Author Archives: BCNA Board

Today, the Barbary Coast Neighborhood Association sent a letter to the California Senate Transportation and Housing Committee strongly opposing SB 827, Senator Scott Wiener’s bill to override local building limits on height, density, and design requirements in transit-rich zones, including virtually the entire city of San Francisco.  The letter reads as follows:

Ms. Alison Hughes, Consultant
Senate Transportation and Housing Committee
State Capitol, Room 2209
Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: SB 827 (Wiener), January 3 Version: STRONGLY OPPOSED

Dear Ms. Hughes:

SB 827 would authorize significantly larger housing developments in areas meeting minimum levels of transit service. It does so by imposing minimum zoning standards in those “transit-rich” areas. It removes residential density limits, imposes minimum height limits, and prohibits enforcement of almost all design standards relating to the building envelope, among other things. We are strongly opposed to this measure for various reasons including:

• It would upzone virtually the entire city of San Francisco. San Francisco has an extensive public transit system. Thus, a majority of the streets in the City would have their height limits doubled from 40’/45’ to 85’. This clearly allows massive new developments in heretofore low-rise neighborhoods. This height limit concern was echoed in 2013 when San Francisco voters supported the “No Wall on the Waterfront” campaign and decisively voted down a proposed high-rise housing development on the Embarcadero. Over time the drastic approach embraced in SB 827 will destroy the human scale and character of the City’s neighborhoods.
• It would eliminate the ability of a city to maintain any control over basic building designs. This bill precludes the City from enforcing basic planning and design standards for housing. These standards often pertain to quality of life issues and involve aspects such as rear yards, open space, setbacks, etc. Taken together, they form the key to ensuring livability, walkability, and urban design quality. Blocking their enforcement will result in large institutional blockhouse structures that create a cold uninviting environment.

In summary, SB 827 eviscerates the ability of San Francisco and several other metropolitan areas to control the livability and quality of life in their residential neighborhoods. While it is broadly accepted that the state needs to build more housing, this bill is the wrong approach. It is unthinkable that a city cannot control the scale and character of its neighborhoods. Accordingly, we are strongly opposed to this bill.

Sincerely,
Diana Taylor
President

cc: Ms. Angela Hill

BCNA members may be interested in attending the upcoming meeting of the Northeast Waterfront Advisory Group (NEWAG), which is open to the public.  Notice from the Port of San Francisco:

PORT OF SAN FRANCISCO NORTHEAST WATERFRONT ADVISORY GROUP (NEWAG) MEETING
Tuesday, February 20, 2018 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Port of San Francisco offices
Pier 1, Embarcadero at Washington Street
Bayside 1 Conference Room

1. Welcome and Acceptance of November 1, 2017 Meeting Notes (5:00 – 5:10pm)

2. Upcoming Port Commission Matters of Interest (5:10 – 5:15pm)

3. Staff Update on Waterfront Land Use Plan (WLUP) Update – Update by Port staff on schedule and next steps for the WLUP Update, including dates and timeline for Part 3 of the public process (5:15 – 5:30pm)

4. Staff Update on Request for Information (RFI) to Determine Market Demand for Fast Charging Electric Vehicle (EV) Chargers – Briefing by Port staff on efforts to assess the feasibility and business needs to develop EV fast charging stations in San Francisco and on select sites within Port jurisdiction (5:30 – 5:50pm)

5. Seawall Earthquake Safety Program – Informational presentation by Port staff on the Port’s Seawall Earthquake Safety and Disaster Prevention Program (5:50 – 6:20pm)

6. Next Steps – Future Agenda Items; Other Business Matters (6:20 – 6:30pm) Adjournment (by 7:00pm)

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ming Yeung at Ming.Yeung@sfport.com

EMAIL NOTICE OF ADVISORY GROUP MEETINGS – If you would like to receive e-mail notification of advisory group meetings and receive agendas and minutes contact Ming Yeung, at ming.yeung@sfport.com or (415) 274-0472. Thank You.The agenda can also be accessed on our website here:   http://sfport.com/meeting/northeast-waterfront-advisory-group-february-20-2018-agenda

Click here for upcoming special events: http://sfport.com/upcoming-special-events

Language Access
English:
At the Port of San Francisco, it is our policy to provide free language assistance to Limited English Speaking (LEP) individuals upon request. We are committed to ensuring that persons with limited English proficiency are given equal access to the Port’s services, programs, public land and facilities.
For questions or assistance with language access related matters please contact:

• Port of San Francisco Language Access Liaison:
  • Matthias Giezendanner, Business Services Supervisor
  • Email: Matthias.Giezendanner@sfport.com
  • Telephone: (415) 274-0471

