By Christin Evans, HANC Board

During September’s HANC general member meeting, Calvin Welch presented his perspective on Prop H and urged the organization to take a “No on H” position.  The Mayor’s Office of Economic & Workforce Development (OEWD)  had made a series of recommendations for loosening land use restrictions and making changes in permitting processes & fees in 2018/19 which then Supervisor Vallie Brown had introduced at the Board of Supervisors.  But failing to gain her colleague’s support, Brown’s legislation was severely trimmed back and was restricted primarily to land zoning and permitted use changes primarily in District 5 alone.  

However, with Prop H, a measure placed on the ballot by the Mayor, we saw many of OEWD’s recommendations re-appear in a sprawling piece of legislation over 90 pages long which allows new uses such as movie theaters, shared office space (WeWork type model) by-right in neighborhood commercial corridors where they previously required a conditional use permit. 

HANC’s board members have expressed concern that there was nearly no community input or process to even inform neighborhood groups about the mayor’s sea-change proposals.  Moreover, the zoning changes deliver huge value and benefits to developers and commercial property owners without asking for anything in return. And specifically because of the lack of process and community engagement, and lack of clarity on the need for the loosening of certain land use restrictions, the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council recommends members reject H.  And, we invite the Mayor to reintroduce her measure after it has had time to make the rounds and receive community input.