The issue of building housing on the Bayfront has arisen again according to a June 21st piece in the Daily Journal. I would link to it but the DJ is having website problems. This idea has been broached dozens of times over the 25 years I have been following B'game politics. I always have the same reaction: "Maybe, but first...." To that I now add "And after that..." The article quotes councilman Michael Brownrigg saying he believed there is merit to discussing the proposal, as the area is ripe with opportunity.
Opportunities exist to build mixed-use housing and commercial projects in the area north of the Broadway interchange and to add higher density residential developments along the Bayshore Freeway, according to an on-line report accompanying a survey designed to collect feedback on the general plan.
So maybe, but first should we (the city "we") acquire land for another elementary school, transfer said land to the school district and find some funding to actually put a school on it? A huge developer fee would be required. The City Council is already on a path to overbuild the school district by a substantial amount. I was talking about the last Council when I wrote this, but it applies to the current one as well. Should we not also expect a new combined police and fire substation "over there" before any residential building starts? The idea of new combined firehouse near Cuernevaca Park is thankfully dead, but if we are going high-density on the Bayfront we need at least fire over there and you might as well do both while you are at it.
And after that comes the most basic question of all: where will the additional water come from? Nobody seems to want to float an answer to that question.
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