The contradictions along the Peninsula continue, seemingly without an end in sight. In spite of cries of alarm about a lack of available water supplies, fears of imminent sea-level rise and associated flooding, ongoing traffic congestion and a lack of available housing, plans for ever more office buildings continue to emerge.
It’s a real head-scratcher. Even as warnings about all of the above issues persist, municipal authorities from Brisbane to Redwood City ponder their next massive office developments.
Millions of square fee of office space are on the table at this point. According to the latest San Mateo County fiscal analysis, about 65 million square feet of fresh development is anticipated here in the next six to eight years. Of that total, 58% of major projects listed are reported to be commercial in nature.
This comes at the same time office vacancy rates have dropped due to employees’ newfound preference for stay-at-home work. And, of course, it begs the obvious question: Where are these expected new cubical dwellers going to live?
As always, it’s the same answer. Go up. Build more medium- and high-rise residential structures wherever possible.
Zoning for single-family homes is already under concerted assault by the state. The aim seems to be to alter the suburban face of the Peninsula in such a way that it mirrors much larger, more crowded neighbors to the north and south.
Throughout the process, the cycle persists: Construct more office buildings and then fret loudly that there’s a housing shortage.
It’s a perfect one-two dance routine being played out in nearly every flatland community. There are oodles of partners for this happy waltz, ranging from municipal authorities eager for more tax dollars to labor unions seeking jobs for their members along with developers eager to work with them.
This arrangement shows few signs of slowing down.
A GOLDEN GOOSE IN SOUTH CITY: An indication of how some in one community would like to take advantage of this surge in commercial development, an available golden goose if you will, is occurring in South San Francisco.
There, activists and others see an opportunity to reap an annual mega-harvest of tax dollars based on that north county city’s emphasis on biotech and other science-based industries.
Measure DD, on the Nov. 8 ballot, if approved by a simple majority of the electorate, would impose a stiff special tax on such entities that total 25,000 square feet of office space or more beginning on July 1, 2023.
There would be no expiration date for the tax. The cash would be used to finance free child care for every eligible youngster in the town.
The estimated fiscal haul for this proposal is a whopping $55.9 million, almost half the entire expenditure budget of the 8,000-student South San Francisco Unified School District.
In other words, to serve a cohort of toddlers between the ages of 2 1/2 and 5, the advocates of Measure DD would spend what amounts to nearly half what the school district spends on a much larger group of 5- to 18-year-olds.
The ballot language does not specify how much the free child-care advocates would spend per child.
But there is language defining how much their future employees would receive. One such mandate notes that entry-level workers would be paid at least 230% of South San Francisco’s minimum wage right off the bat.
So Measure DD is really more than a child care proposal; it’s also a possible jobs bonanza. And so it goes.
A MOBILE SHRINE TO THE HOT DOG: On a late-evening drive north on Highway 101 last week, a bit of happy serendipity occurred.
As we headed into Menlo Park, there, looming in front of us was a sight not often seen in these parts.
Bustling along at a neat 60 mph was an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. It’s an imposing creation, a giant hot dog on wheels, a portable promotional shrine to the traditional dining favorite.
As we passed the novel vehicle, we honked in friendly fashion. All hail Oscar Mayer and his gastronomic contribution to Americana.
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