Pacifica Tribune Letters-to-the-Editor, 1/21/14. "Congratulations to Mayor Canepa" by Rev. Piers Lahey, Daly City
| Eureka Square, easy parking, empty offices and store fronts |
"Editor: As the former Pastor of Good Shepherd Church and School in Pacifica, I offer sincere congratulations to the newly-appointed Mayor of Daly City, Dave Canepa, a distinguished graduate of Good Shepherd School.
Since July of 2012, I have been a resident of, and registered voter in Daly City. I have met the new Mayor on a couple of occasions, and have always been impressed by his energy and desire to help improve things for our citizenry. I truly believe that Mayor Canepa's "heart is in the right place" (sorry for the cliche, but I am writing this on a holiday) and that the Mayor really has the best interests of Daly City in mind.
Readers of the Tribune may remember that I was so very concerned about the many empty and rapidly aging buildings in Pacifica, especially the sad and lonely shopping center at Eureka Square. I still shop regularly at Oceana Market and, in a way, when I do drive over there, it creates a bit of nostalgia, Seeing the empty storefronts and vacant plate glass windows that have become so familiar over the years. Well, in Daly City, you just have to drive down Serramonte Boulevard. Instead of turning left into the main shopping area, you turn right on Gellert Boulevard and, if you look to your left, you see three huge empty buildings and an equally empty parking lot.
There used to be a Circuit City store, Sports Authority and Office Depot, now all abandoned. I truly wish Mayor Canepa well. I hope that there are plans, very active plans on the part of the Daly City administration, to try to fill these glaring empty spaces. So far, the spaces are still quite empty at Eureka Square. I hope that we have better luck here in Daly City. Still, in a way, seeing the forlorn buildings at Serramonte makes me feel quite at home, as if I was back in Pacifica."
Note: The above photograph is from Coastside Commercial. The letter from Rev. Piers Lahey was two paragraphs broken it into four paragraphs for easier reading.
Posted by Kathy Meeh
36 comments:
Put in a Ice Rink, Movie Theater Complex. Tired of driving kids over the hill for a movie or to ice skate. Have no money for gas. Cheaper to take a bus to Eureka Square.
In Pacifica?
FMV, Eureka Square is a nice business location. And its convenient for some commerce, and shopping services.
1004, sure you want an ice rink and movie theater there or anywhere locally. But, money for skating and movies, and "no money for gas" may be a budgeting problem.
Meantime, Eureka Square is a privately owned property, so what changes occur there are up to the owner/landlord and the city.
Meantime, Eureka Square is a privately owned property, so what changes occur there are up to the owner/landlord and the city.
February 5, 2014 at 1:12 PM
And the Vallemar Brain Trust!
More than a decade ago the owner of Eureka Square wanted to build condos. He got nowhere with the city on that. Apparently he's found a way to make money with a certain amount of chronically empty storefronts.
There are numerous shopping plazas in the Bay Area that have been remodeled over the years to make them more desirable to shoppers and tenants alike. I can't recall when, if ever, Eureka Square was redone. It doesn't look terrible, but could do with some work to bring it into the 21st Century. Sadly, it appears that the current owners have no plans other than to remain status quo. They raised the rents a few years ago to a level where some of the long time businesses either closed or relocated. Empty storefronts remain the result and perhaps this situation fits in with the owners' overall game plan. Tax write-off?
Maybe the owners of the Eureka Square Shopping Center owe very little on the loan, or paid off the loan and the center cash flows as is?
Maybe they own a bunch of cash cow properties and this is the dog with fleas.
The property owner is doing just fine. This city vetoed his plan to build residential years ago. Maybe he isn't inclined to do more than maintain his property, collect his rents and work his tax write-off until it no longer suits him to do so. Private property ownership can be a wondrous thing.
Pacifica is to San Francisco as Fremont is to San Jose.
Invite some immigrants over and watch the economy boom.
Immigrants will come if you offer affordable housing. If don't want over population offer tax breaks for the super wealthy and attract them in.
Fremont? Don't ya wish. Pacifica has been just 15 or 16 miles from SF for quite a while now. Whatever attraction we had was as a bedroom community for commuters. Large numbers of homes built in the 50s and 60s and 70s. Drips and drabs since then. And beginning probably in the 70s, we have given away over 50% of the land within the city limits. The 70s also brought us the CA Coastal Commission and their oversight of coastal real estate. Other than a little residential in-fill, we're pretty much done for today and quite a few tomorrows. Maybe we can be the site of the next tear-down epidemic for gazillionaires in 20 years or so.
