Talking out of both sides of their mouth: City of Chico claims to want to “make housing more affordable” while raising development fees by thousands of dollars

I read the findings and recommendations from the Ad Hoc housing committee, and then I read an agenda report recommending raising developer fees, AGAIN, and I had to wonder if anybody else ever reads these reports. Talk about contradictions.

The committee recommends more density with lower parking requirements, and then complains about the neighbors complaining. They recommend raising densities in low density zones, which of course is another invitation for the neighbors to complain. They recommend a pedestrian-friendly town, and then they raise the cost of putting sidewalks in your neighborhood.

Here’s something that should bring neighborhood complaints, referendums, and lawsuits – the city claims no responsibility for street improvements in existing neighborhoods. They shoe-horn in these crappily built subdivisions, dig up the street to make the sewer connection, then slap a crappy patch job that guarantees a future pothole, without offering ANYTHING to the rest of the neighborhood. Some developers, and most of the city staff, don’t give a flying fuck about the neighbors, it’s all about the money.

I often wonder, why the city of Chico is so far behind with Americans with Disabilities Act (1993) requirements. I wonder why so many neighborhood streets are completely crapped out, people who’ve been annexed for 20+ years with no sewer main, so drainage, no sidewalks… Unfortunately, in California, property owners are responsible for drains and sidewalks. Yes, you pay property taxes, year after year they go up, and you find out you actually have to pay extra if you want any service. And here’s the kiss afterwards – the city can raise the fees whenever they want.

So excuse me if I find the new Ad Hoc housing committee to be another example of wasteful spending on another layer of bureaucracy that never seems to achieve it’s stated goal. Staff time went into the report and the stupid Power Point Presentation, and that’s just allocated on to the cost of housing.