Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Premium or factory outlet mall, why not Pacifica?


Pacifica is well situated in the bay area to become a destination city for a premium outlet mall. We are geographically closer to San Francisco and northern San Mateo peninsula than Milpitas, Gilroy, San Jose, Petaluma, Napa, or Tracy.  Our city is set against the natural beauty of the Pacific ocean, the beach, green hills, a golf course; these are recreation and tourism advantages. 

 Outlet malls provide shoppers quality bargains which produces needed city retail sales taxes. And, family "getaway" tourism vacation packages could boost Pacifica's hotel/motel business providing additional city TOT taxes.  Restaurants and other retail business would also benefit. A premium outlet mall could be one solid destination component of tourism economics for this city.   Reference:  Interactive USA premium outlet mall map.

Article:  Outlet Malls in Northern CA. "Factory outlet Northern California locations are always abuzz with shoppers. Tourists visiting the San Francisco Bay area, San Jose, Sacramento, and Napa often visit these stores and stock up on items. What is a visit to the area without a trip to an outlet? Just visit a location and you will understand our point of view. Factory outlet Northern California locations include those in cities like Milpitas, Vacaville, Tracy, Petaluma, and Napa. Everyone likes a bargain, and these outlet stores will provide you with it. Imagine buying items from Gap, Saks Fifth Avenue, Brooks Brothers, Mikasa and more for less.

Most of the factory outlet Northern California locations are a distance away from busy cities, but people do not seem to mind the drive. The good thing about the malls that house these outlets is that they usually have a food court or small eateries, and sometimes a movie theater, too. Therefore, the whole family can have something to do while the shoppers do the shopping. The factory outlet Northern California locations also usually have special offers for customers. A visit to their website or on-site office will leave you with a selection of coupons you can use. Talk about discount upon discount! A visit to these special stores will not leave you disappointed. They are considered attractions of the area. One visit and you will be hooked on the savings and products. Factory outlet Northern California stores resemble regular stores. Everything is neat and organized; customer service is great. The only thing that is different is the price.San Francisco Outlet Malls

San Francisco Outlet Malls.  There are several outlets located near San Francisco that offer great steals and deals for shopping. The biggest malls are the Milpitas Outlet Mall and the Gilroy Outlet Mall.San Francisco Outlet Malls, » American Tin Cannery Premium Outlets, » Anderson Prime Outlets, » Atascadero Factory Outlet Mall, » Folsom Premium Outlets, » Gilroy Premium Outlets, » Great Mall - San Jose, » Mammoth Outlets - Yosemite National Park, » Napa Premium Outlets, » Petaluma Village Premium Outlets, » Tracy Outlets - San Francisco, » Vacaville Premium Outlets."

Posted by Kathy Meeh

107 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's an option that makes sense, fits this economy, brings visitors with money to spend from all over the bay area and beyond, creates jobs, creates crossover business for other local businesses, has great marketing potential...for all those reasons, it will never happen in this ridiculous town. Better we should all look forward to being some 4th class satellite of Daly City.

Anonymous said...

What is the biggest revenue source from any kind of real estate property? I will give you a hint: there is retail, shopping centers, strip malls. regional malls, power mall, big box retail. any guesses?

Anonymous said...

Big box!

Anonymous said...

We are too close. The full-price stores in SF would not tolerate it.

Anonymous said...

The combination of a seaside location with better outlets would be unbeatable. Market it well including to hotels in SF, HMB, etc run Bart shuttles. Include a popular, moderate priced restaurant or two. Big box is blah and there are too many just over the hill.
No single project is going to bring instant prosperity but this would be a huge step towards a more resilient economy and jobs creation in Pacifica.

Anonymous said...

I buy all my cheap consumer goods online...

Anonymous said...

Before you get your panties all moist, talk to outlet mall developers. Find out the formulas they use to determine where to build outlet malls. Then you'll understand why there will never be an outlet mall in Pacifica.

Anonymous said...

Gee... if this is such a sure shot money maker I wonder why all those brilliant business people with their high priced consultants haven't jumped at the chance? This is also a grate "opportunity" for our local business boosters to step up and put their money in the kitty...any takers?

Steve Sinai said...

"Gee... if this is such a sure shot money maker I wonder why all those brilliant business people with their high priced consultants haven't jumped at the chance?"

I'm sure people in Gilroy were saying the same thing before they built the outlet mall there.

