Your comments and suggestions matter. Now is the time to comment on your environmental questions and concerns to the planning department regarding Parcel P. (The current site of part of the Hayes Valley Farm.)
See attached project notification. The project at Parcel P is being studied by the Planning Department’s Environmental Planning Division. Contact staff – Andrea Contreras @ 415-575-9044 or andrea.contreras@sfgov.org
The Planning Department wants comments back by October 12th, 2011.
By Jason Henderson
If after years of community involvement and compromise, you thought the future development of the former UC Berkeley site would move forward as approved, you may be wrong! The new developer is proposing that instead of building the 49 affordable housing units required under the approved plan, they will pay a fee to the City, which would then use that money to underwrite the affordability of the Openhouse (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-friendly senior housing) portion of the development. The development would look the same, but would contain 49 more market rate units, generating more income for the developer, and reducing the diversity that makes this neighborhood so great.
Hayes Valley is the neighborhood of “yes” when it comes to accepting all kinds of diverse housing needs (affordable, special needs, formerly homeless). We are as enthusiastic about accepting dense urban infill as we are a temporary farm or ice cream shop operating out of containers along Octavia Blvd. We are a rare breed. But now we have a development that is having difficulty getting us to accept them because it is shirking the affordable component. How strange. How can a developer have a problem with us?
In 2003 the nearly 6-acre UC Extension campus (aka 55 Laguna) was shuttered by the University of California. Since the land was zoned public, the University could only use the site for educational purposes and thus the land was not that valuable. UC teamed with a developer, AF Evans Company, and in 2008 got the city to rezone most of the 6-acres to allow mixed use housing. The value of the land skyrocketed. Because the community at-large made the land valuable and facilitated profit-making for the developers and UC, the city and surrounding neighborhoods expected substantial community benefits out of the redevelopment.
HVNA urged the developer to include affordable mixed-income housing, adaptive re-use of the site, and more emphasis on walking, bicycling, and public transit. It took years, and not everybody got what they wanted, but the development that was entitled included 49 affordable housing units out of a total of 330. This is the basic inclusionary housing requirement that is used by the city in all new housing developments, and was minimal given that the site belongs to the public.
In the meantime, a separate piece of this project, 110 units of senior LGBT housing developed by Openhouse, was added onto the project as part of a political deal between the Board of Supervisors, our State legislative delegation, the developers, and Openhouse. The LGBT housing, composed of very small one-room apartments with services like kitchens and elderly care on-site, was at first market rate, but then switched to being underwritten by grants from the Mayor’s Office of Housing through conventional affordable housing funding sources.
When 55 Laguna was entitled in 2008, and value accrued to the UC and the developer, there were to be 110 LGBT senior housing units AND 49 affordable units available to anyone that needed them. That was the negotiated settlement between the city, the community, the University, and the developer. However, the project was delayed due to the global real estate bubble, and AF Evans went bankrupt. The project was in limbo.
Over the last few months a new developer, Atlanta-based Wood Partners LLC, has entered the picture and is negotiating to take over the project. They have stated that they will not deviate from what was originally entitled and are eager to build in San Francisco. Their entry reflects the broader real estate trend of larger-scale developers interested in urban infill, and particularly in rental housing. With our work on the Market and Octavia Plan, we’ve made the neighborhood a very attractive place to live, and to invest, and so once financing is in place, we’ll see a lot of development like this.
But there is a BIG change in the Wood LLC proposal for 55 Laguna. The 49 units of affordable housing are in jeopardy. In December 2010, without community knowledge or input, the developer and the Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH) came to an agreement that the developer could pay an in-lieu fee instead of building the affordable housing on site. The in-lieu fee would then be used to underwrite most of the Openhouse component of the project because the Mayor’s Office of Housing had no money to fulfill its part of the 2008 deal.
If this looks like a classic “robbing Peter to pay Paul,” that’s because it is. And it is very unfortunate for our community.
