Author Archives: BCNA Board

Hearing on SB 827 Set for April 3 – Contact Your Supervisor!

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Purple areas correspond to “transit-rich” zones (Courtesy Metropolitan Transportation Commission)

On April 3, the Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing on State Senate Bill 827. The Barbary Coast Neighborhood Association opposes SB 827, which will eliminate local control over development without any provision for additional public or community benefits. Members who wish to be heard on SB 827 are encouraged to email Supervisor Aaron Peskin and/or the entire Board of Supervisors ASAP. While the April 3 hearing is open to the public, there will be no public testimony.

Proponents claim that SB 827 is about awarding a bonus for building higher and denser housing near “transit-rich” locations (within ½ mile of a major transit stop or ¼ mile of such a stop or a stop on a “high-quality transit corridor”). Sounds great, right? But the law would:

  • Strip San Francisco of much of its power to regulate land use.
  • Maximize development by limiting or eliminating many local zoning controls.
  • Up-zone as much as 96% of San Francisco, affecting every neighborhood.
  • Override current height limits to allow buildings up to 8 stories (10 stories if, as the bill permits, combined with another state law).
  • Not protect rent-controlled tenants.
  • Not provide any affordable housing beyond what the City provides already.

The bill also threatens to greatly increase the cost to build new non-profit affordable housing by driving up the price of development sites everywhere. The Coalition of San Francisco Neighborhoods and the Sierra Club are among the opponents of this well-intended but misguided proposal, and the Planning Commission has expressed grave concerns. For more information, read the Legislative Counsel’s Digest and the Bill text.

SAMPLE EMAIL TO SUPERVISORS
(Copy and paste this into an email on your computer)

Dear Supervisors,

My name is ______, a San Francisco resident and voter. I urge you to pass a resolution to oppose State Senate Bill 827, NOT seek to amend it. Even with amendments, the Bill would transfer power to the State to decide important land use matters for our City. I can think of no reason that any of you should want to turn over to the State those kinds of powers.

Thank you.

Supervisor Email Addresses: aaron.peskin@sfgov.org, jane.kim@sfgov.org, katy.tang@sfgov.org, ahsha.safai@sfgov.org, norman.yee@sfgov.org, catherine.stefani@sfgov.org, malia.cohen@sfgov.org, sandra.fewer@sfgov.org, london.breed@sfgov.org, jeff.sheehy@sfgov.org, hillary.ronen@sfgov.org, board.of.supervisors@sfgov.org

SF Port Hosts Waterfront Walking Tours & Open House

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SF Port Waterfront Plan Events

The Port of San Francisco is continuing the public process for the Waterfront Plan Update with Public Walking Tours (April 11 & April 14) and an Open House Workshop (April 18). These events are open to everyone. Check the Port’s website for more information on the Waterfront Plan Update: http://sfport.com/waterfront-plan-update.

What is the Waterfront Plan Update?

The Port of San Francisco Waterfront Land Use Plan (“Waterfront Plan”) sets forth land use and urban design policies for the 7½ miles of piers, shoreline and nearby lands under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Port Commission, from Fisherman’s Wharf to India Basin.

A major public process to update the Waterfront Plan is underway. The Waterfront Plan Working Group, assisted by seven Advisory Teams, has hosted over 30 public meetings over the past two years. In December 2017, the Working Group produced 161 Port-wide policy recommendations about how the Port should address land use, open space, maritime, transportation, environmental and waterfront resilience challenges and opportunities in the Waterfront Plan Update.

“Part 3” of the public planning process will continue through Spring 2018. Walking tours and workshops will focus on The Embarcadero Public Realm and the Northeast and South Beach areas of the waterfront. The recommendations and comments generated from this public planning process will guide Port efforts to draft amendments to update the Waterfront Plan.

Get involved to learn more about the Port and the Waterfront Plan Update. This effort is also being coordinated with the San Francisco Seawall Earthquake Safety and Disaster Prevention Program.

We Need YOU to Report Local Incidents and Concerns

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Thanks to all the BCNA members and other neighbors who attended our recent Safety Forum at the Old Ship Saloon with Supervisor Aaron Peskin and Central Station Police Captain Paul Yep.

We need everyone’s help to report safety concerns and other neighborhood issues so that the SFPD and Supervisor Peskin’s office are aware and can take appropriate action. When we report incidents, the police have better statistics about crime “hot spots” in our neighborhood (based on our calls), including cars speeding down the street, drug sales, car break-ins, etc. SFPD relies on this information to determine where to dispatch officers, so if we report consistently, the police will patrol our neighborhood more frequently and effectively. Recently, SFPD issued 10 tickets in just 1-2 hours on Davis Street between Jackson and Broadway based on neighbor complaints. The police want to hear from us, so don’t hesitate to call! Please take a moment to program non-emergency numbers into your phone or download the 311 app so that when you see something, you can say something. In an emergency, always call 911.

For non-urgent requests for support, please review the District 3 resources below:

Neighborhood Services

  • If you are writing with a request for non-emergency neighborhood services such as park repairs, street and sidewalk cleaning, and tree maintenance or for inquiries regarding the shelter reservation waitlist, please call 3-1-1. If you would like our office to follow up, please retain your confirmation number.

Homeless Support

  • If there is a homeless individual on the street in need of assistance, please Call 3-1-1 and ask for SFHOT’s Street Outreach Team. If they are in physical distress, please call 9-1-1.

SFPD

  • If you have an issue requiring police response that is non-life threatening, please call 415-553-0123.
  • Tip Line: 415-392-2623 and Chinese Language Tip Line: 415-315-2435.

Legislative Queries

  • Please reach out to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors at 415-554-5184.

For additional contact information for Supervisor Peskin’s staff, please visit his official Board of Supervisors website: http://sfbos.org/supervisor-peskin.