Density Crowds the City Natural Areas Plan: Eucalyptus Advocates Fight
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What’s Board of Supes Presi- Quentin Kopp: Vote No on Mayor Lee! dent London Breed Hiding? Quentin’s analysis of the City’s 11 Ballot When the truth is stranger than fiction, Drs Rivero and Kerr wanna know ...... 2 Propositions ........................................ 3 count on Monette-Shaw ....................... 4 West of Twin Peaks Council: Sanctuary City Clean PowerSF? San Francisco ‘s “Legacy” businesses and Former Supe Tony Hall looks at all the Lawrence has no confidence that the SF- the Park Budget ................................. 3 angles ................................................. 4 PUC will meet budget ............................ 5 Volume 28 • Number 8 Celebrating Our 28th Year www.westsideobserver.com October 2015 Natural Areas Plan: Eucalyptus Advocates Fight Back Tenants Misplaced By Nancy Wuerfel, Sally Stephens & Avrum Shepard Mass Evictions Rock Parkmerced t’s hard to believe, but in San Francisco, By Lynn Gavin there are some people who want to cut Idown our healthy forests (and use toxic o date nearly 700 Three-Day Notices for utility herbicides to keep them from re-growing) simply fees (water, sewer and garbage) were issued by because the trees are not “native” enough. TParkmerced Investors Properties, LLC and filed The claims against the trees, most of which with the San Francisco Rent Board. These notices coin- are eucalyptus, have changed over the years. First, cide with the submission of Parkmerced’s application to it was that they will spread unchecked and take San Francisco Planning Department for development of over nearby parkland. Then it was that chemicals its properties. in their leaves kill plants on the ground. Then it No one — not the City Attorney, District Attorney nor was that they are a huge fire risk. Now, it’s that the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) they’re dying due to the drought. Turns out none Cont. p. 8 of these are true. The trees’ real “crime” is that, like many of us, they came here from somewhere else and haven’t has investigated the conspicuous volume of Three Day been here long enough to be considered “native” In the 2003 Scripps Ranch Fire in San Diego, wildfire swept through a subdivision, burning houses to Notices issued for these fees at Parkmerced and their rela- by native plant activists. the ground, but leaving adjacent eucalyptus trees untouched tionship to the development agreement that was intended To be “native,” plants must have been here to keep displacing San Franciscans to a minimum. before Spanish settlers arrived 250 years ago. Then, More perplexing is that, unlike the California Public San Francisco was a barren, wind-whipped place, The NAP Management Plan (its Final EIR will filled with sand and dune scrub, and few, if any, be released soon) calls for the removal of over 18,000 trees. By this definition, nearly all trees are non- healthy, mature trees, mostly eucalypts, because they native to San Francisco. Eucalyptus trees, planted “only”150 years ago are, to native plant advocates, are non-native and so that they can be replaced with Cont. p. 6 native grasses and scrub. No, No, No Density Crowds the City Sometimes togetherness isn’t better By John Farrell No on Prop A - Affordable Housing Bond By George Wooding f course anyone with a heart will nder San Francisco’s current and proposed planning guidelines, building density now trumps height zoning agree we need housing for our City’s low or character of neighborhoods. Oand moderate income families. This $310M U “Density” is the new altar at which the Mayor, Board of Supervisors, developers, Chamber of Com- Bond to be paid by property owners is to help our City merce, and co-opted City think tanks like SPUR, now pray. All of these groups pay little attention to what the impacted affordable housing needs with the Mayor’s promise of neighborhoods think about on issues that have long ago 30,000 affordable new units by 2020. However, per the their plans to build height or been decided by the Mayor. September 9th Chronicle article “Lee outlines plan to cre- density housing as they see There are currently over 20,000 The Mayor’s office — ate or repair affordable housing” Mayor Lee’s goal now fit, while ignoring neighbor- vacancies. Prop C was supposed to telling the Planning Depart- is to build or rehabilitate 10,000 units for low-income hood input. These groups be used over 20 years to build up to 30,000 ment what to do — has and working class families by 2020. I figure the Mayor also need the money, profit, proposed the adoption of a dropped the units from 30,000 to 10,000 since he has donations, and political con- units. Mayor Lee is trying to build 30,000 State law called the “Density his re-election in the bag and didn’t have to blow smoke tributions that continued units in five years. When the housing bubble Bonus Program” that will anymore. The Mayor is fully aware that less than 10,000 