HVNA is urging the developer and the city to rethink the loss of 49 units of affordable rental housing open to all who need it. It would be a major loss because the Hayes Valley and Upper Market Street corridor are ripe for development, but rents are sky-high. If this deal goes through, it further solidifies the alarming-trend of making this area exclusive. So we’ve asked the city to consider finding the money it originally promised, and we’ve asked the developer to consider reducing parking, which is very expensive to construct, as a way of building in more affordable housing. We believe that the Mayor’s Office of Housing, mapping future development in the city, can identify forthcoming development fees or other sources that can be used to help with Openhouse. The developer, standing to make huge profits, should be expected to also give a little to Openhouse without robbing from our community desperately needed affordable housing. We believe something can be worked-out to keep the project on track and to ensure affordability for ALL of those in need. But this will only happen if the community demands it.
The plan by the MOH and developer would set a terrible precedent where monied developers could petition the City to make changes against the social interest, claiming that they will leave properties derelict unless they receive concessions.
Please contact your supervisor and planning commission members to tell them you are in favor of keeping the development structured as is, and NOT making a change that benefits only the developer. You can get a sample letter and addresses on the HVNA website. Web address: 55 Laguna Letter draft
A hearing on the affordable housing at 55 Laguna is scheduled for August 4th at the San Francisco Planning Commission (City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 400).
Author Yvonne Daley discusses her book “Octavia Boulevard” with the SF Public Press. Read the interview here: Book examines life along Octavia Boulevard
From her website, Daley writes, “My book, Octavia Boulevard, tells the stories of these homeless men and also the story of life of the building I lived in during the neighborhood’s transformation, covered with fusty gray paint and overlooking the ruins of the freeway when I moved in, and the friendships – family, really – forged over the next few years among its residents…”
See her blog here: octaviaboulevardbook.com
Last night the new Hayes Valley Board of Directors was elected. Below is the list of 2011 Board of Directors:
President: Karen Mauney-Brodek
Vice President: Murrey Nelson
Treasurer: Richard Johnson
Corresponding Secretary: Jason Henderson
Secretary: Jay Rosenberg
Membership: Bob Barnwell
Member-At-Large: Bill Bulkley
Member-At-Large: Henry Ostendorf
Member-At-Large: Kassim Visram
Member-At-Large: Nathan Lozier
Associate Member: Lauren Daley
Associate Member: Jessie Allen-Young
Associate Member: Larry Cronander
Continuing Terms:
Member-At-Large: Aaron Hulme
Associate Member: Vladimir Vlad
Associate Member: Jamie Lopez
Other items discussed:
Volunteers needed: Neil Hrushowy of the SF Planning Department came to ask for volunteers for the “Public Life, Public Space” study of Market Street. If you would like to get involved in this survey of Market Street, which is part of the Better Market Street Project, Contact Neil at: 558-6474 or email Neil to volunteer. The department needs volunteers on March 10th and March 12th. If you volunteer you will be trained in street observations by Gehl Architects of Copenhagen, Denmark on March 9th. This is a unique opportunity to complete observations of existing conditions that will help guide the future improvements of Market Street to help it become a world class urban street full of activities that make the street feel alive for pedestrian, cyclist, transit riders and all. Neil noted that SF is a Transit First City and we need to shape public space accordingly.
Robert Reed from REcology/Sunset Scavenger’s came to present some of the services they provide. According to Reed, in 2010, San Francisco was able to divert 77% of the waste we generate away from landfills into compost piles, reuse projects and recycling. Reed noted that REcology has a bid in for the landfilling San Francisco waste. You can view their proposal here: ostromroad.com The SF Board of Supervisors will be evaluating the proposals further in the coming months.
