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I'm here in @LakeForestCA tonight to advocate for 80 units of 100% affordable housing. In general public comment, residents are REALLY angry about the homelessness problem and want the city to DO SOMETHING. Will they stay and support affordable housing?
@LakeForestCA City attorney says that Lake Forest has joined a coalition of cities to seek Supreme Court review of Martin v. Boise, which prohibits cities from enforcing anti-camping laws if they have not provided homeless shelters.
@LakeForestCA Based on a show of hands, almost everyone in this packed room is here to discuss the 100% affordable housing project. They all previously said they wanted the city to DO SOMETHING about homelessness, so surely they will all support this project, right?
@LakeForestCA Awesome staff presentation at @LakeForestCA. This dude is actually explaining the housing crisis to people in common-sense terms. Wish more staff would do that.
@LakeForestCA Staff is now schooling residents and council on new aggressive state housing measures. YOU CAN'T JUST SAY NO TO EVERYTHING ANYMORE.
@LakeForestCA Staff notes that @lakeforest is required to accommodate over 1,000 affordable units during this 8 year cycle, but has only approved 100 (actually, HCD says it's zero, but whatever).
@LakeForestCA @LakeForest @LakeForestCA has $5.9 million in in-lieu inclusionary fees from approved MR housing, but can't spend it cause it's not approving any affordable housing.
@LakeForestCA @LakeForest Project manager notes the project is walkable (walk score of 88 -- not sure what that means TBH) and near retail. Sounds good to me but there's some grumbling from the natives. Maybe that's bc she also said 32 homes per acre!
@LakeForestCA @LakeForest Lots of passive-aggressive murmuring at mention of 1.5 parking spaces per unit. I guess that's not enough?
@LakeForestCA @LakeForest Man oh man, when are project proponents going to stop telling people that they estimate the project will REDUCE traffic? Nobody EVER believes that, and you'll NEVER convince them. Room explodes at that statement, as I've seen many times before.
@LakeForestCA @LakeForest Ladies and gentlemen, you could have been anywhere in the world tonight but you're here with me in @LakeForestCA . Are you ready for PUBLIC COMMENT, huh?
@LakeForestCA @LakeForest Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...that's for me-- not you.
@LakeForestCA @LakeForest What about property values, first guy asks. Uh, what's the homelessness crisis doing for your property values?
The council does not seem to have a timer for public speakers and they're letting people talk as long as they want. Please pray for me.
One lady asks everyone opposed to the project to stand up, and every single person in this crowded room stands up. All boomers, btw.
Don't worry about getting sued, one guy says. The state will warn us first before they sue, and then we can worry about it.
CORE may be a nonprofit, but I'm sure their executives do very well, he says. Greedy developers!
THERE'S NO PARKING! there are only 8 parking spaces for every car in America.
How many council members live in this area, someone asks. I guess this is an at large city council.
Guy from Mercy House is being shouted down. How much are you being paid?
Just made my public comment. Hard to talk as I was being shouted down but think I made my point.
I may have to leave early so I don't get shanked by an angry resident.
I misspoke earlier. I would say 20% of people here are in favor of the project. All under age 60.
NIMBYS always think it's a Mic drop to ask: do you live in the area? Ooh ya got me Matlock.
Omg this guy LITERALLY says: no one here is against affordable housing per se, the issue is the location. Then launches into traffic, parking etc. My bingo card is full.
NIMBY dude just turned to the project proponents and asked them how much they make. "Every single one of them has an incentive." THEN PROCEEDS TO TALK ABOUT HIS PROPERTY VALUES.
I can't take this any more. Going home now.
Just got home and in between vomiting I learned something. Lake Forest just switched to district elections, but did it staggered, so RN there is no rep for the district where the proposed project is. They are planning to stick it in the area where there is no rep.
It's not ideal democracy, but however we can get this done... Local democracy is broken to begin with.
Ouch, this @LakeForestCA councilmember apparently just learned about SB330. "What committee is that in?" Staff responds: uh, it passed both houses and it's with the governor now.
@LakeForestCA Correction: there was a timer, but the mayor was extremely lax about it. Also with hecklers.
@LakeForestCA Never seen a meeting quite like this. Members of the audience are shouting at the council members and then the council members are dialoguing with them from the dais.
@LakeForestCA Finally, the city attorney steps in and establshes order. "It's a misdemeanor to disrupt a public meeting." Really the mayor could do more to keep order here.
@LakeForestCA Looks like council is going to approve. They tried to wuss out and delay things, then the proponent said they would lose the deal with the seller if they delayed any longer.
@LakeForestCA Approved 3-0 with 1 abstention. Total cowardice for the mayor pro tem to abstain and leave her colleagues holding the bag. She spent all her time lecturing the crowd about how they had to accept reality and then.. refused to make a decision.
@LakeForestCA Really breathtaking to see the mayor pro tem abstain. She spent 30 minutes talking about how a hard choice needed to be made, telegraphing to her colleagues that she would back them up if they did the same for her. Then she weaseled out and left them exposed.
@LakeForestCA What does it say about local democracy that the only way we can get housing approved is when there's a vacancy on the city council and nobody represents the district where we're sticking the housing? And even then the councilmembers hedge their bets and demand more parking.
