storminpilot
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http://www.sanmateocountytimes.com/Stories/0,1413,87~11271~2143079,00.html#
American dream has been lost
County leaders trying to help residents cope with the high price of homes
By Tim Simmers
BUSINESS WRITER
Wednesday, May 12, 2004 - REDWOOD SHORES
FOR FOUR OUT OF FIVE people in San Mateo County, the American dream of owning a single-family home is out of reach. But business and economic leaders here aim to change that. Or at least they hope to change the American dream to include owning mid-rise condominiums and townhouses in quaint Peninsula towns.
Advocates for building more housing in the County confirmed Tuesday that their focus on building condos and townhouses along transit corridors like El Camino Real is the best way to make progress in tackling the long-term housing crisis and traffic congestion here.
The aim is to push ahead in creating a more European living model for the Peninsula, in which people live in small villages within their towns and have a more downtown lifestyle. One that would allow them to walk for a cup of coffee, lunch or to do their laundry, said Mike Scanlon, chief executive of SamTrans.
Scanlon was part of a town-meeting-style panel debate on housing Tuesday at Oracle Corp. The event was put on by Samceda, the County's economic development group charged to solve the local housing and transportation problems, and lure new business here. The event attracted more than 100 local leaders, who also participated in the debate, which had a theme of "Do we need more housing? Where should it be?"
Samceda President and Chief Executive Officer Deberah Bringelson said she had anticipated having more news to announce to the crowd. She expected that new Virgin USA Airlines, which the group has courted for months, was going to announce that it had picked the Peninsula for its U.S. headquarters. But the airline balked, continuing to mull over its choice between Boston and the Peninsula. It likely will take until the end of the month to make a decision, Bringelson said.
The housing debate quickly took focus.
"We need to lead the way with this transit-oriented lifestyle," said Scanlon. "It must be tastefully done, so it becomes an acceptable lifestyle."
To be sure, living in condos, townhouses and apartments of several stories or more is not for everyone. But the Samceda panelists agreed that it is a concept that must be carried forward to address future growth as well as the housing shortage and affordability problem.
Of course, transit-oriented housing doesn't help people who don't work near a transit area, said Michael Dardia, vice president of Sphere Institute.
"It's easy to over-sell transit-oriented housing," noted Dardia. But he also agreed that building such housing is needed to solve the housing crisis, particularly when the economy heats up again.
"Most people want single-family homes, and some are leaving the area to get them," Dardia said. But the group is targeting about 5 percent of the people, trying to get them out of their cars and onto public transportation.
Developer T. Jack Foster continued to push the idea of building housing on open land on the Peninsula. He suggested affordable single-family homes as well as condominiums could be built if some of the County's open space was abandoned for housing.
Foster suggested using 1 percent of the County's 75 percent open space for housing development.
"The environmentalists won't let it happen," Foster added. "But somebody's got to fight for people and the economy."
The Peninsula's housing market has continued to see strong price increases despite local job losses that have been among the highest in the nation for any area.
The median price of a single-family home in the County hit an all-time record of $750,000 in April.
The County continues to be one of the least affordable housing and rental markets in the country.
"We have to continue building housing on transportation corridors," said Bringelson.
She added that the group will continue to push for developing a local transportation system so people can get on trains and head for other parts of the Bay Area and outlying regions.
American dream has been lost
County leaders trying to help residents cope with the high price of homes
By Tim Simmers
BUSINESS WRITER
Wednesday, May 12, 2004 - REDWOOD SHORES
FOR FOUR OUT OF FIVE people in San Mateo County, the American dream of owning a single-family home is out of reach. But business and economic leaders here aim to change that. Or at least they hope to change the American dream to include owning mid-rise condominiums and townhouses in quaint Peninsula towns.
Advocates for building more housing in the County confirmed Tuesday that their focus on building condos and townhouses along transit corridors like El Camino Real is the best way to make progress in tackling the long-term housing crisis and traffic congestion here.
The aim is to push ahead in creating a more European living model for the Peninsula, in which people live in small villages within their towns and have a more downtown lifestyle. One that would allow them to walk for a cup of coffee, lunch or to do their laundry, said Mike Scanlon, chief executive of SamTrans.
Scanlon was part of a town-meeting-style panel debate on housing Tuesday at Oracle Corp. The event was put on by Samceda, the County's economic development group charged to solve the local housing and transportation problems, and lure new business here. The event attracted more than 100 local leaders, who also participated in the debate, which had a theme of "Do we need more housing? Where should it be?"
Samceda President and Chief Executive Officer Deberah Bringelson said she had anticipated having more news to announce to the crowd. She expected that new Virgin USA Airlines, which the group has courted for months, was going to announce that it had picked the Peninsula for its U.S. headquarters. But the airline balked, continuing to mull over its choice between Boston and the Peninsula. It likely will take until the end of the month to make a decision, Bringelson said.
The housing debate quickly took focus.
"We need to lead the way with this transit-oriented lifestyle," said Scanlon. "It must be tastefully done, so it becomes an acceptable lifestyle."
To be sure, living in condos, townhouses and apartments of several stories or more is not for everyone. But the Samceda panelists agreed that it is a concept that must be carried forward to address future growth as well as the housing shortage and affordability problem.
Of course, transit-oriented housing doesn't help people who don't work near a transit area, said Michael Dardia, vice president of Sphere Institute.
"It's easy to over-sell transit-oriented housing," noted Dardia. But he also agreed that building such housing is needed to solve the housing crisis, particularly when the economy heats up again.
"Most people want single-family homes, and some are leaving the area to get them," Dardia said. But the group is targeting about 5 percent of the people, trying to get them out of their cars and onto public transportation.
Developer T. Jack Foster continued to push the idea of building housing on open land on the Peninsula. He suggested affordable single-family homes as well as condominiums could be built if some of the County's open space was abandoned for housing.
Foster suggested using 1 percent of the County's 75 percent open space for housing development.
"The environmentalists won't let it happen," Foster added. "But somebody's got to fight for people and the economy."
The Peninsula's housing market has continued to see strong price increases despite local job losses that have been among the highest in the nation for any area.
The median price of a single-family home in the County hit an all-time record of $750,000 in April.
The County continues to be one of the least affordable housing and rental markets in the country.
"We have to continue building housing on transportation corridors," said Bringelson.
She added that the group will continue to push for developing a local transportation system so people can get on trains and head for other parts of the Bay Area and outlying regions.
