Inventory Analysis

Has Spring finally sprung?  If this past week is an indication, we’re starting to come out of our winter hibernation.    9 new single-family listings hit the market this past week — 6 of them are 3BR/2BA configurations, which seem to be in the most demand right now in San Carlos.  Taking into account the 4 homes that went into contract this week, this surge of new listings pushed the inventory up to 34 total homes for sale in San Carlos – still well below average, but a good sign for buyers nonetheless.

If you’re interested in any of these new listings, be sure to visit one of the open houses being held this weekend.  Chances are some of them won’t be around next weekend!

Here’s a snapshot of the San Carlos single family home market, as of 3/13. The previous week’s stats are in parentheses:

Single-Family Homes Sold in San Carlos:

Below are the single-family homes that sold this past week in San Carlos. Click on the respective addresses to get all the details.

2705 Eaton Avenue, San Carlos

2705 Eaton Avenue

• Pictured. Sale Price: $1,025,000. Original List Price: $1,149,000. Difference: $124,000 (10.8%) below original list. DOM: 163 Days, MLS #80939185.  Listed by Valerie Trenter of Coldwell Banker.

2904 Eaton Avenue

• Sale Price: $1,110,000. Original List Price: $1,125,000. Difference: $15,000 (1.3%) below original list. DOM: 0 Days, MLS #81010821.  Listed by Laura Bertolacci of RE/MAX Today.  Appears to have sold off-market.

2417 Melendy Drive

• Sale Price: $915,000. Original List Price: $900,000. Difference: $15,000 (1.7%) above original list. DOM: 10 Days, MLS #81004196. Listed by Robin Wrigley of Alain Pinel Realtors.

112 Northam Avenue

• Sale Price: $865,000. Original List Price: $989,000. Difference: $124,000 (12.5%) below original list. DOM: 185 Days, MLS #80939365. Listed by Judy Litteer of Prudential California Realty.

1636 Greenwood Avenue

• Sale Price: $799,999. Original List Price: $819,000. Difference: $19,001 (2.3%) below original list. DOM: 8 Days, MLS #81004510. Listed by Genella Williamson of Alain Pinel Realtors.

341 Laurel Street

• Sale Price: $725,000. Original List Price: $779,000. Difference: $54,000 (6.9%) below original list. DOM: 237 Days, MLS #80913571. Listed by Dean Asborno of Alain Pinel Realtors.

331 Fairfield Drive

• Sale Price: $660,100. Original List Price: $649,900. Difference: $10,200 (1.6%) above original list. DOM: 8 Days, MLS #81004274. Bank-owned property – Listed by Erick Crawford of Access Real Estate Services.

(Click the “Homes Sold” button below see all of the homes that have sold in San Carlos in the past 3 months.)

Homes Sold in San Carlos

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Single-Family Homes Pending Sale in San Carlos:

The following homes went “Pending Sale” this week — click on the address for more info:

• 49 Fay Avenue,  after 158 days on the market.
• 434 Hill Way, after 186 days.
• 715 Tamarack Ave, 6 days.
• 124 Plymouth Ave, 7 days.

(Click the “Homes Pending Sale” button below to see ALL the homes that are Pending Sale in San Carlos.)

Homes Pending Sale in San Carlos

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New Single-Family Home Listings in San Carlos:

Below are the new listings that hit the market this past week in San Carlos. Simply click on the address of each home to get all the details.

112 Wildwood Avenue, San Carlos

112 Wildwood Avenue

• Pictured: $1,685,000 – 4BR/3.5BA, 2,900 sq ft on a 6,490 square foot lot. MLS# 81010779. Listed by Michael Costello of Costello Realty.

10 Granite Court

• $1,385,000 – 3BR/2BA, 2,050 sq ft on a 7,080 square foot lot. MLS# 81011767. Listed by Kay Swen of Alain Pinel Realtors.    This was on the market last year, so it’s technically not a “new” listing.  But it’s inventory, and we need it.

126 Frances Lane

• $1,150,000 – 4BR/2.5BA, 1,910 sq ft on a 9,580 square foot lot. MLS# 81011994. Listed by Greg Celotti of Alain Pinel Realtors.

