Hiroshi Fukuda: No Manhattanization of SF

The Richmond Community Association was started in 1988 to stop the wholesale demolitions of single-family homes in the Richmond District. Speculators would outbid prospective home buyers by paying above market rate for properties.

The speculators saw the single-family home as three-unit apartments while others just saw it as a home for their family. The single-family house could be demolished and replaced with a pair of flats with a bonus room in the rear of the garage with "roughed-in plumbing." The financial obligations for a project was easily met by renting out the two flats and the "bonus" unit in the basement.

One might be concerned about having three units in a RH-2 zoned area, but no problem - here was no enforcement of city codes and the illegal units provided much needed housing!

Neighbors could often not protest the issuance of a permit for a developer's plan because there was no notification of the neighborhood until after the permit was issued. Thus, the permit could only be contested at the SF Board of Permit Appeals, composed of five commissioners who were all appointed by a pro-growth mayor. Four votes out of five were necessary to overturn an issued permit. I can only recall one permit being overturned.

Now, although there is neighborhood notification before the permit is issued, problems remain because of the pro-growth SF Planning Department and Planning Commission.

However, I must admit that the Planning Commission is improved with the Board of Supervisors having three selections and there being no retaliatory dismissal of commissioners at the whim of the mayor. Things have changed but the battle continues.

The for-profit developers have new allies in SPUR, the non-profit developers, transit-first advocates, SF Bicycle Coalition, among others.

The new challenges in the Richmond District include new zoning proposals, namely the Residential Transit-Oriented District (RTO) and Neighborhood Commercial Transit-Oriented District (NCT), which will allow buildings without required parking. These proposals, coupled with Geary Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and the Saturday closure of JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park, contributes to the Manhattanization of San Francisco.

The Richmond Community Association says "No!"

Hiroshi Fukuda is the president of the Richmond Community Association.