Election 2016 Candidates Questionnaire: Christian Patz

Christian Patz:

On Police, Bikes, Families & Density

The Tattler presents the 2016 election candidates questionnaire.  Candidates for elected office will answer questions broken down into topical sections that effect Emeryville residents. Responses will be released section by section rotating through all the responding candidates representing the City Council and School Board hopefuls.  

The order of presentation was chosen randomly. Regular Tattler stories will be interspersed in the 2016 election questionnaire.  Readers wishing to peruse all the answers by an individual may use the search bar function by entering ”Election 2016 Candidates Questionnaire” with the name of the candidate and all of that candidate’s sections will be presented. Alternatively just typing in the name of the candidate will also work. 

There are six candidates running for three seats.  

Mr Patz's bio can be viewed in the first questionnaire by using the search bar.
                                                        

Section 5 Police

After last year’s shooting of Yuvette Henderson by Emeryville police using a Colt AR-15 assault rifle, community members became alarmed to learn our police had quietly been issued these weapons and that they’re now routinely driving around with them as a matter of course. The City has used resources to tamp down citizens attempting to have a public debate about the wisdom of this militarism of our police department, specifically the routine carrying of these high powered rifles by contending these weapons are not assault rifles, directly contradicting the State of California’s finding that they are assault rifles. Police Departments up and down the State disagree with EPD. San Francisco PD, Oakland PD and San Jose PD among others say AR-15’s are assault rifles. The NRA agrees with the Chief that AR-15s are not assault rifles.

Tattler:  Do the people have a right to know how it is that the City of Emeryville has determined the State of California is wrong about the nature of AR-15s since they (the people) are paying for them in Emeryville?

  

Christian Patz:  The Tattler has done a good job of letting people know this information.

          

Section 6 Bicycling Transportation

Tattler:  Do you support Emeryville’s Bike Boulevard metric of no more than 3000 vehicle trips per day (vtd) for all bike boulevards west of Hollis Street?

  

Christian Patz:  What makes a Bike Boulevard is more than just Vehicle Trips per Day (VTD), it has more to do with optimizing bike traffic. As VTD approach and surpass 3000, more separation between bikes and cars should occur. Ideally, this would be done by reducing and diverting traffic, but can also be achieved by dedicated and protected lanes.
  

Section 7 Families

Emeryville is the least family friendly city in the whole East Bay and, distressingly as we continue to grow, becomes less family friendly over time; this even as we conspicuously build an ambitious new school campus. Developers, insisting over the years family friendly housing “won’t pencil out” economically (but their books are closed), have pushed back against the odd City Council member that has called on them to fix this problem. Notably over one crucial ten year period ending a few years ago, Emeryville actually lost families (in real numbers, not just as a ratio), even as the town doubled in population during the same period.

Tattler: To catch up with neighboring cities (and to erase a source of municipal embarrassment), Emeryville will need to provide virtually 100% family friendly housing from here on out, especially when one considers that our town is almost completely ‘built out’ at this point. Do you feel the ‘family friendly housing ordinance’, recently passed by the City Council, is up to the task of reversing this trend and delivering a city on par with our municipal neighbors?

Christian Patz:  The new ordinance is an excellent start and will help us move in the right direction. It will create more family friendly housing, but expecting us to reach Oakland or Berkeley levels is not realistic. My family has chosen Emeryville as our home. We are working to make it more family friendly, but we know that there are limitations in an urban center. Berkeley and Alameda are seen as family friendly areas, but they are not in the top 100 on the most recent list of Best Places to Raise a Family (https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-cities-for-families-in-california/15993/). Emeryville is right there with them.

Section 8 Density

With the advent of ‘smart growth’, city planners have recognized the advantages and even the desirability of increasing housing density in urban areas. This is well documented and developers have taken advantage of this new paradigm. However, as with all fads, in the rush to embrace it, sometimes critical former knowledge becomes lost. Problems associated with too much density are being disregarded and a new ‘supply and demand’ axiom has taken the place of our formerly near universal acknowledgment that there can be too much density.

