Is it time to celebrate or pop a Xanax or two (again)?
Pop the Champagne corks. Put on the party hats. Oh, wait. Maybe not. Let’s rethink that notion for just a moment or two.
When the office of the San Mateo County Assessor/Clerk/ Recorder recently announced the continuation of the area’s boom in the development of commercial property, there was an air of celebration in the news release.
More construction of office, warehouse and other commercial space means more cash flowing into the county’s coffers. But it also means something else: more traffic, more congestion.
The figures, as stated by county officials, are similar to those specified last year at this time. The trend persists with no end in sight as the local economy roars on.
Here are the latest commercial development numbers (in square feet):
• 18.7 million under construction.
• 9.4 million approved by planners.
• 28.8 million under official review by planners.
• 1.1 million to market in 2017.
The grand total (which involves only projects of more than 80,000 square feet) is 58 million square feet. That’s about the same figure as provided a year ago.
Depending on your point of view, this is cause for a lot of whoopee or another prescription of Xanax.
Addendum: Brisbane authorities are scheduled to consider a massive development on the east side of that North County village again tonight.
The huge Baylands project — 6.5 million square feet of proposed commercial space, 500,000 square feet for a hotel and between 1,800 and 2,200 residential units — would transform tiny Brisbane (population just under 5,000), creating what would amount to another entire community abutting San Francisco to the north.
Discussions and negotiations regarding the controversial proposal have been ongoing for several years. Pressure to approve the project has been fierce and tenacious, with politicians, labor unions and business interests all clamoring for an OK.
The public hearing is set for 7:30 tonight at Brisbane City Hall, 50 Park Place.
Updated handbook
The updated 2018 version of San Mateo County’s Community Information Handbook is available through the county’s Human Services Agency.
It’s a valuable compendium of more than 1,200 community organizations, government agencies and nonprofit groups.
At 63 pages in length, it provides helpful information on everything from mental health services and recreation opportunities to library locations and services for seniors and the disabled.
To acquire your free copy (available in both English and Spanish), you can email the HSA at echan@smcgov.org. It’s also available online at www.hsa.smcgov.org.
Lunchtime diet
The American Heroes Channel, formerly the Military Channel, is a particular cable TV favorite, though somewhat oddly renamed.
Its offerings tend to focus on war, preparations for war and the aftermath of war. The material is typically unpleasant. The channel’s schedule is available online.
But it’s the lunchtime fare that tends to rivet the dedicated viewer to the tube. More often than not, it’s been a steady and disturbing diet of aspects of Nazi history, short though that reign of terror was in retrospect.
We like to call it “Sandwiches and Swastikas.” And it’s always a comfort to know the bad guys lost. Pass the salami and cheese.
More Capt. Obvious
Here’s another tidbit from the voluminous files of the immortal Capt. Obvious. This caption was pulled from a recent edition of USA Today: “Industry observers say Sears stores won’t last much longer if they don’t appeal to customers.” Thank you, captain, we had no idea. Keep up the good work.