Market & Octavia Plan Adoption Hearings

By Jason Henderson

The Planning Commission has begun its public hearings on the Market and Octavia Better Neighborhoods Plan. The first several hearings have been well attended and there is strong momentum for adopting the plan. Dozens of local residents spoke in favor of adoption on September 28th and October 26th and the hearings were very cordial and thoughtful. There has been much positive discussion of how beneficial this plan will be for Hayes Valley residents, as well as the important precedence this plan has for the rest of the City’s planning process. Opposition to the plan has been mild and narrowly focused. Criticisms are limited to specific parcels or collections of parcels, and not levied at the plan. In fact, most “opponents” praise the overall plan. While this is a very good sign, HVNA has been actively reaching out to several other neighborhood groups to assuage minor concerns and to support efforts to strengthen historic preservation controls in the plan.

HVNA’s Transportation and Planning Committee is meeting regularly to discuss the plan, and will continue to critically engage in a constructive and progressive dialogue with our neighbors, planning staff, and the planning commission to ensure this plan is enthusiastically adopted and becomes meaningful. In the meantime, the public hearings will continue with forthcoming “time certain” dates set for 6pm on November 9th, 16th, and December 7th. Please plan on attending at least one of these meetings and expressing enthusiastic support for this bold and innovative plan. The final hearing at the Planning Commission is scheduled for December 7th, and the plan will then move to the Board of Supervisors for final adoption, likely in early 2007. The HVNA meeting on November 30th will include a presentation by Planning staff, one week prior to the last scheduled meeting of the Commission.

For more details see: http://www.sfgov.org/site/planning_index.asp?id=25188 and to get involved with the HVNA Transportation & Planning Committee contact Jason Henderson at jhenders@sbcglobal.net