Letter to the Editor, San Francisco Chronicle, June 27, 2025

Regarding “Is Berkeley finally ready to atone for its single-family housing sins?” (Open Forum, SFChronicle.com, June 25): It is appalling that the Chronicle highlights deceptive housing opinions from Darrell Owens without acknowledging his YIMBY affiliations.

YIMBY arguments misstate the excesses of the proposed Middle Housing upzoning. It will encourage dense, taller market-rate rentals (5 to 7 units per lot). The increased bulk is counter to the intimate scale and openness that people seek out in Berkeley.

The outcome of the proposed upzoning will make land even more expensive; the rosy vision of equity building for economically disadvantaged residents, as touted by Owens, will not happen. We don’t need this gentrifying upzoning.

Previous zoning regulations can provide more cost-accessible infill housing.

Huge numbers of high-rise developments have been built or approved; we can reach our quota of state-required units without adopting extreme infill upzoning.

For the Chronicle to disingenuously advance the developer-serving YIMBY arguments is a real disservice.

Peggy Radel, Berkeley