15 Madera Avenue

• $1,095,000 – 4BR/3.5BA, 2,790 sq ft on a 9,000 square foot lot. MLS# 81011752. Listed by John Shroyer of RE/MAX Today.   Was also on the market last year, but under a different brokerage.

1423 Cordilleras Avenue

• $989,516 – 3BR/2BA, 1,620 sq ft on a 4,400 square foot lot. MLS# 81011632. Listed by Nancy Palmer of Alain Pinel Realtors.

908 Rosewood Avenue

• $988,000 – 3BR/2BA, 1,500 sq ft on a 6,000 square foot lot. MLS# 81011617. Listed by Len Moore of Vilmont Investment Properties.

172 Lyndhurst Avenue

• $899,888 – 3BR/2BA, 1,660 sq ft on a 7,425 square foot lot. MLS# 81011712. Listed by Carole Rodinsky of Alain Pinel Realtors.

1100 Walnut Street

• $899,000 – 3BR/2BA, 1,360 sq ft on a 4,880 square foot lot. MLS# 81011883. Listed by Harriet Ham of RE/MAX Today.

388 De Anza Avenue

• $899,000 – 3BR/2BA, 1,470 sq ft on a 5,450 square foot lot. MLS# 81011710. Listed by Shirley Kraus of Intero Real .

1239 Elm Street

• $795,000 – 2BR/1BA, 1,039 sq ft on a 4,690 square foot lot. MLS# 81010749. Listed by Kyra Gebhardt Nelson of Alain Pinel Realtors.

Homes for Sale in San Carlos

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Condos and Townhomes Sold in San Carlos:

Below are the condos/townhouses that sold this past week. Click on the address for all of the details:

(no condos or townhouses sold this past week.)

(Click the “Condos Sold” button below to see all of the condos and townhomes that have recently sold in San Carlos)

Condos Sold in San Carlos

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Condo/Townhouse Pending Sales in San Carlos

The following condos/townhouses are now pending sale:

• 3350 Brittan Ave #2, after 154 day on the market.
• 3374 La Mesa Drive #9, 41 days.

(Click the “Condos Pending Sale” button below to see all of the condos and townhomes that are pending sale in San Carlos)

Condos Pending Sale in San Carlos

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New Condo/Townhouse Listings in San Carlos:

The following condo/townhouse listings came on the market this past week:

1140 Royal Lane

• $925,000 – 3BR/2.5BA, 2,590 sq ft. MLS# 81011880. Listed by Yvette Collins of Cashin Company.

434 Portofino Drive, #301

• $839,000 – 2BR/2.5BA, 2,494 sq ft. MLS# 81011699. Listed by Carrie Du Bois of Coldwell Banker.

(Click the “Condos for Sale” button below to see all of the condos and townhomes that are currently for sale in San Carlos)

Condos for Sale in San Carlos

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What’s Open This Weekend?

Click the “Open House” button to see ALL of the homes and condos scheduled to be open this weekend in San Carlos.

Open House in San Carlos

Want your data sooner? Become a fan of the White Oaks Blog Page on Facebook where I post San Carlos home sales updates as they happen. Just click on the Facebook button below….



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(The “San Carlos Week in Review” series is a summary of new listings and home sales in San Carlos for the prior week.)

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Key Budget Meetings.

If you’re at all concerned about the fiscal direction the City of San Carlos is heading, then there are two Budget Workshop meetings coming up that you should try to attend.  In these meetings, which are open to the public, the City Council will be discussing various options for reducing the City’s budget deficit, including outsourcing our key City services:  Police, Fire, and Park Maintenance.   The meetings will consist of a presentation by the City Manager and the various department heads on the latest proposals.  There will also be time for Council questions, and public Q&A.

Here are the meeting times/places:

Saturday, March 13: Noon – 5:00 PM

San Carlos Library, Upstairs Conference Room

and

Monday, March 22:  6:00 – ?

City Council Chambers, City Hall

If you can’t make today’s meeting, it will be broadcast on the SCTV channel (Channel 27 only on Comcast.)

