Housing and hair

“Our historic protections in San Mateo are lacking compared to other cities in the region. We have many beautiful neighborhoods filled with historic resources, and I was happy to learn about the new San Mateo Heritage Alliance and their work on a Baywood historic district. Next up should be a historic district for our wonderful downtown. Preventing historic homes from being replaced with oversized McMansions is also a very worthy cause, and can help preserve some affordability as well.

“I’m less enthusiastic about tying that important work into this debate on the fitness of Mayor Lee, or encouraging the framing of what should be a reasoned discussion as a ‘divide,’ with everyone firmly on one side or another. Historic districts in other cities have been voted down after proponents were accused of racial, classist or political motivations, and that breakdown in the discourse should not be encouraged.

“At the same time, alongside your column in today’s paper is the announcement of yet another mega-block development project adjacent to downtown. As you are no doubt familiar, these developments are swiftly gobbling up block after block, sweeping away numerous historic homes, small businesses, and any ‘character’ that part of San Mateo may have possessed. The real tragedy however is what we are getting in return. Those blocks, adjacent to downtown and to transit, would be ideal for denser housing, yet the developers are constrained by density and height restrictions. As a consequence of those restrictions, a nearly 1.4-acre site will add just 59 units of housing. Of course there are no similar restrictions on office space or parking garages, and so these projects have emphasized the production of two things we almost certainly need less of: office space and car trips. We are quickly allowing downtown to be hemmed in by some sort of bizarre hybrid-office park, and when that comes to pass, where will the rest of the housing the state is requiring us to build have to go?

“It would make the preservationist’s job easier if they could point to downtown and say, ‘see, we are putting the housing towers where it makes the most sense.’ Which I think comes back to my point that this should not become an either/or, history/housing ‘divide’ when it does not need to be. If we can spend less time picking sides, there would be more opportunities to promote local history and the importance of maintaining the sense of place which makes San Mateo such a wonderful place to live.”

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It seems that red hair (for women) is the new fashion. It’s the hair shade you are likely to see on most model runways. Going red is more about the spirit, according to a hair stylist quoted in The New York Times.

This was music to my ears. I was born a natural redhead — not strawberry blonde but more auburn red. My mother thought I had beautiful hair and would not let me cut it. I suffered long braids through high school. My first act when I went away to college was to visit a beauty parlor and have my hair cut short.

In time a few gray hairs would appear and needed color. Then the back and eventually the entire head. I once asked my husband if he noticed anything about my hair and he said no. I was disappointed until I remember his telling me he once shaved off his mustache and no one noticed. People see you the way they remember you, he said. For those over 65 that is good news.

Sue Lempert is the former mayor of San Mateo.

Her column runs on Monday. She can be

reached at sue@smdailyjournal.com.