AKA: More unrealistic, laughable complaints from NIMBIES.
The Examiner/Brendan P. Bartholomew, 10/12/14. "Some Pacifica residents scoff at development of pricey homes.
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| Developer design concept, lot 8 Roberts Road at Fassler Avenue |
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| Adding 10 homes to Pacifica, deep green is open space |
.... The fear that developers might gain a foothold in Pacifica and carve up its scenic hills is frequently voiced by the town's anti-growth activists. Members of the "Pacificans for Highway 1 Alternatives" organization say that concern is one reason they're suing to prevent Caltrans from widening a stretch of Highway 1 in the city, a move they claim could open up the entire coastside to developers.
But officials note that certain legal barriers in place in Pacifica would prevent any overdevelopment from occurring along the coast. According to Mayor Mary Ann Nihart, more than half the town's land is permanently designated as open space that can never be built upon, and the site of the Harmony At One development is one of the last two ridgelines that can legally be developed, with the other one located nearby on the north side of Fassler Avenue. Nihart added that although the development was approved by the City Council long before she was elected, she supports the housing project, partly because local environmentalists had input during its planning phases and signed off on the final design. Read article.
Reference - Harmony at One, a Sonora Shores development. From About: "Sonora Shores". " A Canadian Investment Group that specializes in Residential and Commercial Real Estate properties throughout Western Canada and United States. Sonora Shores offers a unique opportunity to enjoy California-coast lifestyle at Harmony At One in Pacifica, California."
Note: photograph/graphic from Movoto.
Posted by Kathy Meeh
48 comments:
As usual when talking about how much property tax will be generated, they omit the details. Sure, a single 5 million dollar home could generate $65,000 annual property tax, but "cash-strapped" Pacifica only gets about $7500 of that. If Harmony is ever fully built and sold, Pacifica would receive no more than $75,000 annual property tax for the whole development. $75,000 city revenue for 60 acres. Who won that battle? How can anyone applaud this loss of potential? Are we that stupid?
If the self congratulatory geniuses in Pacificans for Sustainable Development had any brains in their collective heads they would have supported measure L.
Concentrated development in a "redevelopment zone" would have cured our financial woes, provided a traffic relieving frontage road (no hiway widening necessary)and it would have used less land per capita and saved a lot of habitat for their frog, snake and Plover mascots.
They don't have the experience or the expertise to plan a city but we continue to defer to these knuckleheads.
Hold this 3 to 2 Council accountable to making common sense decisions about our future and to stop listening to these pot addled daydreamers.
314 Pot-addled daydreamers? Kid stuff. I want the drug YOU'RE on. You're seeing some crazy shit man!
Mary Ann, and her cat that ate the prized Canary smirk.
http://www.mercurynews.com/pacifica-news/ci_26592190/4million-value-homes-living-harmony-above-pacific-ocean
If you want development that suits your views pay for it. Forcing it through manipulative voting practices is coercion and patently undemocratic.
Fixie logic: voting is coercion and undemocratic.
631 What a load of incomprehensible crap.
6:52
Your logic: Sophistry, misrepresentation and manipulation. You just proved it.
2:39. They were your words. Their meaning was not changed.
1051, the difference is the 12/6, 652 election-con is all yours, as 239 stated.
Its also proven there is no progress compromise and no positive city vision from your band of NIMBY, Gang of No eco-terrorists. Go ahead prove me wrong: What needed balanced city economic development will you support for this city? And what planned and funded highway 1 congestion solutions did you support prior for this city?
Could someone here please help those of us who are only occasional visitors to this site and explain how the election was manipulated. I'm seeing many references to it but no full expose`. If something bad happened the people of Pacifica should be made aware.
Janice, Janice, Janice wink wink. When faced with a loss, some people need their excuses because, you know, that just couldn't have been the voice of the people coming through loud and clear.
You are absolutely correct, the voice of the people came through loud and clear.
They elected a 3-2 council in favor of progress for Pacifica and a rejection of self imposed poverty and decay.
Janice: it's a coping mechanism.
The True Believers here are unable to face reality -- that their favored candidates got trounced and got trounced badly.
Instead of facing the music and coming to the realization that their worldview is a very marginalized one, they latch onto the wildest notions in order to assure themselves that they're right and that everyone else in the world are the crazy ones.
