Tag Archives: Board of Supervisors

Campos Compromises-Terminal Not SFO to be Renamed in Milk’s Memory

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Harvey Milk stencil by SF artist Jeremy Novy

Harvey Milk stencil by SF artist Jeremy Novy

As the Biscuit has reported several times since January, Supervisor David Campos (District 9), introduced the idea of renaming SFO in honor of slain civil rights leader and Castro icon, Harvey Milk. Now it seems the powers that be have come up with a compromise solution-a terminal within the airport to bear his name instead of the entire facility.

There have been heated debates, rallies and an outpouring of community support for the idea alongside some very organized opposition to Campos’ plan.

While the late Supervisor Milk and his legacy are revered in some circles others felt he didn’t deserve such a magnanimous gesture of having the airport re-tagged in his honor. Campos’ had five votes sewn up from fellow Supervisors to move forward with his rebranding bid but the all important sixth deciding vote eluded him. That vote would have to be supplied by one of the freshmen Supervisors and none seemed convinced it was in their constituents (or perhaps theirs political) best interest.

Note Terminal 1 the unofficial selection to be renamed for Harvey Milk. Photo: FlySFO.

Note Terminal 1 the unofficial selection to be renamed for Harvey Milk. Photo: FlySFO.

Becoming convinced the job would be a raucous, uphill battle where the final decision for the name change would be placed before City voters in an off-year November ballot initiative Campos worked with Mayor Ed Lee to find a compromise-renaming one of SFO’s terminals in Harvey’s memory.

The plan now stands a committee composed of members hand-picked by the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor’s camps representing both of their interests would put together a proposal for how to make this all happen and come back with solid plans and goals within the next three months.

Supervisor Campos’ dream of having visitors to our City pass through Harvey Milk Airport has been whittled down, but, he believes his main goal-of teaching and honoring Harvey’s dream of equality and hope for all-can still be realized via the terminals prominence and position.

Which terminal is to be selected still remains to be seen. Currently Terminal One is amidst a remodeled and may be the easiest to transition in signage and other alterations to carry the late Supervisors moniker.

-Reminder the State of California’s official Harvey Milk holiday is May 22nd. Local celebrations are planned. Click the link to see what’s happening locally in the Castro.

The beautiful shrine to Harvey Milk assembled by members of the SF political club named in his honor-Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club

The beautiful shrine to Harvey Milk assembled by members of the SF Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club at the 2012 Milk/Moscone Anniversary March at Castro and Market. Photo: Waiyde Palmer

Tenant Rights Groups & Supes Propose Amending Wiener TIC Conversion Plan

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Ted Gullicksen of the San Francisco Tenants Union joined supervisors in unveiling an alternative to controversial legislation. Photo: Rebecca Bowe for the SFBG

Ted Gullicksen of the San Francisco Tenants Union joined supervisors in unveiling an alternative to controversial TIC/Condo convdrsion legislation. Photo: Rebecca Bowe for the SFBG

Yesterday on the steps of City Hall a coalition of Tenants Rights Groups and Supervisors Jane Kim, Norman Yee and Board of Supervisor President, David Chiu announced they’d come up with an amended plan for converting Tenant-in-Common(TIC) property to condos that’ll work better than the current, hotly contested and polarizing Wiener/Farrell proposal.

As the Biscuit has been posting the original proposal set out by the Castro’s Sup. Scott Wiener and his fellow BOS member Dist. 2′s Mark Farrell stated that TIC’s could now skip the City lottery conversion program, pay a one time fee of $20,000, and convert the property to Condo status immediately.

Dist 2 Sup. Mark Farrell and Dist. 8 Sup. Scott Wiener (Photo: BeyondChron)

Dist 2 Sup. Mark Farrell and Dist. 8 Sup. Scott Wiener (Photo: BeyondChron)

Tenant groups opposed this idea as Condo’s aren’t covered by current City rent control parmaters, will reduce the number of affordable houses available on the already beyond tight housing market, allow real estate speculators to continue to abuse City loop holes and policies currently in place and increase Ellis Act led evictions.