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Reductions and Termination Notices.

Last night the San Carlos School Board voted to accept the recommendation to send out potential termination/reduction notices to approximately 28 certificated employees in the school district.  Even though 28 staff will receive notifications, the net impact to the District will be the possible loss of up to 18.5 Full-Time Employee (FTE) positions.  The discrepancy in numbers arises since some of the positions that are impacted are part-time positions, and others are reductions in hours rather than complete eliminations.   This recommendation was made as the District struggles to close a budget gap that is estimated to be between $1.6M-$2.2M.

Here’s a copy of the resolution which discusses the positions in more detail: San Carlos School District Reductions

Superintendent Dr. Craig Baker issued an email today that did a very good job of clarifying what these notifications actually entail:

“By law, if a school district is even considering reducing or eliminating a position currently occupied by a “certificated” employee (which includes teachers), the district must give notice to that teacher by March 15th of the prior school year.  Even though these are commonly referred to as “pink slips,” they are not termination notices.  Rather, they are a notification that the District may eliminate/reduce a certificated employee’s position for the following school year.  The District can rescind these notices at any time, as happened last year after the Measure B parcel tax was passed.  However, the law is very clear—if a school district does not deliver these potential termination notices by March 15th, it cannot eliminate those positions for the following school year, regardless of how necessary that might be to balance the budget.”

Tough Losses.

San Carlos has always been known as having one of the top public school districts on the San Francisco Peninsula, and if these positions are indeed lost it will be felt throughout the District.   More details about this staff reduction will certainly follow in the upcoming days, but for now it’s a tough day for everyone involve in the San Carlos School District.

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The Other Half of the “Preferred Option”.

Today, Cal Fire submitted their first-pass proposal to provide San Carlos with fire and emergency services.  If you recall from my post earlier this week, the City Manager has stated that his preferred option to balance the city’s budget is to outsource both police and fire services to outside agencies.    The San Mateo County Sheriff’s office is due to deliver their proposal for police services by Friday of this week, in advance of the Budget Workshop on Saturday, March 13th.

The Cal Fire Plan:

The detailed plan can be found on this link on the City’s website, but here are some of the key points of their proposal:

• It provides two, 3-person, Advanced Life Support (ALS or paramedic) engine companies rather than the current Fire JPA mix of one Engine Company and one Truck Company in San Carlos
• It uses the Cal Fire approach to staffing and scheduling rather than the Fire JPA approach
• The proposal offers both a Cal Fire Staffed cost and a “Red Circle” Staffed cost where Fire JPA employee salaries are frozen until they “catch up” with the salary levels paid by Cal Fire
• The proposal also assumes that all current Fire JPA and Cal Fire employees are at the highest salary step.  To the extent that is not the case, actual costs to the City will be lower and potential savings will increase
• Annual cost for Cal Fire Staffed services: $3,495,262
• Annual cost for Cal Fire/Red Circle (frozen salary) Staffed services: $4,257,525

What Does This Mean?

Just like the situation with the San Carlos Police Department, the initial glance raises more questions than it answers.  Here’s just a few:

• What exactly is the “Cal Fire approach to staffing?”
• What happens to existing members of the Belmont-San Carlos Fire Department?  Absorbed, or fired?  Are we going to get crews that know anything about San Carlos?
• What is the disposition of Station 16 on Alameda?  There’s some vague wording about “sharing of fire resources between San Carlos and San Mateo County/Cal Fire to address the existence of the overlapping stations on Alameda (BSCFD) and Cordilleras (Cal Fire).  That sure sounds like it’s leaving the door open to a station closure somewhere….
• What happens with the existing ladder truck that currently is staffed between Belmont and San Carlos on alternate years?   Do we now have to rely on a neighboring city for basic ladder service?
• What happens to the HazMat rig?
• Do we have references from other municipalities (preferably local) that have contracted their fire service to Cal Fire?   What is there experience with this arrangement?  Did they achieve the cost savings that were promised?

