We’ve known for a couple months that the carwash at 10th and Harrison Streets had been sold. Today SocketSite reports that the plan is to build four floors of market rate SRO housing above ground floor commercial space.
City agency fails SoMa in first major reevaluation of Muni system in 30 years
by JIM MEKO
MUNI just discontinued the northbound #9 San Bruno bus stop at 11th and Mission Streets. I think that’s about all we’re gonna get from the Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP).
What once sounded so promising went down in flames as the result of arrogant planners and a flawed public process. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) turned a deaf ear to a group of community leaders who had spent more than three years developing a community transportation plan.
While the Planning Department rezoned almost a quarter of the city in the Eastern Neighborhoods process without ever addressing transportation needs, the community planning process here in Western SoMa based its entire plan on transportation improvements. Continue reading
Filed under planning, transportation
A curious lack of curiosity
Sue Hestor is obviously annoyed by the Planning Department’s less than credible attempts to expedite the conversion of service and light industrial space to office use. She’s currently butting heads with planner Erika Jackson over 340 Bryant Street, an empty building. Turns out one of the former tenants was one of Sue’s associates. Sue writes:
“There is an email dated 4/14/14 from you to developer’s attorney Kevlin where you describe the building rather ‘neutrally’ as being ‘currently vacant.’ Since this is a PDR building and the former industrial tenants were involuntarily moved out, I do not believe this understatement is correct. You have an email from Jim Heron about how he and all other tenants (which were arts or light industrial) were evicted in December 2012. It seems to be the commercial equivalent of residential tenants being evicted, then the apartment building being described as ‘vacant.’” Continue reading
Filed under planning, Uncategorized
Gordon Biersch, before and after
from BRIAN WALLACE
Filed under economics, planning, quality of life
Board loosens controls on Mechanical Amusement Devices in bars
by GLENDON HYDE
Neighborhood Rep/Vice Chair Entertainment Commission
Please note that Supervisor Breed’s legislation (file #140776) passed unanimously at the Board of Supervisors. It will have a second reading on September 2. This legislation means that 73 of the current 81 mechanical amusement device (m.a.d.) permits will no longer be under the jurisdiction of the Entertainment Commission. This is a $23,000 decrease in our annual license fees. From now on, bars wishing to apply for up to four m.a.d.s need not submit or pay for an application. Previously we received between 4 and 10 applications a year, so there will be another decrease of approximately $6000. Continue reading
Filed under entertainment
Is it open season on Production, Distribution and Repair (PDR)?
from BRIAN WALLACE
Is it ‘Open Season’ on Production, Distribution, and Repair (PDR) in SoMa? Especially active, vibrant small businesses that help dented cars look good, replace broken car windows (no shortage of them in SoMa), provide great tasting Mexican food to locals, and employ hard-working people without college degrees.
Did I miss the memo? Read more→
Filed under community services, economics, planning
Housing ballot measures would weaken city policy
With market-rate housing construction booming, Kim abandons effort to balance it with affordability
from THE BAY GUARDIAN
Under the misleading guise of encouraging the development of more affordable housing in San Francisco, Mayor Ed Lee and Sup. Jane Kim have sponsored a pair of fall ballot measures that actually weaken existing housing policy in San Francisco. It’s a ruse that shouldn’t fool politically savvy San Franciscans. Continue reading →
Welcome to Folsom Street! Meet the neighbors
by JIM MEKO
Memo to the Realtex Group: this would be a good time to invite prospective tenants of your new 57 unit development to come down to Folsom and Dore Alley to meet the neighbors. Well, maybe this time next year.
Today the Up Your Alley Fair made its annual appearance in SoMa. Generally described as a celebration of kink, it is held on the last Sunday of July every year. The Folsom Street Fair, the world’s largest leather and fetish event, is held later in September. Folsom Street and Dore Alley are generally considered the epicenter of both events. Continue reading
Filed under housing, planning, social heritage
Kathrin Moore reappointed to the Planning Commission …
… but unfortunately Hisashi (Bill) Sugaya was not.
President Chiu’s nomination of Kathrin Moore to another term on the San Francisco Planning Commission will be considered by the Board of Supervisors’ Rules Committee on Thursday, July 24 at 2:00 pm. Letters of support may be sent to Alisa Miller at alisa.miller@sfgov.org prior to the hearing for distribution to the members of the Committee, which includes Supervisor Norman Yee, Chair, Supervisor Katy Tang, Vice Chair and Supervisor David Campos.
Reps from the Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods, the Neighborhood Network, SF Tomorrow, Housing Action, Tenants Together, SOMCAN, ArcEology and neighborhood representatives from Cathedral Hill, Duboce Triangle, Eureka Valley, Haight Ashbury, Liberty Hill, Middle Polk, the Mission, North Beach, Pacific Heights, Parkmerced, Potrero Hill, Richmond District, Rincon Hill, Russian Hill, South of Market, Sunset District and Telegraph Hill all assisted in gathering signatures for a petition urging the reappointment of Commissioner Moore and Sugaya.
Commissioner Sugaya will be succeeded by Dennis Richards, former President of the Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association. Bill’s expertise and passion for the neighborhoods of San Francisco have been invaluable.
The final petition report is attached.
Oops! Famed architect designs building too tall for site
When the Code says the height limit is 300 feet, one would think they’d ask the architect to design a 300 foot tall building. Except, this is San Francisco and the Planning Department rarely adheres to the Code. And, the thing is kinda pretty.
Jeanne Gang, the architect of Chicago’s iconic Aqua building, has designed an unusual residential tower with bays and balconies twisting up its 400 foot height, for the corner of Folsom and Spear Streets. The tower and an adjacent eight story structure will include 139 affordable units among the 390 condos proposed. Continue reading
soma leadership council 