I don't own a car. I am dependent on public transportation. It would be nice to have a movie theater in Pacifica. Eureka Square would be a good place and a ice skating rink. Put some small business's around it to compliment. Traveling on bus to Tanforan or Daly City takes a very long time. Costly, too. $2.00 one way ticket to Daly City.
10:45
How about a roller coaster and free popcorn.
You people are great telling other people what to do with their own property.
Shouldn't you be posting over on Riptide?
I love hearing ideas. What is sad is all the bullies that make fun of those ideas. Too bad. No wonder this country is in such a mess. Too many bullies and lots of sheeple.
@ Anonymous 11:03
Pacifica can be a mini San Francisco.
Not the kind of urban blight like Daly City or South San Francisco.
But more along the lines of Presidio, Pacific Heights, Sea Cliff neighborhoods of San Francisco.
It needs proper planning. Its the right environment for outdoor crowd. But poor city planning and aesthetics.
Pacifica reminds of an aged home coming queen that could've been but never was. Its kind of a tragedy.
Have you ever heard of Movies on Demand or Netflix or about 1000 other entertainment options? Sorry gramps, but you're gonna have to join the rest of us in the 21st century.
Only fools would pay for what is free.
951 You're entirely too refined for scruffy Pacifica. What you dream of would require a massive transfer of property and exodus of the commoner folk. Give it 25 years. Pacifica should be really wretched by then and some gazillionaire can just scoop it up and start over. A failed coastal city ready for a new kind of privatized (sub)urban renewal.
@1:45 AM
Somehow the gentrification effect has escaped Pacifica.
My guess is it was probably because the Bio-tech boom wasn't as successful as IT boom. (SSF, Daly City, Colma etc hitched on the Bio-tech train).
Also the lack of last mile public transport connectivity left Pacifica "out".
Eventually, the rest of the SF bay area is going to drive up the cost of living that will empty out old Pacifica.
Your best bet is to move out while there is an opportunity and trade in for a bigger home/property in Sacramento/Central Valley area or outside the state. Take the deal while you can get it. There may not be a deal later on.
Average home price being $600,000 -- how many people make that kind of money in Pacifica to keep it together after the monthly mortgage payment?
If it weren't for the enormous QE and low interest rates, a lot of "emptying" would've already happened.
Pacifica is too beautiful to not be exploited.
Its like a beautiful woman who clads herself in a ragged burkah to escape the attentions of libidinous ugly men.
Libertat 949, your reasoning makes questionable, limited sense to me.
Higher housing prices, and higher costs elsewhere in some parts of the bay area should mean more people move into Pacifica. Housing price increases, cost to do business, and inflation happen. When prices might increase (what else is new), people move in and out of various parts of the Bay Area. I see no reason to move to the central valley today. But if you actually believe what you are saying, maybe you should move to "Sacramento/Central Valley". Good luck, hope you enjoy the culture, weather and politics there.
As you may NOT have noted, Pacifica was already exploited with way too much permanent open space. With 50-60% empty space, most land which can be used or reused for our city economy is infill. Your tantalizing burka analogy with regard to new development is irrelevant, appalling and offensive. Pacifica needs to promote a development plan. This is a city that needs to generate revenue, other than more taxes and fees from existing residents.
BigBanker you don't understand the basics of real estate. Home prices have more than doubled here every 10 years for the pat 50 years. What makes you think they may go down in value for any extended lenth of time. And there's a reason Sac is cheaper than here. Location baby. We got it, they don't. They do have intolerable heat and freezing cold though.
Understatement of the year from the Libertarian...Pacifica missed gentrification. Hell, Pacifica missed basic math and common sense. I think we're lucky to have lights and water.
1200 So home prices doubled every 10 years, so what? What's it done for Pacifica? More important, what's it going to do for Pacifica now and in the future. Nothing. The increase in property taxes isn't enough to pay for the increases in costs for services. And I think even this city council has realized that development is not going to save us. They've chosen taxes and a communication spin plan. Revenue producing development in Pacifica
is just a myth trotted out during political campaigns like an applause sign. Whomever we put in office does not change the very real barriers to development that have been constructed over the past 40 years. As a town, we can't pay the bills for the ideology we bought. We don't even want to.
kathy Meeh said "Pacifica needs to promote a development plan." I agree and suggest that that plan include buying up all the housing that fronts the east side of Highway One in the Linda Mar area. Tear down the existing housing stock and build multi story, multi unit housing along an already established transportation corridor. Additionally, build multi unit housing on top of the Linda Mar Center. Of course Denny's and the gas station have to go, for even more housing.