One problem that is not solved is the staffing level for each engine company.   The existing law requires that before a strike team can enter a burning building, there must be an equal number of support firefighters on the outside.  So if a 4-man engine company is first to respond to a burning building, they can send a strike team of 2 firefighers inside immediately.   But if a 3-man engine company is first to arrive on the scene, they must wait for the next company to arrive before anyone can enter the building.     This is exactly what happened at the recent fatal fire on Devonshire.   So on the surface this is no better than what we already have — and with the loss of the tiller rig, it seems inferior.

The City claims that Cal Fire’s proposal will save the City save between $1.2M-$2M annually.   Just like the Police Department proposal, more details are supposed to be forthcoming at Saturday’s Budget Workshops on March 13 and 22nd.    And the same question needs to be raised in both cases:  How are they able to provide the same level of service that we have now at such a drastic discount?

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Public Safety – A Hot Topic.

The San Carlos Police Department has been in the news quite a bit these past few weeks, but not for reasons you might expect.   Last week, the City Manager of San Carlos announced that his “preferred path” to balance the City’s budget calls for outsourcing the law enforcement responsibility in San Carlos to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.   (The other part of this proposal is to turn the Fire Department responsibilities to Cal Fire, but that will be addressed in a different segment.)

This announcement has raised major concerns within the Police ranks, as well as with the citizens of San Carlos — and rightfully so.   If you attended last night’s fantastic Police Town Hall Meeting, you saw the statistics first-hand –  San Carlos has one of the best police departments on the Peninsula, hands down.  So while the cost savings that the City Manager is proposing may look enticing on paper, there are far too many questions that need to be answered before any judgment should be rendered on this proposal.  One thing is for certain — ANY proposal needs to maintain this level of service, or it won’t be a good deal for San Carlos.

Interview:  The San Carlos Police Officer’s Association.

This week’s guest on Spotlight on San Carlos is Suzanne Sheppard, Vice President of the San Carlos Police Office’s Association.   In this interview, we discuss topics ranging from current staffing challenges in the department, to the latest budget proposal.   Click the play button below to hear the interview:

(If you’re reading this on email, click on this link to access the interview:  Interview — San Carlos POA)

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Inventory Analysis

If you haven’t noticed the trend yet, most new listings in San Carlos hit the market on either a Monday (to catch broker’s tour), or Friday (in time for the weekend open houses).   So if you’re looking for new listings, these are the two days to watch closely.  This past week, Friday brought us a strong surge of new listings as 5 new homes came on the market — and all were below the $1M mark, which is still the most active segment in San Carlos.   But with all of that new activity, we’re still below 30 homes for sale in all of San Carlos!

And for yet another week, there are more homes pending sale than there are active listings.

Here’s a snapshot of the San Carlos single family home market, as of 3/6. The previous week’s stats are in parentheses:

Single-Family Homes Sold in San Carlos:

Below are the single-family homes that sold this past week in San Carlos. Click on the respective addresses to get all the details.

2230 Carmelita Drive, San Carlos

2230 Carmelita Drive

• Pictured – Sale Price: $1,362,000. Original List Price: $1,399,950. Difference: $37,950 (2.7%) below original list. DOM: 14 Days, MLS #81004048. Listed by Wendi Selig of Coldwell Banker.

364 De Anza Avenue

• Sale Price: $812,000. Original List Price: $825,000. Difference: $13,000 (1.6%) below original list. DOM: 8 Days, MLS #81005656. Listed by Susie Dews of Coldwell Banker.

1345 Woodland Avenue

• Sale Price: $810,000. Original List Price: $839,000. Difference: $29,000 (3.5%) below original list. DOM: 10 Days, MLS #81003184. Listed by Norine Higgins of RE/MAX Today.

(Click the “Homes Sold” button below see all of the homes that have sold in San Carlos in the past 3 months.)

Homes Sold in San Carlos

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Single-Family Homes Pending Sale in San Carlos:

The following homes went “Pending Sale” this week — click on the address for more info:

• 335 Pearl Avenue, after 10 days on the market.
• 256 Devonshire Blvd, after 222 days.
• 124 Northam Avenue, 14 days.
• 1330 Hull Drive, 109 days.
• 2130 Eaton Avenue, 21 days.

