In their last regularly scheduled meeting before September, your San Francisco Supervisors eked out one final ballot measure for your consideration this November. It's on us to decide whether certain development projects — just those in SoMa and the Mission — should be required to replace arts and manufacturing space they displace through demolition or conversion. The board's vote was seven to four, as The Examiner reports with Jane Kim, Aaron Peskin, David Campos, Eric Mar, John Avalos, Norman Yee, and London Breed all in favor of letting voters decide the question.
Why just SoMa and the Mission? As Kim put it at the meeting, "Due to some of the feedback that we've gotten over this process, we've have decided to limit this ordinance to the South of Market and Mission Neighborhood... having worked very closely with supervisor David Campos' office." Campos, along with Peskin, sponsored the measure, the Ex explains. Depending on the location of the spaces, 50, 75, or 100 percent of them would need to be replaced.
Sharon Steuer, a Mission District-based artist, told the board that “this is our first way to try and change the tide of our massive cultural loss. It’s been devastating.”
Curbed cites the Planning Department, who note that commercial real estate prices are up 122 percent in five years, with office tenants willing and able to pay far more rent than Production, Distribution and Repair facilities.
Scott Wiener, Kim's rival for a State Senate seat, was one dissenting vote, the others being Katy Tang, Malia Cohen, and Mark Farrell. Wiener called the measure “extremely strict.”, adding that “I think it will have a lot of impacts [that] people aren’t necessarily anticipating. I don’t support this legislation in its current form.” Many politicians, including a coalition of former SF mayors, have called on progressives not to overwhelm voters with ballot measures in November. But, as Steuer implored the board, "Why can’t we be The City that solves this problem?”
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