Governor Brown's housing proposal could mean sweeping Bay Area changes
Having recently moved to the Bay Area in the last year from Texas, I&#x27;ve been observing the NIMBYs and I&#x27;ve determined that it&#x27;s very nuanced issue.<p>I live in Dublin, CA, one of the far East Bay suburbs that is actually constructing tons of highly dense, brand new housing.  And I&#x27;ve closely observed long time residents and neighbors debate and challenge the developers putting in this housing.<p>There are the obviously impractical folks, complaining about the aesthetics of highly dense townhomes&#x2F;apartments and how they &quot;ruin the hillside&quot; with their &quot;cookie-cutter&quot; looks. But this is a relatively small group making a fuss. They&#x27;re an easy target for the media.<p>But there are those with practical concerns. Increases in burglaries and auto theft because thieves target newly constructed communities first due to easy pickings [1]. Schools that become so overcrowded that kids are being taught in mobiles because the schools can&#x27;t build fast enough to accommodate the growth [2]. Traffic that comes to a standstill because the two lane roads can&#x27;t be expanded fast enough and toll roads become the only rapidly deployable option [3]. Mass Transit that becomes standing room only due to the influx of new residents [4].<p>There are solutions to these problems (more police, more schools, more road construction), but these services are often not financed by the housing development authorities. Recent attempts to get the developers to shoulder more of this cost is often the next fight these communities face. Some of these things take a decade or more to resolve.<p>Given all of this, it&#x27;s understandable why some just go the easiest route possible and decide to block all new development. I&#x27;m not saying it&#x27;s right, but hopefully this gives you a bit more context. It&#x27;s not just long time residents fighting change for no reason.<p>* [1] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com&#x2F;2016&#x2F;04&#x2F;07&#x2F;dublin-residents-patrolling-their-own-streets-after-burglaries-spike&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com&#x2F;2016&#x2F;04&#x2F;07&#x2F;dublin-residents...</a><p>* [2] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.mercurynews.com&#x2F;education&#x2F;ci_28252721&#x2F;dublin-grapples-school-overcrowding" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.mercurynews.com&#x2F;education&#x2F;ci_28252721&#x2F;dublin-grap...</a><p>* [3] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;abc7news.com&#x2F;traffic&#x2F;new-i-580-express-lanes-now-open-in-east-bay&#x2F;1207229&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;abc7news.com&#x2F;traffic&#x2F;new-i-580-express-lanes-now-open...</a><p>* [4] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.ktvu.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;100269984-story" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.ktvu.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;100269984-story</a>