Sunday, April 24, 2016

Recent development potential: West Sharp Park, Quarry


Pacifica Tribune Letters to the Editor print edition, 4/20/16.  "Exciting projects" by Robert Hutchinson

Image result for Pacifica, CA Palmetto Avenue business district picture
A business section streetscape
is coming to Palmetto Avenue.
Image result for Pacifica, CA Quarry pictures
All this open space, at the same
time inadequate housing for people.
"It's so great to see two exciting projects being proposed here.  And a third one, the Palmetto beautification and streetscape has the money to proceed.

The Quarry and Beach Blvd projects are just what Pacifica needs. We desperately need more housing as demonstrated by so many people losing their homes and having no alternative here because for three decades some have fought any attempt to add residential units. Yes the traffic has much worse in the past few years. So stop opposing Caltrans' fix of Highway 1.

The Quarry developer is pledging to set 20% of the almost 200 apartments aside as affordable housing. Such units in San Francisco rent for as little as $1,200 for a two bedroom. And renters are protected from big increases, not from rent control but because of the affordable housing rules. So anyone who has been complaining about outrageous rents here had better vote for this.

Of course, all the same anti-everything people that oppose every single project ever proposed here are already banging their war drums and distorting facts. You can thank them for our housing shortage. While every other local city added 10-20% population since 1980, Pacifica added pretty much zero.

Image result for Pacifica, CA Quarry pictures
The Quarry may be developed
(and with that, highway 1 widened).
Image result for Pacifica, CA City Council chambers picture
Beach Blvd building to be
replace with a new hotel
(and a new sea wall).
Pacifica rents used to be lower than any other town on the Peninsula, even Daly City. Not anymore. These people argue that the city doesn't make a profit on added housing. Is that why we build homes for the city to profit?  Besides with the hotel component the city will make millions TOT. And the housing allows the developer to build the hotel."
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Reference,  Palmetto Streetscape,  MTC/Complete Streets. Beach Boulevard Hotel project, City of Pacifica/Economic Development.  Proposed Quarry reclamation project, City of Pacifica.  Conceptual site plan, The Quarry Restore and Connect. 

Related, Opposition to "everything".  Pacifica Riptide blog, Planning and Development (not), recent articles Rockaway Quarry Development in Play, 4/21/16, and Palmetto Avenue: Streetscape of Dreams?, 4/20/16.

Note photographs.  Palmetto Avenue at Paloma Avenue by  Horace Hinshaw from The Mercury News/Pacifica/Jane Northrop, 3/17/15, "Council approves funding for part of Palmetto streetscape ..."  City Council Chambers/Beach Blvd OWWTP from a City Press Release RFQ 2212 Beach Blvd development 2/12/16 article on Fix Pacifica, submitted by Victor Spano.  Two Quarry views from The Pacifica Chamber of Commerce/The proposed Quarry development.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yawn, No on L.
The nobies should take a time-out, we know what you're going to say. Oh, wait, you already are. I understand one of the first people the quarry master met with was the puppet master, Peter Loeb, purportedly to get his take on what fits. No sooner is there a plan release than Peter, always the honest guy, starts screaming "NO NO NO". Try something new Loebster.

Anonymous said...

MASTER OF PUPPETS

METALLICA

Kathy Meeh said...

At the Planning Commission Study Session, Dinah Verby said the new Quarry plan needs more commercial development. Most of us would agree with that.
Julie Lancelle said something about development up to Old Quarry Road (below the waste water treatment plant), but then she reverted to let's consider buying the property for transfer to GGNRA permanent open space.

The question is, do others in the NIMBY camp agree with Verby or the weak "develop to Old Quarry Road" from Lancelle, and what would they (the NIMBY coalition) support as development in the quarry?
With 2006 Measure L (Quarry development), Nancy Hall pushed for about the same number of housing units as the new Quarry proposal.
What kind of realistic traffic solutions would NIMBIES support (other than traffic light changes). Would they support the studied and evaluated Caltrans solution, 1.3 mile highway 1 widening?
I suspect the answer is the usual "NO on everything", let the City rot, volunteer, live in our broken-down neighborhoods.
If that's the answer, (the only answer for the past 35+ years), the City must continue to move on without them in an effort to save our City!

Anonymous said...

Is it just me or do the nimbies seem to be growing in power? Kathy, Chuck Gust said Lancelle should buy the Quarry then she joked about it. Greenies don't have 100 million bucks to buy it. That's a lot of Birkenstocks.

Over the last month I've lost all hope that the Quarry will pass.

Seems the developer screwed the pooch and the green crowd is pulling out the stops to crush it.

Why can't the chamber stand up and say it supports the quarry, did they ever hire a replacement for Courtney? She would've been up there for sure. If the quarry wants to pass they should hire Courtney as a consultant.

Kathy Meeh said...

1227, I think it's just you.
Chuck Guest's primary concern was Rockaway area traffic and parking infrastructure, and that's how he closed his summary comment at the Planning Commission Study Session.
I view Guest's "buy it" comment to NIMBYland (the audience mob) more in the gentle style and suggestion of "put up, or shut up!".

The developer probably wants to see if our city community will support housing first, prior to sinking a fortune into project development (primarily housing and a hotel; 25% project, 75% permanent open space).
Otherwise, improve the land through some form of reclamation, and sell the property. What would you do?

amy vegan said...

folks, folks, calm down. the entire planet is already in the 6th mass extinction. keep perspective.

Anonymous said...

When was the last time the chamber came out advocating anything? Think about it. I can't remember when. Not the quarry. Not the library. Not the beach Bl project. Nothing. Dues are paid to pay salaries to sell ads to fill an outdated phone book. Parties are give to stroke the egos of the board members.
As Trump would say "LOSERS".

Chamber Observer said...

7:20 am.

I recall two times: 7-11 proposal for Fairmont and Holiday Inn Express expansion applicaiton. It has been a while, but Stechbart and Wagner broke off to form their business sponsored political PAC as the chamber wants to move away from politics.

I am not intimate with all the aspects of chamber operations, but from what I could see, Chamber members and board pay for their own meals at all functions. Raising funds to meet the overhead of staff salaries and other operating expenses with special events such as Taste of Pacifica augment ad sales of the chamber directory.