By Rose Hillson, Chair, Land Use Committee, Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods (CSFN)
San Francisco residents defeated Mayor Lee's and Supervisor Tang's attempt to rezone all but the Residential Housing-1 and -2 areas under the Affordable Housing Bonus Program (AHBP), a densification idea. AHBP's goal: Increase the permissible density of housing units at the expense of neighborhood character by allowing developers to receive accommodation around existing Planning Code regulations using a "one size fits all" approach. Vigilant neighbors and small business owners held in abeyance the AHBP. Although a 100% AHBP did pass, the rest of the AHBP including its design guidelines haven't been approved yet.
Neighbors are requesting the UDG, with any other design guidelines which may be under consideration or are being replaced including but not limited to the UDG, the Urban Design Element of the General Plan, any RDGs, or any AHBP design guidelines, be considered concurrently so that the City neighborhoods understand very clearly how each set of guidelines interact…”
With recent state legislation, the City is now focused on liberalizing zoning guidelines that modify the permissible building volume and density. One such attempt to seek to liberalize and leave subject to broader interpretations is the proposed "Urban Design Guidelines" (UDG) which permits waivers to allow the equivalent of spot-zoning by waiver. The UDG also is a clone of the previously introduced AHBP Design Guidelines (AHBPDG). Clarification is needed to determine if the UDG will pre-empt the Urban Design Element of the General Plan.
Further, Planning Staff ("Staff") introduced the "Article 7" reorganization which governs neighborhood commercial districts (NCD). In this, the Control Tables reference "Urban Design Guidelines" with a reference to the existing General Plan's Commerce and Industry Element (CIE) UDG. The UDG reference should be clarified to mean those existing in the CIE vs. the draft UDG document.
Next, Staff has indicated that in 2017, the "Residential Design Guidelines" (RDG), which further delineate the rules for residential development features such as front, side, rear yard setbacks and architectural style, will be revamped. Clarification is needed on its interaction with the other design guidelines.
Apparently, Staff is also proposing changes to the November 2008 draft "Ground Floor Residential Design Guidelines" (GFRDG). These are noted in the UDG document but it cannot be ascertained how this current draft might be changed, if at all. In the 2015 draft AHBPDG, there is a reference to the GFRDG. Clarification is needed on the ultimate disposition of either of these drafts.
Neighbors are requesting the UDG, with any other design guidelines which may be under consideration or are being replaced including but not limited to the UDG, the Urban Design Element of the General Plan, any RDGs, or any AHBP design guidelines, be considered concurrently so that the City neighborhoods understand very clearly how each set of guidelines interacts with the others and with neighborhood or other regional guidelines, too, to avoid "one size fits all" guidelines.
Subject may still be "live" in November. Comment today.
-10/13: "Article 7" neighborhood commercial districts (NCD) reorganization. It references "Urban Design Guidelines." One interpretation of this reference could be UDG application to residential buildings in NCDs. Clarification is needed to not apply to residential buildings.
Rose Hillson is a planning activist in San Francisco
October 2016
Don’t Turn West of Twin Peaks Into Fawlty Towers!
… let’s use the correct terminology to describe what is really going on here. People who rent rooms to tourists are not “home-sharers.” They are “home-renters.” … Renting rooms to tourists is a commercial activity.
By Roger Ritter
The West of Twin Peaks Central Council, which represents twenty (20) neighborhood associations in western San Francisco, opposes Supervisor David Chiu’s proposed legislation to legalize short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods for the following reasons:
… let’s use the correct terminology to describe what is really going on here. People who rent rooms to tourists are not 'home-sharers.' They are 'home-renters.' … Renting rooms to tourists is a commercial activity.”
• The proposed legislation would amount to a complete rezoning of the entire City.
• Hotels and bed-and-breakfasts would be permitted in all residential neighborhoods, including those that are zoned as RH-1-D (Residential, House, Single-Family, Detached) and RH-1 (Residential, House, Single-Family), thereby jeopardizing residential character.
• Classifying short-term rentals as a “residential use” would make it more difficult for homeowners’ associations to enforce their CC&R’s against businesses in residential neighborhoods.
• This proposal, coming on the heels of the legislation legalizing secondary units throughout the City, would destroy single-family residential character West of Twin Peaks. The proposed legislation would allow tenants to rent their units on a short-term basis, so that instead of knowing who our neighbors are, whether they are homeowners or long-term renters, we would have no idea who was living next door to us, or for how long.The proposal would increase traffic and congestion, as well as pose health and safety issues caused by unregulated rooms. Not long ago we learned of a house that was renting out rooms on a short-term basis and was burning creosote-soaked wood from a redwood deck that had been torn down, as part of a backyard “happy hour” for its guests. We called DBI and the owner claimed to have ceased the operation. Under the proposed legislation, neither the neighborhood association nor the neighbors would have standing to complain about the rental.
