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If a deteriorating downtown, tacky buildings and suburban blight only 15 minutes from San Francisco sounds like something of a feat – look at San Bruno. Many wonder how this prime suburb nestled between hills and Bay can do anything but prosper.
It’s simple. Vote in restrictive regulations designed to keep things “villagey,” then wait. According to a cautionary tale in the Daily Journal San Bruno’s troubles date from a 1977 voter initiative. According to the Journal, the ballot measure “was intended to preserve the existing character of San Bruno by requiring voter approval for high-rise developments, increased density in existing neighborhoods and projects encroaching upon scenic corridors and open spaces.”
Sound familiar? Locals who wanted to preserve quality-of-life enacted restrictions that did the opposite. Measure M on Menlo Park’s November ballot bears many of the same hallmarks. Time will tell, of course. But San Bruno does provide a nearby case study. Four decades ago, voters there believed they were keeping development under control. They kept the town underwater, instead.