Menu
Menu
Housing is an increasingly complex issue. I’ve had many discussions with our city officials including our Development Director Erika Vandeband as well as developers. The state has mandated the building of 5800 units in Walnut Creek over the next 8 years of which approximately 30+% must be affordable. Our transportation funding and our ability to control how, where and what the building looks like is at risk. If we do not meet these metrics the state has threatened to remove local building plans and allow builders to resort to state guidelines.
Unfortunately building housing both market rate and affordable is expensive and the state has not sufficiently funded this building mandate.
I have experience in building and development. My wife and I recently completed constructing a new 3 unit condominium complex in Livermore and we can attest to the challenges of getting plans approved and the substantial planning and permitting fees. Not to mention the cost of construction, rising material prices, construction loans, PGE costs, trenching utility lines, unexpected costs, etc. I understand how difficult it is to make the projects make financial sense.
The city does not build these units, they are driven by the market. So in order to meet these building mandates we need to make building in Walnut Creek attractive and make the process easier.
But it also needs to make sense for Walnut Creek and be sensitive to our existing neighborhoods.
By being proactive and encouraging the right building we can maintain local control and maintain the integrity of the City we love.
In addition to state mandates, thoughtful building is in the best interest of our community. Think about our children’s future. I want them to be able to afford to live in our wonderful community and have the opportunity to contribute. By creating more affordable housing we give a pathway for the bright young minds of the future to live and thrive here in Walnut Creek. We also allow families of more modest incomes to live and work in Walnut Creek which benefits our community and our local businesses.
My vision for Walnut Creek is a city that is admired for an exceptional quality of life; a beautiful, diverse, sustainable city, with a thriving innovative economy, beautiful open space and arts, a downtown with unique experiences, dining and shopping, top notch healthcare and education.
We have all witnessed the recent disturbing trend in politics. The most extreme voices from the fringes have begun to dominate the conversation. We’ve seen what has happened in our neighboring bay area communities when the rational voices from the middle are lost and I know we don’t want that to happen here.
I believe my 20+ years of experience in the ER provides the skills of leadership, listening, empathy, problem solving and collaboration that are required to serve on the City Council.
Did you know that 28% of the companies in Walnut Creek are in healthcare? When forming a leadership council I believe great value comes from leaders with a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and experience. Currently there are no members of the City Council with a Healthcare background. I believe my experience and perspective will be a valuable addition to our current council.
I have spent the last 23 years practicing medicine. My experience in the ER is not just about medicine, it is about empathy, listening, digesting large quantities of information in a relatively short period of time and solving problems.
Walnut Creek, CA 94596