Tom Ammiano Position Paper: Neighborhood Preservation and Planning

November 20, 1999

San Franciscans want a healthy balance between growth and preservation of neighborhood character. They cherish the convenience, diversity, and neighborliness provided by our vibrant neighborhood commercial districts and the livability and civic pride that comes from preservation of historic buildings.

As Mayor, I pledge to:
1 Restore Integrity and Professionalism to the Planning and Permitting Process San Francisco has strong guidelines to protect the character of its neighborhoods. However, recent planning commissions have not enforced them equally, nor have their decisions been free of the influence of special interests. Crucial planning decisions are made piecemeal, ignoring the importance of reviewing cumulative development impacts on items like transportation systems and the services needed in neighborhood commercial districts.

As Mayor, I will:
Appoint neighborhood representatives to the Planning Commission, Landmarks Board, Building Inspection Commission and Board of Appeals and recruit nationally renowned professional leadership to run the department I will appoint only those individuals to serve City commissions who respect San Francisco's planning laws and process and who have sound knowledge of and commitment to historic and neighborhood preservation. I will also appoint a world-class Planning Director with expertise in negotiating with developers in the public interest. Separate planning and environmental review from the development permitting process in order to regulate that process. I will ensure that permitting is based on compliance with our codes and environmental laws, not on the influence of special interests. Re-establish the Planning Department's central mission of long-term, integrated city planning, including land-use, transportation and services planning Establish a working relationship with nearby urban planning schools to secure ongoing research into community needs and innovative approaches to solving them Restore the capital planning process, identifying and prioritizing needed expenditures Currently, the Capital Improvement Advisory Committee, which is dominated by at-will mayoral appointees, oversees a capital planning process that caters to strong special interests with professional lobbying and political consulting contracts. Capital planning should be staffed by neutral professionals who can prioritize less politically popular, but more urgently needed projects. I will restore the role of the Planning Department in capital planning in order to address water and sewer infrastructure, parks, libraries, neighborhood centers, utilities undergrounding, street beautification, pedestrian features, and other services and amenities.

Tom’s Track Record

Tom has consistently supported neighborhoods when residents oppose chain store or other incompatible projects.

To stop the transition of the Planning Department to a permitting department, Tom fought for and won the largest increase in long-ranging planning staff the Department has seen in years.

In conjunction with the Coalition for Jobs, Arts and Housing, Tom is leading the fight at the Board of Supervisors to impose affordable housing requirements and full school impact development fees on the remaining live/work projects that are still awaiting Planning approval.

2. Increase the Participation of Neighborhoods in Shaping their Own Futures

Much of the rancor between neighborhoods and developers can be avoided by advance community planning. Planning documents that set out residentsí vision for growth in their neighborhoods, balanced with citywide needs, make it possible for projects to be fashioned that enhance rather than threaten neighborhood quality.

As Mayor, I will:

Establish planning advisory councils at the district level to advise on development and neighborhood improvements

Create community-based plans for each neighborhood
I will direct the Planning Department to work with neighborhood organizations, merchants, and other interested parties to create community-based plans for each San Francisco neighborhood. These plans will emphasize preservation of neighborhood character, expansion of employment opportunities, increased transit-accessible housing stock and availability of services within walking distance.

Improve public access to meaningful information on proposed development and other planning issues, including greater levels of information posting on the Internet

3. Preserve San Francisco’s Historic and Architectural Heritage.
Residents and visitors to San Francisco cherish its historic and architectural character, an invaluable, irreplaceable civic asset that should be aggressively preserved.
As Mayor, I will:

Provide assistance to qualified building owners in obtaining National Historic Preservation Act grants

Improve coordination of city efforts with the State Office of Historic Preservation to increase San Francisco’s share of California Heritage Fund awards

Revive the City’s moribund Unreinforced Masonry Buildings Retrofit Program

Strengthen San Francisco’s Certified Local Government Program status to protect our eligibility for federal funding for preservation planning activities

Work with the development community to create incentives for historic restoration and reuse of buildings

Review the landmarks designation process to ensure the preservation of the City’s historic and architectural resources

Adopt and abide by the Historic Preservation Element and Implementation Plan of the City’s Master Plan

Forge collaborative relationships with recognized historic preservation groups, such as San Francisco Heritage, to conduct surveys of historic buildings

Explore the feasibility of designating new historic districts
4. Improve Neighborhood Services and Protect Neighborhood Character
The services and quality of life of San Francisco’s neighborhoods cannot be left to chance.

As Mayor, I will:

Update and make understandable planning code regulations for neighborhood commercial districts, in order to address current needs and community concerns, such as the proliferation of chain stores
With the approval of residents and merchants in and around moribund commercial districts, I will alsoexplore the use of targeted Redevelopment Agency powers to restore and sustain these districts

Analyze allowable building densities in relation to the carrying capacity of neighborhood services and coordinate plans for increased density with agencies that offer those services

Direct Planning Department staff to work with neighborhood advisory councils to prepare Area Master Plans to facilitate development that is needed and desired by the community

What’s Wrong

Since January 1998, the Planning Commission has approved over 1350 live/work units. There are over 950 units still awaiting approval, including the largest live/work project to date (108 units) which is scheduled for a December 2 Planning hearing. None of these projects include affordable housing set asides and they all pay a fraction of the local school impact
development fees that other housing development pays.
The institutional memory of the Planning Department is rapidly eroding as long-term professional planners are leaving in droves.
When residents fighting chain stores or over-sized projects in their neighborhoods actually win their cases at the Planning Commission, they usually lose at the City's obscure Board of Appeals.



