July 13, 2016 · 10:02 pm

Western SoMa Bike Share Expansion Meeting

Western SoMa Bike Share Workshop (Facebook)
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Sessions at 6pm and 7pm
Gene Friend Recreation Center

270 6th Street, San Francisco

To request special accommodations for a workshop, please call 415-802-1979 at least 72 hours in advance.

Para obtener información en español sobre la reunión o si quisiera pedir asistencia con idiomas, por favor llame al 415-802-1979 con un mínimo de 72 horas de anticipación.

要獲取有關會議的中文版或如果您想要求語言協助，請提前至少72小時致

Bay Area Bike Share - Western SoMa - Planning Workshop - 7 19 2016

 

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January 16, 2016 · 10:58 pm

Planning and Building Notices 12/30/2015 – 1/16/2016

The South of Market Leadership Council receives public notifications from the San Francisco Planning Department. While it may not be possible 52 weeks per year, there will be an attempt to share notifications that affect South of Market on the www.SoMaLeadership.org website for neighbors to check out if they care to do so.

Notice of Project Receiving Environmental Review

  • 655 Folsom Street – Project site is located on a corner lot bounded by Folsom Street to the northwest, Hawthorne Street to the northeast, Harrison Street to the southeast, Third Street to the southwest, and within the South of Market neighborhood. The proposed project would include the demolition of an existing 2-story commercial building on the project site. The project would include the construction of a new 13-story, approximately 130-foot-tall building on site with 84 dwelling units, 1,900 square feet for ground-floor commercial space along Folsom Street, and a below-grade parking garage for 54 vehicles (50 spaces in stackers) and 96 bicycles. The existing building on the project site was built in 1910 and is currently used as a restaurant.
  • 1601 Mission Street – Project site is an irregularly shaped lot with frontages on both Mission Street and South Van Ness Avenue in the South of Market neighborhood and the Market Octavia Plan Area. The proposed project would demolish an existing 4,429 -square-foot gas station and car wash and construct a 120-foot-tall, 12 story mixed-use building containing 220 dwelling units, 6,756 square feet of retail space, 102 below-grade vehicle parking spaces that would be accessed from South Van Ness Avenue, and 145 bicycle parking spaces.

Notice of Building Permit Application

  • 949 Natoma Street – The project proposal includes the construction of a four-story building containing two two-bedroom units at each of the ground and fourth floors, and four one-bedroom units at the second and third floors for a total of six units.

 

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November 8, 2015 · 10:09 pm

Planning and Building Notices through November 7, 2015

The South of Market Leadership Council receives public notifications from the San Francisco Planning Department. While it may not be possible 52 weeks per year, there will be an attempt to share notifications that affect South of Market on the www.SoMaLeadership.org website for neighbors to check out if they care to do so.

Notice of Project Receiving Environmental Review

  • 390 First Street – Proposed project includes the demolition of an existing 1,590 square foot 76 Gas Station and construction of a 212,752 square foot, 14 story, 134 foot tall residential building that would include 180 dwelling units; 136,143 square feet of habitable space, 328 square feet of retail space, and 75,281 square feet of residential amenities, parking, storage, service, circulation, and utilities space.
  • 633 Folsom Street – Proposed project would entail consturction of a four-story vertical addition of approximately 92,000 gross square feet of office space on top of an existing severn-story (91-foot-tall), 175,790 gross square foot office building, resulting in an 11-story (160 foot tall), approximately 267,865 gross square foot structure.

Notice of Pre-Application Meeting

  • 1076 Howard Street – Meeting on Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at 6pm at 1076 Howard Street. Phone: 650-521-7819, Vantage Property Investors. Development proposal to renovate and change the use of an existing 11,871 square foot 1923-era historic light industrial building into office space, adding 7,200 square feet and one additional story.
  • 390 First Street – Meeting on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 6pm at the Courtyard Marriott hotel, 2nd and Folsom Streets, Room: SoMa 5. Development proposal to demolish existing 76 gas station and construct 14-story, 180-unit residential building, consisting of 177,817 gross square feet.

Notice of Public Hearing

  • Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Project – The Van Ness Avenue BRT is proposed on Van Ness Avenue between Mission and Lombard Streets. Public hearing: Wednesday, November 18, 2015, City Hall, Room 400, 12:30pm
  • 360 Spear Street – Change in use from Internet Services Exchange (ISE) to office use for 49,992 gross square feet on the third and fourth floors.