This gives rise to embarrassing posts such as "Even though our candidates last, the really won because...", "The election was manipulated," and my personal favorite, "Elections are undemocratic."
Progress for Pacifica?
Umm what progress has this city made?
12:24
Bray, we all know when you post annon.
I'd just like someone here to take the time to explain what happened to the election process to make it illegitimate or stolen, what specifically was done. I feel like I am late to this subject so I am playing catch up but I have not been able to find any posts that say how it was done.
What's the message Kenneth? Well, Dan, with 7 candidates to choose from for 3 available seats, the voters clearly chose 2 very openly anti-highway widening and enviro candidates and gave 2500 votes to a political neophyte who was also anti-widening. Had the neophyte been an older and better known anti-widening candidate, it could have been a sweep. O'Neill hung on because he was the lesser of several perceived "evils" who placed 4th (Ruchames), 5th (Spano-the Fixy darling), and dead last (Dyer). Fix Pacifica denizens may have missed the message, but it's pretty clear. Think the rest of council heard anything? It'll be in proportion to their ego.
Choke-holds, Jan. The PPD applied choke-holds. At least they didn't call in DC SWAT.
Good luck with that Janice. I'm still waiting for hoohoo to explain what happened to Spano's landslide victory and Keener's massive defeat? Predicted on here. Right here. What's up, with that homie? And, where were the "99% of Pacificans" who support Highway Widening? Jihadis whack 'em on the way to the polls?
Back to Dec 5 at 12:10pm and the comment "How can anyone applaud this loss of potential?" Can you please be more specific? What potential are you referring to?
Dear Janice: the short answer to your question is that the election was not illegitimate or stolen. The reason nobody has an explanation of what specifically was done to make the election "illegitimate" or to "steal" it is that there isn't any.
Janice 634, 245, the issues are tactics and ethics, NIMBIES flunk those considerations on a consistent basis, as 305 says, by "choke-hold". But the tactics and conflicting pressures to "get along" are not simple in this city. Even with "fooled you again" misrepresentation by NIMBIES, there were 4.84% (1,259 votes) more progress votes, here. No NIMBY landslide or mandate: 4 progress candidates, 3 NIMBY candidates; with only 3 positions available on city council, they won 2 seats. If you look back on this blog around the time of the election you'll find articles about the election.
NIMBIES spun the 10 year studied 1.3 mile County/City/State (CalTrans) highway 1 widening as a FREEWAY from "evil" CalTrans (premier road builder in this State). A few months prior to the election, PH1A NIMBIES began their "don't concrete our coast" petition from "our community". That was the beginning of their sideways cause and candidate campaign. Turns-out not only are the highway talking points misleading and FALSE, the "our community" sampling was only 1,322 signatures of which 63% (834 signatures) were Pacificans, including duplicates and teenagers.
Several months prior to the election, the Tribune Wandering and Wondering column propaganda continued week after week (with no such column counterbalance). Closer to the campaign, John Keener's advertising displayed endorsement from John Maybury/Pacifica Tribune, finally the Tribune temporarily discontinued his column, and that drama overload began. (NIMBIES love pulling out that victim card)
During the campaign, NIMBIES smeared progress candidates, namely Victor Spano, and to a lesser extent Eric Ruchames, and Therese Dyer. Victor Spano's background and professional career is economic development, so he was a natural to understand and promote needed city improvement.
Fix Pacifica blog was a focused target of the NIMBY Soprano style political hits. They even managed to twist the city priority of "Fix Pacifica" into "Don't Fix Pacifica" (the status quo only less). And from a Fix Pacifica article, where they initiated and aggravated trouble they perpetuated grandstanding on the grave of their dead city council hero, Jim Vreeland.
Then, there was "let's all be reasonable" soft talk about voting for Sue Digre and John Keener to promote balance on city council-- never mind both Digre and Keener oppose significant economic development, and oppose funded highway 1 widening. Digre even attempted a coup d'eta at city council against the highway widening. Then, somehow Sue Digre was the only candidate endorsed by the County Democrats; whereas, if the criteria was who is a Democrat, both Mike O'Neill and Therese Dyer (city progress candidates) should have been on that endorsement-- so what happened?