• Here is what could happen: Absentee owner (A) rents the house to Tenant (B), and also builds a secondary unit, which s/he then rents to a third person (C), who then rents it short-term to a fourth person (D).If someone comes back at 2:00 a.m. and tries to get into the home, or downstairs apartment, how do the next-door neighbors know whether that person is a tourist or a burglar?
• Short-term rentals may be appropriate in neighborhoods that are already zoned for commercial uses, such as hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, where neither the neighbors nor the neighborhood associations object to such use. They are definitely NOT appropriate in our single-family residential neighborhoods.
The planning staff’s own draft report noted the threat to neighborhood character, as follows:
Neighborhood Character
The Department is also concerned about how short-term rentals are impacting neighborhood character and the quality of life for San Francisco residents. A neighborhood made up of permanent residents has a very different character than a neighborhood where everyone is a transient visitor. While tourists are important for this City’s economy and its cultural identity, it’s primarily the residents of San Francisco that make it a unique and interesting place to visit. Permanent residents have a vested interest in maintaining the unique quality of life in San Francisco. They build community by developing longstanding relationships; help ensure that trash doesn’t accumulate on the sidewalks, and are inherently motivated to be respectful of their neighbors. Many of the complaints that the Department receives about short-term rentals have to do with the hours of activity tourists keep compared to long-term residents with regular nine to five work schedules.
The proposed legislation strikes at the very heart of what it is to be a community. The single-family homes in the residential neighborhoods West of Twin Peaks are part of the fabric of their communities, and they are more than just isolated dwelling units. Families know their neighbors, their children play together, and they watch out for each other. If changes are to be made to protect long-time homeowners who are in financial difficulties, especially seniors, they should be made with the participation of all the members of the community, not by legislative fiat at City Hall, and definitely not for the benefit of real estate speculators and large corporations with no real stake in the community.
Our western residential neighborhoods are useful when elections roll around, or when City Hall wants a new bond measure passed. Then the politicians want to come and speak to us. But no one solicits our views before attempting a massive rezoning that affects us all. It was bad enough when the proposed legislation only applied to secondary units, but now apparently any single-family home can be turned into a guest house, or bed-and-breakfast, without any notice to the HOA, in secret, to protect the owner’s “right of privacy.” Worse, the proposed law defines such use as “residential,” so that HOA’s may not even be able to enforce their own CC&R’s against running a business.
What we have here is a blatant attempt to rezone the entire city, so that the concept of a single-family residential neighborhood will cease to exist. There are very powerful economic interests that either do not care about San Francisco’s single-family neighborhoods or who believe, in good faith, that they should not exist at all, and that San Francisco should become a high-density city like Paris or Manhattan. Those are both great cities to visit, but I would not want to live in either of them. People buy houses in our single-family residential neighborhoods precisely because they are low-density. We have zoning laws for that reason. If the City wishes to change those laws to accommodate more people, then there should be a full and fair debate about what kind of city we want to have, how many people it can hold, both transient and permanent, without further straining public services, and whether every part of the City should allow guest houses and bed-and-breakfasts.
Finally, let’s use the correct terminology to describe what is really going on here. People who rent rooms to tourists are not “home-sharers.” They are “home-renters.” Sharing means giving of what you have to another, not selling to another. Renting rooms to tourists is a commercial activity.
Stop this legislation dead in its tracks. Tell the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors NOT to approve it.
Roger Ritter is the President of the West of Twin Peaks Central Council
September 2014
In-laws Hit the Neighborhoods
By Roger Ritter
On April 18, 2014, Mayor Lee signed into law Supervisor Chiu’s legislation legalizing “existing” secondary units in every neighborhood in San Francisco, regardless of whether those neighborhoods were zoned for multiple dwelling use, or as single-family residential neighborhoods. Thus, with one stroke of his pen, the mayor allowed almost 100 years of zoning laws and residential development policies to be overturned, with no environmental impact report.