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October 25, 2015 · 10:30 am

Planning and Building Notices through October 24, 2015

The South of Market Leadership Council receives public notifications from the San Francisco Planning Department. While it may not be possible 52 weeks per year, there will be an attempt to share notifications that affect South of Market on the www.SoMaLeadership.org website for neighbors to check out if they care to do so.

Notice of Building Permit Application

  • 241 10th Street – Proposal to demolish an existing two-level automobile rental building (Hertz) and associated one-story storage shed and to construct a new five-story, 55-foot tall, 33,764 square foot, mixed-use building containing 28 dwelling units and 1,500 square foot of ground floor commercial retail space. The project also provides 14 off-street vehicular parking spaces within a ground-level garage accessed from 10th Street.

Notice of Pre-Application Meeting

  • 1500 Pacific Avenue – Pre-application meeting on Monday, November 16, 2015 at 6:30pm at 1500 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94109. Development proposal for Conditional Use Authorization for Medical Service (acupuncture clinic) in a currently vacant tenant space that was formerly Business/Professional use.

Notice of Project Receiving Environmental Review

  • 1228 Folsom Street (723 and 725 Clementina Street) – Project site consists of three lots located mid-block on the block bounded by Eighth Street to the east, Howard Street to the north, Ninth Street to the west, and Folsom Street to the south in SoMa.
  • 2435-2445 16th Street – Project entails demolitiion of an approximately 10,000-square-foot, one-story auto repair shop and construction of a seven-story, approximately 68-foot-high mixed-use residential building with an off-street basement-level parking garage.

Notice of Public Hearing

  • 1283-1287 Howard Street – Hearing on Wednesday, October 28, 2015 not before 9:30am, City Hall, Room 408. Proposal to remove the existing three story 18-foot deep stairwell and replace it with a three story 8-foot deep deck on the rear of the structure with the incorporation of a spiral staircase at the northeast corner of the decks.
  • MB South Blocks 29-32 on 3rd Street and 16th Streets (Warriors Arena Project proposed office buildings) – Hearing on Thursday, November 5, 2015 not before 12:00pm (noon), City Hall, Room 400. Request for Design Approval of the Golden State Warriors Event Center and Mixed Use Development, consisiting of two, 6-to-11 story buildings (measuring from 90-ft tall to 160-ft tall) containing approximately 577,000 square feet of office use, approximately 54,000 square feet of retail space, and up to 546 parking spaces.

 

 

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October 11, 2015 · 8:53 pm

363 6th Street – Adding shadows to low income youth’s Gene Friend Recreation Center

There is a joint hearing between the Recreation and Parks Department and the Planning Commission this Thursday, October 15, 2015 at Noon at City Hall Room 400 to decide on approval of adding shadows to Gene Friend Recreation Center and park by approving the project as proposed for 363 6th Street. It is also abusing the 5′ bump that the Eastern SoMa Area Plan specifically states is intended for use for a 15′ gracious ground floor for retail or production, distribution, or repair usage specifically by using the extra 5′ to fit 9 residential floors into 85′.

From a very knowledgable friend of SoMa:

This increases shadow on Gene Friend Playground – the playground for SoMa youth.  One month after JOINT hrg for 5M project  where SAME bodies approved shadow increase on Boeddeker Park in the TENDERLOIN.  BOTH are playgrounds for low income communities.  In both the shadows are cast by a market rate housing project in the  South of Market.

363 6th St is the first of the FOUR “5-footers” proposed by  the same developer in SoMa.   363 in the YOUTH & FAMILY ZONE – AND  increases shadows on Gene Friend Playground.

363 is NOT the first “5-footer”   in SoMa.  The first was 1532 Harrison (across from Eagle) was approved Thursday, October 8, 2015 by Planning Commission. (1532 also excavated 4′ down for the added condos.)

A “5-footer” is where a developer uses the extra 5 feet in height granted to have increased ceiling heights for ground floor retail, commercial, PDR uses.  The developer squeezes in another story of condos ($$) .  This was a personal concern of Jim Meko. He raised it  on Public Comment at the last Commission meetings he attended.  At 363 there are 9 stories in an 85′ height limit.


 Rec and Parks gives excuse for allowing increased shadows on Boeddeker and Gene Friend:  It looks at CURRENT hours and use and concludes shadows won’t have serious impact.  But parks in other parts of the City – that receive greater attention and budget priority – ARE funded for openings for morning activity.