(Click the “Homes Pending Sale” button below to see ALL the homes that are Pending Sale in San Carlos.)

Homes Pending Sale in San Carlos

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New Single-Family Home Listings in San Carlos:

Below are the new listings that hit the market this past week in San Carlos. Simply click on the address of each home to get all the details.

1951 Eucalyptus Avenue, San Carlos

1951 Eucalyptus Avenue

• Pictured: $1,795,000 – 4BR/3.5BA, 3,100 sq ft on a 5,000 square foot lot. MLS# 81009423. Listed by John Shroyer of RE/MAX Today.

500 Prospect Street

• $925,000 – 3BR/2BA, 1,480 sq ft on a 7,050 square foot lot. MLS# 81010398. Listed by Gabriel De Armero of RE/MAX Today

1136 Rosewood Avenue

• $829,000 – 3BR/1BA, 1,370 sq ft on a 4,880 square foot lot. MLS# 81009390. Listed by Stephen Hicks of Gateway Properties.

153 Park Avenue

• $799,900 – 3BR/1.5BA, 1,330 sq ft on a 5,550 square foot lot. MLS# 81010470. Listed by Dee Edmonds of Coldwell Banker.

715 Tamarack Avenue

• $779,000 – 2BR/1BA, 1,080 sq ft on a 6,477 square foot lot. MLS# 81010366. Listed by Justine Ford of RE/MAX Today

124 Plymouth Avenue

• $739,000 – 3BR/2BA, 1,300 sq ft on a 6,650 square foot lot. MLS# 81010470. Listed by David Young of Coldwell Banker.

1028 McCue Avenue

• $689,000 – 3BR/2BA, 1,340 sq ft on a 5,400 square foot lot. MLS# 81010589. Listed by Susan Mitchell of RE/MAX Today

Homes for Sale in San Carlos

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Condos and Townhomes Sold in San Carlos:

Below are the condos/townhouses that sold this past week. Click on the address for all of the details:

(no condos or townhouses sold this past week.)

(Click the “Condos Sold” button below to see all of the condos and townhomes that have recently sold in San Carlos)

Condos Sold in San Carlos

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Condo/Townhouse Pending Sales in San Carlos

The following condos/townhouses are now pending sale:

• no condos or townhouses went pending this past week.

(Click the “Condos Pending Sale” button below to see all of the condos and townhomes that are pending sale in San Carlos)

Condos Pending Sale in San Carlos

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New Condo/Townhouse Listings in San Carlos:

The following condo/townhouse listings came on the market this past week:

3354 Brittan Avenue #10

• $689,000 – 2BR/2BA, 1,040 sq ft. MLS# 81010023. Listed by Bill O’Leary of Cashin Company.

(Click the “Condos for Sale” button below to see all of the condos and townhomes that are currently for sale in San Carlos)

Condos for Sale in San Carlos

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What’s Open This Weekend?

Click the “Open House” button to see ALL of the homes and condos scheduled to be open this weekend in San Carlos.

Open House in San Carlos

Want your data sooner? Become a fan of the White Oaks Blog Page on Facebook where I post San Carlos home sales updates as they happen. Just click on the Facebook button below….



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(The “San Carlos Week in Review” series is a summary of new listings and home sales in San Carlos for the prior week.)

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“Stick-to-it-iveness”

This post also has absolutely nothing to do with real estate….or San Carlos.  But it is the 500th article on the White Oaks Blog.   My hands hurt just thinking about that number.  When I started this site in the fall of 2007, I couldn’t fathom finding the material (or the initiative) to write 5 articles, let alone 500.   But the odometer that keeps track of site data has been slowly clicking away, and after 500 posts, 1,349 comments, and probably about 300,000 words (I’m just guessing on this last one, but I’m probably not too far off ), here we are.   That’s a lot of ….whatever you want to call it.

What does this mean?  I don’t know… I guess if you stick to something long enough…well,  you get stuck to it.   It also means that if I get an early onset of arthritis, I’ll know exactly why.

A Long, Interesting Journey.

