To: Rodney Fong, San Francisco Planning Commissioner, Dennis Richards, SF Planning Commissioner, Michael Antonini, SF Planning Commissioner, Rich Hillis, SF Planning Commissioner, Christine Johnson, SF Planning Commissioner, Kathrin Moore, S...
No Titanic Mess at 1515 South Van Ness Avenue
United To Save The Mission firmly requests delaying planning approval of 1515 South Van Ness until: Proposition C has been voted on by San Francisco voters, interim controls are in place, the Calle 24 Latino Cultural Special Use District is in place, MAP 2020 is implemented, and negotiations with Lennar for possible site acquisition for the construction of 100% affordable housing on the site are attempted.
“A vast array of Mission District residents, businesses and organizations remain committed to preserving our neighborhood for its poor and working-class residents, many of them Latino. If Lennar’s 1515 South Van Ness proposed development is approved, it will only accelerate the displacement of our community and its economic and cultural diversity,” says Erick Arguello of Calle 24 Latino Cultural District.
Roberto Hernandez of Our Mission No Eviction called on the Planning Commission “to reject Lennar’s proposal and for Lennar to transfer the property to community hands so that we can develop it for the glaringly unmet need of affordable housing.”
“A vast array of Mission District residents, businesses and organizations remain committed to preserving our neighborhood for its poor and working-class residents, many of them Latino. If Lennar’s 1515 South Van Ness proposed development is approved, it will only accelerate the displacement of our community and its economic and cultural diversity,” says Erick Arguello of Calle 24 Latino Cultural District.
Roberto Hernandez of Our Mission No Eviction called on the Planning Commission “to reject Lennar’s proposal and for Lennar to transfer the property to community hands so that we can develop it for the glaringly unmet need of affordable housing.”
Why is this important?
United To Save The Mission Coalition, an alliance of Mission District community groups working on saving our neighborhood from over-development and the complete displacement of existing residents, is expressing our strong opposition to the 1515 South Van Ness Avenue project by Lennar Corporation. The proposed project is to be situated at the corner of 26th and South Van Ness Avenue. This project is the largest new project that is currently under development. It consists of 165 units, of which only 20 are affordable.
Among our concerns are:
Loss of PDR Space: This project, if approved, would eliminate the sizable PDR space currently being used by McMillan Electric. The ongoing loss of light industrial spaces that preserve job opportunities and anchor the middle class is acute, as the Planning Commission has recognized with its intent to develop a plan for 1 to 1 PDR replacement for every Eastern Neighborhoods development. It is counterproductive and short sighted to expedite new residential developments in front of Commission efforts to ameliorate the negative impacts of new residential developments.
Higher Affordable Housing Requirements Are On The Ballot: The voters of San Francisco will be weighing in shortly on higher inclusionary standards for new developments. While the outcome of Jane Kim's ballot measure remains to be determined, the wishes of the city's residents, should they choose to support higher affordable housing requirements and pass a measure implementing interim controls, should be respected by the Planning Commission and the city's political leadership. Sliding in massive new projects right before the election that come nowhere near to meeting the potential new interim standards, project disrespect for the democratic decision making process in the City.
The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Is Incomplete Regarding Calle 24 Cultural District Concerns: The City and the Commission recognized by creating the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District the unique character of the particular neighborhood bordered by 22nd Street, Cesar Chavez Street, Potrero Avenue and Mission Street. The 2014 designation addressed issues of design, architectural guidelines and neighborhood vision/direction for the benefit of all San Franciscans, and mentioned socioeconomic diversity as a key ingredient in the preservation of the District. A robust and responsible planning process requires full consideration of the design, architecture, traffic and socioeconomic aspects of 1515 South Van Ness Avenue and its compatibility or lack of compatibility with the intentions of the City for the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District. Superseding guidelines still under development renders all the good intentions behind the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District functionally moot. The stakeholders in the creation of the Latino Cultural District have had no opportunity to find out if any of these questions were examined in the EIR, or to review and respond to the EIR.
Phase One of MAP 2020 Wraps Up In The Summer of 2016: Both the Planning Department and the Office of the Mayor are participants in the MAP 2020 process, which is expecting to wrap up Phase One planning in the summer of 2016 and move into Phase Two to put in place the policies, legislation, programs, and financing needed to implement the Plan. The stated intent of the plan is to “strengthen and retain low to moderate income residents and community serving businesses” (including PDR and non-profits). The MAP process may well identify both policy and legislation that would significantly alter projects like 1515 South Van Ness Avenue and add protections for affected residents and businesses that don't currently exist. Both the Planning Department and the Mayor's Office should take into account the MAP 2020 strategic plan and its possible impacts and not rush the project through without considering the MAP 2020 process underway.
The Interim Controls Template Is Brand New: 1515 South Van Ness would be the firs project to go before the Planning Department under brand new interim controls. Stakeholders in the community haven't had an opportunity to see and review the Interim Controls template nor to see any reporting/response that Lennar Corporation has made regarding the project and the new template. A public review process should make these criteria transparently available to all stakeholders in the project including impacted residents and businesses.
