Why wrote on Aug 22, 2008 2:27 PM:does the county have no problem telling the state to get lost when it comes to medical marijuana, but communities like Poway just roll over and accept idiotic rules like mandatory low cost housing requirements. I say Poway should tell the state NO, we are not building any more low cost housing. Poway sends more sales tax money to the state then they receive back in services, so any threat of cutting off state funding is not much of a threat. Until Rancho Santa Fe begins to build low cost housing in their neighborhood, Poway should refuse this lame state mandate.

To Why wrote on Aug 22, 2008 6:03 PM:Rancho Santa Fe is not a city.

To to why wrote on Aug 22, 2008 8:32 PM:That is why I called it a neighborhood.

suzyque wrote on Aug 23, 2008 7:54 AM:I'm tired of hearing Poway city council members bellyache about meeting state housing requirements.
They keep approving industrial projects and big box stores. I remember them crowing about the thousands of jobs Geico would bring to the city. Where are those workers supposed to live? Poway wants to pay National City to build their share of affordable housing while they rake in the tax revenue from their industrial and retail properties.

suzyque wrote on Aug 23, 2008 8:05 AM:Poway doesn't need to go to 3 stories to meet their affordable housing needs. There are a lot of estates in Poway sitting on huge parcels of land. If the city bought up a couple of them they could build nice looking compatible units and meet all of our housing needs. But the council only builds affordable housing in a tight, already crowded area near Valley School. There is only one big park and a few postage stamp sized parks nearby. Building 3 story units in that area will have a huge impact on traffic, noise and services (especially parks and schools) in that area.

suzyque wrote on Aug 23, 2008 9:17 AM:Why,
It is the state that sets housing mandates, not the county. The state wants a balance between residential housing, commercial and industrial. Since Prop 13 was passed, a city does not get very much tax revenue from residential property so they zone as much land as possible for commercial and industrial. That way they get sales tax AND property tax and other business related fees.

In addition, Poway set aside almost all undeveloped land into a redevelopment area. Redevelopment is a state program for revitalizing run down urban areas with new jobs and housing. Poway's redevelopment area is bigger than San Diego's. They wanted the tax increment from new development. They didn't want to build the affordable housing - but that was a requirement of forming a redevelopment area. Poway only wants the benefit of the redevelopment area (keeping the property tax money that would otherwise go to the state) and not the responsibility (building affordable housing).

Every time a new retail or industrial project comes up, the council approves it. They know that means they have to build more affordable housing, but then whine and say the state shouldn't tell them what to do. But then they approve the affordable housing because they know they have to. The whining is just an act for the voters so they won't blame the council for being big developers. It is a sad joke, but the voters of Poway buy it every time.

CONCERNED POWEGIAN wrote on Aug 23, 2008 11:45 AM:Once again, Poway is changing its sacred general plan and bending its own guidelines regarding height limits and density limits on the HOUSING ELEMENT REPORT to satisfy REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY requirements (in addition to state housing mandates). While our Mayor and City Council members whine and complain about state mandates --- this is a smokescreen. It is actually REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY requirements which are driving this plan to add more and more affordable housing in Poway.

And, as always, it is South Poway that bears the burden of these requirements --- all within a radius of less than 2 miles in the city’s core area. It is important to note that the northern area of our city NEVER shares this burden, although there is plenty of empty land and resources in this section of the city. The disparity between north and south Poway has gone beyond very lopsided to totally ridiculous and unfair.

Our City Council/Redevelopment Agency is determined to increase the density of the already overly dense South Poway area (and all the negative impacts that go with it) way beyond its own guidelines. They approve one affordable housing development after another --- over and over --- all in South Poway to make it even more so. Why???? --- BECAUSE NONE OF THESE CITY COUNCIL FOLKS LIVE IN THE CORE AREA OF OUR CITY --- they all live up north (or on the Scripps Ranch border). And the primary reason is because of REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY requirements to utilize 20% of its funding for affordable housing.

Thank you, Betty Rexford, for your lone vote against the housing mandate and the major changes it would require to the general plan guidelines.

Wake up, Powegians….. there is a City Council election for 2 seats coming up in November.

Poor Poway wrote on Aug 23, 2008 1:15 PM:Poway will be like Vista and Oceanside with gang problems if they go the way of high density and "affordable" housing. Both just bring in crumbums.