USE PATTERNS CHANGE.  Rec Park used the same rationale when it allowed more shadow on Mission Playground.  By the time the shadowing condos were built, the playground area had been redesigned with greatly increased use.

The entire east side of 6th Street – in the Y&F Zone – has been sold and is in play for substantial development. 

Please attend the meeting Thursday at Noon at City Hall in Room 400 if at all possible.

Related Staff Reports and Files for 363 6th Street:

2011.0586KXc1

Item 1A Attachment I – Reso for Agenda Item 1A 101515

Item 1B Attachment J – Reso for Agenda Item 1B 101515

Items 1A and 1B 363 6th Street Staff Report 101515

Items 1A and 1B Attachment A – Gene Friend_363 6th St. Location Map 101515

Items 1A and 1B Attachment B – 363 6th St Site Renderings and Plans 101515

Items 1A and 1B Attachment C – Gene Friend Park Map 101515

Items 1A and 1B Attachment D – 363 6th Street CADP Shadow Analysis 101515

Items 1A and 1B Attachment E – Maximum Shadow Image 101515

Items 1A and 1B Attachment F – Cumulative Shadow on Gene Friend with Chart 101515

Items 1A and 1B Attachment G – Project Sponsor Letter 101515

Items 1A and 1B Attachment H – Comment Letters 101515

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October 6, 2015 · 11:06 pm

Planning and Building Notices through October 6, 2015

The South of Market Leadership Council receives public notifications from the San Francisco Planning Department. While it may not be possible 52 weeks per year, there will be an attempt to share notifications that affect South of Market on the www.SoMaLeadership.org website for neighbors to check out if they care to do so.

Notice of Pre-Application Meeting

  • 430 Main Street/429 Beale Street – Demolish two existing one- and two-story industrial buildings on the project site totaling approximately 28,360 gross square feet (gif) and construct a nine-story, approximately 159,200-sf residential building. 144 dwelling units, 84 feet, 9 stories. Pre-application meeting at South Beach Harbor Community Room between Pier 40 and AT&T ballpark on Tuesday, October 13, 2015 starting at 6:00pm.

Notice of Project Receiving Environmental Review

  • 915 Minna Street – Proposed project consists of constructing two buildings containing a total of 44 dwelling units and 25 parking spaces. The northern building would front Minna Street, and the southern building would front Natoma Street. There would be a ground-level yard in between the two buildings.

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October 5, 2015 · 10:49 pm

Write a Letter to Planning – Oppose 1532 Harrison Street!

10/11/2015 Update: Planning Department did not honor their commitment to the community and instead just explained it is allowed by the Planning Code that they did not take the time and care to legislate the 5′ bump properly in the first place. If they had properly written the General Plan amendments to reflect what was promised to the community, this should not have been allowed.

Planning Department Shooting Itself (and Us) in the Foot – Tell Them To Stop It!

When the Western SoMa Plan was being worked on by all those “Citizen Planners” engaged in the process, the Planning Department asked that they add 5′ to the already increased height re-zonings in order to provide a more graceful groundfloor specifically for use as Retail or Production/Distribution/Repair (PDR). The stakeholders took the Planning Department’s word, and accepted 65′ zoning instead of 60′ zoning, for instance, at 1532 Harrison Street with the clear mutual understanding of the spirit and intent of that additional 5′.

Fast forward to 2015, and the Planning Department is pushing forward a proposal for 1532 Harrison Street at this Thursday’s meeting (October 8, 2015) which proves them to be liars if they follow through. The proposal allows structures to be built up to the additional 5′ bump without a 15′ groundfloor for Retail or PDR.  Instead, the building is proposed to be digging into the earth 5′ deep and building 7 floors (at 10′ each) of residential uses.

This doesn’t just result in a big fat lie to SoMa and the breaking of trust for SoMa residents in the Planning Department and Planning Commission, but it also will send a warning signal to the Sunset and the Richmond neighborhoods that the Planning Department cannot be trusted.

Please click this link for an already prepared email to sign your name at the end and send to the Planning Department’s Planner for 1532 Harrison (Richard Sucre), the Department Head (John Rahaim), the Planning Commissioners, and the Mayor (because the company proposing exploiting the 5′ bump in zoning is employing a former Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development employee – making it seem even more awful that the Planning Department is breaking its word to the community in my opinion).

Thank you.