NIMBIES win through deception, smear, and confusion because they apparently cannot or will not win on merit. We've seen their tactics over and over again in this city. Their idea of "democracy", is in reality minority mob rule. That's what we're dealing with. (Examples of their comment confusion on this this thread, see 12/6, 652pm, 846, 1224, 302, 329 and maybe you.)
Fortunately Mike O'Neill was re-elected, so the city council majority will continue trending toward progress, and hopefully important city progress votes will now be settled at 3-2, rather than the current 4-1.
The election was stolen because of lies and deception but upon closer inspection the lies and deception don't actually rise to the level of lies or deception so constantly referring to them as lies and deception is where the real lies and deception lie in this election.
The truth is almost always a very simple matter that does not require paragraphs and paragraphs of convolution and conspiracy to explain.
In the case at hand, the truth is that the vast majority of Pacifican's rejected the vision that Ms. Meeh and here ilk wish to wreak upon Pacifica. Ms. Meeh, unable to accept this, has expended many keystrokes in an attempt to explain it away, but the reality of the situation isn't going to change no matter how badly she wishes it.
612, sure if that's your "thing", "lying and deception". Calling a 1.3 mile highway widening a "freeway" is absurd-- here again from a Riptide link: Freeway No, Keener Yes, Digre Yes. Viciously attacking Victor Spano and others, and grandstanding on an artificial complaints promoted by your own NIMBY gang is devious bad news. And that's your pattern of winning through deceitful tricks. Either you can't or won't campaign on merit. Either way, its despicable conduct!
639, simplicity doesn't equate to truth, and your statement is also false. In spite or your nasty NIMBY campaign, 1,259 more people voted for progress. And factually most people prefer roads that work, and a city that is not continually falling apart financial and structurally. Some of you who like living poor and prefer City default may not agree, but that your ilk.
Janice, I hope you can see in the comments what the problem is.
One person's "deceitful tricks" are another person's facts and campaign rhetoric.
The ads saying that 99% of Pacificans supported the highway widening were deceitful, even a flat out lie.
Now we have the refiguring of the election results, in which the total number of votes for the 4 candidates who did not oppose the highway widening is greater than the number of votes for the 3 candidates who opposed the widening. None of this recalculation takes into account the advantage of incumbency or who the most active campaigners were or the content of those campaigns or other factors. The election result is still the same — the incumbent opposed to widening had the most votes by a wide margin and the new candidate who opposed the widening who ran a strong and active campaign was also elected, also by a wide margin over the candidates who were not elected. The results are the election results. The 2 strongest anti-widening candidates won.
834, once again there is no equivalency between the use of the then popular 99% expression in an ad (aka: duh) vs. persuading people through "dirty tricks" to reject fixing the 20 year highway 1 congestion problem through this city. Without the widening the problem will grow worse as will traffic safety issues. Since "alternatives" (previously ruled-out) are illusionary (non existent and fake), your campaign does the people of this city a disservice should the highway widening fail.
Votes are calculated by the county, here again. And based upon the factual numbers (with more people voting for highway 1 widening), there is no anti-highway widening mandate period. And again, any significant voting on city council will likely split 3-2.
Meeh, get over it. People don't want your effing highway. You've got to deal with it woman! Comparing aggregate vote totals of their 3 vs your 4 to construct some new reality is meaningless. Absolutely meaningless. Kinda sick and desperate, too. Fill some sandbags or something useful.
102, "Meaningless" (according to you) total votes for 3 candidates:
1. Gang of No: 12,380 (47.58%).
2. Smarter progress gang of Yes: 13,639 (52.42%).
3. Additional votes favor the smarter gang of Yes: 1,259 (52.42%) by 4.84%.
These numbers are not meaningless. In spite of all your disgusting Gang of No campaign manipulation, looks to me like "people" want highway widening; and we should, the opportunity is now.
Council members understood the election results. The assumption that "any significant voting on city council will likely split 3-2" is just that, an assumption. There will not be 3 votes to go forward with highway widening.
1:02
Bray, we know when you post annon.
I think the Bulldozer Fan Club is going to be very shocked tomorrow evening when they discover that the people that they think won the election weren't sworn in.
I'm sure there will be calls to the county election office challenging this miscarriage of justice. We were told their candidates won by 99%!
The Judge has ordered both the City of Pacifica and Cal-trans to answer the questions posed by the plaintiffs in the widening lawsuit.
