Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 12

69 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 11 PATTERSON, CAL I FORNI A community through the use of large Master Planned developments such as the “Villages of Patterson” which incorporates every kind of residential unit you could think of including low- income apartments, middle-income single-family homes, market-rate dwellings and workforce housing. According to Irwin, “The Villages are not just your regular market-rate homes that a lot of cities get involved in. We put requirements on these developments, with one of the unique elements being a self-help stipulation for some of our single-family homes. So, the family actually helps build their home themselves to assist in keeping the homes affordable.” Moving away from residential developments, Patterson also has plenty going on in the commercial space. Unfortunately, they have experienced tremendous amounts of retail leakage, where sales taxes are leaving the community that could potentially be captured. This is something the city is working hard to address. the City’s public services and facilities keep pace with development activity. In this regard Patterson’s growth has been achieved in the right way and a fiscally responsible way.” Another major driving force behind Patterson’s evolution is its proximity to Interstate 5, which has enabled the city to position itself as a business hub, attracting large companies like the Amazon Fulfillment Center and Restoration Hardware. “All these big businesses have brought a lot of sales tax revenue that has been invested back into the community,” says Irwin. “As job opportunities have increased and the city has grown, that has attracted other businesses and amenities to ensure Patterson remains on a positive upward trajectory.” Always keen to take a long-term view, the City Council has also adopted policies to look after the next generation of Patterson residents. “We have had funding mechanisms in place for a number of years now focused on helping to facilitate new schools and expanding recreational opportunities and amenities, generally, looking after the entire community – young and old,” Irwin notes. As another example of the way that Patterson’s development looks to benefit everyone that resides within the city, programs have been launched to help reduce the number of individuals experiencing homelessness. Earlier this year, the Patterson City Council approved a resolution to develop a multi-agency approach to homelessness – one that aims to mitigate the negative impact of homelessness on the homeless themselves, as well as the communities in which they reside. Although the city itself may not be directly involved in these programs, we do help facilitate them by setting aside areas for the programs to be based in, and therefore avoiding the kind of NIMBY-ism that inevitably surrounds these kinds of endeavors.” The city also seeks to serve the entire