Andie Reed.pdf

EIR Comments
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Dear Sir/Madam:
The coming ABAG numbers being foisted upon cities in the western Bay Area is unethical and illegal.
ABAG is not an elected body, and there has been startlingly little public awareness and input about
what ABAG is and why they have so much control over housing issues.
I live in Palo Alto. We have extremely high residential costs, and requiring each lot to increase the
number of residences only raises the speculative value of our lots. As it stands, even in our
neighborhoods zoned R-1, we also, of course, have duplexes and triplexes, and other community living
situations. Requiring, from the top down, that locals step back and allow developers to override
zoning to eke out the most cash from any spaces that become available redefines our city.
There are excess jobs in this area, and housing is needed, but high-end housing doesn't do anything
for homelessness or affordability needs. We've learned from COVID that not all workers need to show
up at the offices every day. It is a new day, and ABAG is using old models to arrive at a
technical result that doesn't take into consideration the people who live here.
Do you really think increasing density and overburdening our infrastructure is healthy for California
and the bay area? Why not encourage jobs growth around the Bay and into the valley, rather than
demolishing trees and open spaces and older cities by "manhattanizing" the western Bay Area?
Thank you for your re-consideration.
Andie Reed
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Andie Reed CPA