Anonymous said...

Actually, they didn't.

Amazon.com said...

pick item, click add to cart

one step purchase

free shipping, no sales tax

I think I have saved probably 10k in sales tax buying stuff on Amazon.com

Why? Cause I can not go into a store in Pacifica and buy the products I need to run my business.

WINNING!!!!!

Steve Sinai said...

Oh, but they did.

Anonymous said...

Liar.

Steve Sinai said...

I never lie.

Anonymous said...

Outlet Mall brilliant idea but it'll never happen here because it would
a) never get beyond the poverty, oops I mean planning commission
b) ruin the view, a view, any view, what view
c) be on, under, or near a hillside, any hill
d) attract people in cars with actual money to spend here
e) not be supported by grants
f) be hard for local minstrels to sing about
g) clash with our decades long efforts to look like a Dump-haha bet you thought the D in the PSD group was for Development
h) show progress and initiative and that's so not Pacifica

thou should not steal said...

and he does not steal

Kathy Meeh said...

"..I can not go into a store in Pacifica and buy the products I need to run my business."

Anon (7/27, 10:28pm) premium outlet stores (mostly quality clothing and other personal items) are really not about business utility items. Quality personal products at low cost is the reason there are tourist travel packages to these shopping outlet destinations. All things being equal, assuming demographic studies prove-out, Pacifica would "win" because of our geographical location.

From the premium/factory outlet interactive map link above, here's a list of stores example: Gilroy premium outlet. Better, do some internet research on your own. Or,is it the case that you are advocating "losing" for Pacifica: no development, no taxes, only decay?

Premium outlet stores could be ONE tourist destination reason to visit, shop and stay in Pacifica.

Anonymous said...

I never die.

Geico Caveman said...

Kathy thanks for moving the rock you thought I was under.

I have been to Vacaville and Gilroy Outlets.

Plus the road from Phoenix to Tucson has many outlet malls.

mike bell said...

The location and the view (westward) from the ridge at the Quarry is second to none.
It's begging for a 5 star resort hotel with beautiful recreational grounds surrounding it.
We make a deal with Ritz or whoever to fast track and assist in everyway possible and they help us us mitigate our stinky sewer.
A powerful boost to our local economy.
I realize this sounds naive but if we get rid of the 3 Stooges and take control of our own fate, you never know.

mike bell for president said...

Mike has good old fashioned common sense and he gets my vote!!!

Anonymous said...

Just because you think some place is a good site for ____ type of development, doesn't mean that it is. "Common sense" is frequently very uninformed about the realities of specific types of development on specific sites.

Anonymous said...

As long as the waste water treatment plant is there that location is going to stink and is not suitable for any kind of hi-end hotel. Can't imagine any 5 star chain that would be stupid enough to build next to a sewer plant. What's the ad campaign..."That's not love in the air." And to paraphrase good old Joe Tanner "of course the plant stinks, what, you morons didn't know shit always stinks?" Apparently local leaders didn't know but I guarantee any hi-end company putting up 5 star resort hotels will be keenly aware. It's got to be retail for Pacifica... visit, shop and leave. It's a start.

mike bell said...

If astronauts can safely drink filtered urine on the space station I'm sure the technology exists to cap the stink from shit.
Can do it attitude vs. Pathetica.
Business as usual is why America is sinking to new lows.

Anonymous said...

Apples and oranges. Big difference between can do and you just want to. The city can't afford to fix the plant even if there is a real fix available. A developer of '5 star resort hotels' is going to crunch the numbers including trying to fix the plant and look elsewhere. That is just a more realistic take on the situation. A little more realism and common sense in Pacifica over the past decade and we wouldn't be in this mess. Same for the rest of the country.

mike bell said...

We need to reject Joe "let's file for bankruptcy" Tanner's justification to do nothing about this situation.
Anti-Pacificans love stinky shit, traffic congestion and endangered species.
It suits their purpose.

Anonymous said...

Reject tired propaganda and focus on what is doable and then find people with the means to do it. If anything can be built in the quarry, it should be retail...premium outlet mall.

Anonymous said...

"A developer ... is going to crunch the numbers ... and look elsewhere." Right.

"A little more realism and common sense in Pacifica." Please.

"Focus on what is doable and then find people with the means to do it." Yes. This is how to get something done.