If the link above doesn’t work, here are the suggested pieces for the email:

Recipients:

Commissions.Secretary@sfgov.org
jonas.ionin@sfgov.org
john.rahaim@sfgov.org
planning@rodneyfong.com
cwu.planning@gmail.com
wordweaver21@aol.com
richhillissf@yahoo.com
christine.d.johnson@sfgov.org
mooreurban@aol.com
dennis.richards@sfgov.org
Rich.Sucre@sfgov.org
richard.sucre@sfgov.org
danny.yadegar@sfgov.org
mayoredwinlee@sfgov.org
rinconhill@gmail.com

Suggested Subject line of email: Opposition Letter to Case No. 2013.1390CUA, 1532 Harrison Street

Email body template:

Dear Planning Commissioners,

I am writing to ask that you oppose the design for Case No. 2013.1390CUA, 1532 Harrison Street because it does not meet the Western SoMa Community Plan’s agreed upon spirit and intent of the additional 5′ zoning bump in all of its structures that seek to build to 65′ heights because they lack the agreed upon 15′ ground floor intended for retail or production/distribution/repair (PDR).

Oppose 1532 Harrison Street using 65′ to shove in 7 floors of residential instead of a 15′ ground floor retail or PDR space with 5 floors of residential above that retail or PDR use.

Please do not flush the Planning Department’s and the Planning Commission’s integrity and credibility down the toilet, scaring off the Sunset, Richmond, Excelsior, and other neighborhoods that may be ready for greater residential density but unwilling to trust the Planning Department after observing the betrayal of the South of Market community and time the SoMa community invested in the Western SoMa Community Plan.

It will be much harder for Planners to work with San Francisco residents if the perception is that your word means nothing.  Please, do not shoot yourself in the foot.  Send 1532 Harrison Street back to the architect to include a 15′ ground floor in all structures that are designed to maximize the heights to 65′ at 1532 Harrison Street.  Please do not destroy your and your department’s public integrity for this one project.

Thank you,

INSERT YOUR NAME

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September 27, 2015 · 11:14 am

Planning and Building Notices through September 26, 2015

The South of Market Leadership Council receives public notifications from the San Francisco Planning Department. While it may not be possible 52 weeks per year, there will be an attempt to share notifications that affect South of Market on the www.SoMaLeadership.org website for neighbors to check out if they care to do so.

Notice of Pre-Application Meeting

  • 360 Spear Street – Meeting on October 5, 2015 at 365 Main Street at 6pm; contact: ADonohugh@digitalrealty.com or 415-848-9304; Convert approximately 49,992 square feet of existing Internet Service Exchange (ISE) space to general office space and make related office renovations.

Notification of Project Receiving Environmental Review

  • 1125 Mission Street – Proposed project would completely convert the existing building to office use only.
  • 230 7th Street – Proposed demolition of the existing industrial building and construction of two buildings totaling approximately 56,500 square feet in size with 44 residential units, 720 square feet of commercial space, and 29 off-street parking spaces.
  • 320-330 Clementine Street – Proposed project includes structural, life safety, and accessibility upgrades and general renovations to two existing 13-story apartment towers, each consisting of 138 residential units (total 276 units) and three service and maintenance structures.

Notice of Building Permit Application

  • 70 Oak Grove Street – The project proposes to construct a new passenger elevator at the north corner of an existing 2-story building.
  • 425 10th Street – The proposal is change the existing use to a Photography Studio (Art Activity) within the existing building envelope.

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September 27, 2015 · 9:21 am

Protect Life in SoMa’s Residential Enclave Alleys – Vision Zero and Natoma Alley

One of the best ways to protect life on the alleys is to limit the amount of traffic on them. The Western SoMa Citizens Planning Task Force memorialized this thinking in the Western SoMa Community Plan with the following two objectives relating to alleys:

OBJECTIVE 4.1

Facilitate the movement of pedestrians and bicycles in the alleys

OBJECTIVE 4.2

Limit the speed and volume of motor vehicles in alleys

Unfortunately, the San Francisco Planning Department appears to be ignoring our community’s agreed upon planning objectives for alleys by making it a policy to prefer vehicular traffic to enter new development projects from the alleys, even when the site abuts one of the major neighborhood serving streets.

This is what is happening at 9th and Howard Streets (Mario Andretti gas station). The Natoma alley neighbors have made it very clear that the driveway for approximately 90 cars should enter and exit onto Howard Street. The Natoma alley is a narrow (approximately 35’) one-way alley as it spans from 9th to 8th streets with the Canon Kip Community House for 104 formerly homeless, primarily disabled seniors in SRO units on the corner of 8th and Natoma (705 Natoma) and the Community House provides a 7-day per week senior community center for activities.

