{"id":30275,"date":"2023-12-01T20:44:51","date_gmt":"2023-12-02T04:44:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=30275"},"modified":"2023-12-01T20:44:52","modified_gmt":"2023-12-02T04:44:52","slug":"no-the-supes-didnt-punt-on-housing-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2023\/12\/01\/no-the-supes-didnt-punt-on-housing-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"No, the supes didn\u2019t \u2018punt\u2019 on housing bill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A measure that makes no sense is still on track; here’s what it might mean for the city.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By TIM REDMOND<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOVEMBER 29, 2023 (48hills.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No, the San Francisco Board of Supes did not, as the SF Standard reports, \u201cpunt\u201d on a key housing bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The supes voted\u2014unanimously, including with the support of the bill\u2019s sponsors\u2014to delay the measure for one week so they could include amendments by Sup. Rafael Mandelman addressing historic preservation and monster homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is plenty of time to pass this bill,\u00a0which many of the board members agree makes little sense<\/a>, before the state starts a potential crackdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

530 Howard will be built with no environmental review. Image from Pickard Chilton<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want a sense of what the future under the bills promoted by State Sen. Scott Wiener and Gov. Gavin Newsom, take a look at 530 Howard<\/a>\u00a0St. The Chron notes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cIt will be the first major project that is utilizing state ministerial approval process \u2014 no (California Environmental Quality Act) study, nor a hearing at the Planning Commission,\u201d said San Francisco Planning Director Rich Hillis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hillis said the design will be reviewed by planning staff to make sure it complies with the city\u2019s code requirements, but that it should be ready for building permits within six months. After entitlements are secured, the developer expects to spend about a year raising capital and an additional three years building the tower. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mayor London Breed celebrated the proposed project as a \u201csignificant investment\u201d in downtown.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re talking about a 71-story building with 670 apartments\u2014and no review under the California Environmental Quality Act. No discussion of the impacts on traffic, carbon emissions, potential historic resources, Muni, or anything else: It just gets a signoff from planners, and gets built (if there\u2019s actually financing for it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only ten percent of the units will be affordable. The rest will be very high-end luxury apartments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The developer, Paul Paradis, is very clear about that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

We\u2019re seeing the transit-oriented, really well-located, high-end multifamily projects getting fully leased, and the rents are starting to get upward pressure.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

But let\u2019s go back to the Breed housing bill. Newsom\u2019s Department of Housing and Community Development sent the city a letter urging the supes not to approve the Mandelman amendments. It\u2019s part of a stunning pattern of the state trying to micromanage local housing policy\u2014something that Newsom and Wiener support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All Mandelman is seeking is some guarantee that the \u201cstreamlining\u201d won\u2019t open the door for giant McMansions (instead of more apartments) and some indication that housing built before 1923 can\u2019t be demolished without a hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are not radical ideas. They will likely get strong, perhaps unanimous support. (Do any of the supes want to be on record supporting the demolition of irreplaceable Victorians that are a key part of the city\u2019s historic legacy?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a normal situation, the mayor of San Francisco would be calling the governor to say: Hey, we\u2019re doing 90 percent of what you want. Back off on the last ten percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, Mayor London Breed is siding with Newsom, against her own city, in the interest of promoting a policy that promotes luxury housing at the expense of affordable housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the supes are doing isn\u2019t \u201cpunting\u201d or even delaying the bill for no reason. They are following the rules, trying desperately to put some sense into the city\u2019s complicated housing rules, and waiting just a few days for a final version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It comes back\u00a0Tuesday\/5.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tim Redmond<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tim Redmond has been a political and investigative reporter in San Francisco for more than 30 years. He spent much of that time as executive editor of the Bay Guardian. He is the founder of 48hills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A measure that makes no sense is still on track; here’s what it might mean for the city. By TIM REDMOND NOVEMBER 29, 2023 (48hills.org) No, the San Francisco Board of Supes did not, as the SF Standard reports, \u201cpunt\u201d on a key housing bill. The supes voted\u2014unanimously, including with the… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[659],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30275"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30275"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30275\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30277,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30275\/revisions\/30277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}