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Old 01-09-2016, 11:44 AM
 
Location: Bay Area
3,980 posts, read 8,989,754 times
Reputation: 4728

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultrarunner View Post
How does this impact the family that bought a lot 15 years ago to build their retirement/dream home?

They paid market price for the lot that is zoned residential and have paid property taxes 15 years in part for the services residents enjoy...

Yet the barriers to building continue to mount...

If a person owns a parcel in conformance to zoning... why should neighbors and/or others be able to derail construction of make it so expensive the owner simply gives up...

There has to be a balance.
Yes. I agree, but as I just mentioned, these houses are in the 8000 sq foot range and being at least partially built on a ridgeline. The existing houses in this neighborhood are mostly one story 1960's ranchers. I might find them an eyesore too if I lived next to this development.
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Old 01-09-2016, 11:44 AM
 
28,115 posts, read 63,680,034 times
Reputation: 23268
I don't need an 8600 square foot house... don't need a 4000 square foot home either...

That said... why would anyone care about the size of another's home?

Super Wealthy need to live somewhere and a lot of the super wealthy do not call California home... they may be here 1 day short of half a year... just for tax reasons.

As for BART... the push is to greatly increase density near transit hubs just like BART...
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Old 01-09-2016, 11:59 AM
 
Location: Bay Area
3,980 posts, read 8,989,754 times
Reputation: 4728
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultrarunner View Post
I don't need an 8600 square foot house... don't need a 4000 square foot home either...

That said... why would anyone care about the size of another's home?

Super Wealthy need to live somewhere and a lot of the super wealthy do not call California home... they may be here 1 day short of half a year... just for tax reasons.

As for BART... the push is to greatly increase density near transit hubs just like BART...
Well...I'm guessing these folks might care about their views of the oak studded hills? Maybe they like afternoon sunlight? LOL

Maybe I'll take a drive down there and see what all the fuss is about...
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Old 01-09-2016, 12:26 PM
 
28,115 posts, read 63,680,034 times
Reputation: 23268
If you don't own it is not yours... at least this is how it has always been.

Remember this is an approved project... not something new.

I'm a little sensitive because a family friend owned a little parcel in Oakland Hills on her street... she let folks walk their dogs and never said a word... all the years she paid the property tax and every year paid to have the acre ready for fire inspection...

Her daughter wanted to settle and be near Mom who is getting old... they get a architect and submit plans to build... one would have thought she was public enemy number one... speaker after speaker went to the podium and said how much it was a part of the neighborhood... many thought it was city land since everyone called it the dog park...

In the end... the city bought the land and crushed the dreams of the Mom and Daughter... it was in the newspapers a lot a few years back...

Incredible... simply by being nice and letting people use her land they became entitled...

So now the city lost out on tax revenue... also the land is really let go... no where near the tending that my friend did.... but by God, there isn't a house standing there!

Another friend lives on Palomares Road and he didn't want anything built next to him... he bought the parcel next to him and problem solved...
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Old 01-09-2016, 12:53 PM
 
Location: State of Transition
102,211 posts, read 107,931,771 times
Reputation: 116159
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultrarunner View Post
If you don't own it is not yours... at least this is how it has always been.

Remember this is an approved project... not something new.

I'm a little sensitive because a family friend owned a little parcel in Oakland Hills on her street... she let folks walk their dogs and never said a word... all the years she paid the property tax and every year paid to have the acre ready for fire inspection...

Her daughter wanted to settle and be near Mom who is getting old... they get a architect and submit plans to build... one would have thought she was public enemy number one... speaker after speaker went to the podium and said how much it was a part of the neighborhood... many thought it was city land since everyone called it the dog park...

In the end... the city bought the land and crushed the dreams of the Mom and Daughter... it was in the newspapers a lot a few years back...

Incredible... simply by being nice and letting people use her land they became entitled...

So now the city lost out on tax revenue... also the land is really let go... no where near the tending that my friend did.... but by God, there isn't a house standing there!

Another friend lives on Palomares Road and he didn't want anything built next to him... he bought the parcel next to him and problem solved...
Wow, that's quite a story! She should have put up a sign that said "private property", then told people it was ok to walk their dogs there. She needed to assert ownership. It's outrageous that the city went along with public demand to usurp someone's property, though. It really isn't all that unusual for someone to have a double lot. I guess what's unusual is that they'd be nice about other people using it, instead of coming out several times a day to yell, "GET OFF MY LAWN" or whatever.

"Everyone called it 'the dog park'", and because of this she deserved to have her property taken away? Jeez, the specious arguments that get taken seriously! Did she hire a lawyer? She should've.
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Old 01-09-2016, 12:57 PM
 
Location: Oakland, CA
28,226 posts, read 36,883,248 times
Reputation: 28563
Quote:
Originally Posted by clongirl View Post
Yes. I agree, but as I just mentioned, these houses are in the 8000 sq foot range and being at least partially built on a ridgeline. The existing houses in this neighborhood are mostly one story 1960's ranchers. I might find them an eyesore too if I lived next to this development.
This is way too nimby for me. It is 8 houses on big lots. You should not be able to block development because you are afraid your neighbors will create a home that is not to your taste.
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Old 01-09-2016, 08:36 PM
 
Location: where the good looking people are
3,814 posts, read 4,012,586 times
Reputation: 3284
Quote:
Originally Posted by jade408 View Post
This is way too nimby for me. It is 8 houses on big lots. You should not be able to block development because you are afraid your neighbors will create a home that is not to your taste.
People in Lafayette will protest the development of a tree house. Remember, this is the same area where people were up in arms when a live in nanny sent her child to the local schools. People out there are just the absolute worst. Ugh.
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Old 01-09-2016, 09:18 PM
 
Location: State of Transition
102,211 posts, read 107,931,771 times
Reputation: 116159
Quote:
Originally Posted by WizardOfRadical View Post
People in Lafayette will protest the development of a tree house. Remember, this is the same area where people were up in arms when a live in nanny sent her child to the local schools. People out there are just the absolute worst. Ugh.
That was in Orinda, not Lafayette.
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Old 01-10-2016, 11:20 AM
 
Location: Bay Area
3,980 posts, read 8,989,754 times
Reputation: 4728
Quote:
Originally Posted by jade408 View Post
This is way too nimby for me. It is 8 houses on big lots. You should not be able to block development because you are afraid your neighbors will create a home that is not to your taste.
Perhaps--- I don't really know what's going on with it, but I'm merely taking a stab at what they MIGHT be opposed to. It is in a neighborhood full of one story ranchers built around the 60's so maybe they think they'd be monstrosities comparatively?

I do know that there's another much larger development nearer to the BART that many people here are opposed to over the issues I posted earlier regarding traffic/schools. Also, Lafayette has "affordable" housing and senior housing so I don't think the city has been doing a too terrible job of attracting more folks that aren't millionaires.
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Old 01-10-2016, 12:29 PM
 
28,115 posts, read 63,680,034 times
Reputation: 23268
The simple answer is development in conformance with existing zoning should never be a problem...

Unfortunately the Bay Area is home to many people that simply don't want to share...
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