. It can only be used for housing projects.
But enough City Council members are worried about the politics of this effort, which has been unfairly painted as a “bailout,” and about the real estate market, that this plan was doomed as too risky.
Because they’re unwilling to take this political gamble, and unwilling to take this real estate gamble, the councilmen are making another gamble instead: They’re risking the future of downtown Gilroy with their willingness to risk the failure of the Cannery project.
Abandoned projects, broken windows and empty buildings don’t create a vital downtown. They create blight, repel visitors and invite crime. It’s a real shame that Dillon, Bracco and Gartman are not willing to protect the significant investment that Gilroy taxpayers have made in downtown Gilroy by using housing trust funds for the Cannery project.
Only one of the three no votes need to change to a yes vote and Gilroy might still be able to take advantage of this opportunity.
“Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity.” – Author H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Morgan Hill City Council put Measure H, which would have moved 500 housing allotments to the downtown area, on the November 2008 ballot. Supporters then assumed that it would pass, so little effort was made to encourage residents to vote for it. The measure failed by a mere 10 votes.
City Council recently placed a similar measure, Measure A, on the May 19 special election ballot. Work has already begun to educate voters about what Measure A will mean for the city of Morgan Hill.
I’m voting yes on Measure A for several reasons:
n More people living downtown creates more foot traffic and business in downtown shops and restaurants.
n Moving housing allotments to the downtown from the more rural areas helps preserve open space and farmland. It also means that demand for city services (sewer, water, parks, police, fire) in far-flung, less-developed parts of the city, where they’re more expensive to deliver, won’t increase as quickly.
n Creating housing near downtown can increase demand for public transit services like Caltrain, which can lead to better public transit service for all of South County. Increased public transit use leads to less pollution and lower demand for foreign oil.
n Morgan Hill does not have enough housing suited for young professionals and empty nesters.
n Measure A (like Measure H before it) does not increase Morgan Hill’s population cap.
Passing Measure A is an important step in improving Morgan Hill’s downtown. We missed an opportunity with the narrow defeat of Measure H. Let’s correct by passing Measure A May 19.
“Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them.” – Author William A. Ward
Lisa Pampuch is a technical editor and a member of the newspaper’s editorial board. She lives in Morgan Hill with her husband and two children. Reach her at li*********@in***.com.
