Developments in Development is a “weekly” column recapping real estate, housing, planning, zoning and construction news.
Good news everyone! San Francisco is only the eighth least affordable city on the planet right now, according to a RentCafe study that compared incomes to rents in attractive cities around the world.
The study found that the average San Francisco family spends about 41 percent of its income on rent. But if you’ve been feeling a bit of grass-is-greener-itis, consider that tenants in Mexico City spend about 60 percent on average on their rent, with Manhattanites close behind, spending an average of 59 percent of their incomes on rent.
And yet, rental listing sites are pegging local rents above New York rents, regardless of whether they’re looking at just what’s on their own site or what they think the real average rent among all current renters for a one-bedroom might be, Curbed reports.
As you might know if you’re a housing wonk (do any non-wonks read this column?), we’re at an interesting point in the statewide work toward housing affordability. Former District 8 Supervisor and now State Senator Scott Wiener’s proposal to streamline housing production in cities that aren’t meeting statewide goals has passed the Senate and now needs the Assembly’s approval.
The streamlining only applies in situations where enough housing isn’t built and it distinguishes between below-market-rate and market-rate housing — so if a city is meeting its market rate production goals but not its below-market-rate ones, it would only have procedural delays removed for affordable housing at the moment.
The law would reduce neighbors’ ability to stall projects through mechanisms like Discretionary Review requests — which two projects in the Mission just went through after several months’ delay.
Luis Granados of MEDA and Erick Arguello of Calle 24, two groups that have repeatedly butted heads with the YIMBYs over gentrification and development in the Mission, co-wrote a piece in the Examiner opposing SB 35. They raise concerns that a statewide streamlining would take away opportunities to demand concessions from future developments as they did with repeated appeals and opposition to projects like 2000 Bryant Street, 1515 South Van Ness Avenue and 2675 Folsom Street, because projects that meet basic planning requirements would be approved as a matter of course.
For a quick break from the affordability conversation, here’s some local planning-related gossip:
- The Light House, the giant building inside a former church on Dolores Street across from the park, is facing its second code violation complaint in as many years. You might remember that someone lodged a complaint against one of the condo owners there last year for hosting meditation sessions.
Now someone seems to believe that there is an office space operating there.
The complainant claims that Hive, a leadership networking organization, is using the space, and lo and behold, if you search on Facebook Hive gives its location at the Light House. However, planners have not yet made a decision about the merits of the complaint – it’s still processing.
- At 20th and Shotwell streets, someone has filed a complaint about the TimBuk2 bag manufactory and shop, saying “the space was auto repair last and is not a trade shop – loss of PDR.”
I suspect this is related to the proposals for Fort Point Brewing Company to move in – At TimBuk2’s invitation, by the way – and create a brewpub in part of the space currently used for bag retail. You can read more about that plan here. But to be fair, planning records do indicate there were permits for that site to operate as an auto repair shop in the past.
- Another one of the buildings damaged by the 29th Street fire last year is being repaired. Owners of 29-31 29th Street, next door to the severely damaged Graywood Hotel, have applied for a building permit to turn a three-story building with one residential unit into a four-story building with two residential units while also repairing fire damage.
- The environmental impacts of turning a former automotive sales office and smog check facility at 1500 15th Street into 138 units of group housing (184 if a state density bonus is applied). The units would be microscopic, clocking in at 198 square feet each per the environmental application, with a shared kitchen and lounge space on each floor.
- Building permits have now been applied for at 2610 Mission Street, formerly home to Anna’s Linens, to add four floors of housing on top of the first floor of commercial space to create 8 units of housing.
- A pet food store at 433 Precita at Harrison could turn into a restaurant called Doma if a building permit is approved. The conditional use permit is still pending so nothing has been decided.
- And finally, the Planning Department has completed its preliminary assessment of 3001-3021 24th Street, an entirely below-market-rate project at Harrison Street pitched by Mercy Housing. The 45-unit building would provide affordable housing for seniors.
Planning staff told the developer to clear up confusion about whether the existing building, which houses the nonprofit Mission Girls, also includes a dwelling unit. If it does, the staff advised the developer to figure out how to get approval for demolishing a housing unit.
The letter also asks for some tweaks to the design, including adding a retail entrance from Balmy Alley, adjusting the look and height of the ground floor commercial space, and adding more rear yard space.