The stain of deception

May 3, 2024
May 3, 2024 Updated Apr 14, 2025
6

Editor,

I wanted to express my appreciation for Jon Mays’ column “Preserving history in the right way” that appeared on April 26.

(6) comments

Connie Weiss May 3, 2024 8:07am

Karyl, since you have spoken at many San Mateo City Council meetings in support of the shadowy tactics of Less Red Tape, there is definitely deception, but it is by you and LRT by spreading misinformation, using fear tactics, and attacking my neighbors.

anna kuhre May 3, 2024 9:13am

Connie, Your friends at The San Mateo Heritage Alliance call everyone liars, and say that city staff is incompetent, and blame greedy developers, and even me the wife of a contractor. I think the Alliance should look inside their organization because that is where the real problem lies. Their only defense for their misrepresentation of the facts is to discredit the good people of Baywood for trying to stand up for their rights. They should withdraw their application and give everyone a real vote, just as our city manager asked them to do and just as Jon Mays recommended as a fair solution for everyone . People are seeking fair representation on this topic in terms of their most valuable commodity...their home. Calling everyone incompetent and liars is not a solution to a very serious problem in Baywood that is dividing everyone. The dysfunction starts at the top with our Mayor who is married to the founding member of The San Mateo Heritage Alliance. I will stop here because I have to leave for a doctors appointment. But all this acrimony has to stop!

Connie Weiss May 3, 2024 1:12pm

Anna, I can only speak for myself and what I have experienced, and it is not as you state at all. Heritage Alliance is partnering with the City to bring the Historic Resources Ordinance up to date. Less Red Tape reneged on participating. It’s hard to believe you are bringing up our neighbors who your compatriots viciously attacked. You are in the drivers seat to stop the acrimony being a close ally of LRT. Please start today!

anna kuhre May 3, 2024 2:52pm

Isn't it true that The Alliance refused to pull their application at our city managers request, stating that they spent $50,000 on their report? The clearly indicates their unwillingness to work in good faith with their neighbors. Community leaders city wide recognize the failings of the Alliance to fulfill the necessary steps to inform the public of their actions, such as building consensus, or take a survey, or give their neighbors a true vote. Please do not continue to take swipes at one of our well respected community leaders in Karyl Eldridge. I know you like to have the last word on this comment section, so have at it. I am done.

GasCar1956 May 3, 2024 4:33pm

I've been keeping an eye on city updates, and I haven't come across any public notifications about revising the Historic Resources Ordinance, which you mentioned. Generally, such processes involve significant public input, not only as a good practice but often as a requirement by state law.

My concern here is transparency. If the Heritage Alliance is indeed working closely with the city on this ordinance, one would expect this collaboration to be widely publicized to ensure all stakeholders have a chance to contribute. It's unsettling to think that major legislative changes could be influenced predominantly by a single special interest group without broader community involvement. This approach could potentially sideline other voices and interests, which isn’t in the spirit of comprehensive community planning nor would it be the San Mateo way. Please provide some links/input to these efforts. Who is steering this on the city side?

Terence Y May 3, 2024 9:25am

Thanks for your letter, Karyl. As if on cue, we have Ms. Weiss attacking the messenger. Par for her course and part of her “giving the runaround” routine. It’s amusing that Ms. Weiss keeps saying everyone else is deceptive and spreading misinformation but she’s unable to detail the alleged deception and misinformation.

Meanwhile, Connie Weiss, since you have time, perhaps you could answer a few simple questions…

When you last left me, you admitted the Heritage Alliance submitted an application that was rejected at the local level but you failed to answer natural follow-up questions… When the city declined, shouldn’t that have been the end of it? Was there an explanation of why the city declined? This would be nice for background and context but ultimately it appears to have not made any difference to the Heritage Alliance.

Why did the Heritage Alliance decide to bypass the city response and submit the historic application package to the state? Was the Heritage Alliance unaware they would trample on homeowner property rights and then later, become aware, but chose to soldier forward, regardless of how Baywood homeowners feel?

Seems to me that the best course of action is to follow Karyl Eldridge’s proposal to withdraw the application and start again, educating Baywood homeowners on the pros and cons associated with historic designation and allowing them to vote on it. Why feed neighborhood division when there’s no need? Why potentially hurt/destroy the reputation of the Heritage Alliance and possibly their members?

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