BCNA Strongly Opposes Senate Bill to Override Local Zoning

Today, the Barbary Coast Neighborhood Association sent a letter to the California Senate Transportation and Housing Committee strongly opposing SB 827, Senator Scott Wiener’s bill to override local building limits on height, density, and design requirements in transit-rich zones, including virtually the entire city of San Francisco.  The letter reads as follows:

Ms. Alison Hughes, Consultant
Senate Transportation and Housing Committee
State Capitol, Room 2209
Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: SB 827 (Wiener), January 3 Version: STRONGLY OPPOSED

Dear Ms. Hughes:

SB 827 would authorize significantly larger housing developments in areas meeting minimum levels of transit service. It does so by imposing minimum zoning standards in those “transit-rich” areas. It removes residential density limits, imposes minimum height limits, and prohibits enforcement of almost all design standards relating to the building envelope, among other things. We are strongly opposed to this measure for various reasons including:

• It would upzone virtually the entire city of San Francisco. San Francisco has an extensive public transit system. Thus, a majority of the streets in the City would have their height limits doubled from 40’/45’ to 85’. This clearly allows massive new developments in heretofore low-rise neighborhoods. This height limit concern was echoed in 2013 when San Francisco voters supported the “No Wall on the Waterfront” campaign and decisively voted down a proposed high-rise housing development on the Embarcadero. Over time the drastic approach embraced in SB 827 will destroy the human scale and character of the City’s neighborhoods.
• It would eliminate the ability of a city to maintain any control over basic building designs. This bill precludes the City from enforcing basic planning and design standards for housing. These standards often pertain to quality of life issues and involve aspects such as rear yards, open space, setbacks, etc. Taken together, they form the key to ensuring livability, walkability, and urban design quality. Blocking their enforcement will result in large institutional blockhouse structures that create a cold uninviting environment.

In summary, SB 827 eviscerates the ability of San Francisco and several other metropolitan areas to control the livability and quality of life in their residential neighborhoods. While it is broadly accepted that the state needs to build more housing, this bill is the wrong approach. It is unthinkable that a city cannot control the scale and character of its neighborhoods. Accordingly, we are strongly opposed to this bill.

Sincerely,
Diana Taylor
President

cc: Ms. Angela Hill