Dear City Council,
I'm sorry that I missed the chance last night to weigh on the library. I've been deeply conflicted about this issue and can really
see both sides.
On the one hand, we have a good-enough-for-now library and council chambers that are serving the community adequately. And we also
have urgent traffic and housing issues that hamper the quality of life of residents in a much more palpable way. The council has
been trying to stay focused on a short list of big goals, even when opportunities present themselves, so I wonder: what makes this
opportunity different and special? Why couldn't we make exceptions for other opportunities like the HAWK beacon on Middlefield?
And yet I also believe that a great library has the potential to connect our community and change lives in ways that other major
capital projects (e.g. the garage!) do not. Our current library is the one place in town where homeless people can go and use the
internet, read, take shelter from the rain. It's a place where kids can do homework, adults can take literacy classes, nannies and
parents can bring their kids for story time, etc. It's the place where cosplayers can show up and celebrate their love
of/addiction to comic books. It's a safe space, a growing space, a fun space, a community space. What other public asset offers so
much to so many? And how many more could we serve with a larger, more flexible facility?
Mr. Arrillaga's offer simplifies the process immensely. Cost overruns will not fall in the city's lap. And it will be a building
that we can be proud of.
But what really makes this compelling to me is the rare opportunity it gives us to address our need for transit-oriented,
affordable housing. We need to do this somewhere, ideally west of 101, and the civic center is an ideal location, with buses and
trains, childcare, sports activities, and, yes, a library, all close by.
Raj Chetty's groundbreaking work on equality of opportunity [http://www.equality-of-opportunity.org/] has shown the dramatic
effect of location on upward mobility.Giving parents the opportunity to live closer to where they work would enable them to spend
more time with their children. Giving children access to our wonderful public amenities and schools would help them thrive.
Rezoning civic center land for affordable housing will not be as popular as building a big beautiful library. There are those who
will grumble about traffic, about school crowding, about trees, etc. But isolating all affordable housing on the other side of the
freeway, amid a burgeoning industrial zone and a troubled school district, will only exacerbate the vast inequality in our
community.I urge you to stick to your guns and do what you know to be right.This is nothing less than an investment in our future.
Thank you for your thoughtful leadership.
Best,
Katie
PS: As you encounter opportunities like this, I urge you to ask Alex and the rest of the team explicitly about opportunity cost.
What projects will be delayed or sidelined so that staff can work on the library? And if, for example, transportation projects and
funding are not in any way compromised by this project, that would be reassuring to know as well.
--
Katie Behroozi
650.804.1812 (cell)