Recology hosts Art at the Dump, and also has tours of the facilities once a month. For more information contact: Deborah Munk, director of the artist-in-residence program: 415-330-1415 dmunk@sfrecycling.com
Also, if you are a tenant and not a building owner, you are allowed to call Sunset Scavenger’s once a year for a large item pick-up. For more information on large items look at recyclemyjunk.com
Here are more Help Tips on Recycling and Waste Removal for SF Residents
David Winslow presented an update on the Living Linden Alley Project. He talked briefly about some of the lessons he learned in the process. Next month marks the five-year anniversary of the Living Linden Alley receiving the Community Challenge Grant and the beginning of a whole set of challenges in coordinating various organizations and neighbors. Winslow remarked at how he thought making a livable, pedestrian friendly, street would be simple, but it turned out to be anything but. This project is a landmark for the future of people-oriented urban design in San Francisco. Contact him with questions at: david
Noah from Opportunity Impact came to introduce himself to the community. Look for him and the youth in his program next week at the Hayes Valley Playground as they help the artist Laurel True install her mosaics.
Daniel Farnan and Maria McDonald, our NERT representatives, came to remind us to check our emergency preparedness kits.
visit www.sfgov.org/sffdnert for more information on free preparedness training and events.
By Karen Mauney-Brodek
Over the next year, our neighborhood will continue to see proposals for new development. We will see pop-up retail and temporary uses of land and buildings that otherwise would stand empty. We will also see some long-term projects. Over the past few months we have welcomed new businesses in the neighborhood, as well as housing and community partners. We in Hayes Valley have experienced much in the last ten years: from a freeway removed, to a boulevard built; new parks, a temporary farm and community gardens, new business, new traffic patterns and new neighbors. We must work vigilantly to ensure that support for our neighborhood’s new and existing residents is there. This includes supporting and improving our public transit, John Muir Elementary School, community services and our parks.
The Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association (HVNA) has distinguished itself as a passionate and active group of citizens. We have a proven track record for working with organizations, developers and city agencies to meet shared goals and improve projects along the way. Last year we reviewed and improved the final proposals for 555 Fulton, which will bring a new grocery store and housing in a new attractive building; the future Whole Foods at Market Street and Dolores; the new SFJAZZ Center; and numerous other projects. Recently, HVNA and other non-profits worked together to ensure that the new clubhouse building at Hayes Valley Playground will open with the services of a local non-profit, Opportunity Impact, in place.
As 2011 opens and the new HVNA board gets to work, creative partnerships and models for community services will be developed to meet the needs of our neighborhood. HVNA will continue to set the bar for participation and collaboration.
Join in the dialogue – come to our next General Membership meeting on February 24th at 7pm at 745 Buchanan St. We will elect our new board, get an update on Living Linden Alley and hear a presentation by Recology. I look forward to seeing you!
The HVNA January 27th, 2011 general meeting was busy with five presentations. The first three presentations focused on upcoming opportunities for our youth in the neighborhood with benefits for the community at large.
Rob Connolly, the President of Boys & Girls Clubs in San Francisco (BGCSF), presented the possibility of having a new Boys and Girls Club built in Hayes Valley in the existing parking lot at on the north east side of the intersection at Gough and Fulton. This site and development has BGCSF excited about the possibility of creating a 25,000 square foot facility that would have a regulation-size high school gymnasium and a full-sized swimming pool. This would benefit all the Boys and Girls Clubs in San Francisco. The concept of this new facility is in its infancy, but could be a good addition to the neighborhood. Several neighbors expressed their opinion to encourage housing to be built on this site in conjunction with the possible Boys and Girls Club. The HVNA will keep an eye on this project as it moves forward.
To learn more about the BGCSF as well as to give comments about the project you saw tonight go to this link or call the BGCSF general office line to get connected with someone about your concerns/questions at 415-445-KIDS (5437).