"If anything can be built in the quarry, it should be retail...premium outlet mall." See above 3 quotes. Can you find a developer to do it? If not, go back to beginning and start over.

Anonymous said...

Pretty clear those mythic developers aren't looking at the quarry. In other news, the city has begun once again to look at what to do with the old WWTP on Beach Blvd. Indeed. What to do?
Public input is being invited. Yes, the word 'redevelopment' is being used.

Anonymous said...

13 years the old waste water treatment plant has been sitting

30 years for the quarry

Anonymous said...

Can you say... Walmart? I don't need to explain how this would work, because it is a serious candidate for jobs and income in Pacifica. Unfortunately, there are frogs, birds, snakes, foxes, coyotes and probably some obscure endangered micro-organisms in the quarry. Get rid of the incumbents and eco-terrorists and you'll have a "fixed" Pacifica.

Steve Sinai said...

Eeek, I'd hope we could get something a bit more distinctive than a Walmart.

Anonymous said...

I've got an idea for something that better suits Pathetica. How about a premium thrift store outlet mall at the Quarry? You know, we could have all of the high end thrift stores, Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent De Pauls, Beggars Can't Be Choosers,... And can you imagine the food court? Not only do these fine establishments know how to sell discards, but just wait 'til you see how they run soup lines. Perhaps we can talk St. Anthony's Dining Room into running an outlet diner so they can dispose of the food the vagabonds won't eat at their primary establishment. All this, and with an ocean view! Hold on... I'm getting verklempt. Where was I? Oh yeah. Now c'mon peeps. Who understands charity, begging and handouts better than Pacifica? It's what we do... Can you see it? The tourist buses will be backed up all the way to Joe's of Westlake! Can you hear it? Cha-ching!

Anonymous said...

"Get rid of the incumbents and eco-terrorists and you'll have a "fixed" Pacifica."
How is that name-calling strategy working for you rabid, extremist, development-at-any-cost fascists?

Scotty said...

"How is that name-calling strategy working for you..."

Physician, heal thyself.

Scotty said...

"I'd hope we could get something a bit more distinctive than a Walmart."

I would too, but I'd still welcome it. After all this time, are we really in any position to be turning away suitors?

Scotty said...

fyi, if any posts show up in the near future under my name, it's Jeff.

Anonymous said...

"Physician, heal thyself."

Irony escapes thee.

Kathy Meeh said...

"...you rabid, extremist, development-at-any-cost fascists?"

Anon (1213), how's that name calling working-out for you? Those who want to "fix" Pacifica are moderate people (Pacificans) who expect a functional city with at least "average" city services. This city does not have that. By contrast, what would you consider "development-at-any-cost"? Would that be ANY development that is smart, strategic and generally considered beneficial to a sustainable city?

Cost? This city continues to pay for ongoing "no growth, no money" policies and mistakes. Example, downgrade and loss of city staff talent, sewer plant inadequacies, general fund "robbing Peter to pay Paul" strategies, inability to update city infrastructure, a 25 year failed redevelopment zone, a city hall that is not even ADA compliant, volunteers doing jobs which should be paid, etc. Some "no growthers" are even intent on destroying Sharp Park golf course and exposing that neighborhood to risk.

Growth, taxes or city destruction? You made your choice (destruction), and the rest of us live with the consequences. Needless to say, the "fascists of destruction" are you behind the friendly "we can do nothing" mask of Councilmembers Vreeland, Digre, and DeJarnatt.

BTW, tourism needs "destinations", a premium outlet mall could be one. No reason to avoid building a 5 star hotel, a movie theater, a spa, a downtown and whatever else. The City General Plan allows for these "rabid, extremist, development-at-any-cost" improvements.

Anonymous said...

"Anon (1213), how's that name calling working-out for you?"

Irony escapes thee, too.

Anonymous said...

"Irony escapes thee..."

Know any other words?

Anonymous said...

Not as long as you don't get it.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone talked to a developer of these big-box malls?
My understanding was that with the small demographics of Pacifica, and the Pacific Ocean on the western border, such a mall would never be considered here.
It's nice to entertain a fantasy, but come on, let's be real about this.

Steve Sinai said...

The only option is a premium outlet mall.

big builder said...

Sinai

You can be the lead greeter at Walmart

Pacifica needs a downtown hub..

I liked parts of Peebles plan I didn't like ticky tacky lil boxes on the hillshit mcmansions.