To make matters even worse, the legislation is drafted so as to allow existing units to be legalized, whether or not there are actually tenants in those units. Thus, the argument made by the proponents of the legislation that all it does is to bring current tenants “out of the shadows” is simply not accurate. Rather, it allows developers and speculators to buy up homes in single-family neighborhoods, remodel existing units, bring them up to code, and then rent them out to new tenants, thereby increasing neighborhood density, parking problems, traffic, and congestion. The legislation will allow speculators to target the small amount of family-sized housing remaining in the City for subdivision into smaller multi-unit housing, reaping huge profits, and driving more families out of the City.
Why would anyone put an offer on a home with an already-occupied legal secondary unit … only to learn that such family use …could only be permitted after an expensive eviction proceeding?”
Our District 7 Supervisor Norman Yee worked hard to craft a compromise by which neighborhoods that are zoned RH-1-D (single-family residential-detached) would be exempt from the legislation. His amendment would have protected most of the neighborhoods West of Twin Peaks. However, it failed on a 5-5 tie vote, with Supervisors Yee, Tang, Breed, Farrell, and Wiener voting for it, and Supervisors Avalos, Campos, Chiu, Cohen and Kim voting against it. (Supervisor Mar was absent.) After the amendment failed to pass, the Board of Supervisors approved the legislation by a vote of nine to two. Only Supervisors Yee and Tang voted against the measure. They deserve our thanks for trying to preserve the single-family residential character of our western neighborhoods.
Why does this all matter? Balboa Terrace was developed during the 1920’s as a single-family neighborhood and has remained one ever since. Along with Monterey Heights, St. Francis Wood, Westwood Highlands, and many other residential neighborhoods West of Twin Peaks, it was designed so that people could raise their children in the City, but at the same time enjoy their own homes, with lawns and gardens. Single-family neighborhoods are an important part of the total housing mix of San Francisco and are part of the “density diversity” of San Francisco. They help to preserve the City’s unique urban character, and also prevent the “Manhattanization” of San Francisco; without them nothing would be left in town except cookie-cutter neighborhoods with high-density housing units.
Contrary to the proponents’ arguments, this legislation is not about “granny” or the “in-laws” having a place to live. In fact, the legalization of secondary units is not necessary in order to allow an extended family to live together under the same roof. Secondary living units that do not have their own kitchens or separate entrances are already allowed under current zoning laws. Elderly relatives and adult children can and often do live with their families. Balboa Terrace already welcomes extended families of parents, children and grandparents living together.
Moreover, this legislation will not increase the number of affordable housing units in San Francisco. Rather, it will have many unintended consequences, e.g., increased congestion, the permanent removal of family-sized housing from our housing stock, and the very real possibility that developers and speculators will use the law to create new secondary units and then claim they already existed at the time the law was passed. When homeowners realize that legalizing their currently illegal units removes their control over the footprint of their homes, thereby devaluing their property on the open market, the number of units that actually enter the program will fall well short of expectations. Why would anyone put an offer on a home with an already-occupied legal secondary unit, intending to use that unit as a bedroom for an elderly parent or an adult child, only to learn that such family use would not be permitted, or could only be permitted after an expensive eviction proceeding?
This legislation constitutes a complete rezoning of the entire City, drastically altering the RH-1 and RH-1-D residential zones, and therefore merits a thorough discussion and a full environmental impact report. If the City wants to change almost 100 years of zoning law, it should say so, and do so honestly, after a full and fair debate, and after consultation with the various neighborhood groups that will be affected, not just with a few advocacy groups.
The proponents of this legislation did not approach the West of Twin Peaks Central Council, an umbrella group of 20 neighborhood organizations founded in 1936, during the drafting of this legislation, nor did they attempt to limit the legalization of secondary units to neighborhoods that are already zoned for multiple use so that neighborhood character on the West Side of the City would not be jeopardized. In contrast, Supervisor Wiener’s own legislation to allow legalization of secondary units in part of District 8 is a narrowly-tailored measure that applies only to one neighborhood, not the entire City.
Now it is up to the West of Twin Peaks Central Council and its member organizations, working with homeowners’ associations and with neighborhood groups across the City, to do everything we can to mitigate the damage that this legislation will do, perhaps by filing a lawsuit, or by putting an initiative on the ballot to overturn it at the polls, or by working for its amendment or outright repeal when the composition of the current Board of Supervisors changes. Meanwhile, we should insist that the City vigorously monitor the applications for permits to make sure that only units which actually existed on the date provided for in the legislation are allowed to be legalized. We should also educate homeowners who might be tempted to legalize their secondary units, and remind them of the unintended consequences of such legalization: losing control of their property, deteriorating the quality of their neighborhoods, and shackling subsequent owners with secondary rental units, whether they want them or not.
Roger Ritter is President of the Balboa Terrace Homes Association and VP of the West of Twin Peaks Central Council.
