News

By Al Saracevic : sfexaminer – excerpt

Conversions could revitalize S.F.’s troubled downtown district

So, lemme get this straight. We have an acute housing shortage in San Francisco. And our downtown office buildings are standing largely empty. Am I missing something here? Seems like a logical, common sense solution is staring us square in the face.

Let’s convert some office space into residential housing.

Before you take out your zoning rule book and start slapping me around, let’s talk this out. Sure, there are plenty of roadblocks. But we put a man on the moon. Surely, we can put a condo on Sansome Street.

This, by no means, is a new idea. Commercial real estate conversion and adaptive reuse have been urban planning catch phrases for decades, triggering avid support and rabid opposition at various times, for various reasons.

But I’m here to posit a simple truth: It’s time for San Francisco to give this idea serious thought. The pandemic has triggered many changes in our society. The shift in workforce behavior may be the most profound…(more)

By Patrick Monette-Shaw : westsideobserver – excerpt

“Help, I lost my patient!”…… at a minimum 1,746 San Franciscans have been dumped out-of-county from SFGH and Laguna Honda Hospital and a handful of other private-sector hospitals in San Francisco.”…

That painful cry from a certified nursing assistant frantically searching for a patient she had lost track of when I worked at Laguna Honda Hospital for a decade is still painful to remember, even though it would have been somewhat comical to witness at the time had it not involved patient safety.

But what happens when a Public Health Department loses track of its patients who have been dumped (discharged) out-of-county?

That’s nowhere near “comical.” In my eyes, it borders on criminal neglect, intentional obstruction, or governmental incompetence.

San Francisco’s Department of Public Health claimed way back on September 16, 2020 that its new replacement Electronic Healthcare Records (EHR) database — named Epic — that was rolled out and went live on August 3, 2019 and has cost the City at least $167.4 million, does not track patients discharged out-of-county. Wait! What?

I suspected then DPH’s claim was probably an outright lie, however unintentional. Ironically, it was an epic-sized lie. The Westside Observer first reported on this in June 2021…(more)

By Michael Barca : sfstandard – exerpt

Police Commission considers ordering Chief Scott to reverse course on decision to leave agreement with DA Boudin.

District Attorney Chesa Boudin accused Police Chief Bill Scott of bowing to political pressure from the police union last week after the chief severed an agreement that put prosecutors in charge of investigating police shootings and other use-of-force cases.

But now Chief Scott—who faced a possible vote of no confidence from the department’s union—is under criticism from his civilian bosses on the Police Commission, who say they were blindsided by his decision to abandon a key piece of police reform. The commission, which has the power to fire the chief, is now considering ordering him to reverse course.

Scott pulled out of the agreement last Wednesday over allegations that the District Attorney’s Office withheld evidence while investigating a police officer for beating a man with a baton. The chief accused prosecutors of violating the agreement by not sharing information with his department as the two agencies conducted parallel investigations into the incident.

The decision to withdraw from the agreement without first consulting the Police Commission exasperated commission President Malia Cohen. The agreement is a key part of the police reform efforts started in San Francisco following a series of deadly police shootings in 2015…(more)

By Connie Chan : sfrichmondreview – excerpt

Golden Gate Park has a long history, celebrating its 152nd anniversary this year. It’s the third-most visited city park in the country and was built when Superintendent John McLaren had the vision at a time when San Franciscans were in desperate need of a green oasis.

McLaren preferred trees over statues and fought to protect plants and wildlife habitats against artificial structures, like state fairs and Ferris wheels. He loved Golden Gate Park so much that he literally lived in the Park. His residence was located at the east entrance of the Park, today known as the McLaren Lodge.

For years, I had the privilege of sitting and working in a corner in the attic of McLaren’s former residence as a Recreation and Park Department staff member. I treasured daily moments of walking through the Oakwood Trail when commuting to and from work. Over the years, I have learned that I have almost nothing in common with John McLaren, except that I share his vision for Golden Gate Park: it must remain a green oasis for all San Franciscans.