The retail over resident part of the plan was awesome. A hotel would be nice.



Premium outlet malls have to be near a major freeway near a major off/on ramp. Easy to get too easy to get back on the freeway

Anonymous said...

No they don't.

Anonymous said...

How many big box centers have you built annon 5:21

how many outlet malls??

Kathy Meeh said...

"Premium outlet malls have to be near a major freeway near a major off/on ramp."

"Sideways no builder Anonymous (433)". An example of a premium outlet not off a freeway is Monterey. This one is near another destination, the Monterey aquarium.

Even with the unfortunate land use failure of this city, no reason Pacifica should give up on creating destinations, including a downtown, a premium outlet and needed/required housing.

Anon (652, 433) without a name and reputation, your comments appear to be so much unsubstantiated biased noise.

Steve Sinai said...

Therapy, Jeff. Seek therapy.

Anonymous said...

"Has anyone talked to a developer of these big-box malls? My understanding was that with the small demographics of Pacifica, and the Pacific Ocean on the western border, such a mall would never be considered here."

Some common sense there. Please talk to outlet mall developers and end this circle jerk.

Steve Sinai said...

We won't get a big box mall here. A Premium Outlet Mall, on the other hand, does not simply serve the residents of the town it's located in. The reason one might work for Pacifica is because it draws people in from the wider area.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, no matter what you want, developers are only building commercial right now when it is a sure fire moneymaker. Just like the investment company that owns the Quarry right now, too many investors got stuck when the bubble burst. I say stop whining; then get out and make what we have better. Otherwise, you are just spinning your wheels. Of course that seems to make some people very happy.

Steve Sinai said...

That last comment demonstrates a major problem in Pacifica - our "Can't do it" attitude. Then we get a uselessly vague comment about making what we have better. What the hell does that mean?

Anonymous said...

The way to defeat the "Can't do it" attitude is to get out there and do the work to prove them wrong. If nobody will make an effort to find out if a developer is interested in building, for example, a premium outlet mall in the quarry, then you really are just spinning your wheels.

Scotty said...

I certainly don't agree with the anti-development NIMBYs, but how can a "Can Do" attitude help bring an outlet mall to the quarry? I'd love to hear some concrete ideas of how people who care about the fiscal health of this city can "do the work" because I can't think of any.

We can all fantasize about how great an outlet mall in the quarry would be, or how great it would be to add a 5-star hotel there, or how great it would be if Disney built their next theme park there, but it doesn't really mean anything if a developer doesn't have those ideas.

Anonymous said...

not really totally a can't do it attitude its more like we don't want to be Daly City.

The battle cry of the hippies. Traffic parking traffic parking

too many cars traffic parking

Anonymous said...

Why don't you go ahead and demand a unicorn farm for the quarry while you're at it and then accuse everyone of having a "can't do attitude" for that as well when they point out the folly of such an endeavor.

A developer isn't going to proceed with anything without doing their due dilligence and realize there are about a dozen stakeholders who can and will say no to any proposed quarry project. They'll also soon become aquainted with the non-existent city infrastructure and services. Aaaaand don't forget the crap-o-la state of the surrounding shopping centers and neighborhoods which tells you all you need to know about the state of interaction between government/private/economic/community groups in this town.

How about fixing what's ALREADY in Pacifica instead of pinning all your hopes and dreams on a mythical help me Obi-Wan Kenobi project that will save us all?

Steve Sinai said...

So in other words, you're saying we "Can't do it," and offering us a uselessly vague comment about making what we have better.

As I said, this is the problem.

Kathy Meeh said...

The premium outlet idea has been out-there for several years. And developers involved with larger mixed-use and commercial parcels are generally interested in what the city and the public thinks, and will do their own research.

Some members of city councilmembers likely do read this blog, and with the help of paid consultant research may be able to count "highest and best use" economic cash-- although there is really no proof of that, another reason to outsource them.

As for these projects, the "can't do" eco-guardians should be happy with a premium outlet mall: better "stuff" at the same cheap price, and most of the tourists are gone in 1 day.

On the city website, currently planned for the quarry is 311 housing units, and a shopping rectangle. There was no "unicorn farm". So, other than the "unicorn farm" which do you prefer: a downtown, 5 star hotel, premium outlet mall, and some housing units? Why not all. The quarry is 88 acres, 60 acres of which might be functional.

Anonymous said...

