Don't repeat past mistakes by relying on development to solve city's fiscal woes.

Now that the housing boom of 1999 to 2006 has cooled and become downright frigid, it's an appropriate time to consider what this boom has brought the city of Sacramento.

Across the city, an influx of new housing and services has revitalized various neighborhoods. Del Paso Boulevard has spruced up and become more attractive to businesses. Midtown, with new lofts and restaurants, is so crowded on weekends that patrons have trouble finding parking.

In the southern part of Sacramento, the city and its redevelopment agency have transformed crime-ridden Franklin Villa into Phoenix Park. And The Bee reported Sunday the entire waterfront area, in both West Sacramento and Sacramento, is primed for a startling mix of new housing, museums, parks and waterfront attractions.

All that change, however, pales with what has taken place north of the American River. In a mere eight years, developers have constructed 15,000 homes in north Natomas. That means a collection of neighborhoods planned for development over 25 years has materialized in a third of the projected time.

As The Bee's Mary Lynne Vellinga reported last week, north Natomas has not enjoyed a healthy adolescence.

Instead of a pedestrian-friendly set of neighborhoods envisioned for the area, Natomas is now characterized by high-speed boulevards designed to carry traffic to and from Arco Arena. Promised schools and community centers haven't been built. A financing plan that was supposed to make Natomas self-sufficient has become a major bust. It depended too heavily on developer fees that were later reduced by officials. The city also overestimated the property taxes that would come from office development.

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