April 28, 2014 · 7:29 am

Why so hesitant to plan?

by JIM MEKO

Last fall, voters rejected 8 Washington, an over-sized condo project on the waterfront that would rise to 136 feet in an area zoned for 84 feet. The Planning Department didn’t get the message. They’re still supporting a large housing and retail project proposed by the San Francisco Giants at Pier 48/Seawall Lot 337 and a sprawling office, residential, and retail project that Forest City wants to build at Pier 70. Each project violates parts of the Waterfront Land Use Plan, which just so happens to be the law.

I dislike ballot box planning as much as anyone but Prop B is an effective response to a Planning Department that doesn’t respect its own rules.  Continue reading →

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April 25, 2014 · 6:25 am

Please sign the petition urging the reappointment of Planning Commissioners Moore and Sugaya

by JIM MEKO

I’m part of a coalition that is petitioning Board of Supervisors President David Chiu to go on the record, prior to the end of his State Assembly race, to announce the reappointment of Kathrin Moore and Hishashi (Bill) Sugaya to the San Francisco Planning Commission. Let’s get the politics out of planning. Sign here. Continue reading →

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April 22, 2014 · 6:06 pm

Time to Demolish Piers 30-32

Real estate blog “Linked-in” graphically illustrates the Warriors petulant surrender to community concerns by switching the location of their new arena from prime waterfront property to the backwaters of Mission Bay. ”Move along, move along now. No story here.”

Real estate blog “Linked-in” graphically illustrates the Warriors curt surrender to community concerns by switching the location of their new arena from prime waterfront property to the backwaters of Mission Bay. ”Move along, move along now. No story here.”

by JAMIE WHITAKER
SoMa activist and 2014 D6 candidate for Supervisor

I believe that we should take the success of the Brannan Street Wharf’s demolition of Piers 34 and 36 and creation of more seating and open space, and continue the design northward by demolishing Piers 30-32 and building out a continuation of the open space with proceeds from the sale and development of Seawall Lot 330 across the street. Brannan Street Wharf’s demolition of Piers 34 and 36 plus the development of the park itself cost $26.1 million. Even if it costs twice as much to demolish Piers 30-32, the value of the land across the street and what could be developed within 105′ should be able to pay for it.  Continue reading →

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April 10, 2014 · 9:24 am

Low income housing slated for site once dubbed “too good for poor people”

This is a "concept" drawing for TNDC's scaled-down affordable housing project at 1036 Mission Street.

This is a “concept” drawing for TNDC’s scaled-down affordable housing at 1036 Mission Street.


by JIM MEKO

Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC) will return to the Planning Commission on May 1st to renew entitlements for a project that lost its funding from the Mayor’s Office of Housing back in 2012 because they had determined that the land had become too valuable for affordable housing.  Continue reading →

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April 9, 2014 · 5:57 am

Supervisor Kim Introduces Long-Awaited Housing Balance Legislation

from APRIL VENERACION
Legislative aide to Supervisor Jane Kim

San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim introduced legislation today to balance the continued development of market-rate housing with the successful delivery of badly-needed affordable housing. The city of San Francisco has been grappling with a well-documented housing crisis even in the midst of a rapid acceleration in development. Although 80% of all development is currently being built in District 6, the average District 6 resident has struggled to secure housing in the district.  Continue reading →

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March 19, 2014 · 4:57 am

Rally at City Hall today to celebrate judge’s decision upholding Prop B

waterfront

Judge Marla Miller has issued a ruling rejecting a lawsuit brought by real estate development interests who were attempting to prevent San Francisco voters from having their say on Proposition B (No Wall on the Waterfront).

This is a major win that will allow San Francisco voters to decide whether our beautiful waterfront should remain open and accessible to all or become a wall of tall towers like Miami Beach. Opponents of Prop B describe the waterfront as “an accident of history” and would like to leave its future in the hands of city planners.

Join supporters on Wednesday, March 19 at 11:00 AM on the Polk Street Steps of City Hall to hear more about the judge’s ruling and to celebrate with supporters of Prop. B.

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March 12, 2014 · 8:14 pm

Can the supervisors save manufacturing in San Francisco?

031214_0421_Canthesuper1

Zelda Bronstein is back with further analysis of the Planning Department’s commitment to good working class jobs. In her study of their efforts to encourage construction of new PDR (production, distribution and repair) space by allowing three times more high tech offices in areas where they’re currently not allowed, she does touch upon the uncomfortable irony I continue to bring up that our Planning Department staff is undermining and destroying existing PDR space less than a block away from many of the properties covered in their legislation and there is no indication that they are willing to reconsider their illogical direction.

Bronstein’s piece, “Can the supervisors save manufacturing in San Francisco?” appears in today’s edition of Tim Redmond’s “48 Hills, the Secrets of San Francisco.”

 

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March 12, 2014 · 7:11 pm

Why does the Planning Department like to crap on our alleys so much?

by JIM MEKO

When planners set out their guiding principles for a community planning effort, their first thought is always GROWTH. When the neighbors get to participate in a real community planning process, their standard always tends to be something more nuanced, something like “to preserve and enhance.”

This dichotomy explains why we hate the Planning Department so much.  Continue reading →

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February 24, 2014 · 5:17 pm

City takes aim at working class jobs

man under car

By JIM MEKO

Last time we checked in on our buddies over at the Planning Department, they were putting the finishing touches on their “Central SoMa Plan,” an ambitious new area plan that would devastate our neighborhood’s service and light industrial base and blow the lid off job protections built into the recently adopted Western SoMa Community Plan. As Planning Director John Rahaim reportedly said, “this is really about expanding downtown.” (see “The attack on SoMa – a new downtown?”)

In light of the fact that their own calculations show that the Central SoMa scheme would destroy about 1,800 good working class jobs in order to build more high tech offices, they have proposed a nifty solution right around the corner in “the Eastern Neighborhoods” that would incentivize the construction of brand new production, distribution and repair (PDR) space (you’re not gonna believe this) by allowing even more high tech office space to be built on land that was set aside as a “haven for PDR businesses.”  This new construction would provide 33% new PDR space at a cost of allowing in 66% more high tech office space.  Continue reading →

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February 22, 2014 · 3:41 pm

Muni 47 realignment part of a strategy to create better SoMa service

MUNI

The Muni 47 and 49 lines have been discussed a lot recently in the context of the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, which would create a more efficient dedicated-lane approach to transit on the heavily travelled north-south corridor running past City Hall. But the southern end of the 47 line, a realigned 27 line and the introduction of a new 11 Downtown Connector promise to provide a better focus to Muni’s SoMa service as well.  Continue reading →

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