2019.06.11 LoHaMNA Agenda & Public Minutes

Agenda Topics

  • Introductions

Jason, Billy, Roxanne, Nicole, Laura, Robert, Thea, Damon, Julia (Board President), and Natalie (Board VP), later Peter & Supervisor Vallie Brown joined.

  • Intro to SF Shines 
    • Office of Economic Development Program
    • Provides Grants to small businesses
    • Goal is to activate sidewalk/storefronts
    • Construction and exterior improvements, along with design services and city permitting, involves a detailed application process (P&L, Yelp Reviews); 10% drop-off in applicants; Flexible payment model (merchant or city-direct)
  • New Member News
    •  663 Haight St. Retailer; Nectar replacement is a shoe store with food service. 400 block once had a shoe store (rare/vintage sneakers).
  • Power wash sidewalk cleaning & Street Sweepers update
    • Only 400 Block only cleaned; 500 Block needs treatment; more merchants needed to expand the twice year deep-cleaning service; city has also assigned a street sweeper Ambassador (Mr. Woodson) to the Lower Haight
  • Art Walk update & future Play Streets SF
    • Next Art Walk will be Sat, August 3 from 2 to 7pm.
    • Thea and Damon will coordinate to invite parents to the Play Streets SF block of Pierce south of Haight; Natalie will intro to Maya, Gio and Thea/Damon
  • Neighborhood Projects — Sidewalk Garden on Waller
    • FUF organizing sidewalk gardens/tree plantings in Lower Haight
    • Thu, June 20 – Sat, June 22, 9:30am to 12/noon prep work; July Plantings (date/location TBD)
    • To volunteer, sign up here (Thea’s child might want to help)
  • Development News — 1979 Mission St Project
    • Mission for All advocates: Roxanne and Nicole
    • Roxanne was a small Business Owner/Hair Salon (broken glass/bullet damage); forced out of operation so she joined Mission for All to see how she could support the proposed project.
    • 331 units (18% is affordable), 10 story building (max on Mission/16th) and 5 story face on Capp ; Project does not involve any displacement, replacing Burger King/Bar/Mkt and expanding the BART 16th St Plaza by 40%; proposed Mercado or Market Hall of 20,000 sq ft of commercial space that will have opportunities for start-up businesses; 10% being rent free or rent subsidized
      100% and there will be dedicated space for local Artists; project includes improved lighting/landscaping and traffic calming on Capp Street; Walgreens or comparable pharmacy will remain on-site
    • Union Labor with opportunities for local hire
    • After 7 years still no approval, 2020 Ballot Measure to approve 1979 Mission St (was 2019)
  • YIMBY Action Presentation (Laura Foote) 
    • Pro-housing advocacy, focused on state and local legislation; endorses candidates as a 501(c)(4) – and has 501(c)(3) arm as well. Proponents of SB50 (though future of this and other housing bills  in 2019 is not strong). Tentants Bill/Funding Bill/Production Bills (SB 50, SB 330) have all fallen to wayside (several Housing Bills that died could be re-assembled (10%), Gut & Amend option (10%) and Special Session on Housing called by the Governor (20%)
    • Org focuses in four core areas:
      • Upzoning/near transit and jobs (Cupertino $2.4M avg per house, but 90% of Apple employes don’t live within 45 min)
      • Speeding up the permitting process especially for affordable/subsidized housing; standardizing the process (Navigation Center was recent example
      • More funding for subsidized
      • Fewer ‘Effed Up Incentives (too much parking, Prop 13) — 101 cities say yes to jobs but no to housing
  • Open Forum
    • SF RENA Housing Goals met for highest income levels (but they were set during the last recession)
    • Merchants should be pro-housing (employees can live closer and more foot traffic)
    • On the 2019 November Ballot
      1. rezoning for public housing,
      2. streamlining for affordable/subsidized housing and
      3. $600M for affordable/subsidized
    • Notice of a Dean/Vallie Debate at the Korean Church on Laguna at Fulton, June 18;
      • Attendees asked for debate at neighborhood mtg;
    • Divisidero Artwalk this weekend
    • Billy asked about bringing back right-hand turn from Market onto the freeway; Supervisor Vallie Brown explained fatalities at that intersection lead to turn restriction; she has requested a new Traffic Study of the neighborhood to address increase in traffic