Affordable Housing Expert Opposes Project

Local affordable housing consultant Mark Baldwin sent the Planning Commission a strong critique of the Quan-AMG project last February. Since AMG has made no significant changes to its proposal, his criticisms stand. Here are excerpts from Baldwin's protest:

I have over ten years experience in the affordably housing industry. I have worked as an affordable housing consultant to the Brothertown Indian Tribe of Wisconsin in the creation of 24 units of senior housing. I want to support this project, but I cannot because of the following reasons:

1) AMG's approach has been smug, dismissive, and they have not taken our concerns seriously. They still haven't done their homework, they want a passing grade, and if you give them one, you have set a dangerous precedent to other developers to come into our neighborhood and ignore existing zoning laws.

2) Serious questions remain about whether this project can pencil out without a subsidy from the City of Oakland or the State of California. It is not clear whether this project will be awarded 9 percent tax credits, and while the City of Oakland may eventually step in with a subsidy, the way this project is structured, it will not be competitive for California Multifamily Housing Program funds. Why is this important? Because if you approve this project with all of its variances and it doesn't pencil out, AMG can move on to its next project, but the precedent will be set for other developers to ask for the same variances that AMG was granted.

3) The numerous health, safety, traffic, zoning and a myriad of other issues have not been adequately addressed, regardless of what the Planning Department staff report says. I do not believe some nebulous General Plan that will take another couple of years to complete trumps all existing zoning. To approve this project would show a disregard of the zoning regulations you have been sworn to uphold.

Thank you.

– Mark Baldwin