This segment of the Natoma alley is currently congested with both business and residential users. A driveway for the approximately 90 cars on Howard Street would let the traffic disburse in many directions, whereas the Natoma alley exit would create many more trips for drivers to go north or west.

The only downside is the potential conflict with a bicycle lane, but the traffic planners have planned a bicycle traffic light and stacking space to minimize the conflict.

It seems much more dangerous to funnel more traffic onto Natoma alley and diminish the pedestrian safety intended for the alleys of SoMa than to have cars enter and exist onto Howard Street. With primarily disabled seniors in very small SRO units at the end of this block of Natoma alley, it would seem Vision Zero policies would prioritize the safety of pedestrians even more than other streets that do not have 104 formerly homeless, primarily disabled seniors trying to get some breathing room outside of the building on the corner of Natoma alley and 8th Street.

Before Jim Meko died, he supported and would have trumpeted the entry and exit of vehicles to the new project at 9th and Howard Streets (currently Mario Andretti gas station) and opposed the entry and exit occurring on Natoma alley. That is the agreed upon objective in the Western SoMa Community Plan for alleys like Natoma.

We need to let Planning know that they need to minimize traffic on the alleys, no funnel it onto them. Please contact Planner Tim Johnston about Case Number 2014.0011E at e-mail address Timothy.Johnston@sfgov.org or by telephone at 415-575-9035 to let him know the project’s entry and exit for cars should be on Howard Street in order to comply with Western SoMa Community Plan Objectives 4.1 and 4.2.

PDF file containing the Alleys section of the Western SoMa Community Plan

AlleyTypology_WesternSoMaPlan

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September 1, 2015 · 10:31 pm

SoMa Development Tsunami

Change both good and bad is nothing new to SoMa. But now the neighborhood’s special character is threatened by an unprecedented wave of proposed development.

Nearly every block in the area bounded by Market, 2nd Street, Townsend, and the Central Freeway on Division Street, has at least one project seeking approval from the city.

Pending projects in the neighborhood as of August 2015

Pending projects in the neighborhood as of August 2015; doesn’t show projects that are already approved; Source: San Francisco Planning Department web site

These projects are not a done deal. They have to seek approval from the Planning Commission—and in some cases from the Board of Supervisors.

Other neighborhoods have stopped inappropriate development by persuading the city to modify projects or to reject them altogether. We can, too.

The South of Market Leadership Council has long served as an information clearing house and forum for discussion about neighborhood planning. Continuing that tradition, we’re providing the following list of significant projects and the dates of their upcoming hearings at the Planning Commission.

September 3, 2015:

  • 75 Howard, APPROVAL (Items 14 and 15 on the agenda)
    220’ tall high-rise on the waterfront, extreme luxury housing
  • 5M (Fifth and Mission) mega-project PRESENTATION (Item 16, 3:30 p.m.)
    For more info, contact the South of Market Community Action Network (DontSupersizeSoMa@gmail.com) Share this information flyer with your neighbors.

September 17, 2015:

  • 5M mega-project APPROVAL
  • 1532 Harrison APPROVAL
    7 stories, 136 residential units (formerly 6 stories, 119 units of group housing)

September 24, 2015:

  • 525 Harrison (right next to the bridge) APPROVAL
    raise Rincon Hill heights and shrink required separation distance between towers

October 1, 2015:

  • 363 6th Street STAFF REPORT
    9 stories, 104 residential units, shadows Gene Friend Rec Park

October 15, 2015:

  • 363 6th Street APPROVAL

What You Can Do:

  • Contact District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim (Jane.Kim@sfgov.org).
  • Share this information with your neighbors, your formal and informal neighborhood organizations, your local merchants, your schools, your places of worship, and anyone you know that shares your love for South of Market.
  • Subscribe to the SoMa Leadership Council e-mail list by sending an e-mail to SoMaJournal@yahoo.com with your first name and last name in the e-mail.
  • Get involved with the SoMa Leadership Council or any other SoMa neighborhood organization.
  • Tell the Planning Commission what you think about specific projects either in person during public comment at one of their Thursday afternoon meetings at City Hall (Room 400) or in writing. You can find Planning Commission meeting agendas here. To learn how to sign up to receive notices for public hearings regarding these proposed South of Market neighborhood development proposals and changes, please e-mail SoMaJournal@yahoo.com and ask for information on how to be added to the Planning Department notification mailing lists.

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