The Western SoMa Citizens Planning Task Force is beginning to comb through a draft of what will become the final Proposal for Adoption when the EIR is adopted, a process that will begin in August. The final draft of the Western SoMa Community Plan includes public input, clarifications and new policies that have been added since the original Draft for Citizens Review was released three years ago.
The Western SoMa Plan is a moderate growth strategy that’s meant to fulfill the Planning Principles adopted by the Task Force at the start of this community-based process. A major goal of the Plan has been to preserve and enhance the existing neighborhood fabric. “Proposed new land use development shall primarily serve the needs of existing residents and businesses,” the Task Force declared. “Citywide and regional needs are subordinate to existing local needs.”
The overriding land use pattern endorsed by the Plan is built on the preservation of service and light industrial uses in the southern half of the district, with several major development sites north of Harrison Street, progressing to a denser residential community built around existing residential clusters along a new neighborhood commercial corridor on Folsom Street.
It would encourage a major expansion of “residential enclave districts” in the alleys, a significant increase in nighttime entertainment opportunities south of Harrison Street and along Folsom Street, and the creation of social heritage districts that recognize the importance of Western SoMa to the Filipino and LGBTQ communities.
On June 9th, the Business and Land Use Committee of the Task Force will discuss the Land Use, Neighborhood Economy, Transportation, Arts and Entertainment, and Safety and Public Welfare elements of the Plan. The Complete Neighborhood Fabric Committee will consider the Housing, Urban Design, Preservation, Open Space, and Community Facilities elements on June 16th. Both meetings begin at 6pm and are held in Room 421 of City Hall.
Here is a link to the current draft of the Proposal for Adoption. The committees will make sure that the additional material included accurately reflects the decisions made by the Task Force over the last three years and provides adequate context for the additions. Remember, this a a working document: complete interim plan.pdf
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