Causes of Congestion

Cities encourage construction of new office buildings and revitalization of downtown areas.

Slow-growth/no-growth initiatives must be planned in conjunction with the amount of commercial space a city plans to approve. My city is considering a down-zoning measure in my California Heights neighborhood. My neighborhood has been zoned R-2 for medium-density housing for over 50 years.

This is happening when a developer is getting ready to complete a new world-class waterfront office complex. By the time occupancy takes place in the fall there could be several hundred fewer potential home sites in my neighborhood. This will make it much more difficult for the future workers at the office complex to find a new home.

The removal of potential housing might make it difficult to fill all the space in the new complex. What company would want to move if its employees have to commute farther to work? This only adds to the congestion and smog problems in Los Angeles.

Cities, typically, ask residential developers to guarantee facilities and roads when they plan to build new homes. Maybe it is time that commercial developers ask cities to guarantee that potential home sites will not be removed to help with attracting tenants and their families.

ANDREW KO

Long Beach