The new amendment to the Wiener/Farrell bill comes from a coalition of Tenant Unions and Supervisors. It allows the 2000 TIC units wishing to convert currently enrolled in the City’s lottery to do so after paying the proposed fee to become condos-BUT-after that a ten-year moratorium will be put in place stopping any new conversions from occurring.

The idea behind the 10-year suspension on condo conversions is it would allow time for permanent, affordable units to be built-in place of the rental units that would be lost to the one-time conversion.

The 10-year suspension is based on current regulations that TIC owners hate that hold condo conversions at 200 per year. It would last a decade because there are 2,000 units waiting to be converted, but the suspension could last longer than that. If more TIC’s get added to the list the moratorium would increase as well: 2,200 TIC units wanting to convert equals 11 year wait. 2,400 equals a 12 year hold and so on.

SF Tenants UnionThe 2000 TIC’s currently on the City’s lotto wait list for condo conversion would have their change in status staggered over the course of three years so a giant sucking sound in the housing market wouldn’t be created by all of them to go condo at the same time.

In future lotteries, only buildings with four units or less would be eligible, unlike the five and six-unit buildings that currently qualify. The amendments would also change occupancy requirements for conversion from one owner occupant to two in three-unit buildings, and three owner occupants for four-unit buildings. This will help keep speculators from buying up buildings and evicting tenants out of hand.

“Condo conversions are the number one reason why people are being evicted from the city,” San Francisco Tenants Union executive director Ted Gullicksen said at Monday’s tax day rally.

SF Mayor Ed Lee had said earlier last month he wanted to see a compromise put forth as negotiations between tenants advocates and the Wiener/Farrell camp had broken down and gone no where.

The new proposal is a move toward finding more common ground though many are still dissatisfied and skeptical of how this will all work out in the end. It now moves before the Land Use Committee for discussion and then the full Board.

Sup. Wiener Takes on Board Over Privacy Issues in Bars & Clubs

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Recently over at the DNA Lounge’s blog, the popular SOMA nightclub and home to Trannyshack, we read they’d been told by SFPD that they must, “install video surveillance that records everything our customers do, and to give that footage to SFPD any time they ask, without a warrant or explanation.” They flat-out refused.

Sup. Wiener in a laid back moment gettin' his swerve on.

Sup. Wiener in a laid back moment gettin’ his swerve on.

We found this a disturbing and chilling development. How many Castro bars and nightclubs have been approached by SFPD to install customer spyware? Doesn’t it violate privacy rights?

Seems we weren’t the only concerned. Tuesday at the Board of Supes (BOS) meeting two new spots who’s beer/wine permits are contingent on fulfilling this legally suspect requirement came up for review and approval. Only Sup. Scott Wiener from the Castro’s Dist. 8 opposed based on his privacy concerns involving the camera requirement.

The SF BOS is peppered with liberals like Supervisors Avalos, Campos and Kim it seems odd that the right to privacy and potential Constitutional issue is being championed by one of the few moderates on the Board known for his more conservative views.

The way this works: the City is calling the new, up till now, under the radar policy, ‘Conditional Licensing’. Meaning, if you want to open a bar/nightclub business in our town with any kind of booze, you have to adhere to special requirements to obtain the permit.

The condition was placed within the process by the SFPD with the approving nod from CA Dept. of Alcoholic Beverage Control. It requires surveillance of the doorways of the business, and that the footage be stored for at least 30 days and turned over to police upon request. They believe this is an important tool to have to combat potential crime.

According to DNA’s blog they were informed by the City’s Entertainment Commission, generally the arbitrator of all things fun in SF, this condition is now standard with every new permit being forked out by the City, and, everyone else has been unwilling or uneasy about challenging it since the permits are so hard to get in the first place.

In the SF Examiner on Tuesday Sup. Wiener made his concerns crystal clear. He believes the requirement could be an effort by the Police Department to eventually enact a citywide policy of surveillance at all bars by adding the condition as individual liquor licenses come up for approval or renewal.

“In the LGBT community for Gay bars, there are people who are not out of the closet who go into these bars and they don’t want to be recorded,” Wiener said.