Just think of the great windbreak all this low high rise this housing would create; much better than the past misguided planting of copious numbers of eucalyptus trees.
Higher housing prices, and higher costs elsewhere in some parts of the
bay area should mean more people move into Pacifica.
Why exactly? Do you understand why people migrate?
People migrate because of economic opportunities or proximity to economic
opportunities. Rising housing prices have to be matched with commensurate
compensation. In fact it is commensurate compensation that drives prices
of goods up due to availability of a higher amount of incomes.
If it isn't already clear, there is nothing happening in Pacifica that can support
its current housing prices. The home prices in Pacifica are dependent on
economic activity and accessibility to such economic activity.
Housing price increases, cost to do business, and inflation happen.
When prices might increase (what else is new), people move in and out of various parts of
the Bay Area. I see no reason to move to the central valley today. But
if you actually believe what you are saying, maybe you should move to
"Sacramento/Central Valley". Good luck, hope you enjoy the culture,
weather and politics there.
When prices increase you have to have the level of income to keep up. In a healthy economy
the home price should be 3x your annual gross salary. Only then you have any chance of
accumulating savings and building a nest egg. Your home is not an "investment". It is an
expense. The only "investment" aspect of home is that it tracks inflation. If you are
hoping to make a profit and retire off your home, I have Detroit, Stockton and few other
cities to show for when one starts building castles in the air in the hopes of increasing
home prices.
What culture does Pacifica have? Please enlighten me.
As you may NOT have noted, Pacifica was already exploited with way too
much permanent open space. With 50-60% empty space, most land which can
be used or reused for our city economy is infill. Your tantalizing burka
analogy with regard to new development is irrelevant, appalling and
offensive. Pacifica needs to promote a development plan. This is a city
that needs to generate revenue, other than more taxes and fees from
existing residents.
The residents of Pacifica do not make enough income to contribute to its development.
Pacifica needs a Sugar Daddy. Either in form of a billionaire investors or Federal pork.
There is no other way this city is going to develop.
@ Anonymous 12:00 PM
Do you know what Case-Schiller Index is?
If you do, click on my handle. And be prepared to calibrate your understanding of reality.
Will someone buy me a pony?
We're headed for gazillionaire renewal. First the city collapses and disincorporates, then our housing stock and all the nail salons decay even further, and some, as yet unborn, mid-21st century mega rich guy or gal decides this is it...home. Buys and razes the entire mess and constructs his own little shack--at the same time creating and protecting open space where a town once stood. Hey, this could be the future for lots of American towns with "good bones" and no means of support. Kind of an enviro victory I guess.
Libertat 624, Pacifica is not an island, we drive. We live in the metropolitan San Francisco Bay area. Our opportunities are nearby and vast. Even our television and radio programs are better and broader than Sacramento, central valley, or most anywhere else in California.
Pacifica also works at culture, its visible in our schools, clubs, Sanchez Art and Music Center, Spindrift theater, the Historical Society; events through the library, Florey's Books (poetry and authors), Toastmasters, guest speakers, special local television programs, and periodic events, etc.
As 1200 mentioned "home prices have more than doubled here every 10 years for the past 50 years" and "there's a reason.. location baby. We got it, they don't." The alternative to owning is renting, or moving out of the area. And you mentioned, "housing should be 3x your gross salary." Average price of a Pacifica house is currently $600,000+. So to manage that house payment, some people will have to "invest" in additional wage earners. BTW, in the financial world, Real Estate is a long term investment. Think about it.
Migrate? Sure migrate within the Bay Area. Lower cost, beautiful city on the ocean, with an easy-to-live atmosphere: Pacifica. Besides 537 wants to make more housing available-- ha! Realistically, new, larger scale city development will likely be done by a qualified regional or national developer, rather than a "Sugar Daddy" (unless national/regional developer was your reference, Libertat). And so far we see what "Federal pork" has brought us: parkland, rather than commerce. But we did have a long term opportunity to accept State redevelopment monies-- that door is closed.
I thought when doors closed that others were supposed to open. There you go! Pacifica debunks another myth. Maybe we can get a TV gig as mythbusters. Oh wait..
@ Kathy Meeh
I am being civil towards. We don't have to agree on everything.
