I agree wholeheartedly with Bruce Liedstrand's guest editorial, Should we try a new approach to housing affordability?

I would even go further: There are places along El Camino Real with two-story apartments in their back yards and no single-family detached homes nearby. Redeveloping such rows of apartments into three to four story rows on the side street and 6 to 10 story apartments on El Camino Real would suit me just fine--though I realize it would conflict with current zoning and the general plan. I also see nothing wrong with converting some of the existing office towers along El Camino Real to apartments.

And yet, city council went ahead and re/up zoned an area of El Camino Real at Castro Street specifically to allow for "planned community" development and pave the way for the first of what is sure to be several developments, a "mixed-use" (I use the term loosely, and you should too) 164 unit 3 & 4 story, massive apartment development, which will also be grossly under parked. This development will literally SHARE PROPERTY LINES with single story single family homes, as well look across Castro street onto single story single family homes. Sensitive planning indeed.

Oh, and speaking of parking, Castro Street between El Camino Real and Miramonte is slated to have ALL on street parking remove,d and I believe the plan is for Miramonte Avenue from St. Francis High School to El Camino Real to eventually (1-2 years?) have all on street parking removed 24/7. So yeah, no neighborhood harm from massively increasing density with buildings that will tower over small single family homes, be under parked, then removing on street parking from many nearby streets.

Sensitive.