"So in other words, you're saying we "Can't do it," and offering us a uselessly vague comment about making what we have better."

As opposed to offering uselessly vague comments about how we should put an outlet mall in the quarry to solve all our problems?

We've got merchants bailing out of this city left and right, leaving swaths of run-down store fronts in their wake -- how about we renew and revitalize these existing retail spaces instead of tapping your heels three times and wishing all our problems away on the fairy wings of the Great Outlet Mall in the Sky.

Anonymous said...

Too little too late. All these "fixes" are too iffy in this economy and are years away, if at all. Is this city even doing anything to "catch" a developer? Hell no. Oh excuse me. I'm sure they are studying and surveying and you know encouraging public input and setting up task forces. Meanwhile we're going to run the city on volunteers and denial? All the spit polishing and weeding in the world won't fix our crumbling infrastructure and shrinking services. Let's become part of Daly City or San Bruno or South City. We share borders. Wow would that shake things up. Break the stranglehold! Wave of the future for CA cities?

Anonymous said...

anon@531, what are you actually suggesting? Who pays to renew and revitalize these existing retail spaces? Why would they do that? Do you want to lure in some other mom and pop biz to a space in one of our shabby malls? Another lumber store to compete with Home Depot's pricing? So they too can fail? We need something that draws in visitors and their money. That's what we've always needed. That's not going to be another nail salon or deli. Now if you want to remodel Linda Mar Center to include a premium outlet mall then
let's do it! It's already retail space with great visibility. Where's the deal maker?

Kathy Meeh said...

The problem is structural, not scattered store by store. Area business facades have improved through-out town, but pretty infill improvement has it limitations.

I don't know that what you say about "merchants bailing out of this city left and right, leaving swaths of run-down store fronts in their wake.." is true. Could be, but from my observation that statement is false, until proven otherwise. Many businesses are slow, but seem to be hanging-on. Do you even live here?

The city needs tourist destinations and more foot traffic, and the quarry has the potential to provide that economic catalyst.

To my knowledge the 8+ year city council determined the economic goal for this city to be "recreation", now extended to "tourism". Therefore, their determination is not a continued invitation to "do nothing". Build the destinations available and the infrastructure. The city knows how to hire consultants with connections to those who "can do", so that's the plan: move forward.

Anon (531), you want to talk about "fairy dust", maybe write a children's book. Do you even live here?

linda mar center said...

Has sky high rents and alot of vacant stores. It seems Starbucks, Radio Shack, Round Table, Cheers, Safeway and Ross do most of the business. I wonder how much long BOFA stays in that huge branch in the back? The title company office has been empty for years.

Plus in Linda Mar you also pay a CAM fee per month or year for the Common Area Maintence.

Anonymous said...

Linda Mar center has always had empty spots. just a so so shopping center. Wonder if it would work as a total remodel with outlets.

Anonymous said...

"Wonder if it would work as a total remodel with outlets".

Hey buddy, Linda Mar is the all purpose shopping center where I shop. And, the parking lot is usually busy, so other people are shopping there too, including those who live coastside.

Linda Mar shops have leases with a partnership owner. Build new, and the quarry is probably it. Agreed, the retail/commercial rents in Pacifica seem high.

Anonymous said...

I find it funny when people are like build this build that. Have you read a newspaper lately, 1% of the real estate developers in the country are getting bank and insurance company and or pension fund money these days.

Probably another 5-10 percent are getting private money..

The guys who are self funded and can pay cash are waiting on the sidelines with bags of money to pick off cherry deals.

We have an outlet store of sorts in Linda Mar. Ross

Anonymous said...

Gosh what more could we possibly need? NIMBYs really are everywhere. There's no money to develop anything so don't worry this dump will not be improving anytime soon.

Anonymous said...

Not going to happen. Not by a city run by hillbillies. Hazzard County don't want no growth y'all !!

Anonymous said...

Linda Mar shopping center is mess run by a Chinese owned company. Eureka Square is simply a joke run by some ridiculous jackass with absolutely NO business sense. This city is simply screwed. We REALY need to shit can the ENTIRE city council.

Kathy Meeh said...

Anonymous 7:27 PM, Linda Mar Shopping Center, owned by Kimco REIT, is not Chinese. See New York Times,8/27/12. Kimco is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Look in list of articles, Martin S. Kimmel co-founder died 4/17/08. So that's where Kimco got its name.

