Rally at SF City Hall to Stop Huge Gift to Developers

Hi Neighbors,

Please sign the petition below against the disastrous and extremely undemocratic bill now going through the California State Senate which would dramatically increase gentrification and evictions for working people, teachers, seniors and the disabled in most cities and towns in the state!

Senator Scott Wiener has written SB 827 and sells it as a bill to force cities and town to build much denser housing along transit corridors to reduce the state's carbon emissions. However, it is in fact a huge gift to his developer backers and will try to solve climate issues on the backs of working people resulting in large increases in housing costs, evictions and displacement.

Those who oppose the bills are tarred as wealthy home-owners who don't want a greater density of housing in their neighborhoods but in fact, the bill is opposed by almost every housing rights group in the state. Many, many cities and towns are lining up against it and so is the Sierra Club - all groups one would expect to support a bill that was good for the climate and housing. In fact, a self-serving, fake "grass roots" group called YIMBY, formed by two tech CEO's, is leading the charge for this bill which would be very unlikely to displace them or their friends and would create housing only they could afford.

Wiener is trying to add amendments to save the bill, and his gift to his developer pals, but it is so basically flawed that no amendments will prevent it from creating massive increases in gentrification and evictions.

More details to come but please take a look at the information below about things you can do right away to help stop this awful legislation in its tracks - sign the petition, write SF Supervisors, come to a rally at SF City Hall next Tuesday.

Plenty of articles below if you want more information!

This is one of the biggest threats to ever face middle and lower-income people in SF. Please find out about this massive gift to real estate speculators and do what you can to stop it! There are a lot of very rich people who want to see this passed so they can get much richer.

Thanks!

Please scroll down to item #3, under "HOW YOU CAN HELP" from info [at] cowhollowassociation.org for a link to the petition opposing Senate Bills 827 and 828.

NEXT STEP

On April 3rd there will be a vote by the full Board of Supervisors. We want the Board to send a STRONG MESSAGE to our State legislators that we join Los Angeles and other cities to unequivocally Oppose SB 827 with No Amendments. The bill is fundamentally flawed and amendments won't fix it. Once SF takes an official stand, we will focus our attention on the State legislators and remind them who they represent -- and it's not the developers backing the bill.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

1) Email Supervisors by April 3rd (if haven't yet) - details & sample letters below

2) Come to rally on steps of City Hall (Polk Street entrance), April 3rd at noon

3) Sign and share this petition

4) Spread the word - most important thing you can do!

- Forward this email to neighbors, friends, family throughout California

- Share Facebook page

- Retweet Twitter page

- Tell anyone that will listen and share this site www. standupforsanfrancisco.org


These images of SF and LA depict 5 -story buildings.

If you think this is bad, imagine these buildings nearly twice as high.

This bill prevents you from appealing the permit application for these towering complexes based on neighborhood design guidelines.

ABOUT SENATE BILL 827

Senate Bill 827 (proposed by State Senator Scott Wiener) is statewide, one-size-fits-all approach to add more housing along transit routes. It's a deeply flawed bill and amendments won't fix it, they only create loopholes. San Francisco is already doing more than most cities to provide additional housing both at market and affordable rates, yet the City will be disproportionately impacted with 96% of San Francisco parcels up-zoned to allow big, tall luxury apartment and condo complexes.

If passed, Senate Bill 827 would:

Remove present height controls and allow 5 to 8 story complexes.
Remove density restrictions.
Remove minimum parking requirements.
Take away your voice in neighborhood planning.

If passed, Senate Bill 827 additionally would:

NOT protect renters who will be removed by Ellis Act and payoffs.
NOT provide any additional affordable housing.
NOT provide for needed infrastructure to support new units.
NOT provide for added demand for public safety services.

