Land Use Policy - Affordable Housing |
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Drew Tipton |
| What is your position on affordable housing? Please be specific with regards to policies you support or oppose. |
Affordable housing needs to be available to those who need it. However, this needs to be balanced with other needs in the community as well. Affordable housing shouldn't be built "just because", but rather housing needs to be built in proportion to needs in the community. |
| Do you support modifying city policies to make it easier and cheaper to build housing? If so, what specific policy changes do you support? |
Greenfield city policies have already been adjusted to make it easier to build housing. I believe housing and city planning need to go hand in hand -- as additional commercial and industrial areas are built, residential areas need to be built up to support those areas. |
| Do you support requiring developers to actually build inclusionary units instead of paying an “in lieu” fee? |
Yes. Inclusionary units should be being built, particularly in South County where we already have issues with housing. |
| Do you support requiring that “inclusionary housing” units be made permanently affordable, even upon resale? If not, please explain. |
I believe that "inclusionary housing" should have a renewable sunset period, and that housing needs in the community should be re-evaluated on a periodic basis. If a unit is inclusionary now, it may not need to be inclusionary in 5 years or 10 years. |
| Do you support requiring developers of hospitality, commercial and industrial projects that significantly increase demand for already scarce housing resources to also build workforce housing? |
I believe that developers of commercial and industrial projects should partner with developers of residential projects in order to ensure availability of housing for their workforce, but each project needs to be able to stand on its own. A project should not be voted down simply because there is not enough housing included with the project. However, the type of workers that a project is going to require may alter the requirements for housing. |
| What other housing policies do you support or oppose? |
I oppose building housing 'just because.' Each project needs to be able to come to the planning commission and/or the city council and be able to clearly articulate what the need is within the city and how the project is going to help fulfill that need. I expect them to work closely with LAFCO and the city planning department to get the numbers that support their project. |
Water Supplies |
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Drew Tipton |
| What specific proposals do you support to ensure your community can meet its water demands without over-drafting groundwater aquifers? |
I support the South County cities looking into water supplies and demands in order to balance those with upcoming capital projects. I also support capital projects to replace aging water and sewer systems to help reduce the requirements for those systems. |
Sprawl Reduction |
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Drew Tipton |
| Do you support the creation of “urban growth boundaries” or expansion of the existing boundary as a way to prevent urban sprawl, and to insure that future growth is compact, efficient, and protective of the environment? If not, what measures would you support to prevent urban sprawl? If yes, will you sponsor an urban growth boundary in the upcoming year, and make it one of your top three priorities |
Greenfield already has a city limit and sphere-of-influence plan in place to limit the 'sprawl' of the city. There are plenty of locations within the city that can be redeveloped without drastically impacting the environment. I believe that redevelopment of existing parcels is more beneficial to the city and the environment than new development. I will look into an urban growth boundary for Greenfield and will support it if it makes sense for a city of our size. |
Transportation |
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Drew Tipton |
| New commercial developments and hotels create more trips and additional vehicle miles travelled on already overcrowded roads and highways. Both residents and visitors pay the price of delay and increased pollution. What specific traffic congestion relief solutions do you support? |
Transportation, particularly in South County, is extremely important. I support public transportation options that make sense. A light rail or train system connecting to CalTrain would be an effective idea for some residents in South County. Enhancing carpool initiatives and other public transportation options may be an effective manner of reducing congestion. |
| Do you support roundabouts on Highway 68 and other roads? What other transportation policies or practices have you seen that local governments should incorporate? |
Roundabouts on Hwy 68 between Salinas and Monterey would probably be counterproductive. I have seen roundabouts work effectively in lighter-traffic areas, provided that education is provided around them being installed. I would like to see light-rail and/or commuter rail provided in Monterey County. I would like to see off-hour public jobs added as well, in order to reduce the impact on mainstream commute times. |
Leadership |
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Drew Tipton |
| If you are elected, what will be your top three priorities? |
My main priorities in Greenfield will be improving public safety, improving the transparency of the city government, and working to improve the quality of life for all residents of the city. |
| What land use policies are you willing to champion for the community? |
I want to promote effective use of the existing zoning in the community. I want to promote fulfillment of the Walnut Avenue Specific Plan, and work to bring new commercial and industrial opportunities to the city. |
| What accomplishments in your career or public service are you most proud of? |
Right now, in public service, I'm most proud of bringing Rancho San Miguel and other commercial properties into the community. |
Background |
| Full Name |
Drew Tipton |
| Occupation |
Engineer |
| Years Lived in Area |
12 |
| Education |
Bachelors and Masters in Nuclear Engineering |
| Experience |
Greenfield City Planning Commissioner for 8 years (Chair for 6). Greenfield Fire Protection District Board of Directors for 6 years. |