DZLU MEETING DATE: September 22, 2020 (via Zoom)
1. ONGOING POLICY UPDATES
a. COMMERCIAL VACANCIES & POLICIES
City’s Shared Spaces Program:
Legislation for a two-year extension of fee waivers (through 4/15/22) on the city’s Shared Spaces Program has been cosponsored by Supervisor Peskin and was passed unanimously by the Board of Supervisors on 9/29. At the same time, we have heard concerns raised by several neighbors about loss of parking, noise, and absence in general of tighter controls and enforcement.
DZLU recommended, and RHN’s Executive Committee approved, issuance of a letter to Supervisor Peskin that expressed support for
the extended fee waivers and the potential for enlivening our commercial streets. We also urged that, as the program is extended, a parallel effort advance in which the City incorporates reasonable adjustments to the program, reviewing lessons learned from experiences to date. We asked that controls be developed with special focus on the following:
– Development of a Good Neighbor Policy governing such areas as noise mitigation, trash cleanup, rodent control, etc.
– Clarification of how a parklet adjacent to a restaurant may be used by patrons or other members of the public who are not restaurant customers.
– Parking and transportation issues: provision of pickup spaces for take out food orders, service spaces, reserving an appropriate number and distribution of public parking spaces, and programs including signage to offer information about existing public and private garages and parking lots.
– Compliance: Inclusion of streamlined inspections to ensure that shared spaces are built to the required specifications, ensuring patron safety and ADA compliance and providing sufficient space for sidewalk tables and chairs and pedestrian circulation.
Additional clearer guidelines for shared spaces structures that partially address some of these concerns have recently been posted by the city at:
https://sf.gov/sites/default/files/2020-09/Shared Spaces Design Guidelines 09252020.pdf
Reaching out directly to individual merchants or merchant associations is always encouraged to attempt to resolve any concerns regarding crowded sidewalks, noise, etc. Most merchants welcome such input. The Shared Spaces Program also describes the 311 process for any resident to register a specific concern or complaint.
Lastly, to clarify terminology: parklets are permanent installations with a fuller process of neighbor input and city reviews, as distinct from the temporary installations under the Shared Spaces Program that was established as a lifeline to restaurants and cafes severely impacted by the Covid-related restrictions on indoor dining. These are sometimes called “temporary” parklets.
Currently on Russian Hill there is one approved and installed “permanent” parklet at Pacific and Polk (at Cheese Plus) and a second “permanent” parklet has been submitted for 2340 Polk at Union (at Saint Frank).
b. AB 3182 — Modifying HOA restrictions on renting units:
Assembly member Phil Ting has sponsored several bills aiming to incentivize housing. AB 3182 requires HOAs to amend their CCR’s to remove restrictions on renting out units for under a year. HOAs must permit their members to rent at least 25% of the condominium units for 30 days or more. It overwhelmingly passed the assembly (54-16) and senate (23-9). There was no consensus that DZLU should urge any action on this. The governor approved the measure on 9/28.
Unlike other more prominent proposed bills such as SB 902 and AB 3040 discussed in previous reports, which focus on physical development of new housing units, this had not been on our radar. SB 902 and AB 3040 did not advance but may be proposed in some form in future sessions.
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