Editor,
The article in the weekend journal about new developments in San Mateo is very sad. The state of California is blackmailing cities and counties in this state. They are threatening to withhold money if cities don’t create more housing. San Mateo is being ruined by these large housing projects.
The small-town feel of San Mateo is already gone but it is going to get a lot worse. If you saw the front page of the Daily Journal, you were looking at huge multistoried projects with 100 plus units.
Twenty years ago, San Mateo was trying to increase the population to over 100,000. That allowed for more federal funding. What’s happening now is ridiculous. San Mateo is overpopulated right now, which affects water and power usage. It affects schools, traffic, public safety fire and police and every other thing that affects quality of life. You stuff this many people in a small area, and problems will start very quickly.
And let’s not forget parking. Most of these projects don’t have enough parking for the units in the building. How can the city sign off on these projects with not enough parking? Oh, that’s right, they foolishly believe that everyone will use public transportation. They don’t care that the parking issue will bleed out into the neighborhoods these buildings will be in.
Just once I would like to see a city push back on the strong-arm tactics of the state. Extortion and blackmail used to be illegal. And this problem is statewide. This idiot we call a governor can’t leave office fast enough for me. And he will never make it to president. The people of this state are the only one’s that like him. Other states know better.
Neil Wild
San Bruno
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(1) comment
Thanks for your letter, Neil Wild, highlighting the ongoing push for new development/housing. The way I see it, it’s all about the money and not whether, per your assertion, “San Mateo is being ruined by these large housing projects.” San Mateo doesn’t care because they’re eyeing revenue from developers being charged (extorted for?) development fees to build. With higher density housing San Mateo will realize higher property tax revenue and of course, higher revenue from parcel taxes and additional fees. As for parking, not their problem. Parking only takes up space. Space that can be used to build more housing to realize more property taxes, parcel taxes, additional fees. Rinse and repeat. Voters get the government they deserve so if voters don’t make better choices, they’ll get more of the same. While being surrounded by relative high rises in their neighborhoods.
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