Given that you can type out long paragraphs in response, I am sure you have it in you to actually spell "Libertarian" instead of "Libertat" and such. Otherwise, I am going to infer that a sort of unnecessary provocation for compensating your lack of argument.
I am sure you are above that.
Moving on.
Real Estate is an investment if you can make a profit out of by the way of positive cash flow. That is your mortgage is lower than rent. Yes, please check with your CPA.
If somebody thinks buying a home and waiting for some external event such as silicon valley or other to inflate the cost beyond what is considered "normal" inflation, then they probably deserve what is coming their way.
When cost of homes go up, cost of renting goes up. When cost of renting goes up, cost of services goes up. Its a vicious spiral. The only ones who make out of it are those who are cash flow positive with their mortgage to begin with and can sustain inflationary effects.
The inflation is Bay Area is caused by 20-to-40 yr old migrant labor in IT and other high tech industries making $150k+/yr salaries.
The local Pacificans neither have the skill set nor the advantage to keep up with that kind of money.
Unless of course one was lucky enough to get started as a landlord back in the '90s. Most local people involved in low end service oriented jobs are at a disadvantage. And that is just the way it is.
I bought property in Pacifica in 2010 at half the price it was sold for in 2005.
Pacifica still has huge foreclosure inventory that is off the market thanks to QE money.
Anyway, goodluck and all that.
And Libertart 202, what are you advertising by being the "Local Libertarian"? Don't you think the fake name you chose is an "unnecessary provocation for compensating your lack of argument" (in your own words). I certainly think it is.
Regardless of the investment strategy scenarios and ideology you have suggested, in a Real Estate market recovering from the major recession-- Real Estate has always been and continues to be a long term investment. That's no argument, that's just fact.
Of course, if you made a profit in a speculative market, good for you.
@ Kathy Meeh 2:47 AM
Are you saying that me calling myself "The Local Libertarian" is provoking you into some sort of a reaction?
Is this the culture of Pacifica you speak of? Or is it your way of treating yourself when you come across a view point that you don't share?
I did not make a profit. What I did was buy at a price I can afford without being at a disadvantage paying a huge monthly mortgage.
Real estate is an investment if you can make a positive cash flow out of it. That is, the expense on owning a real estate is cheaper than renting a comparable property.
But if you buy a property with hope of some future external event working to your advantage, that is worse than speculation.
I don't own a tv, car, dishwasher, washing machine or dryer.
I do use public transportation to get around.
I love Pacifica. I am young. I wish we could put a movie theater and a ice rink here. I work downtown SF. The public transportation out of Pacifica, and getting back in, has actually gotten worse. IMO.
10 years from now, Pacifica will be a much different city:
- Tons of 30 somethings with kids will move down from SF where housing is unattainable and crime + vagrants + parking make family life unattractive
- Lot's of the citizens will work in biotech and technology; Watch school test scores magically rise every year
- Many of the moldy small homes in Vallemar and Linda Mar will torn down and replaced with very expensive homes
- People will demand better food and drink including bars that don't require neck tattoos
- New businesses will open up in Eureka Square and Manor
...but in some ways the same:
- Like most cities, we'll continue to suffer the crisis of paying pensions for retired employees which sucks our tax revenue
- Still difficult to access SF; Need a direct Samtrans line!
- Because of our low density, we'll never have the high quality shopping and dining of Burlingame
- Palmetto still won't be a Main Street
- We'll still have breath-taking views that shock and amaze visitors
Don't know about your ambitious time table, but I think Linda Mar is prime territory for upgraded housing. Not a large scale thing but one or two or three at a time by smart investors and regular buyers who see the potential. I guess a lot of things would change with the change in demographics you foresee.
Libertarian
I bought my house for $190,000 and it was a dump. We did one bathroom at a time then remodeled the kitchen. We just finished the 2nd remodel. The house is paid off and worth about $900,000 plus right now. Our taxes are low. Would we buy this house back at the current price, hell no. We make twice what you claimed the new techies make. We all know what happen when the dot.com explosion happened.
I just saw notice of defaults were up in the first quarter. Existing home sales are also down. The techies and biotechnology people have moved to Pacifica, but I don't see them carrying the market upward.
If you have been to the store or by a gas station, you would notice prices on food and gas are way up. Fuel goes up and everyone has to raise prices.
My neighborhood changed over from families with young kids, to no kids back to younger families with kids.
Post a Comment