The Hayes Valley Playground at the south east corner of Buchanan and Hayes is entering its final months of construction. A project update was given by Jennifer Isacoff from the Trust for Public Lands, Lev Kushner, Assistant Director for Strategic Partnerships with San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and Jacob Gilchrist, Project Manager, Capital Division from the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. Emily LoSavio, Executive Director of Opportunity Impact outlined a partnership between the Hayes Valley Playground and the eight, nine and ten year olds of Opportunity Impact’s youth. About thirty students will get to be stewards and partners to the Playground from 2-6PM during the week. Opportunity Impact provides a program for students from the forth grade through the eighth grade where they can develop personal skills, academic skills and career skills in a safe and inspirational setting. LoSavio noted that these students are in the program for 1000 hours a year and are encouraged to participate in the program for all five years to really help the individuals grow.
Many members of the HVNA have been instrumental in getting community support and city support to make this renovation of the playground happen. We look forward to its opening ceremony this spring – hopefully in April or May.
John Muir Elementary School’s Principal Chris Rosenberg came to give a status update of the school. He said the school is continuing to focus on reading. Rosenberg said the school is using the “Balanced Literacy Method”. He is also working hard to get parents involved. He has assembled a group of parents that make up the School Site Council. Rosenberg was asked about the green schoolyard project. He said he has waited on that to get other more pressing issues worked out, but the greening of the schoolyard will now begin to take place in the spring.
Rosenberg encourages potential parents and students to visit the school and see what they think of the feel of the teachers, students and space in the classrooms. If you would like to get involved with the parents’ group or get more information on the school call 241-6335. Contact LaTisha Irving.
Michael Schwartz and Rachel Hiatt from the San Francisco County Transportation Authority came to present the current status of the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit Proposal. Draft environmental studies and engineering should be completed by this summer. Then the SFCTA would like to return to the HVNA to present their findings on the various options of bus and traffic configurations presented at tonight’s meeting. For more information visit Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit Proposal. The project’s are to improve the speed and efficiency of the 47 and 49 SF Muni buses as well as the Golden Gate Transit buses and to increase ridership and use of mass-transit while making automobile traffic run just as smoothly as it runs today.
Jason Henderson, Chair of the Hayes Valley Transportation and Planning Committee, emphasized the importance of improving mass-transit and increasing ridership through improved efficiency and easy of use. Improving transit is a critical part of the Market/Octavia Neighborhood Plan. If you would like to give comments on this project you can email Henderson at planning@hayesvalleysf.org.
District Five Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi dropped into the meeting to outline some of the issues he is addressing in the neighborhood and throughout the city. He discussed two-way Hayes, John Muir Elementary, a circulation study he would like to see on Fell and Oak from HV all the way to the western districts, U.C. Campus and the America’s Cup. Mirkarimi said he is concerned about neighborhood safety and invites all to attend a Public Safety Meeting on February 7th at 7PM at the Korean American Community Center, 745 Buchanan Street. You can contact his office at 415-554-7630.
A note to our blog readers: Any blue text is a link to a website where you’ll find more information on whatever the blue text reads. Just click on that blue text within the document and learn more. Enjoy.
At the edge of Hayes Valley enjoy delicious food served out of roaming mobile vehicles. Organized by “Off-the-Grid” you will find a food corral bordering Hayes Valley every Saturday for this season of mobile food. This Saturday head over to McCoppin at Valencia to hunt down breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Hayes Valley is closer to having Hayes Street be a two way traffic street between Gough and Van Ness. The HVNA has long been a supporter of livable streets where cars in the neighborhood travel at a moderate rate which increases safety for other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. Read more about it at SF Streetsblog and our HVNA previous article by
Jim Warshell see page 3.
This evening, the HVNA general meeting had two presentations on transportation and planning.
