After surviving a recall attempt in last week’s election, Fairfax Mayor Lisel Blash and Councilmember Stephanie Hellman issued a statement calling for unity as the town navigates through the tangle of state housing requirements.
One of the central frustrations that fueled the recall campaign stemmed from pressure from outside forces to build a massive housing development that could change the character of the small mountain community.
However, more than 55% of the town’s voters rejected the recalls of both city officials, according to the latest results Marin County released Wednesday from the Nov. 4 election. In a joint statement on Wednesday, Blash and Hellman called for a return to normalcy.
“The sentiment we have heard from voters is a deep desire for a return to normal, collaborative government and a peaceful, united community,” the statement said. “Now is a time for healing.”
Normalcy may be illusive, as both the California Department of Housing and Community Development and an institutional investor continue to tighten the town’s decision-making options. Under the state’s new eight-year housing cycle that began in 2023, Fairfax must plan for at least 490 new residences by 2031, with a buffer of extra zoned sites bringing the total to 583.
Florida-based Mill Creek Residential proposed a six-story, 243-apartment building at School Street Plaza. The city attempted to halt the project this fall, based on noncompliance with local building codes, but HCD sided with the developer, saying the project met state requirements.
The ordeal propelled Fairfax residents to vent their frustrations at public meetings.
“While I have been saddened by the acrimony fomented by the recall attempts, I have also been heartened by the spirited conversations that have emerged about the role of local government, the impact of state and federal policies, and the necessity of ongoing and informed civic engagement,” Blash said in her statement.
Candace Neal-Ricker, who led the coalition to recall Hellman and Blash, expressed disappointment with the recall result, but said she was proud of the citizen-led effort.
“We had hundreds of community members come together to sign the petition, qualify for the recall, and then forced a real conversation about the future of Fairfax,” Neal-Ricker said in a statement on behalf of the coalition. “Our actions over the past year also led the town council to confront issues like high density housing and homelessness encampments and take meaningful action to address them. Our grassroots movement is not going anywhere. We are going to continue to push for better decisions at Town Hall and local government that works for the residents of Fairfax.”