Far more interesting than the numbers, is the path this site has taken over the past two or so years.  What started out as a place to post real estate data slowly evolved into a community bulletin board of sorts — it didn’t take long to figure out that while people in San Carlos are certainly interested in real estate, they’re absolutely passionate about the issues that pertain to their neighborhoods, their schools, and their city.   This is a good thing!  And with all that has been happening in San Carlos over the past 3 years, both good and bad, there has been no shortage of things to write about.

This site has opened doors and has taken me places I would never have imagined going, like landing this impromptu 30-second gig on KCBS radio.  That was definitely a trip!

But the biggest surprise to me about this site, and the aspect I treasure most, is the personal connections that it has created for me.   I have made friends with many great people through the site that I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise — residents, City Council members, police officers, fellow bloggers…all different people, but all who share a common desire to make San Carlos a great place to live.

It has been an interesting journey, that’s for sure.

Thank YOU.

The bottom line is that this site would have never survived this long had it not been for the following and support of the readers.  You’ve graciously tolerated three different background changes to the site (now I know why people got so angry with Facebook!),  countless technical glitches, and hopefully a steady improvement in the quality of the writing.

The path this site has taken is a direct result of your feedback, through comments and emails.   Blogging is probably akin doing a radio show — you’re really pushing words into the abyss without having any idea if anyone is reading, or what they’re thinking about it.    So I’m truly thankful for those of you who have taken the time to read the site and comment on what’s written.  That feedback shapes the direction of the site more than anything else.

What’s Next?

There are lots of important topics to cover in the weeks and months ahead.   The budget crisis will continue to provide tons of food for discussion.  And I have great ideas for the new “Spotlight on San Carlos” interview series that should make it really fun (and save my fingers from all of that typing.)   I’ve even worked a deal with the Museum of San Carlos History, where they’ll allow me to post some historical photos of San Carlos in a weekly series.  Stay tuned for that in the coming weeks.

Will there be a 1,000th post on the White Oaks Blog?   I don’t know.   There’s a part of me that believes blogs will become the dinosaurs of social media in the not-too-distant future,  only to be replaced by “the next big thing”, whatever that may be.

But until that day comes, I’ll just keep keep typing away…

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Two Options Proposed.

Late today, the City of San Carlos issued a press release that outlines the two paths that are now being considered to close the city’s current $3.5M budget gap.   While the two options are quickly outlined in the City Budget Overview from the city website, they will be discussed in much more detail in the upcoming City Council Budget Workshop that will be held next Saturday, March 13 at 12:00 at the San Carlos Library.   But even with few details to draw from, one thing is very evident — both options take radically different approaches to solving the budget deficit.

The City’s “Preferred” Path:  Outsource Fire and Police Services.

You may have heard rumors to the effect that the City was considering outsourcing the Fire Department services to Cal Fire, and the Police Department services to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.  Well, these are no longer rumors –  in today’s press release, City Manager Mark Weiss left no doubt that this is his “preferred path” to closing the budget deficit, since it accounts for $3M-$6M in potential savings.  This proposal also calls for outsourcing park maintenance, and for the installation of parking meters downtown for an additional savings of up to $500K.

The Other Path:  Cuts Across the Board.

The second option that is being considered is essentially an aggregation of the cuts that were proposed earlier in the 10%/20% budget reduction exercises that were conducted a few months back by each of the key departments.   The press release has more details, but some of the major elements of this proposal include:

• Eliminate 9 full-time City positions.
• Close Youth Center and Laureola Building.
• Eliminate 2 full-time police positions, and numerous part-time positions.

The press release is careful to state that this is only a “partial listing of anticipated program impacts”, which implies that more “program impacts” (aka cuts) are possible.

More Questions than Answers.

Obviously, the details of each proposal will be covered in much greater depth at the Budget Workshop on March 13, but the vague nature and notable exceptions of this press release certainly raise more questions than answers.  Here are just a few:

• Neither proposal mentioned a word about the possible closure of Crestview and Arguello Parks.  Is this now off the table, or are they one of those potential “program impacts” that are referred to above?
• What happens to the existing Fire and Police personnel?  Are they offered jobs and absorbed into the Sheriff’s Department and Cal Fire, respectively, or will they all lose their jobs?
• No mention of the closure of Fire Station 16 — what does this mean?

