Was the Elk Grove Mayor, City Council’s Consigliere correct, albeit in slightly different way, about Old Town’s future?
Will Old Town Elk Grove become a skid row?
One of Elk Grove’s most recent controversies is the Old Town supportive housing project. The Oak Rose project, which was denied by the Elk Grove City Council last July, has caught the attention of the California Attorney General.
The city is accused of violating fair housing laws with the July 2022 denial of the Oak Rose supportive housing project. Attorney Rob Bonta has threatened a lawsuit unless the city course corrects.
Opposing Bonta, several residents are vigorously defending Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen and her four councilmen’s pro-Old Town stance. Their most influential defender across social media platforms and this site is longtime Elk Grove resident Randy Bekker, who has forcefully argued for Mayor Singh-Allen and her councilmen.
Bekker has evolved into a consigliere, or perhaps the sixth council member for the mayor and her city council over the last several years.
During their meetings, particularly pre-COVID, city council members sought Mr. Bekker’s counsel from the dais after he offered comments. Additionally, in a sign of his close relations with council members, Bekker is a fixture in Elk Grove candidates’ videos, literature, and campaign events.
At one of these pre-COVID meetings almost exactly five years ago, Bekker predicted Old Town could have a disastrous future (see video below). Bekker said Old Town would be adversely affected and become a skid row if the city adopted a by-district election of city council members.
Although Bekker was slightly off target, was he on to something? Will forces outside Elk Grove’s control harm the still struggling neighborhood and make it the city’s skid row?
Much like this situation, by-district voting was forced on the city council under the threat of violating California voting rights laws. If Elk Grove is forced to do something against its will and reluctantly accept the supportive housing project, will it be a death knell Bekker prophesized for the Old Town Special Planning Area?
What do you think? Short of some 11th-hour agreement between the city and the project proponents, if the project proceeds, will Oak Rose be the demise of Old Town?
