Editor,
The April 8 SMDJ article — State asks San Mateo to revise housing element — refers to opening cities up to a developer free-for-all by enacting a “Builder’s Remedy.” If the California Department of Housing has yet to approve your city’s building plan to satisfy the numbers of new housing units dictated by this very organization, this can happen.
Worse yet, it was recently learned at a San Mateo United meeting that the HCD has no timeframe to approve a city’s submission. The speaker, from Our Neighborhood Voices, also noted that a consultant who had successfully worked with some Southern California cities to obtain HCD approval for their housing plans began bumping into walls because the HCD then began requiring new information that completely stalled approvals.
It very much feels like cities are being set up to fail. The very long list of those waiting for approval is astounding — and gives special interests a megaphone to cry out that cities are not complying with the state. Even San Mateo, whose city staff has strongly defended their submission has been placed on pause — allowing the developer-friendly Housing Leadership folks to suggest ‘solutions’ for this ‘problem.’ Not surprisingly, they include rezoning single-family neighborhoods, allowing up to 12 story buildings, and allowing for more rezoning by expanding definitions of ‘transit’ areas from one-half mile to three-quarters of a mile, which throws doors open to more development.
So, let’s review: The HCD, on a very flimsy methodology (per the state auditor), devises the thousands of housing units every city must build, then can sit on the plans each city submits so that they are punished with the Builder’s Remedy, etc.? Who is policing this oft-criticized organization? Does the Governor approve of this?
Learn more via www.OurNeighborhoodVoices.com and get involved.
Lisa Taner
San Mateo
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