Answers to these questions (and others) will certainly shape the public’s opinion about the proposed options.

What Do You Think?

It’s important to remember that more details on both proposals will (hopefully) be forthcoming in the near future.  But based on what you see so far, what are your thoughts?  While the Fire and Police Departments account for nearly 60% of the total budget, is it fair to pin them with 100% of the responsibility to fix the budget?  How do you feel about outsourcing these vital services?  Do you want the San Mateo County Sheriff’s office to be responsible for the public safety of San Carlos?

Make your opinion heard.  Cast your vote in the poll below…

or feel free to leave a comment to this post.

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A New Feature!

I am pleased to announce a cool new addition to the White Oaks Blog  –  the “Spotlight on San Carlos”.  The Spotlight will feature a series of 1:1 interviews with people who have an impact on our lives daily lives in San Carlos; whether they are civic leaders, business owners, educators, or just a surprise guest or two.   It’s a feature that’s exclusive to the White Oaks Blog, and I hope you enjoy it.

Our First Guest:  Andy Klein.

Andy Klein is the newest member of the San Carlos City Council.  In a relatively short time on the Council, Andy has already had to tackle a number of issues that are critical to the future of San Carlos — most notably the budget deficit.  Andy was gracious enough to take time out of his busy day to chat with the White Oaks Blog.  Here’s the interview:

(Note:  for those of you who subscribe to the blog via email, you’ll need to either visit the site directly to hear the interview on the audio player, or you can download it directly by clicking here:  Andy Klein Interview)

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Great Neighborhood, Great Home…

Whenever a home comes on the market on Eucalyptus Avenue in San Carlos, it’s definitely newsworthy.     Although it only spans two blocks, Eucalyptus is arguably one of most well known streets in all of San Carlos, due to the spectacular Halloween and Christmas displays they host every year.   But there’s much more to Eucalyptus than just holiday glitter.

A big draw for Eucalyptus is its location.  It’s only a block or so from Burton Park, and an easy jaunt to the northern “restaurant row” of Laurel Street.  Even more important to families with school age kids, it’s an easy walk to both Brittan Acres Elementary and Central Middle Schools.  So with the exception of rainy days, you should never have to drive the kids to school from kindergarten all the way to 8th grade!

But for my money, the best part about Eucalyptus is the neighborhood itself.  It’s an extremely tight knit group of neighbors, many who have lived on the street for decades.   Consequently, everyone seems to know everyone else — and if you don’t, you certainly will after the annual block party.   Ask anyone who lives there and they’ll tell you it’s a great place to raise a family.

1951 Eucalyptus Avenue.

This home, which just came on the market today, is a spectacular 4-bedroom, 3.5-bath gem that has been completely rebuilt from the ground up.  It’s being offered at $1,795,000 by John Shroyer of RE/MAX Today.   I just took an extensive tour through this home, and it’s just as elegant on the inside as it is striking from the outside.  First-class touches are everywhere, from the rich hardwood floors both downstairs and upstairs, to the subtle wainscoting that runs throughout the home.   The layout is intelligent, with very little wasted space — this is important, because putting a 3,100 square foot home on a 5,000 square foot lot doesn’t leave much margin for error.

1951 Eucalyptus Ave, San Carlos

The kitchen (pictured at the right) is just spectacular, and it flows well with the family room and dining room.  The bedrooms are generously-sized, and the upstairs laundry room is one of the biggest I’ve seen in a house this size (trust me, this is important if you have kids!)  The yard is tastefully landscaped, again making the absolute best use of the space available.

For complete details and more photos of this great home, click here:  1951 Eucalyptus Avenue, San Carlos.

The Total Package.

If a newly-built home in San Carlos is high on your priority list, then you really need to see this place.   As you’ve read here many times, there aren’t many homes currently for sale in San Carlos to begin with — but you can count the number of newly built ones on one hand.   So when you factor in the quality of this house and its location, 1951 Eucalyptus Avenue is the total package.

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