Healdsburg Strikes Growth Compromise

After months of heated discussion, Healdsburg's Growth Management Committeethis week came to a consensus on proposed changes to the city's 12-year-old growth management ordinance -- also called Measure M.

Under the consensus revision plan approved Monday, potential new housing developers would be able to tap into an upfront starting allocation of 60 residential units. Currently there is no startup allocation.

After the startup allocation, the annual cap on new units would remain at its current 30 units per year. In addition, the sunset period -- or the time to "spend" the accumulated unused 30 units per year -- would increase from 10 to 15 years.

These figures include only market rate and above housing. Below-market rate units and any commercial and industrial uses are currently exempt from any limitations under the GMO, and would remain so under any new proposal.

"The purpose of any revisions is not to encourage development, but to encourage diversity," Healdsburg City Councilman Tom Chambers, committee chair, said later. "We need not just hotels and wineries, but a mix of housing, commercial and industrial uses in Healdsburg."

Chambers also credited Measure M founder Jim Winston's " tremendous influence" on the growth management process. Winston was not chosen for the new GMO committee but has been active in the recent discussion over changes.

"While there may have been some differences of opinion along the way, the committee has done a good job of responding to comments and concerns in a very fair way," Winston said after Monday night's meeting.

Earlier, Winston had proposed housing allocations to remain at 30 units per year, starting with a 50-unit allocation, with a cap of 70 units per year. There would be no "use it or lose it" provision and no "rolling averages" under Winston's proposed revision plan.

Winston and consultant Mark Green presented a letter to the committee which suggested adjustments to the proposal, specifically limiting the number of units in CHASSA [an 80-acre redevelopment area in south-central Healdsburg] to 226 in a 10-year period.

After that time, any unused allocations would not carry over, and the provisions of Measure M (the Growth Management Ordinance) would apply.

These proposals generated considerable discussion among the members, several of whom felt that time period was too short. Committee member and Healdsburg Planning Commissioner Jerry Eddinger questioned the need for a 10-year limitation, commenting that, according to existing plans, a maximum of 226 units in CHASSA was already a given.

With the length of time it would probably take to commence development, he stated, it would probably take several years before construction would even begin.

Green commented to the members that the existing GMO was, as Winston pointed out "not broken." He questions whether this revision process was undertaken to determine what changes might be needed for additional flexibility, or to weaken Measure M itself.

Several committee members took exception to this comment, with committee member Jon Worden arguing that it was incorrect to claim that the process was "a stalking horse" to weaken the GMO. Eddinger expressed dismay that there was "such distrust in government that you don't trust the system that got us where we are today."

raising the yearly allocation from 30 to 35 units to allow for added flexibility. The committee seemed to prefer keeping the cap at 30 per year, instead starting with the upfront allocation.

The committee plans to have one final meeting on Oct. 29, at which point any language changes or needed clarifications will be discussed.

Any proposed revisions would first be considered by the Healdsburg Planning Commission, and the forwarded to the Healdsburg City Council.

Since the GMO was approved by the voters, any proposed changes would also have to be placed on the ballot. Chambers acknowledged that, due to the time involved, and the cost of a special election, any ballot meaure would almost certainly not be placed before the voters until 2014 at the earliest.

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