Tom Temprano, 2nd from the left, with members of the Harvey Milk Dem. Club.

Tom Temprano, 2nd from the left, with members of the Harvey Milk Dem. Club.

I spoke with Tom Temprano, President of the Harvey Milk Democratic Club (HMDC),aka DJ Carnitas of Hard French fame, about these new permit developments during the Equality March last week.

Tom is also a new bar owner. He recently purchased Naps III next to El Rio on Mission St. He and many others in the City’s Entertainment Industry, an $80 million dollar a year revenue and tax base boon for SF, are deeply concerned. Bar owner and staff feel this is the wrong direction for the City to be going in its approach to combating potential crime and violence at City bars and clubs.

He revealed he is meeting with Sup. Wiener later today to discuss the situation and see how the HMDC can weigh in on the issue.

Given the precarious historical relationship between the LGBT community and the police I tend to think no one is going to like the idea of being photographed, tracked and recorded for some who knows what need of the police.

We will continue to cover the story as it develops and let you know if soon you’ll be under City sanctioned, watchful eye of Big Brother at your favorite local Castro area watering hole.

UPDATE: Renaming SFO for Harvey Milk Could Cost Less Than Projected

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Harvey Milk Int'l AirportNew development in the Biscuit’s ongoing coverage of Dist. 9, Sup. David Campos quest to rename SFO in honor of slain civil rights leader and LGBT icon, Harvey Milk. SF Examiner has revealed a reports been released dispelling opponents worries that the name change would cost millions-instead-the estimated figure to accomplish the project is closer to 350K-500K.

Originally, based on what kind of bucks it cost other municipalities like Baltimore who renamed their airport for the late, groundbreaking, SCOTUS Justice, Thurgood Marshall.  the estimated figure of  $4.2 million dollars was bandied about by SFO officials who’ve made no secret they’re against the re-christening.

This new, lowered, cost report compiled by the SF Budget and Legislative Analysis Department states that while high costs could be a later factor, initially, changing the big kahuna of the SFO signage, the massive one splayed across the front of SFO would run about $355K.

Other signage-highway and freeway signs that direct traffic guiding drivers could, in theory, be allowed to remain labeled the generic variations for ‘SF International Airport’-keeping the budget from ballooning.

Each large freeway sign change is estimated to cost $20K to amend. Multiply that by the thirty-six signs CalTran would have to repurpose with the new Milk moniker and you see the cost of the rename skyrocketing.

Sup. David Campos (Photo: SF Democratic Party Website)

Sup. David Campos (Photo: SF Democratic Party Website)

Campos expressed confusion as to why SFO officials had floated out such inflated numbers regarding the name change beyond the obvious reasons of stirring up opposition from fiscally concerned members of the voting public.

He also remains confident he can drum up corporate and private donor funds to make the name change a reality so no money would have to be suctioned out of the San Francisco’s treasury.

Campos has secured five of the six votes needed from his fellow Supes-including Dist. 8 Scott Wiener-to bring the issue before the voters as a ballot measure in November. He feels confident he can secure the sixth co-sponsoring nod on the issue from either Malia Cohen, Dist. 10, or Dist. 5′s newly elected London Breed.

If the Milk name change reaches the ballot and is approved by SF voters our City would become the first in the world to name an internationally recognized airport in honor of one of its LGBT citizens.

Supervisor Campos as one of two out and proud Gay men on the board believe that this gesture can translate into an international message of ‘hope and equality’ that Harvey famously championed to everyone who pass through the airports doors.

 

 

 

 

UPDATE: Mayor Urges Compromise Over Wiener/Farrell Condo Conversion Change

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SF Mayor Ed Lee

SF Mayor Ed Lee

Mayor Ed Lee broke out the tiny umbrella  he uses during his tight rope act this week as he picked a precarious path over political, shark infested waters urging all involved in the hotly disputed tenancy-in-common (TIC) condo conversion debate to find common ground with each other.

Battle lines have been drawn and everyone involved has come to this debate armed to the teeth with reasons for and against the proposal. During the Jan. 28th meeting, after an acrimonious demonstration, fiery public comments and several supervisors expressed doubts about the viability of the proposal as it was currently written the issue was tabled.