Recent articles this month on Fix Pacifica where there has been discussion, mostly about Linda Mar Shopping Center, but also Eureka Square:

1. Jean Bartlett, Round Table Pizza Closed, 8/10/12.

2. Elaine Larsen Editorial "Landlords responsibility", 8/15/12.

3. Rev Piers Lahey "Store vacancies", 8/15/12.

Have fun reading, and maybe post a comment too!

Anonymous said...

731 anon so you got 4 swings and 3 solid hits

Anonymous said...

Why don't one of you time wasters call up premium outlets and tell them about the quarry.
premium malls like to be right off major freeways.

I am sure the outlet developers passed on the quarry.

Anonymous said...

that's good enough for me
makes a great litter box/dog run

Anonymous said...

Hey, they can call us.

Reality Check said...

Ask the City Council candidates what they will do about Linda Mar center and Eureka Square, and also how they will get a premium outlet mall in the quarry.

Anonymous said...

If they could do it, they'd have done it.

Anonymous said...

MYOB it's private property. Council knows nada about business.

Anonymous said...

city council also knows nothing about municipal finance and runing a city.

Sometimes you have to take a wrecking ball to a house and start all over. Sometimes you have to burn down a house and rebuild.

The city needs to be dismantled top to bottom and start over.

Removal of the hippies from council is step one.

Bankruptcy is step two.

Bringing in top notch city manager and maybe even someone as a turn around specialist is step 3.

Building out the quarry and waste water treatment plant is step 4.

Bringing in a couple bed and breakfast Inn's and possibly a couple brew pubs and or sports bars is step 5.

Hutch said...

kind of suspicious that some on this board go bizerk when anyone mentions Linda Mar or Eureka Square.

Do you have an interest in them?

Seems like you would want to at least look into what's going on there to see if our local small businesses are being hurt in any way.

Steve Sinai said...

"If they could do it, they'd have done it."

You can say that about anything, so it's a meaningless statement.

Anonymous said...

Sinai

You have zero clue on how real estate development works.

The developers pay people to do research and bring them worthy projects, not to mention the commercial real estate brokers who do this all day long.

Remember the waste water treatment plant on the north end of the quarry was put there by the hippie loving council, in order to make the quarry less of an attraction to developers.

The back of the valley behind the riffle range and anchery range would have been perfect. No houses to get the smell.

Also remember the bio diesel plant that you supported was fast tracked thru planning and council cause it was Nancy Hall. Remember Jimmy V went down to the coastal commission.

Peebles should have sued the city and taken them to the cleaners just like how "Chop" did in Half Moon Bay.

Steve Sinai said...

A third-party broker didn't find the Quarry for Peebles. His employee, Daniel Grimm, serendipitously came across it when he was checking out another property.

Anon@10:15, stop pretending you know anything about real estate.

Anonymous said...

I don't recall hearing the name Steve Sinai, in any industry publications? Loop Net nothing for Steve Sinai. National Commerical Property News nothing.

Quit pretending you know anything about real estate. You are making your self look pretty fatuous.

Steve Sinai said...

I believe Peebles explained how Grimm came across the property in his book, "The Peebles Principles." He didn't hire a third party to find the Quarry.

I'm tempted to ask about your great feats in the real estate biz, but if this is who I think it is, you tried your luck in that field and made absolutely zero dollars.

Hutch said...

Grimm? Isn't that fitting.

Anonymous said...

Peebles had Grimm come out and look at the hotel in Rockaway. The hotel didn't want to sell. Nick's couldnt come up with a firm price they wanted. He heard Nick's was possibly for sale and he started looking around and found out about the quarry, he made a few calls and bought the quarry?

Anonymous said...

Peebles and the quarry connected by accident. Wouldn't it make sense to put someone on the city payroll to actually pursue such events in a less random fashion?
Yes, it would. They can find the money...hey, pretend it's a consultant or can a couple people
and strip council of every dollar they've managed to give themselves including inflated monthly salary, benefits and those elected-official pensions. That ought to pay for someone with the professional economic development know-how to actually lift us out of this mess.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like an unholy nimby alliance put the WWTP in the quarry. Sharp Park Nimbys meet the original Quarry Nimbys.
Psst, quarry nimbys, we've got a great idea to help you keep developers out of the quarry. Heavily regulated WWTP, state-of-the-art with a fresh scent. Well, they got it half right. Crafty little buggers.

