Vote may be costly for mayoral candidate
A day after the Santa Barbara City Council narrowly voted down a controversial building heights proposal, popular progressive mayoral candidate Helene Schneider is feeling the sting over her vote.
Schneider, a consistent voice for the homeless, RV dwellers and working class residents during her six years on the council, may lose the support of Mickey Flacks, whose name and activism over the years has also been synonymous with affordable housing efforts.
Mickey Flacks stormed out of Tuesday’s City Council meeting after Schneider indicated that she wouldn’t support a city-backed building heights initiative for the November ballot.
“I am thinking of pulling my endorsement,” Flacks told the Daily Sound on Wednesday. “I am puzzled.”
The flare-up over the vote will likely be just one turning point of many on the road to November when Santa Barbara residents select their next mayor. Mayor Marty Blum must step down because of term limits.
Schneider is locked in a fierce battle with candidate Iya Falcone, who has actively courted conservative voters over the last several months.
A split between Flacks and Schneider would be significant largely because Flacks carries some influence in the city’s progressive circles. But such a divide is unlikely to directly benefit Falcone, who has fallen out of favor with some liberals and progressives as she has moved to the right in preparation for the mayor’s race.
The disagreement between Flacks and Schneider centers on a proposal to lower building heights in Santa Barbara.
More than 11,000 residents, frustrated over the rise of buildings in the city’s downtown area, signed a petition to place an initiative on the November ballot. The initiative would lower building heights from a maximum of 60 feet to 40 feet in the El Pueblo Viejo area, and 45 feet in commercial zones.
Even though much of the city’s preservationist community backed the proposal, affordable housing advocates and many developers shunned the idea, essentially arguing that it would stifle affordable housing and tie developers’ hands. When developers build projects, they often ask to build three stories so they can squeeze affordable housing into the project.
In response to the citizens-backed proposal, a smaller group of residents proposed an alternative plan that would adhere to the same restrictions, but include some exemptions.
Developers could build projects higher if the council determines that they meet a “community priority,” include more than 30 percent affordable housing or have rental housing.
Even though affordable housing is one of her top priorities, Schneider said that a city-backed counter proposal on the ballot could confuse voters. The city, she said, should also not be actively competing with residents who take the time to gather 11,000 signatures to place a matter on the ballot. Out of respect for the Democratic process, the voters should be able to decide the outcome of the initiative without having to compete with a city proposal.
Flacks said unless she and Schneider could resolve their issues, that she would likely not endorse anyone for mayor. Falcone and Steve Cushman, president of the Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Commerce who is also mulling a run, are both out of the question.
Schneider, who according to campaign filings is the top early fundraiser in the race, said making difficult decisions is part of her job.
“As an elected official you face a lot of touch choices and no decision will please everybody,” councilwoman Schneider said. “I did what I felt was is in the best interests of this community.”
Comment on this article
Building height limits : 3/26/2009
The building heights initiative should be renamed the "Exclusionary Housing" ordinance. Its primary impact will be to exclude entry-level workforce housing from the R3 zone. The City's housing policies, and decisions made by the Planning Commission, have favored R3 housing for the very rich and very poor; the workforce gets to live elsewhere.
Steve Johnson
Leave Helene Alone! : 3/27/2009
Helene apparently gets it. This is simply not an affordable housing issue - and all the housing, social justice and "smart growth" advocates are simply barking up the wrong tree. Buildings are still going to be limited to 4 stories; nobody is changing that. And within 4 stories (or 3, or 2), there can be built as many housing units - of any degree of affordability - in an attractive 40 or 45 foot building as in a 60 footer. Some of our best architects attest to that, and can build such buildings. Why does this have to get so totally lost in symbolic and ideological arguments when it this simple?
Building Height Limits : 3/27/2009
Good for Helene Schneider! She was absolutely right; a separate measure developed by the City Council would only serve to confuse matters. The Council has had ample opportunity to address the issue of too tall and too big buildings. As to "affordable housing" units being an excuse for these gigantic structures, how's that working out for that enormous behemoth on lower Chapala? Not so well, from what I've read.
KKG
No one worth voting for.... : 3/27/2009
There's no one woth voting for anyway..Anyone who is backed by the business as usual clan is dirty
Beaver Cleaver
Schneider's Vote : 3/27/2009
I was surprised by Helene Schneider's vote on the alternative...what happened to her support for affordable housing and a sustainable future? Her justification that two measures would confuse voters assumes the Santa Barbara residents are not intelligent enough to review and understand two simple measures - I disagree.
Concerned Citizen
RE: Schneider's Vote : 3/27/2009
Now we can debate the citizens building heights initiative. It will be alone on ballot --as it should be. We didn’t elect the City Council to compete against the will of the citizens. We can debate what the citizens initiative will mean for afordable housing. However, a vote against this "alternative" was NOT a vote against affordable housing.
What's the Cost? : 3/27/2009
It would have been costly for Ms. Schneider to have voted FOR the alternative. She would have been intentionally antagonizing a group of people that formed a grass roots movement to put their issue on the ballot. It’s hardly like Ms. Schneider is the pro-growth candidate. If you compare Ms. Falcone, Mr. Cushman and Ms. Schneider –Ms Schneider IS the slow-growth candidate. She’s much more willing to say no to development that has a negative impact on our environment. You think We’re going to forget about Veronica Meadows that easily?
Storming : 3/28/2009
My favorite line is the "Mickey Flacks stormed out.....after Schneider indicated she wouldn't support..." If I had a dollar for every meeting or conversation Ms. Flacks had "stormed out" of...well, I'd be able to afford one of the bankrupt densely placed condos built by one of Ms. Flacks' developer friends. Get the message?
pleased to watch smart growth demise in SB
Slow Down : 3/28/2009
Smart growth isn't a bad thing. It can be balanced with slow growth. The Chapla buildings were neither.
LC
Flack you : 3/28/2009
Who the F cares who Flacks endorses for Mayor - is anyone going to vote for someone just because Flacks says to?
That's hilarious : 3/28/2009
Falcone is making a mistake if she thinks any conservative who hasn't had their head in the sand for the last 8 years is ever going to vote for her. What obvious political posturing.
Helllooo : 3/28/2009
Over here... gang problem.. robbery problem...stabbing and blood in the streets problem.. remember mee??
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