The Oakmont opponents of a medium to high density development at the Elnoka site on Sonoma Highway turned out in full force on July 1... more than enough to pack every seat in the Santa Rosa city council chamber, plus several dozen on the balcony and some outside. Their purpose was to protest a rezoning to allow a higher density project on the site that would have about 30% of the units affordable to low and moderate income households. Speaker after speaker denounced the proposal and the audience responded with cheers and waiving arms. Some cited potential traffic impacts; some cited "incompatibility" with their neighborhood. Some were more blatant in their nimbie-ism.
Four of the six council members are running for election this fall and speakers pointedly reminded them that 93% of residents voted in the last election. It was looking grim.
Then Dick Latimer stepped up to the podium and talked about the shortage of affordable housing in Santa Rosa and how this site is one of the 20 designated for development at 18 units per acre "by right" as a result of HAG's housing element lawsuit in 2002, and the city should have rezoned it years ago. Then David Rosas approached the podium. He's running for city council and this would have been a golden opportunity for him to nab several hundred votes by siding with the Oakmonters. Instead, he said he lived in the Southwest quadrant of the city which has had 15 or so affordable housing developments. He pointed out that the area around the Elnoka site had only a few affordable developments, and that the city needs to have diversity in all its neighborhoods. He urged the council to approve the rezoning.
The crowd cheered briefly for Dick until the full realization of what he had said sank in, then there were loud jeers and shouts of "no...no." David's remarks were followed by glares and stony silence.
Both David and Dick showed amazing courage in speaking out in favor of the Elnoka rezoning in front of neighbors and all those voters. And to the utter amazement of the crowd, the developer and myself, the City Council went on to unanimously approve the rezoning... the PD will have more details, but probably won't mention the important role that David and Dick played in this. Thanks you guys!