Steve Sinai said...

"Wouldn't it make sense to put someone on the city payroll to actually pursue such events in a less random fashion?"

I don't know if the city can afford to hire someone as an employee for something like this. Giving a commission to someone who found a business to locate here might be better.

Anonymous said...

Steve, we can't afford not to do it. They can find the money for every whim. It's now or never.

Anonymous said...

A commission is an interesting idea. No money paid out until a business fills an empty storefront or a development is built. Make the amount very big to motivate people to see it through to the end. They might have to wait a long time. It would be more productive than paying an economic development staffer salary + benefits but nothing ever happens.

Anonymous said...

Interesting article in the Chron re a surge in new home building in CA, particularly in communities close to job centers. With the houses come the businesses. Definite signs of life in the CA economy. Are we ready to get in on any of that? Are we? How? Are we even on the radar?

Anonymous said...

Commission? Like the commissions commercial realtor's aren't getting for all the Pacifica deals they aren't putting together? I think other cities got this one right. It takes a combination of both an in-house pro and the realtors efforts to make stuff happen. Not all economic development is as they say, transactional, or commission-earning. We could put out no better welcome mat for development than an economic development pro on staff and a recast planning and development commission.

Hutch said...

Yeah we can't afford not to have a development commissioner.

Len Stones idea was to use part of the outsourcing savings to pay for this position.

Now they just need to cut some overtime or a department head.

Anonymous said...

Cut salaries? That reminds me, when does that state controller's salary report for 2011 come out? October? Happy Halloween Charlie Brown!

Anonymous said...

Too bad the city doesn't own a parcel suitable for an outlet mall.
That could open a lot of doors for development.

Anonymous said...

How are realtor supposed to bring in business when it took Luigi 3 plus years to open, It took another business 14 months to get the approval for his grill?

Why would business expand into a town that is anti-business?

That is why SSF, Daly City, San Bruno, Colma, Millbrae and Burlingame are getting all the franchises opening in town, and Pacifica gets nothing.

Anonymous said...

What you fail to understand is:

A city has to want to thrive from within. Its a combination of city government and the public.

Pacifica has been locked in a 30 + year choke hold by John Curtis, Nancy Hall and the Vallemar and Pedro Point hippies and nobees.

The winds of change are slowly slowly starting to blow and we have no Jimmy V, Julie and Pete leaving council at the end of the year. Sue is the only friend of the hippies and greenies.

Its the same as a sick person, they have to want and ask for help before anyone can help them. Just like how a drunk has to hit rock bottom before they go to rehab.

Anonymous said...

The only outlet store that belongs in Pacifica is a Grocery Outlet.

The store in SSF is packed every day!!!

Anonymous said...

Be bold anon 519! Think about something other than food. Maybe some diversity that wouldn't put 3 or 4 small grocers out of business, create more empty storefronts, blighted areas, etc. Although, if we don't take charge of our economic development we will probably end up with something like that. Beggers can't be choosers.

Anonymous said...

anon 405 It's about foot traffic.
Those cities have it and we don't.
That's what franchises and many other businesses look for. It's what anchor stores deliver in shopping centers. Or try to.

Anonymous said...

anon 516 That's hysterical. The mental picture of John Curtis and Nancy Hall and assorted Pacifica delicates putting anyone in a choke hold is priceless.

"HamBurgler" John Curtis said...

I propose that Pacifica, adds 6 more McDonalds in town. And I get to eat free any time I want.

It is good to be King!

Being I am getting old and slow and shoplifting, well they are just so damned good and catching me now, an all you can eat for free system would be much better.

Anonymous said...

Oh you Yessie pranksters with your name calling and slave owner mentalities!

Anonymous said...

Come on, get real ... we don't have the traffic to support a box box store or outlet mall if would fail and we would have a big empty retail space. As it is, people are trying to block much needed improvements to highway 1 through Pacifica.

Anonymous said...

I try to avoid going south on 1 at all costs and at all times.
The traffic is just too nasty and completely unpredictable. I feel bad for all of the residents who are forced to travel on this part of 1 everyday.
Staying away from the south end of Pacifica is probably music to NOBY ears. I'm hopeful that sooner or later normal people are going to finally get fed up with this self imposed third world environment that the faux-enviros have foisted on all of us and reject their NOBY religion.