This pushes back any decision another 90 Days (March/April)
654 I wonder if the Judge read any kind of message in those election results. I suppose she could since she's only human. You think she added up the votes of the 4 losers and said I hear ya people, one freeway coming up!
908, if you keep calling a simple 1.3 mile highway road widening a "freeway" others may believe such propagandized Gang of Nothing nonsense. And some did during the election. But your comment is factless, and others should know that's how NIMBIES operate in this city. Nothing new, about you liars who have crippled progress in this city.
I am against lying and propaganda which is why I call those who hold a different viewpoint from mine the "Gang of Nothing."
Pot, kettle, etc, etc.
I agree that calling the widened highway a freeway is a misrepresentation. A freeway doesn't have traffic lights. The widened highway will still have the Vallemar traffic light. But that light is the cause of the traffic congestion. Widening the highway while keeping the light will do little if anything to reduce the congestion. A freeway interchange that eliminates the light would actually be a better solution. If that can't be done, then the next best thing would be active traffic management control such as an operator controlling the lights while watching video of the traffic.
Kathy, you're desperately grasping at straws. The fact that it technically isn't a freeway (because it will still have intersections with signals) was of no consequence in people's minds. That's what you forget in your reverse propaganda. The proposed project will be as wide as a true freeway. Close enough comparison for most people. Remember, we're not traffic engineers.
And of course the real issue is not about size, it's also the permanent changes it will bring to Pacifica. Change that has absolutely nothing to do with traffic flow. You embrace those changes, we don't. From that stems all the propaganda--yours and ours.
All I want for Christmas is to learn where the 99% went. They've got to be around here somewhere. Santa, you're my last hope for Truth, Justice and the American Way. Thanks, Santa.
Maybe hoohoo up and moved to his happy place where state agencies are allowed to act against local interests with a zero tolerance policy to opposition. I'm thinking North Korea perhaps?
"...hopefully important city progress votes will now be settled at 3-2, rather than the current 4-1."
LOL get real. Items aren't put on the agenda is there's any doubt about they're getting passed. Go back and tell me how many 3-2 votes have happened in the past 5 years. Exactly.
1030, 6 lanes (3 each side), 4 wide safety shoulders (2 each side), 1 wide median, planted area, sidewalk. The plan allows access and exit to the intersections affected. What do you want to remove?
Caltrans builds highways and highway widenings throughout California. So far those of us with a 99% brain observe they're doing pretty good, and we don't think their research and function is a plot against this outback (thanks to some of you) city.
If you think Caltrans is "doing pretty good" I've got a bay bridge to sell you...
Kathy Meeh, December 9, 12:16pm said..."Caltrans builds highways and highway widenings throughout California. So far those of us with a 99% brain observe they're doing pretty good,..."
This is so off. Reminder the State of California report has raised serious concerns about CalTrans and their approach. One telling quote, "Partly because of its own actions or lack thereof, but also because of how it has been treated by stakeholders, Caltrans today is significantly out of step with best practice in the transportation field and with the state of California’s policy expectations. It is in need of modernization—both in the way it sees its job and how it approaches that job - and a culture of change that will foster needed adaptation and innovation." Executive Summary, page iv.
Another, "One reason for Caltrans’ rigidity, both with respect to projects and to its ability to change, is a culture of risk aversion and even fear. It is easier for employees to either follow an established standard slavishly—or not to make a decision at all—than to creatively come to the best solution.." From the Executive Summary, Page vi.
http://www.calsta.ca.gov/res/docs/pdfs/2013/SSTI_Independent%20Caltrans%20Review%201.28.14.pdf
346, your CDT, SSTI Assessment, page vi is way out of context for the 10 year studied and funded highway 1 widening in this city. Continue on. Into the Executive Summary of 101 pages, the focus is on "NON-single occupancy vehicle travel" and State/County/Local integrated corridor management (ICM)-- funding and management of these, rather than project by project. Pacifica fits into the project by project category, unless you consider other regional widenings in the study process along our south coast. Mainly the issues for each of these are also pockets of traffic congestion. I quit viewing this Report beyond the first 21 pages. Next!
330, are you trying to sell Pacifica a defective NIMBY bridge again? Bet you are. (Our highways all over this State are very good).
I heard that the over 4 million dollar project was stopped, does anyone know what happened, or what will happen now to that area?
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