The law change penned by Supervisors Scott Wiener and Mark Farrell bypasses current condo conversion parameters allowing the process to be drastically sped up. TIC owners would be able to fork out 20K to have property converted into condo bypassing the standing limits of 200 units per year currently mandated by the City in a lottery system.

Tenant Rights groups insist the new Wiener/Farrell law just allow landlords to circumvent rent control-condos don’t fall under its pervue-which will lead to even greater numbers of evictions in the City where evictions are already happening at an alarming pace under the much despised Ellis Act.

Mayor Lee has expressed sympathy for everyone’s position in this matter. He understands the TIC owners who desperately want to convert to condos so property values are increased or they can get relief from spiralling mortgage debt. He sympathizes with renters being squeezed out from Ellis evictions and an ever shrinking rental market whose prices have skyrocketed to the highest in the nation.

Sadly the Mayor also hasn’t come forward with any concrete ideas on how to effect this much needed compromise telling the SF Gate, “I can’t say I have any magic solution to this issue that will make everybody happy.”

The BOS, Land Use Committee, chaired by the newly appointed Mr. Wiener, is set to meet on Feb. 25th to rehash the tabled proposal. Unless the Mayor can come up with more than sympathy and political spin likely the debate will continue down the path it currently is on.

UPDATE: Renaming SFO for Harvey Milk Hitting Serious Turbulence

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San Francisco Int'l Airport

Dist. 9 Supervisor David Campos initiative to rename San Francisco International Airport for the Castro’s slain, LGBT, political icon, Harvey Milk, has hit some serious resistance on its attempted take off.

As we posted mid month in January, David Campos announced he was going to introduce an initiative to honor Harvey Milk by recasting our City’s well used international airport in his name.

Under great fanfare Campos raised the issue with the Board of Supervisors knowing he had the support of five Supervisors John Avalos-Dist. 11, Jane Kim-Dist. 4, Eric Mar-Dist. 1 and Scott Wiener-Dist. 8 who currently occupies Harvey’s historic seat on the Board.

The all important sixth vote from a Supervisor to make the issue move forward on to a Citywide ballot measure hasn’t been secured leaving the whole proposal on shaky ground.

Resistance has come from several directions. One of the most surprising coming from the Bay Area Reporter (B.A.R.), SF’s largest and oldest LGBT newspaper, who called the proposed name change, ‘a bad idea’.

SF Mayor Ed Lee

SF Mayor Ed Lee

According to SF Gate’s, City Insider blog, Mayor Ed Lee told the Chronicle editorial board that he found Campos’ process of announcing the legislation before building consensus to be disrespectful.

“Naming rights of areas also have to be respectful of other people who also have equally huge contributions to the City’s legacy and history,” the City Insider reported Mayor Ed Lee saying. “I just don’t believe that level of respect was reflected in the announcement of renaming the airport.”

Its obvious this suggestion to rename SFO for Harvey Milk by Supervisor Camps is akin to stirring a political hornets nest and many worry how this will reflect on the memory of the slain civil rights leader if it’s put up for popular vote as it most likely will turn ugly.

Larry Mazzola, Sr-Pres. of Airport Com.

Larry Mazzola, Sr-Pres. of Airport Com.

SFO Airport Commissioner president, Larry Mazzola Sr, appointed to the Airport Commission by Mayor Frank Jordan on February 14, 1994, believes the airport shouldn’t be named after anyone.

Castro resident, Cleve Jones, former legislative aide to Harvey Milk, Names Project Quilt founder, currently working as union organizer for UNITE HERE! was quoted in the B.A.R. saying, “I am supportive of the idea, but people need to understand this isn’t necessarily a slam dunk-powerful forces, I suspect, will attempt to derail this.”

Campos remains undeterred.

He believes Harvey was all about sending people a message of hope and equality as he historically stated in many campaign stumps and in his infamous ‘Gotta Give ‘Em Hope’ speech.

Campos concludes the City has a rare opportunity to broadcast these core beliefs as its own to 40 million visitors who cross through SFO every year simply by being the first major international airport ever to honor the pride and worth of one it’s LGBT citizens with this renaming distinction.

