Encouraging the building of in-fill homes in the downtown area will attract residents with the income to bring a resurgence of our Downtown.
Infrastructure improvements such as the undergrounding of utilities bring a significant visual improvement to our streetscapes. The problem is paying for them. Inattention to economic revitalization and the consequent loss of sales tax revenues over an extended period have put Martinez behind neighboring communities. We have lost the core residential base necessary to support the basic elements of a Downtown business community. No grocery store; no drugstore; no hardware store. I have an aggessive action plan to provide incentives to build in-fill homes and attract residents with disposable income who can support and participate in the resurgence of our Downtown. Bringing new residents to our Downtown who can avail themselves of innovative commute options including Amtrak and Bart Direct connections will minimize traffic while contributing to revitalization.
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