OPINION: Baloney Sandwich, Anyone?

With Mayor McCormick as point man, the current Orinda City Council has publicly, or in some cases, more obtusely in this election year, advocated the support of high rise, high density, mixed use, condo village re-development of the Theatre Square district and other downtown districts, with the logic that more downtown residences mean a jump in retail sales tax revenue, which in turn, means better quality roadways for Orinda.

"Not so much," says Steve Wahlstrom, an award-winning, independent, urban planner, with more than 200 municipal projects on his resume. At the September 7 city council meeting, Mr. Wahlstrom presented his Retail Sales Tax Leakage Report for Orinda, based on his April 2010 research. When asked how much retail sales tax revenue would jump with an influx of downtown residents, Mr. Wahlstrom held up his thumb and fore-finger in the universal symbol for a skosh, and advised that projecting a meaningful retail sales tax increase to justify the construction of high rise, high density, mixed use, condo village, re-development, was flawed reasoning.

An incredulous city council proceeded to ask Mr. Wahlstrom the same question, multiple times. And they kept getting the same answer. Mr. Wahlstrom elaborated that a broader range of retail offerings, in line with national chain, box stores, would be needed to meaningfully increase Orinda's retail sales tax, but deemed such a solution as unviable. His explanation? Orinda's narrow mountain canyon topography, especially in the Theatre District, precludes a development site that could accommodate the minimum square footage and associated parking requirements, mandated by such national corporate retailers.

Clearly, the city council expected and wanted a different answer from their anticipated ally. Now, some city employee might subsequently take Mr. Wahlstrom to the woodshed, and instruct him on how to "play ball" for his $10,000 consulting fee, but the truth is out in the open and the truth is clear.

If this current city council professes that high rise, high density, mixed use, condo village re-development is the prime rib panacea for all that ails Orinda, then why does it smell so much like baloney?

And how does a city council that pleads it is too poor to be able to afford an independent, professional survey of what Orindans want from their downtown, still find the funds for a Retail Sales Tax Leakage Report, plus the facilitation firm for the upcoming workshops on the Downtown Proposed Plan? Why is this city council so intent on spending public money to sell a proposal, which is founded on erroneous assumptions, instead of scientifically surveying its citizens or putting the Proposed Downtown Plan to a vote of the citizens?

Owen Murphy

Orinda