Latest news with #LiselBlash
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fairfax initiative to recall mayor and vice-mayor says it has adequate signatures
FAIRFAX, Calif. - The charming hamlet of Fairfax is involved in a contentious battle over a state mandate that towns and counties build a lot of new housing or face the steep consequence of the state ignoring local zone restrictions. We've all heard of "not in my backyard." Now we have "not on my main street." The small crowd repeatedly chanted, "You must go! You must go! Go! Go! Go!" In Fairfax, the committee to recall Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman and Mayor Lisel Blash, held a rally saying it has gathered enough signatures to put the recalls on the ballot. The pro-recall camp has enlisted help from Oakland and Alameda County groups that successfully pulled off the Oakland mayor and Alameda County district attorney recalls. "The leadership is gonna learn, you have to listen to the people," said Edward Escobar of the Citizens Unite Movement. "We actually provided a little bit of advice, but they ran with it and made this happen," said Chris Moore of SAVE: Save Alameda For Everyone. The big bone of contention: a proposed six-story, 243-unit complex, with 25% of so-called affordable units, in a town with a 28-foot height limitation. "We could have all gotten behind that if they had involved the community; three stories, 50% truly affordable think that's something Fairfax could have gotten by. I am your example of your low income, ultra-low income, born and raised Fairfax" said recall co-leader Candace Neal-Ricker. Recall proponents say Fairfax has neither the evacuation routes nor the fire equipment to deal with it. :Our sister city San Anselmo maintained it's 28-foot top-level height and still worked with their developers. Fairfax could do the same," said Neal-Ricker. Not all agree on the recalls. "I don' think they represent the majority of people in town and it's a waste of taxpayer money. All of that, in my opinion is a load of BS," said a resident named Tom, who did not give a last name. If Fairfax fails to comply, the state could invoke a so-called "Builder's Remedy" that allows developers to bypass local zoning and land-use restrictions and build housing that meets the state housing mandate. "I don't think that there has been any other council member in the state of California that's been recalled for basically implementing the housing element or following state housing laws. You know, this could be, set a precedent in that this could become weaponized across the state against other elected officials, which would hinder the state's goals of implementing new housing," said Mayor Blash, who is facing the recall. Many towns face this problem and, recalls, like propositions, could be a new weapon on the political battlefront. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
19-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Fairfax mayor, vice mayor recall effort over controversial housing project gathers enough signatures
Several Fairfax neighbors gathered on Friday in what they called a "celebration" of obtaining enough signatures to put Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman on the recall ballot. They were holding signs, rallying against the council leadership. Candace Neal-Ricker, who heads the recall effort, said she is disappointed by the city council for approving the zoning of School Street Plaza, a seven-story housing project in Downtown Fairfax. The initial development plan proposed 243 units, and then was revised to 175 units. "This truly was done with such a lack of transparency in this town that that was the true failure," Neal-Ricker said. "I think logical housing would have been perfectly acceptable. I think if they brought their community in to design true low-income housing, not in the guise of, or not inviting the developers in after 70 years to take over the town, we could have all gotten behind that." She, along with more than 1,500 other Fairfax residents, said this, among other reasons, is why they want the mayor and vice mayor out of office. "I'm sorry, in a town where our height in total has been 28 feet for 70 years. That's absolutely unacceptable and not part of the character of the town. Nor do we have the fire evacuation routes, the fire equipment to put out a fire in a seven-story building. Nor a firehouse big enough to house that type of equipment," Neal-Ricker said. Mayor Blash has been in office since December. She said she knew the challenges she was walking into. "It saddens me, but I know that our town is facing a number of issues. And I knew this when I was elected that this was going to be a challenge because there are these issues that are hard for any town to address. Yet our residents would like us to be able to fix them simply and quickly, and that's just not the case," the mayor told CBS News Bay Area. She adds that state housing mandates that push for more affordable housing in less dense neighborhoods have put local governments like Fairfax in a difficult position. "State housing mandates really put local governments into a really impossible place. They're enacted by state legislators and yet we, the local officials, really take the heat for those decisions. And I am concerned because I think the public has a hard time understanding what the consequences of fighting those mandates would be, that we are doing our best to protect the town by the decisions that we made," Blash said. Sandy Handscher, who has been living in Fairfax for more than 35 years, said she believes the mayor and vice mayor are scapegoats. "Being scapegoated for something that they did not do," she said. "The recall people have this almost a fantasy that there is a way that if we just stand arm in arm together and protest, that we'll stop this monstrosity from being built. I don't know anyone in Fairfax who wants a building with 243 units in the middle of downtown." She added that she believes the mayor and vice mayor are taking these measures to protect her town from potential lawsuits. "The town is at risk of being sued by the state. So, there are laws that Mayor Blash and Vice Mayor Hellman have been adamant about following," Handscher said. "If the housing elements are not brought forward, were not brought forward by the town, the town risked fines of $50,000 a month and at the worst, going into conservatorship." Meanwhile, the recall group also alleged that the city council isn't doing enough to address the homeless encampment near Contratti Park. "We're not above the law. We need to follow the law and right now, one of the campers has filed a civil rights case in Federal court. And that case is making its way to the court, and we have to wait until that decision has been made," the mayor said. As recall efforts continue, the mayor said she will continue to focus on the town's needs. "Do not get distracted by that recall effort. We have to do a number of things, we just passed the budget, we hope to build our fire station so we can have more firefighters per engine, we hope to have a safety drill, an evacuation drill this fall," Blash said. "We'd like to have a bicycle pedestrian advisory committee, which we're in the process of setting up. So I don't want this to derail the positive movement that we're making as a council." Meanwhile, the recallers plan to be at the city council's meeting next month to certify their recall petition. Neil-Ricker added that the housing project on the table is not her hometown's vision. "I am your example of your low-income, ultra-low-income born and raised Fairfax bartender. And I would not be able to afford $2,700 for a studio apartment," she said. "There were many alternate sites available that were not considered. Also, our sister city, San Anselmo, maintained their 28 feet height height and still worked with their developers. Fairfax could do the same." If the recall petition is certified, the vote will then go on the ballot for a special election in November. As for the housing project, the planning developer said the application was incomplete and the project was not eligible for ministerial review. Therefore, as of now, the project development proposal has not been approved. The mayor said the city is awaiting the developer's response.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Another Bay Area recall effort now underway
(KRON) — Following the successful recalls of the Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price last year, another Bay Area recall effort is officially underway. On Thursday, it was announced that the campaign to recall Fairfax Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman was approved to begin gathering signatures. According to a statement from the recall effort, paperwork to begin the recall was submitted to the Fairfax Town Clerk by a 'community coalition of concerned citizens, local business owners, little league parents, and community leaders.' The paperwork was approved on Tuesday. 'Really Stupid Park': SF commuters use Great Highway park-naming contest to vent 'Our campaign is ready and energized to begin gathering signatures from Fairfax so we can recall Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman,' said recall proponent Sean Fitzgerald. According to Fitzgerald, Blash and Hellman have 'routinely violated the public trust with their unwillingness to address the homeless encampment crisis in Contratti Park, their support of extreme and divisive policies like rent control.' Fitzgerand also accused the pair of 'mismanagement of taxpayer dollars,' and 'constant lack of transparency and integrity.' Recall proponents now have 90 days to gather the required signatures. Petitions must be signed by at least 25% of total registered voters in Fairfax, in this case, about 1,479 signatures, to get the recall on the ballot. The deadline to submit the gathered signatures is Monday, June 30. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
