We were thrilled to be on hand to celebrate the opening of 178 units of affordable housing last week at 88 Broadway. North Beach Neighbors has been at the table advocating for this project for 8 years now. Our President, Bruno Kanter, shared our involvement with a crowd that included Mayor Breed, Assemblymember David Chiu, affordable housing developers, and neighbors.
Earlier this year, we released a Small Business Roadmap which contained 5 key recommendations on how to make our neighborhood a place where small businesses can not only survive, but thrive.
Our #1 recommendation was to make more allowances for restaurants and limited restaurants, doing so by changing the period in which a conditional use is required.
Now, we have good news. Our recommendation was adopted!
Moving forward, a conditional use will be required after 36 months of non-use, a significant improved from the previous mark of 18 months. This previous period was too tight, causing many new merchants to be caught in a spiral of endless delays if they missed the 18-month deadline.
Thank you to Aaron Peskin's office for their support on this legislation.
Thank you to the countless small businesses across the northern side of the city who supported our effort.
Thank you to Russian Hill Neighbors and Lower Polk Neighbors who endorsed this and see the value in building strong neighborhoods next to one another.
To be sure, much work remains. With vacancy rates in North Beach now over 20%, we cannot count on one change to reverse an environment which has been breaking down for years. We look forward to continuing to work with city departments, officials, and neighbors to make sure our neighborhood is one which is truly open for business.
We spoke in support of Teatro ZinZanni's plans for a new arts venue, public park, and hotel at the base of our neighborhood.
We're happy to share that the entire Planning Commission supported the project. We can't wait to welcome ZinZanni back!
https://www.sfexaminer.com/…/sf-planning-commission-gives-g…
Today, we're releasing a Small Business Roadmap that we believe will help ensure businesses in North Beach not only survive, but thrive.
With a vacancy rate 2x the level of 2015, it's clear the current system isn't working.
Two weeks ago, we sent a letter to the city and elected officials asking for answers on the proposed Navigation Center at Bay & Kearny.
Now, after conversations with the Supervisor's Office and the Department of Homelessness & Supportive Housing, we have an important set of updates to share...
*The proposed site at Bay & Kearny is no longer being pursued. The site was deemed as too small, with space for just 50 beds. This would have meant costs of $150/bed per night, 3x the cost of a traditional and shelter and 50% higher than other Navigation Centers.
*For a site in District 3, the ideal site would have 20,000 sq. feet and be available for 4+ years.
*Along the Embarcadero, South of Market, there are plans for a 200-bed SAFE center. This may be able to accommodate some of the homeless population from our neighborhood.
North Beach Neighbors is committed to continuing to connecting the city to our neighborhood to work together for solutions to homelessness. With firm answers now on the Navigation Center, we will look forward to more viable solutions.
