1. Imagine the City of Fresno has discovered a budget surplus of $5 million, and the Mayor and Council agree the money should be used for Downtown. What would you do with the $5 million?

Five million dollars sounds like a lot of money, but it won’t go that far considering the tens millions of dollars needed to successfully revitalize downtown. If I had five million I would consider these alternatives: 1) streetscape beautification and façade improvement project such as the Fulton Mall or Chinatown; 2) building a parking structure; and 3) moving a smaller project (e.g. Fresh and Easy grocery store) on a faster track.

2. What are your top three Downtown-related priorities once in office?

People, people and people. The missing component in downtown is residential development. Over the past 10 years, many office buildings have been constructed that offer employment for thousands of workers. We need to offer attractive single family and multi-family housing to lure these workers and others to live downtown. Once the housing element is successfully nested retail development will follow. Retailers like drug stores, grocery stores, restaurants, clothing stores and other will track the demographics of an area and when the population reaches a certain point they will actively work to place their stores to attract the new residents.

3. Where do you stand on the various water feature ideas that have been proposed for Downtown? And in the larger picture, what is the proper role of bold, game-changing, “silver bullet” projects in Downtown revitalization?

I believe the mayor’s recent proposal for an elaborate and expensive water feature is ahead of its time. The development of downtown will follow a brick-by-brick, block-by-block development sequence of commercial, residential and retail components. Another salient issue with a large water feature is our critical water shortage. The type of water feature proposed would contain millions of gallons of water and, at this point in time, I do not believe it would be prudent. Silver bullet ideas sound great but they create expectations that cannot ever be achieved. We need to develop a detailed and achievable plan for downtown revitalization with benchmarks that can be tracked and measured to keep the focus on achieving the goals.

4. What does Fresno, as a diverse city and community, need from its Downtown? Do suburban families, for instance, care if it is vibrant - and if they don’t care, does it matter? How can Downtown be a vibrant place that serves Fresnans with both urban and suburban mindsets?

In most cities, the historic downtown area is the focal point or center of the city. Fresno, like so many other cities in California has rapidly urbanized over the past 50 years in a steady outward expansion that has decimated farmland and abandoned its urban core. I have talked to thousands of residents in Northeast Fresno and they are concerned about downtown. Market forces drive people to where they choose to live. You can create the market for downtown that will attract both urban and suburban people. Not everyone will want to live downtown but the right attractions will bring everyone downtown to attend a sports event, an entertainment event, dining, or shopping. Downtown must be developed along a “main street” theme where everything that is developed including commercial, residential and retail follows that theme. Historic icons such as the Security Bank Building must be preserved. Newer building that will be built should not follow the standard corporate template. For example, if a Home Depot wants to build downtown, I would require the façade to meet the guidelines of a “main street” theme so that even newer buildings or businesses will have a unique quality to them that cannot be found anywhere else in Fresno.

5. Do you have a plan to help reduce homelessness in Fresno? If so, does your plan address the perception of some -- fair or not -- that Downtown Fresno is unsafe at night because of its homeless population?

The homeless problem is a complex social issue that touches upon the very fabric of our society and how we take care of one another. A recent Grand Jury report concludes that the local efforts for the chronically homeless are not well coordinated and very costly. The report estimated that it will cost about $100,000 annually to care for each homeless person. Current programs are not cost effective and not a long-term solution. A good start for finding a comprehensive solution to the homeless problem in Fresno was the formation of the joint city and county task force trying to develop a 10-year plan. My hope is that the task force will encourage intervention and prevention programs in substance abuse and mental health for those who need it. Instead of building homeless encampments we should find ways to integrate the homeless back into our society through non-profit organizations. A successful program will reduce the number of people who live downtown and the success of the program should be widely advertised to improve the image of downtown being a safe place to live and work.

6. What is the proper role of the City in supporting community events in Downtown Fresno? Should the City (a) focus on hosting its own events, (b) subsidize events hosted by others, (c) provide active technical assistance to those hosting events, or (d) not intervene and allow the demand for events to determine the supply?

The City should play an active role in supporting all community events downtown. This would include City events and other events hosted by other agencies or business. The City must be the catalyst in promoting all events or activities that promote Downtown Fresno including technical assistance. On private sector events the city’s role should be technical and not offering financial assistance.

7. Many people think the one thing missing from Downtown Fresno is housing. If you agree, what would you do to increase the housing supply Downtown? If you disagree, what other needs are more important?

