[quote=FlyerInHi]
Planning a city is about bold vision, not about protecting the quiet lives of some residents who don’t want change.[/quote]
So are you saying you view the current One Paseo as a bold vision? It’s far from it. It qualifies as change but not a bold vision. We only get one chance to impact whatever change happens on this huge chunk of land, but instead are you saying we should just let the developer do what he wants? Simply because it’s a change, and, hey, none of us wants to be the one standing in the way of change?
It’s an easy slam on residents to say they want to protect their quiet (upscale) lives and they don’t want change. The truth is that what many are focused on is helping shape that change. Although I don’t live in CV, I live nearby and feel a responsibility to weigh in on what that change will look like and feel like to live in, plus what impact it will have on our already stressed environment. We know this is what will serve upcoming generations best, not just building however much housing/retail the developer can sell.
So Flyer In HI, where do you weigh in on this version of One Paseo? Sounds like you’d tell the developer to just go for it, it’s okay to ignore the current zoning laws and build what he wants to maximize profits. If I’ve got you wrong, then what are your ideas? Please get involved, review the actual proposal and its impact and provide a few thoughtful suggestions about what you do or don’t want it to look like.
Most of us want more housing, and we see a great opportunity for a village type concept there, with some nice retail and work space, but how much, how high should the buildings be, how densely packed, how much traffic should it generate, what will accessibility be like for public transit, bikes, walkability, etc, and what will the impact on our environment be?
Or does none of that matter?
And P.S. I spent a 20-yr career in midtown Manhattan and lived in that area the vast majority of my life so I appreciate the comparisons but feel they’re irrelevant to our area. And NYC bounced back in the 90’s mainly thanks to the compassion/collaboration of Mayors Koch, Dinkens, followed by the hard nosed but welcome Giuliani who brought public safety back to the city. Without this, companies never would have come back. It wasn’t because they were allowed to build skyscrapers, first it was because it was a city in which they and their workers wanted to be. That’s the boldness of a vision – helping shape a sense of place first, not just saying, sure, go ahead and build stuff.
