PRESENTERS:
Paul Zeger - Pacific Marketing Associates
- He has been in this business since 1986.
- Since then, he has participated in 150 different residential
developments--about 100 of those in and around the San Francisco area.
- One of the unique characteristics of his company is
that because they are not developers, they are not representing one particular
project but a whole range of projects that are taking place around San Francisco.
- They first communicate with the buyer and their particular
preferences of what they would like to buy, where they would like to live,
how they would like it.
- Then they communicate with the bankers who define
what, in fact, one can afford to buy as far as product.
- The third person they communicate with is the builder--what
one can afford to build and how can they deliver the product.
- The last component is the City and the Commission
on where these products/homes can be built, etc.
- San Francisco is a unique city because it is geographically
defined and the ability for expansion is very limited.
- As a company they have specialized in urban infill
and have participated in much of the new high-rise condominium development
as well as projects that are going on in other locations.
John Stewart - John Stewart Company
- His company has been around for 27 years.
- They have 1,100 people and five offices.
- They manage an inventory of about 24,000 units in
the State of California.
- In the Bay Area, they manage about 12,000 units and
in San Francisco they have about 6,000.
- Their clients consists of seniors, commercial, condominiums,
upper end cooperatives and low and moderate units, tax credits, etc.
- In San Francisco they have 45 complexes, 6,600 units.
Of the 45 complexes, 29 are affordable.
- They work with two "care not cash" properties
and have seven in total that are under the Department of Public Health,
and three under the Department of Human Services.
Eric Harris - Signature Properties
- They are a privately held company located in Pleasanton.
- They have been in business since 1983. Over the last
22 years they have built about 5,000 dwelling units.
- Their primary market is in the Bay Area, but they
have recently expanded into the Sacramento area.
- One of the keystone principles of his company is to
build units or housing that are going to be ultimately an integral part
of the community.
- Signature Properties was the first residential project
in Mission Bay to come out of the ground.
- What Signature did was a very thorough market analysis
to determine what the needs were--what the desires of future homeowners
would be like if they relocated in the areas of South of Market and Mission
Bay.
- After doing the market analysis they discovered that
there is an overwhelming demand for two-bedroom or two-bedroom plus units.
In their first project, they have approximately 90% two-bedroom or two-bedroom
plus units and about 10% one bedroom or one bedroom plus units.
- The units ranged from small one-bedroom units of about
750 square feet, all the way up to their standard flats of about 1,400 square
feet.
- From their market analysis they found there was a
tremendous demand for family housing. A substantial portion of the projects
they are proposing for the near future will have a significant number of
three and four bedroom units. They feel that this is indicative of that
area.
NOTE: Amit Ghosh read into the record a report from
Mr. Bill Whitty who was not able to attend. His company, Related Properties,
owns the high-rise on Third and Mission Streets. The report gave percentages
of how many units are below market and how many are market rate.
SPEAKER(S):
Steven Chester - Local Homeless Coor. Board
- He has been living in San Francisco since 1997
- San Francisco has always had an intense controversy
on housing issues.
- He is concerned that there is not enough housing for
low-income people.
- This is his adopted home and he wants to stay in San
Francisco for the rest of his life.
- It is important to concentrate on the 10-year plan.
Robert Pender - Park Merced Residents Association
- There is a Mission Valley developer that wants to
build about 150 apartments on Brotherhood Way. He is supporting this developer.
Eric Quesada - Mission Anti-Displacement Coalition
- The development that is taking place in San Francisco
is not filling the needs of the residents.
- There should be more creative ways to fund housing
for people who need it.
- It's the Commission's responsibility to say no to
projects if they do not meet the needs of the people.
Chris Durazo - SOMECAN
- This information should be filtered through MOH (Mayor's
Office of Housing).
- She was interested in all the statistics presented,
but all the areas that were spoken about are so isolated.
- She hopes that this cross section does not continue.
- There are a lot of statistics given for demographics,
but not all the information was presented.
Jose Morales - SFTU, MAC
- The environmental report must include neighbors needs,
create better communities, analyze what matters most in the communities--
pedestrian safety, local businesses, etc.
- He thanked the Commission for protecting his affordable
housing unit.
- He has been working with MAC in helping to preserve
affordable housing.
- More affordable housing is needed for seniors. Ellis
Acts should be stopped.
Lou Blazej
- He thanked interim Director and Dr. Amit Ghosh for
putting this special meeting together.
- He is working with a lot of private developers who
want to address affordability and diversity.
- The code should be amended to allow 12 or 15 percent
on a square footage basis in order to provide more affordable housing.
- The goal is to have more affordable housing.
Dick Millet - Potrero Boosters
- There is no risk when it comes to housing because
everything gets sold.
- The City should stick to one to one parking.
- There is a lot of information that the speakers did
not mention like crime, public open space, etc.
- Public open space is going to be needed.
Jeremy Nelson - Transportation for a Livable City
- It is great that this hearing was held.
- He hopes that this is the first word and not the last
word.
- A monthly session on the future of downtown would
be ideal.
- Staff, MTA, etc. should be the first to be the presenters.
- He hopes the Commission will not use the information
from the presenters as policy.
- Price and affordability are very important with regard
to parking decisions.
Sue Hestor
- There was not enough discussion on what are the needs
of the Housing Element.
- How much of the ABAG goals are given?
- The Planning Department has stopped [issuing] housing
data.
- She submitted a chart that gives housing data, which
she compiled herself from Department information.
- It is important to find the needs of people and base
the housing information on them.
- There are computers programs that help to find the
data. Computers should be integrated through the respective Departments
to compile this data.