Housing is the critical element missing from downtown. My answer to question two discusses the need and sequencing of residential development downtown. To make a substantive difference in bringing people to live downtown will require a large development such as the Legacy Project or the Forest City South Stadium project. These large developments represent huge risks to the developer because they are, in essence, the pioneers in a new and untested market. The City and RDA must work closely with the developer to insure that these large residential developments can be successful. One part of downtown housing that gets lost in the discussion of bringing in new people downtown is the disposition of current downtown residents. We have many low-income people who have chosen to live downtown. Many of these people live in substandard housing in streets infested with drugs and gang activity. We must not forget these people and the City should do its part in maintaining older neighborhoods.

8. There are numerous examples of Downtown buildings - including the historic Bank of Italy, J.C. Penney and Helm buildings -- that remain underused for years because owners are waiting to “cash in” when development trends cause property values to rise. Such buildings frequently become poorly maintained eyesores. What would you do to spur the restoration, maintenance, and use of vacant buildings? Do you support the use of eminent domain to wrest blighted, vacant buildings from neglectful owners?

As a board member of the Mayor’s Affordable Housing Commission, we reviewed improving code enforcement to be more effective in creating more habitable rental housing. One of the tools that can be used to more effectively deal with property owners who do not properly maintain their buildings is to elevate code enforcement remedies beyond fines to receivership. Landlords who chronically ignore code enforcement requests and fines could face their properties going into receivership. My understanding of eminent domain law is that a property cannot be taken simply because it is not maintained or an eyesore. The city attorney is researching the receivership option and if this option is legal it is a powerful tool I would use to compel compliance by a negligent property owner who habitually ignores code enforcement citations and creates blight.

9. A number of redevelopment projects for Downtown have been proposed, but to the public, there has been little apparent progress for years. Such projects include Old Am1enian Town, Historic Chinatown, and the South Stadium area. Are you concerned about the pace of these “master developer” projects? Are there steps you would have the City and Redevelopment Agency take to prevent the economic “freeze” of these areas for years while sweeping master plans are under consideration?

Urban land assembly is inherently complex and lengthy. The Forest City South Stadium project, for example, has to assemble 53 separate land parcels in phase one alone. There is a two-step process that includes the first phase of investigation or due diligence and the second phase of development agreement. In the investigation phase, the developer is examining marketing potential, infrastructure needs and costs, financing and EIR considerations. Part of the problem is the City. My suggestion for expediting the first phase is to have the City assemble an interdepartmental team that will be assigned to each new project. This team can meet with the developer and serve as a “Shepherd” to move the project forward and through the bureaucracy. Having pre-zoned land will also accelerate the process. In the disposition of development agreement phase rigid timelines should be set, with the threat of removing the exclusive development rights and contract cancellation, as an incentive for the developer to move the project according to the timeline established in the contract.

10. Forest City Enterprises has said that a City investment of approximately $100 million will be needed to make the South Stadium redevelopment project feasible. Do you support using public money to provide incentives for this project and other redevelopment activities in the Downtown area? Do you support the use of eminent domain for Downtown redevelopment and specifically the South Stadium project?

Elected officials have a covenant with taxpayers to carefully watch where their tax dollars are spent. There have been too many bad private projects that prior councils have funded with taxpayer dollars that turned out to be disasters. Asking taxpayers to support subsidizing any private development will be no easy sale. We cannot, however, retreat from taking future risks if there is are substantial rewards. In any investment there is an uncertain outcome. The Forest City South Stadium project would implant a huge footprint on the downtown landscape. With 765 planned single family and multi- family housing units this would be a major catalyst for the missing housing element downtown. What is needed for the Forest City South Stadium Project is a careful analytical study of the project and its fiscal impact on both downtown and the entire city. The potential return of investment must be sufficient to justify the costs and risks. We cannot borrow ourselves into a sea of debt with an uncertain revenue stream. The final solution could be a combination of state and federal assistance and some local bond financing to cover anticipated costs. I believe that asking the City to pay for the entire $100 million is asking too much for a private development even though much of the infrastructure costs are sorely needed for the downtown area.

Eminent domain is a tool of last resort. Every effort must be expended to find equitable solutions for existing property owners including joint venture agreements with the developer. Some downtown businesses want out. Redevelopment represents an opportunity to sell at a favorable price. In some cases, where there is environmental problems (e.g. auto shop with oil in ground) their properties are not sellable. All efforts should be made to find solutions for either retaining or re-locating business in the redevelopment area. There will be, however, some isolated cases where there is no way to accommodate the existing business and a mutually agreeable sales price can be agreed. The City and the RDA have an obligation to provide a fair price to the property owner and at the same time not overpay and misuse taxpayer dollars. When a viable business that has been in operation for many years is in the RDA target area of a given master development, the developer must work to include this business in the master plan for the area including juxtaposition of the master plan that accommodates the existing business. Furthermore, RDA should afford the existing business all of the same benefits including streetscape and façade improvements and infrastructure improvements. In those rare instances where all negotiation methods are exhausted and there is no other alternative, I would support the use of eminent domain, when it is used for the public good and not the sole benefit of a private developer.

