HomeMy WebLinkAbout020521 SINGH, JONATHAN PUBLIC COMMENT
Marie Sunseri
From:Jonathan Singh <jonathan.c.singh@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, February 4, 2021 2:41 PM
To:Marie Sunseri
Subject:Public Comment: 2/5/21 Special Meeting, Item 4, Housing Element
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Hello, I am writing to submit a public comment for the 2/5/2021 special meeting of the Town Council
for annual planning. My comment is regarding Agenda Item 4, Housing Element Update. I kindly
request that this comment be read aloud into the record at the meeting. I timed the comment to
ensure it takes less than three minutes to read aloud.
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We would like to introduce ourselves as members of East Bay for Everyone. East Bay For Everyone is a group
that advocates for more affordable and market rate housing and public transportation in the East Bay. We are
run by volunteers and funded by small donations. We have members in Contra Costa and Alameda counties,
including in the San Ramon Valley. We are looking forward to engaging with the Town of Danville during the
Housing Element process to help it meet its obligations in the 2023-2030 Housing Element.
In the midst of the severe housing affordability crisis and climate crisis, we believe it makes sense for Danville
to seek to build significantly more housing. Danville is a highly desirable community, close to job centers in San
Ramon and Walnut Creek, with excellent schools. The Town of Danville is exactly the kind of community that
should welcome new neighbors of all backgrounds and income levels.
We urge you to think of the benefits of more housing, especially in already built-up areas. Increased density
around the historic downtown core will benefit small businesses by increasing foot traffic, and boosting Town
tax revenue. Allowing more people to live near shops, restaurants, and public transportation would also reduce
car traffic in Danville. More walkable communities also make it easier for seniors to age in place.
We know that Town residents value parks and open space. That's why we think Danville's future housing
should go to currently occupied sites that can be redeveloped at a higher density. This prevents sprawling
development encroaching on pristine hillsides.
More density also benefits existing homeowners, as they can increase their equity by welcoming new
neighbors, instead of letting scarcity increase their home value to a price that their own children could never
afford, even making the same income as their parents did. "Gentle density" where houses upgrade to
duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and small apartment buildings is a large part of how California became what it
is today, and is a way to accommodate the Town's housing obligations without it all being larger apartment
buildings. That said, more apartment buildings will be necessary as well, especially to make below-market-rate
housing more feasible with less subsidy.
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We do not believe that building a safe, comfortable community means being exclusive and keeping people out.
Morality and family values are not a function of income. Nurses, schoolteachers, construction workers, and
retail workers should be able to afford good housing. Danville is an integral part of the Bay Area regional
economy and must be a part of fulfilling that need.
We look forward to further meetings and discussions on this subject. If you would like to contact us, you can
email info@eastbayforeveryone.org.
Best,
Jonathan
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Jonathan Singh
East Bay for Everyone
Email: Jonathan.C.Singh@gmail.com
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