{"id":44439,"date":"2025-10-08T12:25:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T19:25:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=44439"},"modified":"2025-10-08T12:25:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T19:25:13","slug":"lurie-warns-sunset-upzone-or-s-f-could-see-towers-everywhere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2025\/10\/08\/lurie-warns-sunset-upzone-or-s-f-could-see-towers-everywhere\/","title":{"rendered":"Lurie warns Sunset: Upzone, or S.F. could see \u2018towers everywhere\u2019\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"\" by\u00a0Io Yeh Gilman<\/a><\/strong> October 7, 2025 (MissionLocal.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Daniel Lurie addresses the crowd at an upzoning town hall at the Sunset Recreation Center on Oct. 6, 2025. Photo by Io Yeh Gilman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If there was one thing Mayor Daniel Lurie wanted to communicate Monday night, it was that his plan to upzone San Francisco needed to pass. Not just because it was good policy, but because the alternative would be far worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf it does not pass, let\u2019s just be clear: The state comes in and does this work for us,\u201d Lurie told a room filled with about 100 Sunset residents and business owners at an upzoning forum at the Sunset Recreation Center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, the mayor said, the city is increasing the heights that housing developers can build to because of a state requirement. The city must rezone so that housing production goals can be met, or risk losing its power to approve \u2014 or reject \u2014 all<\/em> new housing, the state has told the city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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\u201cThere could be towers everywhere,\u201d Lurie said gravely, emphasizing each word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the crowd he faced still seemed extremely skeptical, expressing concerns in question after question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And some seemed ready, perhaps, to back up their dissatisfaction with action. They sported gear emblazoned with the yellow \u201cRecall Engardio\u201d logo, leftovers from the successful recall<\/a> of District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio in September \u2014 a campaign that reverberated with the threat<\/a> to exact further revenge on any elected official who advanced the upzoning plan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Back<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
The crowd at an upzoning town hall at Sunset Recreation Center on Oct. 6, 2025. Photo by Io Yeh Gilman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur neighborhood businesses are a crossroads of people, culture, language. Those folks do not move and go somewhere else,\u201d said retired police commander Rich Corriea, an audience member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He asked the mayor to provide \u201ca little more granularity about my corner grocery store, where I bring my grandson to meet the owner, and Joe\u2019s Ice Cream, and other places like that, that will be gone.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what scares folks in the neighborhood,\u201d Corriea added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Litquake<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI understand there\u2019s fear that people are going to just start bulldozing. I\u2019ve heard that I\u2019m a bulldozer,\u201d Lurie said in a 60-minute appearance with pointed questions but a courteous crowd. \u201cBut let me just say, to say that they\u2019re all going to be gone the next day, that\u2019s not fair.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, Lurie added, the plan will bring benefits to business owners, too: Namely, more customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the Corriea\u2019s fears were not assuaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"UC<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I use the word scared, that\u2019s heartfelt,\u201d he followed up. \u201cWe\u2019re scared. So should you advance public policy before dealing with the fear in the community?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI appreciate that,\u201d the mayor replied, placing his hand on Corriea\u2019s shoulder. \u201cAs a San Franciscan, I don\u2019t want high-rises everywhere \u2026 As mayor, I\u2019m going to do everything in my power to protect our small businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you very much for that,\u201d Corriea responded, adding a grumbled, \u201cYou should\u2019ve heard Scott a few minutes ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"New<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The mayor had not been the only elected official invited to the town hall. In a separate appearance \u2014 leaving before Lurie arrived \u2014 State Sen. Scott Wiener answered questions for 45 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike the mayor, who could justify the rezoning as a state requirement, Wiener had more to answer for as a proud YIMBY who had helped craft many of the laws now forcing the city\u2019s hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wiener wrote SB 828, the 2018 law that increased the amount of housing San Francisco was required to build, for instance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this year, Wiener authored SB 79, which would make it easier for developers to build housing near public transit stops. It is now sitting on Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2019s desk, and will be signed or vetoed by Oct. 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Scott Wiener speaks about his housing policies at a town hall about upzoning at the Sunset Recreation Center on Oct. 6, 2025. Photo by Io Yeh Gilman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the town hall, Wiener stood by these policies staunchly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy did you draft a state mandate to have every city upzone without any sensitivities to individual characters of each city, so that the state remedies would almost certainly destroy local uniqueness?\u201d one person asked, to a smattering of applause throughout the room. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s like the \u2018when did you start beating your spouse\u2019 question,\u201d Wiener shot back. \u201cI completely dispute the premise of that question.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh wow\u2026\u201d people in the crowd scoffed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCities have the ability to craft their own alternative option that implements the goals of the bill, but does it in a way that works for that city,\u201d Wiener said, returning to the dry, policy-focused responses that made up the majority of his answers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the face of irate questions, Wiener reiterated his pro-building stance. \u201cI don\u2019t think new housing is dumping on anyone,\u201d he said, eliciting a wave of groans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you don\u2019t build enough housing, people get pushed out,\u201d he added.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, does this new housing have to be in the Sunset<\/em>? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHave you looked into upzoning Presidio Heights, Pacific Heights, Forest Hill, St. Francis Wood?\u201d one person asked Lurie later, eliciting laughs and claps from the audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His response: \u201cThe answer is yes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Io Yeh Gilman<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

io@missionlocal.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

REPORTER. Io is a staff reporter covering city hall as a part of Report for America, which supports journalists in local newsrooms. She was born and raised in San Francisco and previously reported on the city while working for her high school newspaper, The Lowell. Io studied the history of science at Harvard and wrote for The Harvard Crimson.More by Io Yeh Gilman<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by\u00a0Io Yeh Gilman October 7, 2025 (MissionLocal.org) If there was one thing Mayor Daniel Lurie wanted to communicate Monday night, it was that his plan to upzone San Francisco needed to pass. Not just because it was good policy, but because the alternative would be far worse.  \u201cIf it does… 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":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44439"}],"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=44439"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44440,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44439\/revisions\/44440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}