			Position Paper: Neighborhood Preservation and Planning

		November 20, 1999 San Franciscans want a healthy balance between growth and preservation of neighborhood character. They cherish the convenience, diversity, and neighborliness provided by our vibrant neighborhood commercial districts and the livability and civic pride that comes from preservation of historic buildings. As Mayor, I pledge to: 1 Restore Integrity and Professionalism to the Planning and Permitting Process San Francisco has strong guidelines to protect the character of its neighborhoods. However, recent planning commissions have not enforced them equally, nor have their decisions been free of the influence of special interests. Crucial planning decisions are made piecemeal, ignoring the importance of reviewing cumulative development impacts on items like transportation systems and the services needed in neighborhood commercial districts. As Mayor, I will: Appoint neighborhood representatives to the Planning Commission, Landmarks Board, Building Inspection Commission and Board of Appeals and recruit nationally renowned professional leadership to run the department I will appoint only those individuals to serve City commissions who respect San Francisco's planning laws and process and who have sound knowledge of and commitment to historic and neighborhood preservation. I will also appoint a world-class Planning Director with expertise in negotiating with developers in the public interest. Separate planning and environmental review from the development permitting process in order to regulate that process. I will ensure that permitting is based on compliance with our codes and environmental laws, not on the influence of special interests. Re-establish the Planning Department's central mission of long-term, integrated city planning, including land-use, transportation and services planning Establish a working relationship with nearby urban planning schools to secure ongoing research into community needs and innovative approaches to solving them Restore the capital planning process, identifying and prioritizing needed expenditures Currently, the Capital Improvement Advisory Committee, which is dominated by at-will mayoral appointees, oversees a capital planning process that caters to strong special interests with professional lobbying and political consulting contracts. Capital planning should be staffed by neutral professionals who can prioritize less politically popular, but more urgently needed projects. I will restore the role of the Planning Department in capital planning in order to address water and sewer infrastructure, parks, libraries, neighborhood centers, utilities undergrounding, street beautification, pedestrian features, and other services and amenities. Tom’s Track Record Tom has consistently supported neighborhoods when residents oppose chain store or other incompatible projects. To stop the transition of the Planning Department to a permitting department, Tom fought for and won the largest increase in long-ranging planning staff the Department has seen in years. In conjunction with the Coalition for Jobs, Arts and Housing, Tom is leading the fight at the Board of Supervisors to impose affordable housing requirements and full school impact development fees on the remaining live/work projects that are still awaiting Planning approval. 2. Increase the Participation of Neighborhoods in Shaping their Own Futures Much of the rancor between neighborhoods and developers can be avoided by advance community planning. Planning documents that set out residentsí vision for growth in their neighborhoods, balanced with citywide needs, make it possible for projects to be fashioned that enhance rather than threaten neighborhood quality. As Mayor, I will: Establish planning advisory councils at the district level to advise on development and neighborhood improvements Create community-based plans for each neighborhood I will direct the Planning Department to work with neighborhood organizations, merchants, and other interested parties to create community-based plans for each San Francisco neighborhood. These plans will emphasize preservation of neighborhood character, expansion of employment opportunities, increased transit-accessible housing stock and availability of services within walking distance. Improve public access to meaningful information on proposed development and other planning issues, including greater levels of information posting on the Internet 3. Preserve San Francisco’s Historic and Architectural Heritage. Residents and visitors to San Francisco cherish its historic and architectural character, an invaluable, irreplaceable civic asset that should be aggressively preserved. As Mayor, I will: Provide assistance to qualified building owners in obtaining National Historic Preservation Act grants Improve coordination of city efforts with the State Office of Historic Preservation to increase San Francisco’s share of California Heritage Fund awards Revive the City’s moribund Unreinforced Masonry Buildings Retrofit Program Strengthen San Francisco’s Certified Local Government Program status to protect our eligibility for federal funding for preservation planning activities Work with the development community to create incentives for historic restoration and reuse of buildings Review the landmarks designation process to ensure the preservation of the City’s historic and architectural resources Adopt and abide by the Historic Preservation Element and Implementation Plan of the City’s Master Plan Forge collaborative relationships with recognized historic preservation groups, such as San Francisco Heritage, to conduct surveys of historic buildings Explore the feasibility of designating new historic districts 4. Improve Neighborhood Services and Protect Neighborhood Character The services and quality of life of San Francisco’s neighborhoods cannot be left to chance. As Mayor, I will: Update and make understandable planning code regulations for neighborhood commercial districts, in order to address current needs and community concerns, such as the proliferation of chain stores With the approval of residents and merchants in and around moribund commercial districts, I will alsoexplore the use of targeted Redevelopment Agency powers to restore and sustain these districts Analyze allowable building densities in relation to the carrying capacity of neighborhood services and coordinate plans for increased density with agencies that offer those services Direct Planning Department staff to work with neighborhood advisory councils to prepare Area Master Plans to facilitate development that is needed and desired by the community What’s Wrong Since January 1998, the Planning Commission has approved over 1350 live/work units. There are over 950 units still awaiting approval, including the largest live/work project to date (108 units) which is scheduled for a December 2 Planning hearing. None of these projects include affordable housing set asides and they all pay a fraction of the local school impact development fees that other housing development pays. The institutional memory of the Planning Department is rapidly eroding as long-term professional planners are leaving in droves. When residents fighting chain stores or over-sized projects in their neighborhoods actually win their cases at the Planning Commission, they usually lose at the City's obscure Board of Appeals. 3583 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94114 (415) 503-1529 Fax (415) 503-1642 paid for by Tom Ammiano for Mayor FPPC ID# 990924