development generates. bursts, the City will be overbuilt.” increase developers size and affordable housing units have been built over the last City zoning changes and bulk limitations if they add ten years and the planning department is backlogged 18 property use changes are routinely ignored or changed. affordable housing to new or existing buildings/housing. months, as frustrated contractors and their clients are Witness The Chronicle’s gigantic Mission and Fifth proj- Affordable housing is designated as “below market fully aware. ect (5M), one of the largest City building projects ever, rate.” The federal government, the City and non-profit that was just turned into a “special use” district. This housing organizations underwrite the development and means almost no standard planning rules will apply to leasing of affordable housing throughout San Francisco. This $310M bond for affordable hous- the project. The new density bonus program wouldn’t apply to ing could be handled with existing and “By fast-tracking the 5M project through the plan- zoning districts that only allow single-family (RH-1) or future City funds if prioritized, without asking ning process through Special Ordinances that exempt three-unit development (RH-2) on lots. Major excep- taxpayers to pay the bill, and save millions in this site from established Area Plans, the City is negating tions to this rule include streets along transit corridors, the hard work of all those involved in the community like Geary, Judah and West Portal Avenue. bond interest payments. planning process by granting exceptions, variances, and Impacted neighborhoods will watch developers In regard to affordable housing, when Mayor Lee privileges through the creation of a Special Use District add two floors of supposedly affordable housing to their was asked in Jan 2014 by Time magazine “Why has San and implementation of a Development Agreement,” neighbors’ homes. When housing costs $800,000 and Francisco been so slow to build,” he replied, “Our city did Gerry Crowley, SF Neighborhood Network founder the family of four moving in has an income of $120,000 pretty good in investing in low-income housing and try- said. “Dismissing the impact of major up-zoning on vul- Cont. p. 14 ing to do as much as we could for the homeless. That was nerable neighboring communities adjacent where our sentiments were … I don’t think we paid any to 5th and Mission Street threatens commu- attention to the middle class. I think everybody assumed nity planning and responsible development the middle class was moving out.” This says it all. in every neighborhood throughout San Our City is flourishing and money is coming in hand Francisco.” over fist and is expected to continue over the coming Several City development projects have years. Our tax revenue has increased substantially due to routinely received height exemptions through transfer taxes, property sales and new construction. And spot zoning variances, such as 1481 Post we are not even bringing in the hundreds of millions that Street and 75 Howard. we can, as I have written in previous articles. The Planning Commission is a seven- Let me just stress the fact that I am a strong advo- member board controlled by the Mayor. Four cate for affordable housing and not just during an elec- of the commissioners are directly appointed tion year. But I am also for accountability. This $310M by the Mayor and give the appearance of hav- bond for affordable housing could be handled with exist- ing no independent free will on large plan- ing and future City funds if prioritized, without asking ning decisions. Citizens wait hours to testify Cont. p. 6 for two minutes at the Planning Commission Page 2 October 2015 London Breed’s Anti-Sunshine Litmus Test Sunshine . .9 Dr. Maria Rivero & Dr. Derek Kerr Will Durst . 5 Crime Report.. .. .. .. .. ..10 Jack Kaye . 15 Remember When / Open Late 16 or those who are driven to govern, transparency doesn’t come naturally. Housing Crisis . .7 Calendar. 12 Nudging City governance out of the shadows often relies on open government Money Matters . .8 Movies . 12 Kocivar / Education . 18 Fadvocates. For example, the 2013-14 Civil Grand Jury report, Ethics in the City Around the Town . 9 Theater . 13 Real Travel.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .19 – Promise, Practice or Pretense, recommended amending the Sunshine Ordinance to require that Supervisors’ business calendars be publicly disclosable. Since 1999, the that is mandated 2 seats on the SOTF. Still trap by crafting thoughtful, ego-soothing Ordinance had required only the Mayor, City Attorney and department heads to dis- working in the City, both nominees had responses, including, “I would listen to the close who they met, and where. Although the Jury found that “nearly all” Supervisors recently moved to Oakland so they needed advice of the City Attorney” and “I can’t say voluntarily provided their meeting calendars, some officials “failed to list the subject residency waivers from the Supervisors.