May 2014
Arden Wood Project
Ardenwood Project Plan Ready for Major Step Forward
“We want to retain as much of this precious urban forest as we can, while adding housing. Going the conventional route would mean plastering the hillside with blocks of housing and cutting down a lot of trees. We don’t want to do that, and the community we’ve heard from doesn’t want that either. And we’re still listening.”
—Former Supervisor Bob Mendelsohn
Developers of the Arden Wood Project are in the final stages of their application for an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on property obtained through a subdivision of Arden Wood, a property once entirely owned by the Christian Science Church that has housed a senior citizen facility since the 1930’s. The Church and the current operator, non-profit Arden Wood, Inc., has managed to keep the heavily wooded area intact for over 75 years, but costs associated with renovations at the senior center made subdivision a necessity.
“It doesn’t make sense to buy such a unique piece of property and reduce it to a suburban style landscape,” Republic Urban’s West Coast President Bob Mendelsohn said. “Although the current zoning code allows for 199 units at 40 ft heights, we’re really trying to go in the other direction. In order to do that, we need to build higher to to keep the footprint smaller, and that way we’ll retain 75% of the forest in its current condition. Our plan calls for only 160 units—130 of the units would be located in two mid-rise buildings.
“Keeping the beautiful dense urban forest intact, as much as possible, will require building higher rather than the usual sprawl that characterizes most urban development today. The area’s site with nearby mass transit is appropriate for a Transit Oriented Development (TOD), higher density, taller buildings ,” according to Mendelsohn, who for many years, lived nearby with his family.
According to Mark Nelson, an advisor to the Board of the non-profit, the renovations are estimated to cost $23 million, which prompted the Board to sell off 4.5 acres for development. Nelson is currently developing seven single family houses along 15th and Wawona which he purchased from Arden Wood, Inc. in a separate agreement. The board chose Republic through a series of competitions. The initial choice of the Board failed to go forward, so they initiated a second competition and the development was finally awarded to Republic Urban Properties.
The plans also indicate eight single family homes along 19th, set back with trees and screening vegetation to shield the residences from busy traffic noise along the street. Another house, which currently serves as the Director’s residence, will remain as it is. A lodge is also planned which will serve as work force housing for teachers or firefighters.
Republic Urban has been meeting with various community groups since the agreement was signed in February. Neighbors weighed in with some familiar concerns, including the height of the buildings and the increased traffic on local streets around 18th and Wawona, including the Greater West Portal Neighborhood Association and the West of Twin Peaks Central Council
Due to their input, plans for traffic to and from the project will be limited to 19th Avenue, with minimal use of the gate at 18th and Wawona for staff, according to Mendelsohn. Neighbors frequently noted the problem of egress into 19th would create similar problems to those encountered by residents of The Grove. Driving from The Grove, south toward Stonestown or Sloat, autos must drive north along 19th and execute a U-turn or drive around the block which includes St. Cecilia’s. Recognizing this problem, plans are in the works for a new road that will go to the existing intersection at 19th and Wawona, allowing drivers to head south from into the intersection itself which currently exists, albeit with no entrance from Wawona.
Developers also held early meetings with the Planning Department, St. Cecilia’s and Supervisor Elsbernd. These meetings have been described as informational.
There are no plans, as yet, to break ground, and the planning and entitlement work will likely take another year to 18 months. Construction itself will not begin for at least 2 more years.
Bob Mendelsohn, is the President of Republic Urban Properties, West Coast Division. Headquarters are in San Francisco and San Jose.
March 2008
With hospital blood use up, some elective surgeries are being delayed until the blood supply stabilizes, delaying crucial patient care. Your help is needed! rcblood.org/donate
Trending Articles at the Westside Observer
City’s Granny Dumping Spike
City Health Department’s Missing Report Concealed Shameless Patient Dumping
by Patrick Monette-Shaw
The hospitals shed their Skilled Nursing bed capacity in the City’s private sector hospitals en masse. It Was adversely affecting profits
There is a dire shortage of nursing home beds in SF—especially for those on Medi-Cal—which pays for chronic long-term care when a resident cannot afford $15,000 a month.
Mayor Breed has proposed an unprecedented rollback of San Francisco’s height and density limitations that would allow six story buildings in areas previously zoned for one and two-story construction
The format made it difficult for candidates to evade tough questions—all four seasoned politicians are skilled in. Even non-politician Lurie was not exempt.
A confluence of major legal actions has moved forward to pretrial deposition testimony in BVHP Residents v Tetra Tech brought by SFPD and whistleblowers under the False Claims Act.