However, many things have changed since the days of John McLaren as our leader of the City’s green open space. According to a 2021 national report from the Trust for Public Land, San Francisco is #1 in the nation for spending on parks per capita, but not even in the top 10 for equity in those parks. Access for ALL of our residents to parks and open space is crucial, especially as we approach the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic…

We need to ensure our public parks are affordable and accessible to everyone, and Golden Gate Park is no exception. I believe we have the tools to strike the right balance between free and open access and reasonable fees to fund operations without restricting access to an exclusive few. Working together in a transparent and public process to find this balance is how we best uphold John McLaren’s vision of keeping Golden Gate Park a serene refuge for all…(more)

Responses at the source are appreciated. (Download pdf)

By Rebecca Rosen : beyondchron – excerpt

Planthold Memorial Invitation

(Editor’s Note: Bob Planthold, a longtime Beyond Chron contributor and transit and disability activist, recently died in San Francisco. Senior Beat’s Rebecca Rosen-Lum wrote a great tribute to Planthold last August that we repost with permission. You can find Bob’s letters and stories in Beyond Chron by entering “Planthold” in our search box. He will truly be missed)…

A friend said that to understand activist Bob Planthold one might be best advised to start by watching “Crip Camp,” the film backed by the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions that documents the rise of the disability rights movement.

With its theme of “Nothing about us without us” – a protest against policy that affects the disabled but doesn’t seek their input – the journey mirrors Planthold’s own, from a growing awareness of the need for change to building alliances to move it along.

Planthold, 72, advocates for seniors, pedestrians and people with disabilities on transit issues and in assuring access to other resources. He participates in frequent meetings – easier now, with Zoom…

A legislative turning point – The high point of “Crip Camp” – and a turning point in Planthold’s life – was the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a watershed piece of legislation, particularly the fight for section 504, mandating accessible public accommodation…

Organizing for change – Planthold has corralled comrades to push for changes in a number of areas…

Keeping it light – Lobbying can be a tough job but Planthold tries to keep it light…

Presumptions & prejudices – And if Planthold raises a strong voice for others with disabilities, he advocates as ardently for people with other needs – tapping into advocacy groups to craft effective alliances…

Working in the system – In 2008, he received the Mayor’s Disability Council Beacon Award for his service with the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, the Ethics Commission, (going on 5) Civil Grand Juries, Bay Area Legal Aid, Senior Action Network, Disaster Preparedness, Public Transit and Pedestrian Safety Issues — as well as his many years of providing valuable input and advocacy before the Mayors Disability Council.

But he continues to wrangle with government over such issues as the proposed closure of JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park or the proliferation throughout the city of “parklets,” which swallow up lengths of sidewalk and street…

As Livingston said, “For us, the fight is never over.”…

(more)

We are sad and sorry to loose Bob. He was so incredibly helpful and determined. We appreciate his lifetime of dedication to the needs of others and his big heart. We will miss him as we continue our efforts to protect the vulnerable among.

By Tim Redmond : 48hills – excerpt

The major reform measures made it through their first round at the Rules Committee last week and will be back Monday/31 for what should a final vote before they move on to the full board. But it’s not clear what will happen to Mayor London Breed’s attack on the School Board.

That measure, an extraordinary power grab by a chief executive who freely accuses others of doing that, met with a chilly reception last week at Rules.

But there were enough votes to move it forward for another week…

Sup. Dean Preston wants a hearing to look into how many apartments in San Francisco are currently vacant, and what the city can do about it. That’s coming up at the Land Use and Transportation Committee Monday/31 at 1:30pm.

It’s a fascinating and important issue that often gets lost in all of the Yimby rhetoric about needed to build more housing—because it’s safe to say that a fair percentage of the housing that’s been built in the past ten years is empty.

The last time we checked in on this, we discovered that a lot of the new condos were bought by people as second or third or even fourth homes, and many didn’t live in them. We used property-tax data, which is available but imperfect: If someone’s tax bill for a downtown condo is sent to an address other than that condo, it’s pretty clear they don’t live there. But they could be renting it out.…(more)

By J. D. Morris : msn – excerpt

Mayor London Breed’s third attempt to ask voters to streamline housing production through a charter amendment failed Wednesday after a Board of Supervisors committee killed the proposal.

Breed hoped the charter amendment would be considered by voters on the June 7 ballot. Her proposal sought to streamline new housing construction by letting some qualified projects circumvent the city’s discretionary review process, cutting a year or two from a timeline that can take two years or more for developers to complete…

Peskin, the committee’s chair, said that the proposal had not been vetted properly with the various community stakeholders it would affect and that after hearing strong concerns from a chorus of opponents, it would be futile to advance the amendment…

The defeat underscores the ongoing conflict between the board and the mayor about San Francisco’s protracted housing crisis and how to address it…(more)