Public Transit and Driving, 3400 Cesar Chavez, Gentrification ...Jul. 17‚ 2007Paul, As an environmentalist, I would like to see all private motor vehicles banned from urban areas, with transportation accomplished by walking, biking, and public transit. Alternatively, making it harder and more expensive to drive would do a lot to convince people to give up their cars and use MUNI, which would increase ridership revenue. Offering free public transportation that is paid for by a gasoline tax would be a strong financial incentive to use public transit instead of driving, but doing so would be in violation of state law that requires at least one third of public transit revenue to come from riders. Unfortunately, this city encourages people to drive instead of using public transit. For example people are allowed to park on sidewalks during street cleaning (this is an official DPA policy and is in violation of the state law prohibiting sidewalk parking, but I can't find anyone who wants to do anything about it), the City allows private motor vehicles in Golden Gate Park and downtown, there are no traffic calming devices on side streets that force people onto main streets like in Berkeley, etc. Unfortunately, most people care more about their personal convenience than about the environment. It is therefore up to the government to implement policies that will greatly discourage people from driving. Unless the government does so, San Francisco will continue to be choked with private autos while contributing to the choking of the planet from the burning of fossil fuels, in addition to all the other environmental harms caused by driving. Jeff Hoffman San Francisco Randy: I have to compliment you on a thoughtful, fair-minded piece today. Of course, we're strong supporters of the current project, but it isn't happening in a vacuum. We're not blind to the demand for more affordability. The demand is oceanic - the supply a trickle. Thanks for picking up the nuances. Cheers, Tim Colen, Executive Director San Francisco Housing Action Coalition Dear Randy, One voice that has not been heard regarding 3400 Cesar Chavez is the surrounding neighbors and neighborhood. Many neighbors have been working with Seven Hills Properties for at least 2 years and have, as a result, caused numerous improvements in the project particularly in the area of streetscape, transportation, pedestrian safety and the location of the 30 family units. We have also been able to obtain the agreement of Walgreens that their windows will be open to the public and not covered with signs. Further, the "progressives" may be against Walgreens, but the neighbors support the idea, particularly with the fact that the pharmacy at St. Luke's has closed and that pharmacy will be open 24 hours a day providing much needed eyes on the street, and, of course, lots of jobs. But another point that is not looked at at all is the nature of the 2 census tracts surrounding 3400 Cesar Chavez. 40% of the adult population has graduated from college and is very upwardly mobile. Many would like to own a home in the neighborhood, but there is nothing available within their price range...so they move. Most of these are renters. Often times they are young couples. Seven Hills has agreed to market the units (with the exception of the affordable units which will be given out by lottery supervised by the Mayor's Office of housing) in the 94110 area. This means that the units will be purchased, hopefully, by Mission and Bernal residents, particularly by those middle income residents, who would like to remain in the Mission/Bernal area in their own home. If the project were to become an affordable project with the necessary subsidies, the units become a city-wide resource, and as a result very few Mission residents will succeed in gaining the apartments. You wonder why affordable housing developers have not been out shopping for sites. There certainly are many, potential sites in the Mission for affordable housing. However, the current political scene within the neighborhood and at City Hall does not accommodate the building of housing. Changes are going to have to happen for affordable housing to be built. The Supervisors will need to allow the Planning Commission and Department do their job based on sound planning principles. The neighborhood activists will need to drop their various vendettas and look at the needs of all of the folks who live in the Mission, not just the vocal few. The Mayor's Office of Housing will need to find ways to become much more creative, particularly since funds are short, and work in a more fruitful manner with the development community who would love to be building housing in the Mission. Since wiser heads have not prevailed in this particular project, we are going to have a disheartening scene on Tuesday, which will cause the continuing destruction of the Mission community fabric. Frankly, I am tired of this way of doing business and would like to see it changed. Regards, Toby Levine I just wanted to tell you that you really nailed the issue in your BeyondChron column [about 3400 Cesar Chavez]. It is a great article. Jeffrey Baker Randy, I generally agree with your column, but your question (rhetorical?) about why projects in some districts are opposed while others are not was answered by your statement about the supervisor in Bayview/Hunters Point: "Supervisor Sophie Maxwell strongly supported each and every condo project in the Bayview, which facilitated Board approval." Maxwell is a sellout and as long as the people living in that district support her and are willing to sell their souls for the slightest chance of lifting themselves out of poverty, there's no hope of preserving that area for the current residents. I will never forgive Maxwell (or Peskin, for that matter) for shoving a Home Depot down the throats of those of us in Bernal Heights and of the entire city, nor those who live in Bayview/Hunters Point for selling their souls supporting this evil corporation. These people are no different than Republicans on land use issues, which are by far the biggest and most important issues, and they should always be opposed, regardless of whether they call themselves Democrats and regardless of how they stand on other issues. Jeff Hoffman San Francisco You can submit letters to the editor by clicking on this link: rshaw@beyondchron.orgor by writing to: Beyond Chron 126 Hyde Street San Francisco, CA 94102 415-771-9850 (phone) |