ARNOLD BACKS LOSS OF LOCAL CONTROL OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING & ZONING

Arnold is an advocate of the of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 2010 policy enacted by the current Administration  and aided by new interpretations and new laws that tie together the controversial social engineering concepts of “affirmative fair housing”  and “affordable housing”. She has tried to cover up her real agenda by verbally supporting Levine’s legislative bill to reclassify Marin County as a suburban area with lower housing density requirements.

Under present regulations in Marin County a developer must disclose plans for adjacent parcels when applying for approval. A local community typically has a strong master plan approval process in place for land use using zoning and this includes and applies to how and where subsidized housing is developed for low income households. This process protects cities from being planned by outside agencies. A single vote by a Marin County Supervisor could change the policy in Marin. The best way to minimize the chance of this happening is to replace Arnold with someone who reflects Novato resident’s preferences such as Shroyer

Judy Arnold supports and has publically supported the loss of local master plan zoning by local communities. The Marin County Board of Supervisors voted 3 to 2 to stop a plan to waive master plan requirements for affordable housing projects. Judy Arnold was one of the two Supervisors who voted eliminate the master plan requirement and consequently local review/control of affordable housing projects at the city level. Otherwise, the County would then be in control.

She has publically endorsed SUNN a Marin Community Fund funded high density/low income affordable housing special interest group that fought at every level Novato’s successful approval by the State of the Novato Housing Element plan with its lower density requirement. She is definitely at odds with the majority of residents in Novato when it comes to low income/high density housing preferences. The special interest housing groups crow that she is a “leader”. Novato neighborhood groups say sotto voce she is a “traitor” to local preferences. Whatever, if the shoe fits wear it.

Southern Marin’s best friend is Judy Arnold who they know won’t stick up for Novato when a push comes to a shove over controversial issues such as allocation of high density/low income housing. She hasn’t protected Novato from problem tenants from outside District 5 being transferred into Novato, i.e. Contra Costa County. She hasn’t insisted that senior housing in Novato when it comes on the market is advertised in Novato.

Judy Arnold stunned Novato residents by voting to not support local community plans that mandate a rigorous master plan approval process involving low income affordable housing. Her reasoning was that developers not having to meet local master plans would remove impediments to developing low income housing. Fortunately, Arnold was outvoted but her allegiance to the County planners and not to local city planners such as Novato was revealed and has not changed.

Tony Shroyer brings none of this nonsense with her candidacy. For Novato’s future it is critical that she sent to San Rafael with a mandate from Novato that it is no longer business as usual as Novato now has cajones and is no longer the lapdog of the rest of Marin.