The Great Planning Debate
"Plan Bay Area... is it good for the region? Is it good for Marin?"
May 30th, Marin Civic Center, Board of Supervisors Chamber
6:30-8:30pm
Admission Free ($5-$10 donation suggested)
Many of you may have already read my diatribe on how the SMART Civic Center Station Area Plan public input process was rigged. When I discovered that Plan Bay Area, the mother of all high density housing and transit oriented development plans spanning the entire region, would follow a similar process I was even more concerned - so I sent this letter to Ezra Rapport, Executive Director of ABAG hoping to unwind an input process that seemed to be even more one sided.
My main concern was that the Plan Bay Area public hearing process did not create a level playing field. ABAG and MTC would be on a podium presenting their plan, meanwhile residents would be limited to milling around tables where we could silently submit comments into comment stations.
ABAG and MTC would be responsible for reviewing the comments (not an independent third party). Public input or opposition would be confined to:
- speaking from the floor (not the podium)
- limited to 3 minutes (not half an hour)
I sent my letter to ABAG assuming nothing would transpire. A week or so later I was called out of the blue by Ezra Rapport. I was stunned, and grateful - here's a busy man leading a major public agency taking time out to speak to me, a humble member of the general public who lives in Marin!
He first apologized admitting he didn't think he would be able to accommodate any of the requests in my letter. But during the conversation it became clear he was an adept debater, and welcomed the opportunity of putting Plan Bay Area to a just such an "Oxford style" debate. Ezra would help. I was elated!
Now 2 months later the "Great Planning Debate" is on. Ezra called Supervisor Susan Adams who together with her aide Susannah Clark have been instrumental in putting this event together logistically. We nailed down a debate motion "Plan Bay Area - Is it Good for the Region and Good for Marin?" and Susan secured leading proponents - MTC Commissioner and Marin Supervisor Steve Kinsey and Mark Luce who is ABAG's President and a Napa County Supervisor. I am genuinely thrilled that they are both speaking as they both have involvement at a very senior level in the plan.
Securing Opposition Speakers: O'Toole and Rubin
Just as I'd reached out to Ezra I cheekily sent an email to a leading light opposing the Transit Oriented Development approach of Plan Bay Area - Randal O'Toole. O'Toole was a senior fellow of the Cato institute an accomplished author who wrote a highly readable book that I recommend called "Gridlock".
O'Toole suggested I contact Thomas Rubin - a local (Oakland not Marin) transportation consultant who was Chief Financial Officer of Southern California Rapid Transit District and presided over the finances of transit agency during one of few periods when ridership per capita actually increased.
Finding the Ideal Moderator
Susan Adams and I spent countless calls working out who would work well as a moderator - a neutral that knew the importance of not showing bias, and one with enough assertiveness to keep speakers and audience in place when discussing a topic that evokes passionate feelings on both sides. Thanks to Susan's efforts we were very lucky to secure a Marin Superior Court Judge - Judge Verna Adams.
The Debate is On!
Now the Debate is on and I truly hope that finally provides a much needed two-sided forum where everyone can hear the facts.
I'm sure that both strong supporters and opponents of Plan Bay Area will attend, but my underlying hope is that there are residents out there who have only recently learned of Plan Bay Area who choose to attend, listen and learn and size up Plan Bay Area. Sadly of course the public comment period is over for the plan (logistics prevented it being set up in time) - but I find solace in the fact that there's always the court of public opinion.
Finally I think the significance of the debate may live through the legacy of the video coverage that it generates. For every one person who attends live I predict five or more will watch edited highlights videos.
Lastly, sadly, I have found that I cannot attend the debate that I instigated due to employer commitments. I truly hope that many attend, are open minded and are enlightened. It's great to experience a debate - an event representing the heart of democracy.
