20. (L. BADINER: (415) 558-6411)
EASTERN NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY PLANNING - The Planning Commission will discuss and possibly adopt Interim Policies and/or discuss and direct staff to prepare a resolution for initiation of Interim Controls. Planning Department staff will provide a status report on the Environmental Review process for the Rezoning of the Eastern Neighborhoods. The Planning Commission will also schedule a subsequent hearing to review and discuss the work scope of Public Benefit Zoning and Community Impact Report (Socio-Economic Analysis) and to discuss non-conforming uses.
Preliminary Recommendation: Adopt Interim Policies
(Continued from Regular Meeting of November 13, 2003)
SPEAKER(S):
My Do - Mission Economic Development Association
- She presented some data regarding PDR businesses particularly--those in the Northeast Mission.
- In 2002, MEDA worked with the Planning Department to survey PDR businesses. For the Northeast Mission there were a total of 39 respondents. Roughly half of these respondents had been at their location 10 years or more and 44 percent had been at their location 4 to 10 years, indicating that these businesses are relatively stable.
- In the survey, half as many businesses were planning to expand. Forty-two percent of the businesses indicated they were considering relocation.
- The primary reasons for relocation were: lack of space, high rents, payroll taxes and incompatible neighbors.
- One can infer that the PDR businesses are relatively stable but found themselves in a less than friendly environment due to previous land use decisions.
Jim Meko - SOMA Leadership Council
- He passed up sign-in sheets that cover a 2 ½ year period of events that the SOMA leadership council has sponsored. This represents the outreach that they tried to really involve the community in talking about Planning in the SOMA.
- He is not here to speak of all of SOMA.
- There is a general satisfaction with the current zoning in SOMA.
- The 1990 zoning is good zoning, although everyone does not agree with all of the zoning.
- The loop holes have been closed up.
- It is time for everyone to get over it and move forward on this.
Curtis Eisenberger - Mission Coalition for Economic Justice and Jobs
- He tanked the planning staff for being more open and inclusive recently and start to listen to concerns of property owners and businesses in the Northeast Mission.
- He thanked planning staff for not taking a precipitous action last week on interim policies or interim controls because these need more work and more studies.
- Regarding policies vs. controls, the Coalition does not see the need for either of these. But if one had to make a choice, it would be policies instead of controls.
- The proposed controls categorizes PDR by size and not by use. This is a mistake. He has concerns over properties that would become non-conforming under the new proposed zoning. He wants to encourage more flexibility in PDR.
- He does not agree with the 1 to 4 ratio of PDR replacement.
- He urges that the Commission not take action this evening.
Thomas Shuen - Asian/Mission Business Association
- He urges the Commission not to make a rushed decision.
- When a policy is adopted it should be citywide and not just from one district to another.
- He urges the Commission to analyze all aspects of the question.
Milton Gaines
- Last week Commissioner Antonini asked for specific examples of PDR uses leaving the City due to Planning and Zoning policies. During the last 60 days, Margery Baer, costume jewelry with 20 employees quietly sold her building and moved to South San Francisco.
- The Mission Interim Controls passed by Supervisor Amiano in 2001 actually implemented a moratorium on new housing in the Mission.
- He believes that policies should be passed instead of controls.
Jeffrey Leibovitz
- He urges the Commission not to put forward interim controls.
- Interim Controls require additional public hearings.
- He urges the Commission to adopt policies.
Fred Snyder
- He thanked the Commission for giving the public another week to look at the document.
- He realizes that things are being rushed but this is very important in order to get everything on the table.
- He showed a map of the Mission/MEMIZ and how it is a core PDR area.
Phillip Lesser - Mission Merchant's Association
- He concurs with the earlier speakers that there should be policies and not controls, specifically for the shopping corridor of Mission/Valencia, 16th Street, 24th Street, etc.
- This is a very transit rich area in San Francisco and it is important to know how to encourage development.
- It would be horrific to do something to downzone density.
- He implores the Commission not to discriminate against the Mission again.
- Parking should be "unbundled."
Shawn Gorman
- He lives in Potrero Hill.
- The current map that is being proposed for the controls or policies is very wrong.
- He displayed a revised map which identified the areas that are not going to change--17th Street, and option B.
Alice Barkley
- She has written a letter to the Commission which states a lot of the points that have been addressed by other.
- This Commission needs to adopt interim policies and not controls. Policies will allow staff to evaluate each case.
- The major objection she has is the November 13, 2003 map which is totally contrary to the community consensus of the 17th Street area.
- One cannot measure PDR by size.
- Putting core PDR across a park can cause a lot of problems.
Shawn Keighran
- He is about to purchase a property on 17th and Carolina Streets.
- The process has been in place for 14 months. Plan B called very clearly and very specifically for a pedestrian friendly atmosphere on 17th Street.
- Last Thursday, Mr. Ghosh of the Planning staff came up with a plan that is contrary to what was being presented before. If there were going to be meetings, why were the public not listened to.
- He feels he is owed an explanation. He feels that it is cowardly that Mr. Ghosh is not here this evening.
Luis Granados
- He is here to remind the Commission about the decision they will be making in a few weeks.
- This is not something that the public hopes to get. The decision of the Commission can either strengthen businesses or destroy them.
- There is a sense of unreliability with the numbers in the document.
- There have been a lot of PDR spaces that have been converted to business services.
- Some of the spaces are being purposely kept off the market because they are waiting for the office market to pick them up.
- Focus groups, surveys, and interviews have been done to get information on PDR businesses.
- He encouraged the Commission to think of the alternative 2 benefits and think about who benefits from this?
- He urged the Commission to adopt interim controls.
Emeric Kalman
- About 42 days ago, since the October 9, 2003 hearing, he raised a few points--mainly that the department violated the provision of due process of the Sunshine Ordinance.
- He also mentioned the sections which were not followed.
- He is here to ask again if the issues which he raised were taken care off. The Ethics Commission can only investigate violations of the Sunshine Ordinance if one notifies the respondent of the alleged violation within 40 days before filing a complaint. The respondent did not get the alleged violation.
- The Commission is doing spot zoning. This is out of control.
Tai Via - Cobletz, Patch, Duffy and Bass
- She was here last week urging the Commission to leave West of SOMA out of these policies.
- Since that time it has come to the attention of the Leadership Council and it is their consensus that they agree with leaving West SOMA out of the controls.
Michael Halprun
- Housing is what this City needs.
- If is very clear that people who have spoken are not looking at housing. They are looking at protecting jobs, and developments.
- It is important to create opportunities for young people to live here.
ACTION: Hearing Held. Public Comment Closed for Tonight. No Action at this Time. However, it was requested that streets be identified on the maps. Next hearing is scheduled for December 18, 2003.