ABOUT SENATE BILL 828

A companion bill, Senate Bill 828, stands to increase the State's "Regional Housing Needs Allocation," or "RHNA." If passed, SB 828 will define San Francisco as not having enough market rate housing, and thereby would make another bill by Senator Wiener, Senate Bill 35, effective. This legislation forces any city that does not meet its housing production goal to allow developers to build anything, anywhere with no neighborhood notification, no Discretionary Review, and no design guidelines.

These bills will not result in more affordable housing, as the proponents claim. Instead the units will be top of the market luxury apartments and condos and not even make a dent in the housing issue. Also putting tall, dense housing within a 1/4 mile of bus routes does not mean people will ride public transit over their own cars, Uber or Lyft. Also residents will oppose new public transit projects because it triggers the up-zoning of SB 827 in their area. And finally, imagine local transportation agencies such as SFMTA, who are not beholden to the voters, having the power to simply adjust bus routes and schedules that would then change the reach of SB 827.

EMAIL (or call) SF SUPERVISORS

Please contact all the supervisors BEFORE APRIL 3rd and tell them to not let SB 827 hijack our neighborhoods - NO on SB 827 with NO AMENDMENTS. We are providing sample letter templates for you to choose from OR create your own (preferable). Please email the following:

Aaron.Peskin [at] sfgov.org

Ahsha.Safai [at] sfgov.org

Catherine.Stefani [at] sfgov.org

Hillary.Ronen [at] sfgov.org

Jane.Kim [at] sfgov.org

Jeff.Sheehy [at] sfgov.org

Katy.Tang [at] sfgov.org

London.Breed [at] sfgov.org

Malia.Cohen [at] sfgov.org

Norman.Yee [at] sfgov.org

Sandra.Fewer [at] sfgov.org

mayormarkfarrell [at] sfgov.org

board.of.supervisors [at] sfgov.org

info [at] cowhollowassociation.org



If you want to call the Supervisors which is effective, here is a link to their contact information.

Additional Reading

Mercury News Opinion - March 25, 2018

Opinion: SB 827 will exacerbate California's housing crisis




Opinion: SB 827 will exacerbate California’s housing crisis

Market-rate housing is the most profitable for developers
×
××××

Chronicle Article - March 25, 2018

Scott Wiener's housing bill would give state veto power over cities' plans




Scott Wiener’s housing bill would give state veto power over cities’ plans

SACRAMENTO - Everyone agrees California badly needs more housing. Few dispute that creating homes near mass tran...
×
××××

CalMatters Article - March 22, 2018

What to know about the housing bill that has people freaking out from Marin to Compton




What to know about the housing bill that has people freaking out from Ma...

People from Marin to Compton are freaking out about a controversial state housing bill. Here's what you should k...
×
××××

48 Hills Article - March 12, 2018

Hearing on Wiener housing bill points to the roots of this crisis

Examiner Article - February 18, 2018

Senate Bill 827 could raise height limits throughout SF, transform city




Senate Bill 827 could raise height limits throughout SF, transform city

A state bill seeking to solve California’s housing crisis by encouraging denser, taller housing near transit cou...
×
××××

48 Hills Article - February 1, 2018

Scott Wiener's war on local planning

The Antiplanner Article - January 11, 2018

Bill Would Eliminate San Francisco Zoning

Scott Wiener's Article on Facebook

MY TRANSIT DENSITY BILL (SB 827): ANSWERING COMMON QUESTIONS AND DEBUNKING MISINFORMATION




Scott Wiener

My transit density bill (SB 827) - which allows increased housing density around public transportation - has pro...
×
××××

YIMBY's Tech Executive Letter of Support

(the big money behind the bill)

Petition Opposing SB 827

SB 827 Opposition Piece

San Francisco Planning Analysis to the Planning Commission

CHA email March 11, 2018

Action Needed: Oppose State law that proposes to eliminates local controls over 40' height limit in SF

CHA email March 14, 2018
Update: Land Use Hearing on SB 827 -- eliminates 40' height limit in San Francisco

andy gillis
candymansf [at] yahoo.com
(415) 431-6800