Tattler:  How much density is too much density? What are the warning signs that too much density has been foisted upon us?

  

Christian Patz:  There is no question that high urban densities are important, but what is the right level, and how does it look? What we want to be dense enough to support vibrant main streets with retail and services for local needs, but not too congested that bike and transit infrastructure is negatively impacted.We want to maintain Emeryville's sense of community and not get so dense as that we slip into anonymity.Our streets are a joy to walk; sun should penetrate to street level so our ground floors can have cafes that spill out onto the street. Emeryville is currently 3,125 people per square kilometer; less than a third of New York City and half of San Francisco’s density. We are very quickly approaching enough density. 

  

Section 9 General/Miscellaneous

Tattler:  Emeryville’s business pay taxes to City Hall based on gross receipts. The largest businesses pay taxes at a much lower rate than smaller businesses because a former City Council majority placed a cap on taxes for all receipts higher than a certain amount, meaning those receipts are tax free; a classic regressive tax. Would you continue this regressive business tax structure, make it flat or make it progressive (larger businesses pay at a high rate than small business)?

  

Christian Patz:  I support a balanced approach to our tax structure. In general, taxes should be progressive as flat taxes tend to be regressive. I support looking into adjusting the cap but not ending it. Tax incentives are a way for Emeryville to attract and keep businesses. 

Tattler:  What Council members do you hold in high esteem, now and in the past? What Council members have done a poor job?

  

Christian Patz:  I could list the council members that I have endorsed and that have endorsed me, but I do not want to get into grading elected officials. Emeryville has been fortunate to have intelligent, hard working people give of themselves and their time for our great city. I want to thank (in order of time served) Nora Davis, Ruth Atkin, and Jac Asher for what they have done for Emeryville. The city is better because of their efforts and will miss what all of they have brought to the council.

Tattler:  Conservative City Council members have long conflated business interests with resident’s interests as they have gone about forwarding their pro-business agenda. This governing philosophy has led us to where we are now leaving so many residents are clamoring for change. Do you feel a need to conflate business interests with residents interests? How do you see the two groups interests as disparate insofar as you do?

Christian Patz:  I do not see them as competing interests, so yes I conflate them. Businesses, residents, and workers are three descriptors of people. Too much time and energy is spent 'othering' artificial groupings of people. Government’s role is to ensure a fair and equitable community. Sometimes that means capping taxes for a large business other times it means instituting a minimum wage. As a community, Emeryville understands this, as individuals, we worry how it will impact us. 

Election 2016 Candidates Questionnaire: Christian Patz

Christian Patz:

On Livability

The Tattler presents the 2016 election candidates questionnaire.  Candidates for elected office will answer questions broken down into topical sections that effect Emeryville residents. Responses will be released section by section rotating through all the responding candidates representing the City Council and School Board hopefuls.  

The order of presentation was chosen randomly. Regular Tattler stories will be interspersed in the 2016 election questionnaire.  Readers wishing to peruse all the answers by an individual may use the search bar function by entering ”Election 2016 Candidates Questionnaire” with the name of the candidate and all of that candidate’s sections will be presented. Alternatively just typing in the name of the candidate will also work. 

There are six candidates running for three seats and all answered our questionnaire save candidate for City Council Brynnda Collins.  

Today, candidate for City Council Christian Patz answers questions on livability (please check the previously posted section 1 answers for this candidate's bio):

Section 4  Livability

Tattler:  Other cities have implemented bans on ‘formula’ retail; that being national chains, franchises, fast food etc.  Emeryville already has a plethora of these kinds of businesses.  Do you see constituting a ban as something Emeryville should do moving forward?

Christian Patz:  Emeryville needs a balance between large and small retail and local and chain stores. As the onetime home of local Peet’s Coffee, Starbucks is preferred by many residents (I still make my coffee at home). For some small businesses, a franchise business is their local business. This is not something that can be done with a blanket ordinance but needs to be done on an individual basis.

