Real Estate developers say the Hayward street address rules may scare off buyers who practice the ancient Chinese tradition of feng shui. The practice aims to provide harmony, well-being, and prosperity in ones living and working space.

Under a numbering system established by Alameda County in the 1950s, addresses are assigned based on how far the homes are from downtown Oakland. The method puts five digits on almost every mailbox in Hayward and other cities in the county, and residents complain about them being hard to remember.

Last week, City Council members voted unanimously to allow the builders of an upscale development to use shorter street numbers.

Richard Patenaude, Hayward's principal planner, says when requesting the exemption builders cited convenience, as well as the potential for violating feng shui practices.

Real estate agent Lisa Coen, who also runs a feng shui consulting firm, said she has advised developers on how to make homes more appealing to buyers who would not want to live at the end of a cul-de-sac or in a home where a door opens onto a staircase.

The energy in this configuration is not necessarily attractive to some feng shui followers.

Coen says, "It does matter to some people, they won't buy a house ... if the number's not right."