Spanish:
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Si tiene preguntas o si necesita ayuda con asuntos relacionados con el acceso a idioma por favor, póngase en contacto con:
Agente de Acceso a Idiomas del Puerto de San Francisco
Matthias Giezendanner, Supervisor de Servicios Empresariales
Correo electrónico: Matthias.Giezendanner@sfport.com
Teléfono: (415) 274-0471

Chinese
三藩市港務局（Port of San Francisco）當局的政策規定，須應請求向英語能力有限（LEP）人士提供免費的語言協助。 本局致力於確保英語能力有限人士能平等使用港務局（Port）的各項服務、計劃、公眾用地及設施。如有疑問或需要提供語言服務相關事宜的協助，請聯絡:• 三藩市港務局語言服務聯絡員:
o Matthias Giezendanner, 商務主管
o 電郵: Matthias.Giezendanner@sfport.com

Filipino
Sa Port ng San Francisco, patakaran naming magbigay ng libreng tulong sa wika sa mga taong Limitado ang Pagsasalita sa Ingles (Limited English Proficient- LEP). May pananagutan kaming siguraduhin na lahat nakukuha rin ang mga tao na limitado ang pagsasalita sa Ingles ng mga kaparehong serbisyo, programa, pampublikong lupa at pasilidad ng Port na kagaya ng iba.
Para sa mga katanugan o sa tulong sa mga bagay na kaugnay sa pag-access sa wika puwedeng kontakin si:

• Port of San Francisco Language Access Liaison:
  • Matthias Giezendanner, Business Services Supervisor
  • Email: Matthias.Giezendanner@sfport.com
  • Telepono: (415) 274-0471

ACCESSIBLE MEETING INFORMATION 
Accessible meeting information policy: In order to assist the City’s efforts to accommodate persons with severe allergies, environmental illness, multiple chemical sensitivity or related disabilities, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical based products. Please help the City to accommodate these individuals. A sign language interpreter and alternative format copies of meeting agendas and other materials can be provided upon request made at least 72 hours in advance of any scheduled meeting. Contact Wendy Proctor, Port’s ADA Coordinator, at 274-0592. The Port’s TTY number is (415) 274-0587.

The San Francisco Planning Department’s report on SB 827 makes clear it would have a profound impact by eliminating planning and design standards “that are the backbone of livability, walkability and urban design quality” in San Francisco. Moreover, the legislation, coupled with the State Density Bonus, could more than double current height limits to over 100 feet throughout the city. It prohibits consideration of open space, setbacks, historic preservation, access to light and air, sun and shadow.

Some highlights from the report:

• “SB 827 proposes to increase housing development capacity in areas that meet minimum levels of transit service with state-imposed minimum zoning standards for certain key development controls. The bill would have its greatest impact on the State’s core metropolitan regions with more extensive transit service. In San Francisco, this would be virtually the entire city.”
• “[San Francisco’s] General Plan … explicitly emphasizes the importance of planning for land use change in consultation with communities and in consideration of a variety of relevant factors in the context of each area-urban form, open space, historic preservation, and other factors.”
• “SB 827 would affect most of San Francisco and would significantly upzone most of the city. [A]lmost 96% of the city’s parcels are within ½-mile of a major transit stop or ¼-mile of a transit corridor meeting the definition in the bill… Given that most major streets in the city have widths greater than 45′, the majority of the streets … would have their height limits doubled from 40’/45′ to 85′.””The legislation does not seem to remove the ability to use the State Density Bonus on top of the bill’s rezoning. Hence what is proposed as 45′, 55′, and 85′ heights could actually be 65′, 75′-85′, and over 100′ respectively.”
• “SB 827 appears to eliminate the ability to enforce Planning Code standards or other adopted Design Standards that are the backbone of livability, walkability and urban design quality. The bill’s provision regarding design standards is dramatic… SB 827 as proposed complete[ly] eliminates all design standards related to building envelope other than height for buildings within the prescribed height limits. It precludes the applicability of any design guideline and Planning Code provisions that in any way reduces the size and shape of the building envelope from a maximal box within the height limit, allowing only application of California Building Code standards. This would preclude the ability to maintain any standards regarding rear yard, lot coverage, exposure, open space, setbacks, and bulk controls of any kind, to name a few. While the California Building Code addresses light and air as primarily life and safety issues, these planning controls establish basic housing and neighborhood livability standards such as access and connection to daylight, openness in urban density, and natural spaces. Their elimination could result in residential projects with full lot coverage and little modulation or articulation, since any building modulation by definition reduces maximum building volume… The bill would also countermand the basic principles laid forth in the Urban Design Element, which reinforce livability patterns within the city fabric such as preservation of mid-block open space, inclusion of mid-block alleys on long blocks, matching of lightwells, and consideration of sun and shadow.”