11. How would you improve the pem1itting process for private Downtown development? Are there other barriers to development that you would seek to fix or remove?

The current permit process and plan check process is too slow. After years of talking about streamlining the process I have seen very little progress. Pre-zoning land for RDA projects or industrial parks could reduce the processing time on entitlements by over one year. In question 9 I suggested developing an interdepartmental team to be assigned to each new RDA project. This would also apply for this question and certainly accelerate the approval process. Time is money. Accelerating the permitting, plan check and re-zone process could save millions of dollars on a large project and reduce the city’s share (tax payers) of costs.

12. Under ideal circumstances, anyone would prefer that Downtown redevelopment incorporate the preservation and reuse of unique older buildings (whether listed as historic or not) and good design quality. However, these practices can make development take longer and cost more. How do you weigh historic and aesthetic values against economic considerations? Under what circumstances would you insist that the City and private developers restore unique older buildings and incorporate high-quality design?

I firmly believe that the success of downtown will be based on marketing a “Main Street” concept that is unique. There is no question that the cost of restoring an existing 50-year plus building can be more expensive than demolishing the building and erecting a new structure. It is very expensive to re-construct to current building codes and eliminate hazardous materials such as asbestos. I do believe, however, that certain downtown icons must be preserved to honor the historic downtown heritage. There must be a careful balance between economic considerations and historic architecture. You can achieve a balance by requiring new structures to abandon standard corporate templates and use approved historic facades. The interior of the building will have all of the modern design and efficiencies and be structurally sound. The façade will reflect the “Main Street” theme of downtown and honor the historic heritage.

13. Between sculptures, murals, and fountains, Downtown Fresno surely has more public art than anywhere else in the Valley. Does public art make Downtown a destination? If so, how would you support the expansion of Downtown’s public art collection? If not, what is the role and purpose of public art?

Art can be an attraction to bring people downtown. It all depends on how it is presented and how it is marketed. The artwork can be marketed through development of a downtown arts district that would have shops. The arts district has been discussed before, but its success will depend on the overall development of downtown as a destination point in Fresno. The downtown arts district should be incorporated in the overall revitalization plan for downtown.

14. Is Downtown Fresno “user-friendly”? Define the term however you wish. What are your ideas for improving user friendliness?

I do not feel downtown is user friendly. Let me start with parking. Most people who do not work downtown but come down occasionally complain about the availability and cost of parking. Part of the problem is perception. The same person who complains about walking a long way downtown may actually walk further when parking in other locations like Riverpark. The problem is line of sight. If you cannot see your car because a large building blocks the view, you will have a perception you are parking further away than you really are.

An overall cleanup is needed for the downtown area including streets, curbs, gutters, streetlights, landscaping and any other common public area. In my business, property management, we call it “curb appeal”. Cleanup should be an ongoing process, seven days a week. All common areas should follow the “main street” marketing concept including the design of streetlights and other public areas.

The Fulton Mall is composed of government and private office space and a collection of small “Ma and Pa” retail business. A major overhaul will be needed to attract people to shop downtown. I would like to see a major retailer like a factory outlet store locate on the mall. A major retailer would be a huge draw and help all of the small businesses in the mall and surrounding areas.

15. A number of new alternatives to private automobiles -- such as street cars, light rail, bus rapid transit, and personal rapid transit -- have been proposed for parts of Downtown and other areas of Fresno. Are any of these ideas viable? Do they deserve public support, financially or otherwise?

A lot of ideas are floated about public transportation. Some ideas like light rail sound really good but the reality is that the high cost of a light rail system will prevent any serious effort from seeing the light of day in the near future. Any public transportation solution for downtown must apply citywide. There are viable alternatives that can be achieved using state and federal funds and Measure ‘C’ funds. Our existing transit grid system is an anachronism. You cannot travel from North Fresno to downtown in less than two hours after making transfers. We need to re-engineer the grids using computer modeling based on the 2025 General Plan concept of “activity centers”. Networking to the activity centers (e.g. downtown) using park and ride areas can work. Someone in North Fresno would consider using a bus to attend a Grizzlies game if they could take a short drive or walk to a park and ride center, catch a bus for a direct 20 minute ride to the stadium, and get a return direct 20 minute ride back to the park and ride center.