Lennar Corporation Has A Troubled Track Record: The history of Lennar and the City of San Francisco is so lengthy that a complete description here would be beyond the scope of this letter. But it should not be controversial to state that toxic issues at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard were significant and the Treasure Island redevelopment has also been a troubled process. The City of San Francisco has given much to Lennar in development opportunities in large swaths of the City, and we question whether this developer has earned yet more concessions from the City in this request to green-light this new development ahead of multiple civic planning processes to protect this area of the City and a ballot initiative on the June ballot.
Given all of these factors, we would like the City to explore whether Lennar could transfer their interest in this property to the City for the construction of 100% affordable housing on the site.
At a minimum, United To Save The Mission firmly requests delaying the approval of 1515 South Van Ness until:
1) Proposition C has been voted on by San Francisco's voters
2) 1 to 1 PDR replacement has been decided
3) Interim controls are in place and reviewed
4) The Calle 24 Latino Cultural Special Use District is in place
5) MAP 2020 is implemented
6) Negotiations with Lennar for possible site acquisition have been completed
United to Save The Mission
Among our concerns are:
Loss of PDR Space: This project, if approved, would eliminate the sizable PDR space currently being used by McMillan Electric. The ongoing loss of light industrial spaces that preserve job opportunities and anchor the middle class is acute, as the Planning Commission has recognized with its intent to develop a plan for 1 to 1 PDR replacement for every Eastern Neighborhoods development. It is counterproductive and short sighted to expedite new residential developments in front of Commission efforts to ameliorate the negative impacts of new residential developments.
Higher Affordable Housing Requirements Are On The Ballot: The voters of San Francisco will be weighing in shortly on higher inclusionary standards for new developments. While the outcome of Jane Kim's ballot measure remains to be determined, the wishes of the city's residents, should they choose to support higher affordable housing requirements and pass a measure implementing interim controls, should be respected by the Planning Commission and the city's political leadership. Sliding in massive new projects right before the election that come nowhere near to meeting the potential new interim standards, project disrespect for the democratic decision making process in the City.
The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Is Incomplete Regarding Calle 24 Cultural District Concerns: The City and the Commission recognized by creating the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District the unique character of the particular neighborhood bordered by 22nd Street, Cesar Chavez Street, Potrero Avenue and Mission Street. The 2014 designation addressed issues of design, architectural guidelines and neighborhood vision/direction for the benefit of all San Franciscans, and mentioned socioeconomic diversity as a key ingredient in the preservation of the District. A robust and responsible planning process requires full consideration of the design, architecture, traffic and socioeconomic aspects of 1515 South Van Ness Avenue and its compatibility or lack of compatibility with the intentions of the City for the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District. Superseding guidelines still under development renders all the good intentions behind the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District functionally moot. The stakeholders in the creation of the Latino Cultural District have had no opportunity to find out if any of these questions were examined in the EIR, or to review and respond to the EIR.
Phase One of MAP 2020 Wraps Up In The Summer of 2016: Both the Planning Department and the Office of the Mayor are participants in the MAP 2020 process, which is expecting to wrap up Phase One planning in the summer of 2016 and move into Phase Two to put in place the policies, legislation, programs, and financing needed to implement the Plan. The stated intent of the plan is to “strengthen and retain low to moderate income residents and community serving businesses” (including PDR and non-profits). The MAP process may well identify both policy and legislation that would significantly alter projects like 1515 South Van Ness Avenue and add protections for affected residents and businesses that don't currently exist. Both the Planning Department and the Mayor's Office should take into account the MAP 2020 strategic plan and its possible impacts and not rush the project through without considering the MAP 2020 process underway.
The Interim Controls Template Is Brand New: 1515 South Van Ness would be the firs project to go before the Planning Department under brand new interim controls. Stakeholders in the community haven't had an opportunity to see and review the Interim Controls template nor to see any reporting/response that Lennar Corporation has made regarding the project and the new template. A public review process should make these criteria transparently available to all stakeholders in the project including impacted residents and businesses.
Lennar Corporation Has A Troubled Track Record: The history of Lennar and the City of San Francisco is so lengthy that a complete description here would be beyond the scope of this letter. But it should not be controversial to state that toxic issues at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard were significant and the Treasure Island redevelopment has also been a troubled process. The City of San Francisco has given much to Lennar in development opportunities in large swaths of the City, and we question whether this developer has earned yet more concessions from the City in this request to green-light this new development ahead of multiple civic planning processes to protect this area of the City and a ballot initiative on the June ballot.
Given all of these factors, we would like the City to explore whether Lennar could transfer their interest in this property to the City for the construction of 100% affordable housing on the site.
At a minimum, United To Save The Mission firmly requests delaying the approval of 1515 South Van Ness until:
1) Proposition C has been voted on by San Francisco's voters
2) 1 to 1 PDR replacement has been decided
3) Interim controls are in place and reviewed
4) The Calle 24 Latino Cultural Special Use District is in place
5) MAP 2020 is implemented
6) Negotiations with Lennar for possible site acquisition have been completed
United to Save The Mission