The GrowSF Report: SF will lose control of housing permits
PLUS: Supervisor Engardio introduces ballot prop for 8th grade algebra
What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of September 25, 2023:
- SF will lose control of housing permits
- Supervisor Engardio introduces ballot prop for 8th grade algebra
- SF will resume clearing encampments
- 10,000 graffiti complaints in last 6 months
PLUS:
- Bandit brings its breakfast sandwich to the Mission
- Devil’s Teeth tempts FiDi workers with their devilishly decadent breakfast sandwiches
SF will lose control of housing permits
State Senator Scott Wiener and the rest of the Statehouse has had enough of the dysfunctional SF Board of Supervisors and their consistent opposition to new homes. As we reported last week, if the City of San Francisco didn’t get their act together, then the State would step in and set the rules. Well, that’s exactly what’s just happened, writes Annie Fryman in an op-ed for The Chronicle.
Starting in the summer of 2024, almost all new apartment construction in San Francisco will be streamlined
Rather than endure the years-long process, lawsuits, NIMBY opposition, and meddling Supervisors, this new state law will ensure homebuilders get their permits in as little as 90 days, and that housing developments can only be approved by known, objective, concrete rules. For example, these homes must conform with current zoning and comply with our building safety codes, but they will no longer be subject to unpredictable delays by neighbor backlash, discretionary reviews, CEQA litigation, subjective design reviews, and other negotiations.
We whole-heartedly commend Senator Wiener for his bold leadership on homebuilding. Thanks to him, his dedicated staff, and the voters who elected him, an affordable future is within our grasp.
Supervisor Engardio introduces ballot prop for 8th grade algebra
Supervisor Joel Engardio, endorsed by GrowSF in the November 2022 election, has just proposed a ballot measure that will urge the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) to make algebra available for all 8th graders, according to Jill Tucker at The Chronicle. (SFUSD moved algebra from 8th to 9th grade about a decade ago, with disastrous consequences.)
We’re happy to see Supervisor Engardio pushing this common-sense policy forward, but we are frustrated by San Francisco’s governing structure that makes these kinds of non-binding resolutions both necessary and ultimately toothless. You see, SFUSD is not under the control of the Mayor or the Board of Supervisors, but rather by the Board of Education. Since voters cannot set school district policy directly, this ballot measure is really just a signal to the school district to start prioritizing education over ideology.
This move is aligned with the vast majority of voters, as we have just learned in the first quarterly GrowSF Pulse poll (be on the lookout, we’re publishing it soon!):
We’ll be closely watching which Board of Education candidates support this ballot measure, as it may be the most important piece of information for voters in November 2024.
SF will resume clearing encampments
The City will resume cleaning up homeless encampments after offering available shelter to homeless residents, writes Annie Gaus at The Standard. After favorable developments in the injunction brought about by the Coalition on Homelessness’s lawsuit against San Francisco, the City is free to improve the conditions of our streets and move people into shelter again.
10,000 graffiti complaints in last 6 months
Graffiti has become so common that many of us have simply stopped seeing it. But the hardworking small business owners haven’t.
Over the past six months, over 10,000 graffiti complaints have been filed with the city and the ones footing the bill are our already struggling restauranteurs, writes Elena Kadvany for The Chronicle.
Owners are painting over graffiti on their days off. They’re crowdsourcing the best cleaning solutions on social media. They’re spending thousands of dollars to clean graffiti and fix smashed windows while their margins are tighter than ever.
This city has spent over $1,000,000 on grants to help people deal with the rise in graffiti, but it’s not enough. If the city continues to ignore this destructive behavior and not punish those responsible, it will continue, at an even greater cost to us all.
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The breakfast sandwich edition!
Bandit brings its breakfast sandwich to the Mission
Bandit, the maker of the self-described “best breakfast sandwich” (editor’s note: personally, I think that honor goes to Kahnfections at 20th & Folsom), is opening its third location at 18th & Dolores, according to Eater SF. This location has proven challenging for a number of entrepreneurs in the past, but there’s a good chance Bandit’s tasty treats can keep the lights on for good!
Devil’s Teeth tempts FiDi workers with their devilishly decadent breakfast sandwiches
Targeting the Monday to Friday crowd, Devil’s Teeth has just opened its latest outlet for decadent breakfast sandwiches at 1 Embarcadero Center, according to Eater SF. Open daily from 7am to 2pm as of Monday, September 25.
Your Action Plan
Now that you know what’s happening, help us shape what happens next:
Hear Senator Wiener and Matthew Yglesias discuss housing
Have questions about changes to housing laws in San Francisco and California? Come hear from two housing policy wonks this Tuesday, October 3rd at Manny’s.
The Spirit of San Francisco
There’s a lot to love about our city and the Bay Area. Here’s what makes it great. Brought to you by The Bold Italic.
What we’re doing this week
Castro Street Fair
The Castro Street Fair is a street celebration that was founded by Harvey Milk in 1974, and since 1998, the organizers have given over $1.6 million to community beneficiaries. It's free and also with a $10-$20 suggested donation.
WHEN: Oct. 1, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
WHERE: Entrance at Castro and Market streets
Outer Sunset farmer’s market & mercantile
A weekly market featuring farmers, ranchers, food artisans, live music, children’s activities, vendors, makers, merchants, artists, and local organizations. Explore all the amazing local businesses surrounding the farmers market.
WHEN: Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
WHERE: 37th Ave. and Ortega to Quintara
The de Young Open
The second triennial of this juried community art exhibition will feature submissions by artists from the nine Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma. Artworks will be hung “salon style,” installed nearly edge to edge and floor to ceiling, maximizing the number of works displayed. Designed to celebrate and support our local arts communities, this exhibition allows artists to offer their works for sale and retain the proceeds.
Futura Fashion Show
The SF Fashion Festival on Oct. 7 will present two fashion shows, a clean beauty lounge, speaking panel with industry leaders in fashion, beauty & wellness. Get ready for an evening of private shopping, music, fashion, state-of-the-art cocktails and more!
What we’re writing about
How to properly enjoy the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival is one of the coolest events to take place in Golden Gate Park. The annual festival—always held on the first weekend of October—brings in over 80 acts across six different stages. The festival was founded and subsidized by San Francisco venture capitalist Warren Hellman, who aimed to keep the event free, and the event lives on in his legacy. Today’s special guide pulls our best from our archives with some new deets, too.
What Craigslist’s missed connections are still good for
Part love letter, part scream into the void, and deeply personal to the Bay Area. Tiny and nostalgic and electric with longing, each Missed Connection feels like the beginning of a rom-com that will be inevitably abandoned midway through production.
Here’s where I love to eat in the Tenderloin
The Tenderloin gets a massive amount of bad press as the center of San Francisco’s worst drugs and homelessness. But the neighborhood remains a tiny part of our ever-vibrant city filled with top-notch food, as it is the case in every SF community. We review a bunch of top picks in the beleaguered neighborhood.
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