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While gasoline tax-paying automobile owners finance the streets of San Francisco San Francisco’s Budget finances the SF Bicycle Coalition, a private entity?
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The devastating effect of drug addiction is evident from the human wreckage ...Yes, it’s a nationwide plague. But SF overdose rates are twice the national average.
“It is a significant reconfiguration of the street. A two-way bikeway would replace existing parking. Bus stops would relocate from the curb to new transit boarding islands in traffic lanes.
If you do get into a shelter — they’ll take away your belongings, you can’t have a pet, you can’t have visitors and after a few days or a week, you’ll likely be turned out on the street again with nothing.
Two surprises. Republican Steve Garvey, and Democrat Adam Schiff were the top two finishers. Schiff concentrated on making Garvey his opponent rather than Barbara Lee and Katie Porter.
Unfortunately,it also has many disadvantages. The gas is explosive. It needs to be compressed or converted into other chemicals, such as liquid ammonia...
A confluence of major legal actions has moved forward to pretrial deposition testimony in BVHP Residents v Tetra Tech brought by SFPD and whistleblowers under the False Claims Act.
Removal of the weedy species is necessary. All plants have natural predators in their native ranges, but landscape plants imported from, say, across the ocean, left their predators there.
While gasoline tax-paying automobile owners finance the streets of San Francisco San Francisco’s Budget finances the SF Bicycle Coalition, a private entity?
SFMTA still has no quantifiable road safety data other than right turns are bad, left turns are bad, fast-moving cars are dangerous, slow-moving cars are dangerous, cars are bad, and bikes are good.
Local school board elections used to be sleepy affairs. No more. Political activists now pay close attention to these local contests — for good reasons.
Despite a surplus of water in our reservoirs sufficient to withstand a drought for four years, the SFPUC has imposed a drought surcharge on San Francisco ratepayers.
The previous City Administrator was a protégé of Willie Brown—resigned due to corruption. The current City administrator is a protégé of a protégé of Willie Brown.
With housing and commercial vacancies like Park Merced and businesses still closing downtown, on Market Street, and in most neighborhoods, it’s dogging the Mayor’s election.
The devastating effect of drug addiction is evident from the human wreckage ...Yes, it’s a nationwide plague. But SF overdose rates are twice the national average.
“It is a significant reconfiguration of the street. A two-way bikeway would replace existing parking. Bus stops would relocate from the curb to new transit boarding islands in traffic lanes.
If you do get into a shelter — they’ll take away your belongings, you can’t have a pet, you can’t have visitors and after a few days or a week, you’ll likely be turned out on the street again with nothing.
Two surprises. Republican Steve Garvey, and Democrat Adam Schiff were the top two finishers. Schiff concentrated on making Garvey his opponent rather than Barbara Lee and Katie Porter.
Unfortunately,it also has many disadvantages. The gas is explosive. It needs to be compressed or converted into other chemicals, such as liquid ammonia...
Every five years, the EPA determines the success of superfund cleanups
New Shipyard Report Confirms: Unsafe for Habitation
by Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai
Take-home message: Cleanup efforts in 15 parcels and sites do not protect residents from hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants emanating from the dirty base
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Just when Laguna Honda seemed to be turning the corner on its struggle toward reform, three law firms have teamed up to expand their Class Action lawsuit.
“Tamales are such a delicate process... things like the balance of masa to filling, or how long you steam them for, or how tightly they’re wrapped in their husks And time... timing is crucial to ensure they do not become dry and tough.
New proposed location for Ocean View Library is ideal
by Glenn Rogers
Few were surprised when Supervisor Safai learned the library was not to be built in the Greenbelt — he feared the worst. No library at all.Since 2023, the Library Commission has been considering 466 Randolph Street, where the I.T. Bookman Community Center and the Pilgrim Community Church are located.
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Your local self-appointed sage hopes Trump is barred from his presidential candidacy by high courts such as the Supremes. (And I don't mean the singing group!).
UCSF proposes settlement for Joseph Miranda and his radioactive truck
ONE BIG MAN — ONE HOT TRUCK!
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Assessing Judge Bergert’s use of mental health diversions
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A Man Walks Into a Walgreens ...
by Michael Antonini
Aware that his escape was implausible, or perhaps it was the ear-splitting sound of approaching police cars, the thief turned and ran back into the Walgreens
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by Dr. Derek Kerr
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At last! SFUSD has identified why students aren’t learning. Ready? The real cause is White Supremacy. That’s right. White Supremacy Culture is preventing our students from learning.
