Mindless useful idiot POS.
Posted on 07/01/2025 8:38:11 PM PDT by thecodont
During a raucous meeting that stretched nearly six hours last week, the Berkeley City Council unanimously voted to adopt an ordinance that would effectively end single-family zoning in most of the city. The measure legalizes “middle housing” — duplexes, townhomes, courtyard apartments and other small multifamily dwellings — in areas previously limited to single-family homes. While the move was celebrated by some housing advocates as an overdue step toward equity, it drew hours of divided public comments. Keep Watching 5 Watch More
The ordinance sets a density cap of 70 units per acre across residential zones, preserves current height limits of 35 feet, or three stories, and keeps lot coverage at 60%. Berkeley’s hillside neighborhoods are not included in the ordinance until a fire safety and evacuation study is executed.
The vote followed years of planning, more than 40 various community meetings and workshops, and a 2021 resolution to end exclusionary zoning. Notably, Berkeley was the first city in the U.S. to adopt single-family zoning in 1916 — a policy closely tied to redlining that pushed nonwhite residents to less desirable parts of town.
Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani acknowledged the yearslong effort, crediting former councilmember Lori Droste for first introducing the proposal in 2019 “before it was trending.” Several councilmembers called the unanimous vote a “historic” moment after years of delay, but not everyone saw it that way.
Public comment lasted nearly three hours. Younger residents and renters, as well as newer homeowners, voiced strong support. “We need to make room for more people for both climate and immigration reasons,” said Megan Walksbras, who moved to Berkeley in 2007 and bought a home there in 2019.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Those who howl the loudest about what this will do to their property values are likely those who howl the loudest about the taxes assessed on those same values.
AN ACRE = 43,560 SQ ft
coverage = 60%==26,136 SQ ft
3 levels = 78,408 SQ ft
DIVIDED BY 70 UNITS==1120 SQ FT /unit
RATHER DENSE, IMO
NO THANKS
Mindless useful idiot POS.
What does family have to do with housing? /sarc
Hillary taught us that it takes a village!
About 20% of a typical housing unit is used for interior and exterior walls. You have utilities, cabinets, bath, toilet, sink, door, etc. so that 1,120 sq ft gross exterior wall area becomes 890 sq ft usable, livable space.
I’m going to hold off investing in the real estate market in San Francisco.
This trend is disturbing. They hate the mother, father, children living free in their family house. With a car or SUV for mom and dad.
They want “urban density” and probably the brief trip permission rule in which no one travels far and always remains under state control. Public transportation. Monitored lives.
Really bothers me.
When a local shopping center went out of business the next owner razed it all and built cinder block rectangular buildings in long rows covered with bland colored outer coverings. Apartments. All alike except for numbers.
An elderly man who used to live in a Soviet country said to me: “That is exactly what the old Soviet housing used to look like. I feel like I’m back there again when I see them. Ugly.”
Is the zoning for living in little plastic tents on the sidewalk and using the sidewalks as toilets still in force?
Probably closer to 900, once you invludd the HVAC units, water heaters, and furnaces and other infrastructure that goes into apartments.
Reminds me of the "rabbit warren" description of old Soviet tenement buildings.
The average household size for ...
Lots of people in little space. Keeps everybody on edge, diminishing rational decisions, and buying things.
“While the move was celebrated by some housing advocates as an overdue step toward >>equity<<”
I wonder how many of these “equity” middle housing wonders will be Section 8 and full of 380 lb welfare queens with gangbanger kids and units with 71 illegals living together?
That kind of “equity?”
.
“We need to make room for more people for both climate change and immigration reasons,” said brain washed/dead Megan..
Replacing owned owned homes with rentals. “You will own nothing and be happy.”
It’s rhe high density that they want.
This was passed in Arlington and Alexandria City VA. Residents sued Arlington and won and Alexandria is now being sued by citizens and its currently being litigated. These are 2 Marxist run jurisdictions and has its basis in creating high density areas with large multi family housing. It’s roots are in Vommunistic ending of private property ownership.
Yep. Lots of subsidized housing, i.e., vote buying.
This. It’s all by design. Keep everyone within a 5 mile radius. Easier for the state to control the people.
I.e., Democrat voters.
Way to trash property values. Good plan.
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