Tattler:  New construction is commonly too expensive for local retail to afford because of the high rents developers must charge to recoup their construction costs.  This is often cited as the reason Emeryville can’t seem to deliver the kind of locally serving retail Emeryville residents want.  The Tattler has proposed new development write off retail rents associated with their residential projects by forcing developers to put in writing their assurances to bring locally serving/non-formula retail.  Would you force this assurance guarantee from developers for new residential development?

Christian Patz:  The city should look into this idea. What have other cities done around this issue? It would be great to see what models have worked and build from there.

Tattler:  Emeryville has gotten worse over time in several key areas, specifically with regards to the things residents tell us they want to see in their town.  We have been told by a generation of City Council members by their voting records that we must accept that Emeryville must get worse over time. The Tattler has made a declaration that we should not permit new development to make our town worse insofar as can be measured.  So for instance in affordability, park acreage per resident, locally serving retail, ratio of home ownership to rentals; these hallmarks of livability (and more) are measurable and the effect new development has on our existing metrics can be measured.  We could have a blanket insistence that all new development not make the town get measurably worse in key areas or even an insistence that new development make our town get measurably better.  Would you support this?

Christian Patz:  This question is too broad, subjective, and leading to answer in a meaningful way. I support not making Emeryville worse. I support affordability, parks, and home ownership, as does everyone running for council.  

Election 2016 Candidates Questionnaire: Christian Patz

Parks/Open Space &

Sherwin Williams Project:

Christian Patz

The Tattler presents the 2016 election candidates questionnaire.  Candidates for elected office will answer questions broken down into topical sections that effect Emeryville residents. Responses will be released section by section rotating through all the responding candidates representing the City Council and School Board hopefuls.  

The order of presentation was chosen randomly. Regular Tattler stories will be interspersed in the 2016 election questionnaire.  Readers wishing to peruse all the answers by an individual may use the search bar function by entering ”Election 2016 Candidates Questionnaire” with the name of the candidate and all of that candidate’s sections will be presented. Alternatively just typing in the name of the candidate will also work. 

There are six candidates running for three seats and all answered our questionnaire save candidate for City Council Brynnda Collins.  

Today, candidate for City Council Christian Patz answers questions on parks/open space and the Sherwin Williams development proposal (please check the previously posted section 1 answers for this candidate's bio):

Section 2  Parks/Open Space

Our General Plan says Emeryville is dramatically underserved in parks.  The 26 acres we have now (includes “linear” parks, essentially glorified sidewalks) must be increased by  21-26 acres within twelve years if our General Plan is to be honored.  However something must change in Emeryville if this is to be achieved because with each passing year, we drift farther away from our goal.  Our park fees obtained from developers have not kept pace with our needs.

Tattler:  City planners use the metric of residents per acre of park land to measure how well a city’s residents are being served.  Oakland is well served with park/open space at approximately 67 residents per acre.  Emeryville currently has about 500 residents per acre.  After peaking in the late 1970’s, Emeryville’s ratio of residents per acre of park/open space has gone down every year since then, despite a few small parks having been built.  This disturbing downward trend has actually accelerated over the last 10 years. Increasing developers park fees is unlikely to help much moving forward owing to the limited amount of developable land left.  Acknowledging all this, what can be done to build the amount of park land we say we want?

Christian Patz:  As we increase our density, this is going to happen. Sometimes we are going to sacrifice park space for housing and sometimes we are going to sacrifice housing for park space. 

If we have 26 acres of parkland,  that means that 3.2% of land in Emeryville is parks. We can increase population density by building up, we cannot do this with parks. Focusing on the person to park acres ration will not work. We should look to add as much park space as possible by looking at what land the city currently owns or can acquire. We will then need to identify funding sources for developing the land.

Tattler:  Our General Plan is very clear on parks/open space; we need more than we have, twice as much.  But the disconnect between what the people say they want and what they’re getting is extreme in Emeryville.  There seems to be no political will to follow the General Plan once politicians get in office.  Politicians routinely say they’re going to turn this around but they have not yet done so.  And yet the voters keep voting for these politicians.  Several council members have been re-elected over and over again. Does this tell you the people don’t really want parks, regardless of what they say?  Are you willing to consider amending our General Plan to delete parks if you can’t or won’t deliver on your promise to build more so at least our guiding document will accurately reflect reality and not be a pie-in-the-sky fantasy meant to elect dishonest politicians?  Considering all this, at what point should the General Plan be considered a failure?