It effectively punishes hundreds, if not thousands, who want to participate in our local government. Even worse, it will force those who have disabilities to disclose their special needs. Or face the burden of traveling to City Hall.
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by Quentin Kopp
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Owner Diana Zogaric has little time to bemoan setbacks. She notes that the original owner, Douglas Shaw, opened the business during the Great Depression in 1931.
SF has lost 1,381 Skilled Nursing Facility beds. If LHH loses 120 more beds it will leave only 2,161 meanwhile 4,186 patients were discharged to other counties in 2022.
Laguna Honda’s battle to keep 120 skilled nursing beds is unnecessary.
Patrick Monette-Shaw
LHH’s bedrooms exceed the minimum square-foot restrictions. They have sliding doors between each bedroom — essentially making them all private, single-person rooms.
It’s time to assess Prop 47’s havoc on the safety of San Franciscans
by Lou Barberini
Before Prop 47 eliminated California Penal Code section 666, a police officer could charge a thief with a criminal history with “felony theft with-priors” and take him to county jail.
Pretend you're an alien (E.T.) come to earth in human form to live and learn and even to rationally guide humans who have lost their way. You land in San Francisco.
It’s time to assess Prop 47’s havoc on the safety of San Franciscans
by Lou Barberini
Before Prop 47 eliminated California Penal Code section 666, a police officer could charge a thief with a criminal history with “felony theft with-priors” and take him to county jail.
Pretend you're an alien (E.T.) come to earth in human form to live and learn and even to rationally guide humans who have lost their way. You land in San Francisco.
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Laguna Honda Finally Hires a Nursing Home Administrator
Patrick Monette-Shaw
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It Could lead to more arrests of protestors, minorities, or anyone the State considers a threat if artificial intelligence is designed and executed improperly.
It took courage for the Public Guardian to file suit. Hopefully, the public will learn the full extent of the scandal. The timing couldn’t be worse for LHHs struggle to survive.
April 14th is the anniversary of Laguna Honda's decertification
Just Released—Laguna Honda Hospital's Revised Closure Plan
Patrick Monette-Shaw
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The history of liberty is the history of the limitations on the power of government. And the provenance of government usually expands on federal, state and local levels
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Billions and Billions Later, California's High-speed Rail Future Is Still Illusive
by Quentin Kopp
The project cost for the non-high speed rail portion in the Central Valley increased last month to $35.3 billion from $25.2 billion. It obtains money from a cap-and-trade program which adds 23 cents to every gasoline gallon besides the state’s 53.9 cents tax per gallon
For decades, the City has allowed weaker standards for buildings shorter than 240 feet — no signs of seriously considering these structural deficiencies.
This mural is currently on loan from City College to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) —The agreement includes the return of the mural to City College which has been its owner and guardian since 1940.
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Did 20 years of mismanagement prompt the Feds to intervene?
The Bungled Management of Laguna Honda
Patrick Monette-Shaw
Kanaley had no experience running a skilled nursing facility whatsoever and certainly no experience or training to run a 1,200-bed nursing home with approximately 1,500 employees
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30% of Parkmerced's 3,221 units are vacant. If the Prop M Vacant Unit Tax does not encourage lower rents, the City might purchase them at a bargain, making thousands of new units available...
Madam Mayor parties down as City is deluged in “atmospheric river”
Mayor's Clueless New Years Fumble Signels Trouble
by Dr. Ahimsa Sumchai
Adorned in a feather boa and accompanied by City Attorney David Chiu, Breed's City Officials were oblivious to the massive flooding NASA satellite images predicted December 16, 2022.
A huge number of students who enter high school are not proficient in English and math — almost 45 percent of SFUSD 8th graders are not proficient in English. More than half are not proficient in math
...the mission of a nursing home is to promote resident autonomy. This is not compatible with the treatment of persons with unstable behavioral issues, which requires structure and agreement to "house rules." If LHH continues admitting persons with active substance use or unstable mental illness, we will lose Laguna Honda.
Willie Brown predicted the Central Subway would reduce (can you imagine?) Muni’s operating costs by $23.9 million annually. Muni’s operating costs will now increase by more than $25 million per year.
Renne sought to take credit for the Tobacco Settlement Revenue lawsuit. It was used, in part, to pay for the LHH rebuild project. Renne had done no such thing.
Climate reparations dominated Egypt's UN Climate Change Summit this month — overburdened communities demand help cutting emissions, adapting to climate change…and compensation for damages!
