There. I said it. Someone needed to. Here's today's Virginian-Pravda monster editorial, and they picked up on the same statement by Sessoms. http://hamptonroads.com/2008/09/new-set-rules-virginia-beach-elections Note that they picked up on some of the same things in the Mayoral forum that I did in yesterday afternoon's post.
A Study by Virginia Tech found that Virginia Beach has a shortage of over 14,000 affordable housing units. Last year City Council enacted a Workforce Housing Program which so far has resulted in...uh...zero units being built. Yes, City Council passing a Resolution formally committing us to light rail would help, in that the program is specific to Strategic Growth Areas.
However, City Staff at the time made it clear that the program alone will only make a dent in the shortage. If proposals for units in the SGAs don't materialize in the next 9 months, City Council should take up a mandatory Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance in June, 2009. That would be after the Budget is completed, uncluttering Council's agenda.
5 comments:
You don't for a minute believe he is sincere, do you? He is simply pandering to the audience.
Sessoms' developer buddies are completely opposed to mandatory inclusionary zoning and they will expect a return on the $500,000.00 they have invested in him.
I was shocked when I heard the statement.
Sincere or not, we now have him on tape saying it. If he tries to squirm out of the pledge after being elected, gotcha.
Somehow "gotcha" won't really help. Recall that DeSteph signed a pledge that he would support affordable housing at the Empower Hampton Roads forum in 2006.
Since then, he has voted against it (just like the VBTA told him to).
A signed document didn't deter him, and a tape of Sessoms won't stop him from doing likewise.
On the way home from work today it came to me: it's the structure of the mandatory Inclusionary Zoning program.
It would be possible to do a mandatory IZ program that would produce a few affordable units...but with a large density bonus that allows Sessoms' developer/donors to reap a huge bonanza.
The affordable units would be nothing but a fig leaf for Sessoms paying back his donors.
Frankly, nobody believes a word he says...
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