Christian Patz:  This is an historic election in Emeryville. No matter the outcome, every council member will be in their first term. Dianne [Martinez] and Scott [Donahue] are committed to working toward a better city. I will work with them to align the city with the general plan or the general plan to the city. Doing so will not be an overnight task and may not happen in the way some people expect. No plan as broad and ambitious as the city’s general plan is ever a failure or complete success. Given the number of people that worked on it and the quality of the plan, it is a success. Making it a reality will take time and adjustment.

Section 3  Sherwin Williams Project

The Sherwin Williams development project is a mostly residential proposal earmarked for the last large piece of fallow land left in Emeryville.  This single project could easily increase Emeryville’s population by more than 10%.  At 540 all rental residential units planned as well as some office space and a small amount of retail, this project promises to be very consequential for our town for better or worse.

Tattler:  The Sherwin Williams developers propose to add 2.08 acres of public park on the site.  Using the standard formula of 2 people per unit (more if the project attracts families as the developers say it will), the project will come in at about 520 residents per acre and help bring down Emeryville’s already deplorable residents/park acre average. Should negative skewing of our park/residents ratio like this be a disqualifying condition for this project?

Christian Patz:  Would I prefer to see a nice central city park on that parcel, yes. The current plan includes green / park space. Unless the city purchases the land, conversion to a park is not going to happen. The city needs to look at the land it currently owns, parcels that are becoming available, and any surplus land the entities in town have. We need to budget and plan for acquisition and development. This may mean partnering with members of the community or looking into bond funding.

Tattler:  The Sherwin Williams site is relatively cheap since it is fallow.  Because our General Plan requires us to build many more acres of parks within 12 years and because it’s cheaper for the City to buy fallow land than land with buildings already on it for this purpose, and because the City of Emeryville has the capacity to pass a park bond to raise revenue for this, is making the Sherwin Williams site a large park a rational choice?

Christian Patz:  City staff should look at every parcel to present options to the council that includes affordable housing and parks. If the past council had been more forward thinking, this would have been a good use of the land. I am running to make sure we are no longer a developer first town. I will work with Scott and Dianne, who have endorsed me, to make sure we look at the long term future and benefit in Emeryville.



Tattler:  With more than 500 parking spaces, this project can be fairly called another Emeryville ‘drive-in drive-out’ residential development.  Do you see adding this many cars to our streets as being offset by any benefits to existing residents by the project’s amenities?

Christian Patz:  No. We need to look at the transportation needs of the area. More cars will not help. A local resident suggested closing Hollis at 40th, I would be interested in seeing what impact that would have on traffic.

Tattler:  Is Emeryville right now not up to snuff, a less-than-desirable place to live that can only be improved by the Sherwin Williams project going in as proposed?  Do we ‘need’ the Sherwin Williams development? 

Christian Patz:  As I said, the proposed project is not one I hoped for. That said, I am not nor can we be blanketly anti-development. The proposed project, based on the EIR, is a weak but reasonable compromise. It is what we can expect with the current composition of the planning commission and council. As the project progresses, there will be a new council and we can adjust aspects to make ensure Emeryville gets the most it can from the project.

Tattler:  The project is hemmed in on the west by the railroad tracks and on the north by land slated for future development by Novartis, to the east is the Horton Street Bike Boulevard that our General Plan forbids adding more traffic to. How will the retail there be viable with these constraints let alone the office space and the residential units?

Christian Patz:  With most retail businesses, location is the single most important factor. I can think of several businesses that could thrive in that location and multiple that would fail. I am excited to see what opens there. Viability will depend on a strong business plan, awareness of the neighborhood, and community use of the new spaces that will be created. 