Another transit option is the “bus rapid transit” program used in cities like Las Vegas and Seattle. Longer, redesigned buses are used that can transport more people and have a lower profile to move people in and out much faster. These rapid transit buses would operate on specific high traffic routes. They have the technology to change traffic lights as they approach intersections. Their route would have fewer stops and could be setup along a specific right of way (e.g. diamond lane, a reserved lane along Blackstone). This rapid transit concept would dramatically reduce travel times, provide direct routes between destination points and be much more palatable as an alternative to automobiles. It has been successful in other American cities and it can work in Fresno.

16. Do you favor adding bicycle lanes on Downtown streets? What if adding a bike lane requires narrowing an automobile traffic lane or removing street parking outside a business?

I am an avid bicyclist and a strong advocate of bicycle lanes. You must reconcile the implementation of bicycle lanes with safety concerns and not obstructing traffic flow. I do believe that a well thought out plan can and will work. As downtown develops with the residential component there will be increased demands for both walking and bicycling trails and lanes. Following the guide of the 2025 General Plan, downtown will be a high density, mixed use development that will lend itself to interconnecting trails. To be successful, there must be a master plan that links the new developments together.

17. There is a perennial debate over parking meters in Downtown Fresno. The current administration has taken steps to relax metering after 6 pm and built a new parking garage near the Convention Center. What would you do about parking?

The city needs to rethink its position on downtown parking. A successful solution will require interagency involvement including the city, county, state and federal governments. I would start by not charging for parking after 6:00 PM. As downtown develops, there will be a growing need to provide more parking. I support building new parking structures using revenue bonds.

18. Where do you stand in the perennial debate about opening the Fulton Mall to vehicle traffic? Are there other things the City could do to bring more 24-hour vitality to the area?

I have mixed feelings about opening the Fulton Mall. I can remember as a child the building of the Fulton Mall. This innovative architectural feature was a source of pride in Fresno for many years. The cement was not even dry on the mall when plans were emerging for Manchester and Fashion Fair. The outward urban expansion relegated the mall to a forgotten architectural marvel a few years after it was completed. All of the major retailers, including Gottschalks, abandoned the mall many years ago. A major renovation and overhaul of retail tenants will be needed to save the mall. The Fulton Mall should be the epicenter or focal point for the entire downtown area. As I mentioned in a previous question, we need to bring in national retailers to the Fulton Mall to bring in people.

19. Much of the debate about the Fulton Mall’s future assumes that the area is economically dead. Yet there is obviously a community supporting the discount malls, jewelry stores, and vendor carts which fill almost all the available retail spaces on the Mall, albeit at low rent. Is it important to retain these existing economic uses as Downtown Fresno revitalizes? Is it possible?

I do not believe keeping all of the small shops on the mall will fit into a major renovation of the Fulton Mall area. I do realize that these businesses serve the local community. An alternative would be to move some of them into an adjacent area like Chinatown. Small business will be an essential part of downtown development as well as development everywhere in Fresno. Too much emphasis has gone into moving big projects forward like Old Armenian Town or Forest City. The RDA must dovetail the development of small business downtown with larger development projects.

20. How do you view assessment districts as vehicles for enhancing Downtown services? Specifically, where do you stand on the formation of a Downtown propel1y-based business improvement district (PBTD)? What would your role be, if any, in supporting, guiding, or forestalling the formation of assessment districts?

The track record of some of the property owner’s downtown clearly shows that they will not take responsibility for maintaining their properties. Code enforcement has not been effective in addressing the problem. There is clearly a need for a financial vehicle to assess and collect fees from property owners. A business improvement district can be an effective tool in keeping downtown clean and ridding blight. The City should take a lead role in guiding the development of the business assessment district. The business improvement district concept could be expanded to include a broader area of downtown. The City should also monitor its progress and results of the newly created special assessment district.

21. The Chamber of Commerce has convened a “Downtown Task Force” to be a voice of consensus about what needs to be done Downtown and establish a “bridge” from the current administration to the next one. Would you or your staff continue working with this Task Force? In what other ways, if any, would you seek public and stakeholder input about Downtown planning and projects?

I have been actively involved in the Chamber of Commerce for many years including serving as the chair of the Government Review Council for two years. I believe it is essential for the City to work closely with the Chamber of Commerce and all of the private sector in the continued effort to revitalize downtown. The City is the chief stakeholder in downtown and must be involved in any downtown task force.