Downtown and Senior Housing are Key Election Issues

By Charlie "Charles Bronitsky" (Bronitsky) Bronitsky, Charles Bronitsky

Only two candidates support the Senior Housing / Downtown proposal. Make sure you know who you are voting for if that is an important issue to you.

Wing "Yu has staked out the boldest position on Mirabella. If developer Pacific Retirement Services is not able to come up with financing in time to meet an April deadline that was negotiated with the city, Yu believes officials should consider establishing a middle school on the 15-acre parcel and turning Bowditch Middle School into an elementary school."

Linda "Haskin is the least committed to the existing vision for the site, and she wants to survey residents again to see what they want. She does not believe the parcel needs to generate revenue, and she questions the city's five-year budget projections, claiming the city can reduce its capital outlays and make other adjustments to stave off the structural deficit anticipated by city officials."

Herb Perez "said that the 15-acre site can still be developed in a way that would accommodate both a school and senior housing. He has proposed flipping existing plans by placing a school on the southeastern edge of the property along Shell Boulevard, a notion Bronitsky has criticized as unfeasible."

The San Mateo Foster City School District's plans for such a school are available on their website. Those plans call for the school to be built on 6 acres along Shell Boulevard. In addition, the 4 acres along Foster City Boulevard are under the power lines and would be able to provide only parking. Thus, there would only be 5 acres of the parcel left to develop with no street frontage. Anyone with any experience in city government or real estate development would understand that such a project would not work. That is why it is Mr. Perez's proposal is unfeasible.

In contrast, "Bronitsky and Frisella vehemently disagree with [these] idea[s], arguing that the city must generate revenue from the land, especially since projections indicate the city will face a structural deficit of $2 million in five years. Both feel the lot should be used for senior housing, even if the economy forces Pacific Retirement Services to withdraw its plans."

The candidates have made the choice clear. If you continue to agree that a mixed use senior housing and downtown project is what the City should have, you need to vote for Bronitsky and Frisella. If not, that plan is clearly in jeopardy.

The article from which I am quoting was written by Aaron Kinney a reporter with the San Mateo County Times. The portions of this that are not in quotes are my comments not Mr. Kinney's or the Times'.