Election 2016 Candidates Questionnaire: Christian Patz

Housing Affordability: 

Christian Patz

The Tattler presents the 2016 election candidates questionnaire.  Candidates for elected office will answer questions broken down into topical sections that effect Emeryville residents. Responses will be released section by section rotating through all the responding candidates representing the City Council and School Board hopefuls.  

The order of presentation was chosen randomly. Regular Tattler stories will be interspersed in the 2016 election questionnaire.  Readers wishing to peruse all the answers by an individual may use the search bar function by entering ”Election 2016 Candidates Questionnaire” with the name of the candidate and all of that candidate’s sections will be presented. Alternatively just typing in the name of the candidate will also work. 

There are six candidates running for three seats and all answered our questionnaire save candidate for City Council Brynnda Collins.  

Today, candidate for City Council Christian Patz, who answers questions on affordable housing:

Christian Patz

Bio:

I set my roots in Emeryville in 2003, when my wife I and purchased our home in the Triangle neighborhood. Our family grew in 2010 with the birth of our son. I am a special education teacher that now works as the Director of Special Education for the Oakland School for the Arts. I have served on the Emery School Board for the last two years.

Campaign website: http://www.crpatz.com

Section 1 Housing Affordability

With each passing year, Emeryville becomes less affordable, regardless of the epic residential building spree over the last 20 years here.  Emeryville has never built housing at a pace even close to what we have done recently.  And yet, affordable housing remains Emeryville’s most intractable problem most people agree.

Tattler: Emeryville’s affordability rate right now is approximately 11% city-wide according to City Hall using their metrics.  We had more than 30 years of the Emeryville Redevelopment Agency (RDA) who’s primary function was providing affordable housing and 11% is the sum total we could muster with all the largess that agency could bring to bear.  How do you see us raising the 11% average appreciably in the post Redevelopment Agency era? 

Christian Patz:  Housing is the biggest issue in the entire Bay Area and Emeryville especially. The complexity of the issue will require the council to look beyond a single solution. I will work with our economic development team to look at future projects to determine the best way to proceed. San Francisco and Alameda have models that are showing promise.

Tattler:  Emeryville, formerly an industrial wasteland with lots of abandoned warehouses and factories in the 1980’s has been almost completely rebuilt now with lots of housing and shopping centers.  Seeing so little fallow land left and the housing stock that we have is mostly less than 25 years old, where will we build the affordable housing that we need?

Christian Patz:  Our goal should be to include 15 to 20 percent affordable units in every new large scale project.

Tattler:  Urban density is generally recognized as a net positive thing.  However, increasing density also comes with its own problems, overcrowding of parks and traffic being among them.  Emeryville right now has more than 200% of recommended market rate housing according to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG).  How do you suggest we increase affordability without increasing our existing 200% of market rate housing more?  Is ABAG wrong?

Christian Patz:  Given the way development was done in Emeryville over the last 20 plus years, moving any of the percentages is going to be a challenge. We need to treat any increase in affordable housing as a victory. As each new project comes to the commission and then council, we need need to focus on increasing our affordable housing stock. Over time, we can move the needle from 11% to 12%, then 13%, and on until we get in line with and then ahead of the rest of the Bay Area.

Tattler:  'Supply and demand' is central to classical economics as everyone knows.  Here in Emeryville, developers and some others are using this argument to forward a position that the problem in Emeryville is that we haven't been building enough housing and that's why its so expensive here.  Yet at 200% ABAG recommendations for market rate housing (and going higher), the more we build, the higher the housing costs go.  Neighboring cities have built less than 100% of ABAG recommendations.  Does Emeryville have to be a sacrifice zone for the greater region to satiate the supply and demand axiom posited by some?

Christian Patz: Emeryville is a unique city in the area and we can not compare ourselves to other cities. I feel we are using the wrong metrics. As a town of 10,000 people, you could find we have 200% of multiple elements. We have 300% more Ikeas per residents than East Palo Alto. We have a limited supply of affordable housing in the Bay Area and a huge demand. Changing that is going to take thoughtful planning going forward and there will need to be a regional plan.