 

Sup. Wiener’s Condo Conversion Plan Angers Many-City Hall Protest Monday

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Dist 2 Sup. Mark Ferrell and Dist. 8 Sup. Scott Wiener

Dist 2 Sup. Mark Ferrell and Dist. 8 Sup. Scott Wiener

Castro’s Sup. Scott Wiener and Dist. 2 Sup, Mark Ferrell, have introduced legislation which, if passed, could allow owners to repeal rent control from thousands of landlord-occupied apartment buildings.

Their plan will let Tenant in Common (TIC) buildings become condominiums automatically, bypassing the condo conversions lottery and tenant protections in the City’s condo conversion law.

The legislation will let any TIC property with two or more owner occupants pay a fee to become a condominium. Currently, under California state law, condominiums are exempt from rent control.

The issue comes before the full Board on Monday, January 28th. Opponents against the new edict have called for a noon rally and protest at City Hall followed by participation in pubic comment during the 1:30 PM BOS hearing.

Opponents say Wiener’s proposed legislation is a huge gift to property owners. If passed by the BOS, following the trend of current condo conversion figures, the value of these newly converted condos will increase the property by well over 20%. Its estimated 2,000 such units will be eligible.

SF Tenants UnionRenter’s rights groups consider this new law an unneeded financial boon to landlords. Landlords are collecting record profits. According to a recent HuffPo post, San Francisco has the highest rents in the country.

This law, activists challenge, benefits SF’s 1%, politically connected, City Hall insiders not the everyday, 99% majority.

Many renters fear If this legislation passes, they can expect to see a sharp increase in evictions as landlords anticipate that City Hall will let them move in, pay the fee to convert to condo and thus repeal rent control on all units within the building.

A Coalition of Tenant Rights Groups rally at 18th & Castro. Dec. 19, 2012 (Photo: AsianWeek)

A Coalition of Tenant Rights Groups rally at 18th & Castro. Dec. 19, 2012 (Photo: AsianWeek)

This proposed new law adds insult to injury piled on top of increased evictions from the unbridled use of the Ellis Act. Protests have been ongoing as tenant advocacy groups have rallied, most recently on Dec.19th in the Castro, to raise awareness and support  for a change in the law.

There are a rash of new builds in the pipeline in various stages of development within the City. SF real estate blog, SocketSite, forecasts 43,580 will be added to the rental/own market, including five on deck in the Castro, completed in the next four to five years.

Approximately 2700-3200 of those projected units will have been finished in various City neighborhoods and ready for move in by the end of 2013. Compare that number to the less than 250 new units made available in all of 2011 and it’s apparent real estate development in SF is experiencing another unprecedented boom.

Protesting EvictionsSadly little of these new, available units helps San Francisco’s working/middle class, working poor or those who fall below the poverty level currently struggling to maintain residence in the City.

Additionally none of these new build units would be covered under the auspices of current, SF, rent control, guidelines. The City’s rent control only applies to buildings constructed prior to June 13,1979.

“Ellis evictions have tripled and rents now average over $3,000 a month,” said Tommi Avicolli Mecca of the Housing Rights Committee one of Monday’s coalition organizers. “Renters are struggling to remain in their homes and in the city and this is the wrong time to give speculators an incentive to do more evictions.”

Sierra Club, SF Bay Area Chapter, came out against the Wiener/Ferrel ordinance. The Club encouraged all San Franciscan’s to join them in writing the Board to strike down the proposal. They also want everyone to attend Monday’s rally, protest and public speak out.

Sierra Club said, in part, in their missive to the Board, “Instead of enacting this ordinance, the City of San Francisco should pursue policies that protect rent stabilization and rent-stabilized units, which are a housing type that can’t be expanded (by law), and support the construction of more affordable housing, including family size units.”

Popular local blog, BeyondChron concluded, “Increasing condo conversions and eliminating rent control for thousands of units does nothing to address any of the housing affordability and no-fault eviction problems impacting San Francisco. Instead, it makes them worse.”