Palo Alto homeowner wants to build taller, richer
A Palo Alto homeowner is upset that the city won't let him build a 4-6 story condo in his single-family neighborhood. Why? Because a similar building nearby doubled property values, and he wants a piece of that.
This is the homevoter hypothesis inverted: not NIMBY selfishness but naked greed. Palo Alto had a two-week window in July when state law (SB 79) allowed 5-7 story buildings near transit. Nine proposals flooded in. The city immediately weaponized a loophole to slash heights and densities in half until 2032.
So the story isn't about a guy who wants housing. It's about a speculator who wants to weaponize zoning for personal enrichment, and a city that actively sabotaged state law to keep him from doing it. Both are the problem.
A nearby Palo Alto homeowner is upset about this proposal for a four-story condo building in a single-family neighborhood—because it DOUBLED the property value and he wants to be able to propose one too! Sometimes the Homevoter Hypothesis—the idea that people oppose new housing to protect their property values—gets completely inverted. People support new housing bc it boosts their property values Some context: Palo Alto had a two-week window in July where state law allowed 5-7 story buildings within a half mile of transit. Property owners submitted nine proposals, mostly modest infill housing. The city then used a loophole in the law to cut heights and densities in half until 2032. I’m working on getting the city to re-allow SB 79 heights and densities—and hopefully neighbors who want to increase their property values will join in (Also P.S. this is still Dr. Jeremy Levine, PhD of City Council meetings—still unable to change my profile information after idiot X verified my account immediately after I got hacked)
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