Destroying Homes for the Fun of It!

Three years ago when Pete’s Harbor residents were given sixty day notices the City of Redwood City claimed they had no control over the situation as it involved private property. Although clearly the new Blu Harbor plans were going to need to be approved. So without much ado almost three hundred families were displaced.

Then in early January of this year the city bought the floating home pictured above at Docktown and had it destroyed. (http://patch.com/california/redwoodcity-woodside/news-flash-redwood-city-removes-perfectly-good-affordable-floating-home)

Fast forward six months and an investor group buys up 910 Clinton and immediately sends out eighteen eviction notices. The City isn’t concerned. These investors aren’t destroying these homes who cares if the residents are displaced there are plenty of high tech employees who will be quite willing to have their employers pay double if not triple the prior rents.

So the pace picks and properties on Poplar and elsewhere are bought and hundreds of mostly lower income and Hispanic families receive eviction notices. At this point the City decides that it is not enough to simply stand on the sidelines. It is time for them to join in the game. They city becomes the proud new owner of another floating home at Docktown.

The job is almost done all but one floating home owner have been coerced into signing a lease that allows the city to close Docktown any time it so desires. The City never at fault claims the California State Lands Commission is forcing it to do this.

Alas the truth lies elsewhere. The lone hold out has met with the California State Lands Commission staff which has pointed out that in this case unlike at Pete’s the City is the final decision maker as the waters have not been leased but instead granted to the City of Redwood City. Moreover in all of their communications with the city the Commission staff have made it clear that there is no time pressure.

But the City marches on either directly destroying or indirectly allowing the destruction of affordable home after alternative home after blue collar home set on becoming the new exclusive and tony playground on the peninsula.