Dear City Council members,
At Monday evening’s community meeting to discuss potential downtown parking plazas there was a lot of support from residents to
update the downtown specific plan as needed so that the parking lots are potential sites for affordable housing. I was
particularly impressed by a few important points made by students from Stanford University.
Why are we more concerned with ways to park cars than ways to house people? Shouldn’t affordable housing take priority over
affordable parking of cars? Considering the fact that by the time such a parking garage would be built many people may not even
own a car (using services like Uber, Lyft, or self driving cars instead) isn’t it wise to consider other ways to use the parking
spaces? If there is a perception that parking is needed perhaps a campaign for walking and biking downtown would serve our needs
better than encouraging more cars in the area.
The DSP project could be a great opportunity to keep young people in the area and avoid the major exodus of vibrancy and youth now
moving towards more affordable cities.
We need to find ways to create a vibrant and socio-economically diverse city by making it possible for young people to stay here.
The way we use the land owned by the public should reflect our values and we should strive to be a modern and progressive city
that values the voices and presence of those whose salaries can’t compete in this housing market.
As a local realtor I am keenly aware of the many people who eventually need to leave this area because they have been priced out.
Let’s make sure our city is a caring one that will benefit from the diversity, vibrancy and compassion that affordable housing
allows us to create.
Thank you for considering ways to use our public space in wise, inclusive and forward looking ways.
Keyko
Keyko PintzIntero Real Estate Services650-224-9815BRE# 02011298http://keykopintz.interorealestate.com
[http://keykopintz.interorealestate.com]
