Dear Planning Commission,
I am writing on behalf of the PA15-031, Hillsdale Terraces.
It is an ideal location for location for high density housing.
Most of this project area has been empty for decades and the
continued underdevelopment of this prime space is quite frankly an
embarrassment and failure on the part of the City of San Mateo. Now is the time
to approve more housing for our city.
My expectation is many people who are able to attend tonight
will not focus on the dire need for housing in the area. Instead, their
overwhelming concern will be parking. Some homeowners, who already possess
designated off street parking of their own, want to stop desperately needed new
residential development because they won’t be able to consistently park
directly in front of their houses. This is one of the ultimate NIMBY conceits.
I have said it before and I will say it again, proudly and
apologetically, – people have a right to live more than cars should have right
to a place to park.
Please consider the bigger picture, which is our housing
supply is not keeping pace with our job creation, leading to urban sprawl
impacting 101, 92 and consequently all San Mateo’s major thoroughfares.
Just today at my son’s school another student’s caretaker
told me she lives in Gilroy. When I was writing this at 5:30 pm Google Maps
says it would take 2 hours to drive the 70 miles from San Mateo to Gilroy. Even
under the best of times this does not translate into an ideal commute. But as
long as no housing is built in the transit core of the Peninsula the sprawl
will continue with negative consequences for human health and the local
environment.
This is a crisis. Please act accordingly.
Kind regards,