Since its inception, the SOTF has been a thorn in City Hall’s backside. Why? ... Engaged citizens and journalists seek more information than officialdom likes to share.
Audit non-profit agencies and City contracts to ensure that services are provided ... especially those providing homeless services. ...revenue-generating departments need to ensure all revenue sources are addressed
You won't see from downtown what you can see from Mt. Tam. Out here at Ocean Beach the nighttime fog makes viewing an occasional event. Happy skywatching!
Despite these commitments to ensure safe and minimally-stressful transfers ... it did not fully grasp the number and complexity of LHH patients. So, LHH was “pigeon-holed into rules applying to standard nursing homes.
City Leaders Value Saving Money Over Saving Lives and Property
by Frank T. Blackburn and Nancy Wuerfel
Mayor Breed remains blissfully silent on the need to extend adequate fire protection to approximately half the City, even though she has knowledge of Fire Department needs having been a fire commissioner in 2010.
D5 gets $50,000 for tree planting. D8, $246,000 for sidewalk gardens and street trees. And that's it for the entire City. If there is a climate emergency you wouldn't know it from San Francisco.”
There is a need for a routine and consistent review of this facility. Programs that exist here are rarely audited, and when they are, the list of improvements required is long and important.
Time to Shine a Brighter Light on SFUSD Chronic Absences
by Carol Kocivar
Children living in poverty are two to three times more likely to be chronically absent—and face the most harm because their community lacks the resources to make up for the lost learning in school.
As of July 11, just 623 patients remain at LHH, compared to 681 in May. Most have been transferred to San Mateo nursing homes. Three went to homeless shelters.
Power plant emissions formed black soot on windows and doorways in their homes and triggered asthma attacks, headaches and nosebleeds in their children. Residents led the successful fight that ultimately closed the PG&E Hunters Point power plant in 2006
Farmers Market and St. Ignatious in Tug-of-war over parking spaces
by Jonathan Farrell
...the farmers market gets: 2000-6000 visitors per weekend. Whereas if the area were ceded back for Saint Ignatius’s parking needs they would serve about 60 cars...
LHH was given 6 months to correct its deficiencies. A follow-up inspection found persistent - and seemingly worse - drug and contraband use, despite LHH’s Plan of Correction.
Will Laguna Honda Solve Its Problems By Abandoning 120 More Patient Beds?
Patrick Monette-Shaw
Both consultants provided “preliminary assessment reports” of their initial recommendations. Only HMA’s “preliminary assessment report” has been made public.
Everybody involved knew that adding “unstable” adults brought disarray and danger to Laguna Honda's seniors. Most folks just went along. Now they’re surprised?
The report concludes groundwater “may” become contaminated as sea level rises. In fact, Shipyard groundwater was documented as“contaminated” where thousands of homes are being constructed.
“It seems preposterous to put a library on a congested thoroughfare when there are better places that are safer for pedestrians to use,” one community member said.
People are frustrated and spurt out the word “segregated”
That's because SFUSD has failed to prepare all ethnicities for a rigorous academic high school.
41% of companies allow employees to relocate permanently to any state freely, while companies that do not allow the employees to relocate elsewhere represent only 5%.
The moderates only need to flip one district from the progressive side of the aisle to preclude the veto power of the Board of Supervisors, since the mayor appointed moderate Supervisor Matt Dorsey ... the Redistricting Task Force handed moderates a perfect set up to do just that.
If a mandatory reduction is ordered, there will be a “floor” or minimum allocation per person so that those who have conserved, and now conserve, will not be penalized.
...competence erodes as conscientious employees get marginalized and lackeys are promoted. This consolidation promotes impunity. Betraying the public trust is normalized.
Violent Thug Attacks, Robs Asian Visitor—Goes Free
Boudin's famed "puppy killer" strikes again
by Lou Barberini
Boudin and the judge circumvented diversion rules because violent criminals are “not eligible” for diversion programs. Why did Boudin send someone to drug diversion if they weren’t arrested for drugs?”
Despite the fact that discharge is not legally required (yet) at Laguna Honda, all patients and their families are being interviewed for discharge and this is causing a lot of stress.
Too bad no one saw this coming......oh, a group of doctors from Laguna Honda did.
Over time, those special interests have proven adept at using the same “peoples protections” to further their own interests. Recalls are expensive, and a few of San Francisco’s bitterest billionaires buy low-turnout elections when they disagree with the voters...
41% of companies allow employees to relocate permanently to any state freely, while companies that do not allow the employees to relocate elsewhere represent only 5%.
