Our neighbors make national news

There I was reading the Wall Street Journal and I turn the page in the News section and there before me is an article about our neighbor San Mateo and the Bay Meadows infill project.

You can read it here.

I attended the last race at Bay Meadows with much nostalgia, but in the name of progress horse reacing is no more. This article reports that horse racing is a dying sport throughout the country, not just here in Norcal. As much as I morn the loss of Bay Meadows not only for the racing, but for the interesting architecture it had, I can see the trend for housing. The question is: Will we be a country of infill developments without open space, recreational space or any other space? Just wondering.

Comments

[Thomas Hornblower]

My grandfather's brother, William Hornblower was an assemblyman in '33 and co-authored with Tom Maloney the pari-mutual racing bill which passed on June 27, 1933. Bill Kyne, who built and managed Bay Meadows along with William Hornblower as Vice-President,finally achieved his dream of a pari-mutual racing law for California. My father put himself through UC Berkeley by working at the local race tracks. In '47 my parents left San Francisco's crime and congestion for Burlingame's more crime free open space. Unfortunately Burlingame is becoming/has become what they were trying to leave behind.

[Doug Radtke]

http://m.sfgate.com/business/bottomline/article/Latest-place-to-benefit-from-tech-boom-San-Mateo-5923343.php?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

The Bay Meadows project to me has a stank of cronyism and corrupt politics.

Consultant and lobbyist Ed McGovern, was retained by Stockbridge Capital (AKA Bay Meadows Land Company). 1995 San Mateo Measure J to save Bay Meadows had virtually no opposition until Ed McGovern was retained by Stockbridge.

You'll continue see that guys name from here on out, running expensive pro-development anti-community campaigns. He was heavily involved in Measure N of San Bruno which I wrote the opposing argument against.

http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/opinions/2006-07-11/letters/61227.html

http://www.cityofsanmateo.org/DocumentCenter/Home/View/11918

There are many pawns in this political chess game.