DZLU MEETING DATE: August 18, 2020 (via Zoom)
1. ONGOING PROJECT UPDATES
a. 1580 PACIFIC (at Polk–Site of Jug Shop)
JS Sullivan, the project developer, has requested a letter supporting their conditional use application. Based on what we have seen so far, including last month’s presentation, DZLU is supportive of the project. We typically wait until the hearing date is set and then prepare the letter for RHN Board review several weeks before the hearing. This process allows us to confirm the design and review any changes between now and the hearing. DZLU will confer with JS to learn if there is a rationale for an earlier support letter and we will consider this at our next month’s meeting (September 2020).
b. UTILITIES
▪ 5G/4G Wireless Antenna Standards:
RHN issued our comments, outlined in last month’s minutes, to DPW on 8/4/20 regarding the proposed revised standards. The public
hearing (virtual) is scheduled for 8/19/20 at 10:00 am.
▪ Underground Utilities–SFCUU:
There is no update on when the Telamon report may be submitted to the Board of Supervisors.
2. ONGOING POLICY UPDATES
a. COMMERCIAL VACANCIES & POLICIES
2340 Polk St. parklet proposal:
The sponsor, Saint Frank Coffee, has requested a support letter from RHN. The City encourages applicants to obtain such letters from neighborhood associations and merchants in the area.
Saint Frank has received approval to install a temporary parklet in accordance with the City’s Shared Spaces Program. Saint Frank would like to make the parklet a permanent installation.
Kevin Bohlin, a co-owner, presented the preliminary plans for the parklet. Saint Frank will be the only financial contributor to this project.
The design includes a bar, tables & chairs for 10-12 socially-distanced people. There will be a canvas shade over the space, that was designed so as not to block the business’s windows. While the parklet does benefit Saint Frank, it will not be a private space for Saint Frank patrons, but will be fully open to the public and maintained by Saint Frank. Currently, the closest public parklet is on Pacific at Polk in front of Cheese Plus in the southern portion of Russian Hill’s Polk Street economic corridor, and this request would support the northern portion.
Polk Street would lose 2 parking spaces (1 is a 30-minute metered parking spot that is also a white curb loading zone in the evening
hours, and 1 is a regular metered parking spot). Parklet sponsors compensate the city for lost parking spaces in accordance with an
established fee schedule.
There was general discussion about the impact of a cumulative loss of parking on Polk Street and whether an appropriate distribution or
master planning of parklets is considered by the City as part of its review. We understand that the City staff reviewing parklet
applications relayed that there are no other permanent parklet applications submitted in this area (and only three citywide).
DZLU’s recommended support letter was submitted to RHN’s Executive Board who unanimously approved it on 8/24/20.
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