...there are issues that can unite us.. We all want to support our educators who have been doing the hard work every day despite a pandemic and political feud.
Could the motivation behind all of this be to create such a god-awful divisive plan and create so much anger that the voters would just throw up their hands and get rid of it altogether?
Taylor minced no words … the results of her 1995 investigation displeased health officials and influenced her decision not to publish significant findings, “I was convinced there was something there
Each student is tutored three times a week primarily outside of school time via an online, collaborative learning platform that offers intervention through guided reading lessons, gamification, and assessments.
Chair Townsend's Solution to African-American Population Decline Will Likely Result in a Lawsuit Redistricting's latest map has everyone on edge, scrambling to find out who their new Supervisor will be.
District 7 reclaims Forest Knolls, Twin Peaks, Midtown Terrace, the Woods and Miraloma Park from District 8 as well as all of Lakeshore and Merced Manor from District 4, but loses ground entirely in the Inner Sunset.
Lowell high school's merit-based admission policy is perfectly legal. We’ve looked at the language of the law, the history of the law and the intent of the law. We've done our homework.
Labor Union Sues City for Corruption and Retaliation
Union Lawsuit Reveals "City Family" Backroom Maneuvers
by Dr. Derek Kerr
Why does the FBI manage to unearth City Hall corruption, while our watchdog agencies; the Controller’s Whistleblower Program, Ethics Commission and City Attorney’s Office cry “What happened?
… instead of looking seriously into what could be done to solve the coupling problem … henceforth the trains operating in the subway would be only one and two cars long.
... SFPUC says 50% rationing could be required. Environmental groups contest that judgment. But if anything like that threatens imminently, you can bet costs will rise and fast. Rates follow.
Limit plastic used in wrapping done by on-line shopping? Since the pandemic, online shopping has created 29% more waste in landfills which can end up in our oceans
... infant mortality rates in BVHP (were) twice as high as the rest of San Francisco and one of the highest in the state, a cluster of infant deaths were detected in the shipyard region.
SFPUC: Controllers Audit Reveals Compromised Bid Process
by Dr. Derek Kerr
Most contractors lagged in delivering community benefits and submitting required progress reports. And, once a contract ended, undelivered benefits were not recoverable. SFPUC had no policies to monitor compliance.
Ideally, police can stop “sideshows” before they happen with intel from undercover officers and by monitoring social media accounts that announce where sideshows will be. That was not evident in West Portal & 30th/Lawton incidents
Ginsburg, working with the SF Bicycle Coalition and Walk SF, have banned cars on JFK Drive and the Upper Great Highway during the pandemic. Plans are being made make the bans permanent ...
Persistent Corruption, Incompetence & Some Good News
by Quentin Kopp
Despite City Hall corruption, Supervisors ignore Recology’s garbage monopoly...a year has passed with a minor refund of rate overcharges thanks to Controller Ben Rosenfield...
There are procedures for closing a major highway, and that includes an Environmental Impact Report — how much more pollution would be caused by rerouting up to 20,000 vehicles a day through stop and go traffic ...?
Drivers ... good news for you: the vast majority of streets are dominated by cars! You can drive on all the roads, which is why a radical change is necessary.
CEQA Protects Us From Special Interests’ “Big Lie”
by Roger Lin and Douglas Carstens
A sustained campaign, led by polluting industries, real estate developers, etc, has repeatedly and falsely claimed California’s environmental law is fueling the housing crisis.
We have one coastline; we should prioritize this safe place to recreate and be with neighbors—not a redundant roadway separating the neighborhood from the coast to save drivers a couple minutes.
Moving physically - or mentally-challenged patients is clearly detrimental to their health...leaving fragile patients stranded, miles away from their families and friends
..income disclosures serve to identify and deter potential conflicts of interest, pay-to-play deals and bribes ... But something was omitted – the lavish cost of the banquet at the Old Skool Café.
Their plan—use the earthquake bond money to upgrade antiquated and fragile drinking water mains, is the reason expansion of the high-pressure hydrants cannot be completed before mid-century.
Does the City care what your rates are? The Commission recently passed a resolution to guide Herrera. It lacks anything about keeping rates as low as possible.
Homelessness is so grueling that getting high brings welcome relief. When the high wears off, a dysphoric “crash” ensues along with a craving for more meth.
With less water in the rivers, the temperature increases, killing salmon and allowing the green scum called algae bloom that can make water toxic to humans and fish.
You already know what you want to do. And you have already been told, loudly, that riders want — and need — all their old routes back in operation. Soon. Not months from now. Therefore, the phoney survey.