Margaret Cortes from the San Francisco County Transportation Authority presented the Central Freeway and Octavia Boulevard Circulation Study. Tilly Chang was also present to field transportation questions. There were many questions and comments, but if you did not get to present your ideas, please contact Margaret at this link (which lists her phone number and will allow you to email her directly): Margaret Cortes
Javad Mirabdal from San Francisco SFMTA presented the Haight Street Bus Improvement project. Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association supports more efficient public transportation and has supported this project in the past. This Haight Street Bus Improvement discussion will go to a SFMTA public meeting soon. Please email Javad Mirabdal with questions or comments at: javad.mirabdal@sfmta.org
If you have any general transportation and planning issues that you would like to discuss with the HVNA, contact Jason Henderson at: planning@hayesvalleysf.org
Please note:
Please join the Hayes Valley neighborhood tomorrow night (December 3rd) in a pairing of the annual Hayes Valley Merchants’ “Holiday Block Party” with the annual Community Partners United “Music in the Green and Community Mixer.” The music and mixer will be in Patricia’s Green and the merchants in the neighborhood will be open later in the evening until 9PM. Various merchants are hosting special events and activities for all to enjoy. Please bring an unwrapped gift to donate to the SF Fire Department’s Toy Drive and/or enjoy the music in the Green while enjoying coffee, hot chocolate and cookies served by HVNA board members. Come support our neighborhood and meet your neighbors while celebrating the holiday season.
By Jason Henderson
There continues to be a lot of uncertainty swirling around 55 Laguna (the former UC Extension campus bounded by Laguna, Hermann, Haight, and Buchanan Streets.) Many new people to the neighborhood may not be aware of the planning history of the site. Longtime residents might not remember how much went into neighborhood discussion of the site.
A brief recap can be helpful. In 2003 the UC Extension (aka 55 Laguna) was shuttered. A year later the AF Evans Company proposed to redevelop the six-acre site with an emphasis on housing but presented a plan that involved very little community input. HVNA passed a resolution protesting the urban design plan for the campus and requested that the UC and AF Evans work with the neighborhood. HVNA did not object to the reuse of the site, but there were many concerns with the bland design, the car-oriented nature of the proposal, and with the proposal’s razing of valuable historic buildings. So in spring 2005 HVNA’s Transportation and Planning Committee hosted six community meetings to fully discuss all available options for the use of the site. Around the same time HVNA also provided extensive comments to the environmental review for the proposal, specifically outlining concerns about automobile traffic and how it would undermine the goals of the Market and Octavia Plan. We urged the developer to allow good, mixed income housing, adaptive re-use of the site, but with more emphasis on walking, bicycling, and public transit.
In July 2006 HVNA passed two resolutions on the UC Extension site and asked the Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission to intervene on behalf of the neighborhood. The first resolution outlined that we supported redevelopment of the site but only if it preserved public uses, reused existing buildings to the greatest extent possible (with the exception of the dental school), included more affordable housing, and aligned with the parking and zoning standards in the Market and Octavia Plan. Our rationale was that this is a publicly owned site and so should continue to serve the public good through sustainable urbanism and affordability, and not simply be redeveloped to make profit for a real estate developer using public land. The second resolution asked that the site be nominated to the National Historic Register. HVNA continued to work with AF Evans on the community benefits component of the project as well.
The project remained controversial but was approved at the planning commission in April 2008. The EIR was certified and the planning code amended to allow a special use district (SUD). However, no development occurred as AF Evans was hit by the national real estate lending downturn. No building permit was ever granted and by March 2009 AF Evans filed for bankruptcy.
According to the planning department, the special use district zoning has a five-year lifespan, although it can be extended by the planning commission. Technically the SUD will expire in April 2013. Additionally, if the development does proceed with little modification from the original proposal, the EIR is still valid. However if the development proposal was changed dramatically, a new EIR would be needed. If a new developer took over the site, all they would have to do is follow the original AF Evans proposal to get the project built. They would still need to get building permits. These have not been granted by the city yet. Inquiries to the planning department in late September suggest that the project proposal remains dormant at this time.
Thursday, October 28th at 7 PM
H.V.N.A. General Meeting at the
Korean American Community Center
745 Buchanan (at Grove)
Korean American Center
Topics for the evening are:
1. Transportation and Transit Projects:
Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid Transit
Octavia Blvd Study
Update on Haight Street Bus Improvement.
2. Presentation on upcoming Fostering Season and Safe Halloween kickoff.