Welcome to โMeet the Candidates,โ where Mission Local asks supervisor hopefuls questions in the lead-up to the November election. In District 7 โ which includes the Inner Sunset, Parkmerced and West Portal โ Matt Boschetto and Stephen Martin-Pinto are running against incumbent Myrna Melgar.
Between now and November, Mission Local will ask each candidate one question per week, and candidates will get 100 words to respond. Take a look at all the answers from District 7 candidates here.
This week, once again, we are back to discussing housing. In March, the Planning Commission released proposed zoning changes that would increase height and density restrictions in selected areas. In District 7, that includes commercial corridors like West Portal Avenue and Ocean Avenue.
What do you think of the proposed zoning changes? See the candidates’ responses below.
Matt Boschetto
- Job: Small business owner
- Age: 35
- Housing: Homeowner
- Transport: Car
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in philosophy, Saint Mary’s College of California
- Residency: Living in District 7 since 2014
San Francisco’s housing challenge is complex, requiring a balance between growth and maintaining our city’s unique character. While I support increasing housing to meet state mandates and help with affordability, I believe the Planning Commission’s proposed zoning changes have caused unnecessary political tension. The current approach risks dividing our community instead of fostering collaborative solutions. We can meet our housing goals by focusing on less contentious areas, using targeted incentives, and recognizing the economic challenges we face. Together, we can build the housing we need while preserving the neighborhoods we love.
Myrna Melgar
- Job: District 7 supervisor
- Age: 56
- Housing: Homeowner
- Transport: Bike
- Languages: Spanish, French, Swedish
- Education: Bachelor’s degree, Excelsior College; master’s degree in urban planning, Columbia University
- Residency: Living in Ingleside Terraces since 2011, and lived in District 7 while in college at SF State between 1987 and 1991
The proposed map for the upzoning plan still needs more work. We need to show the state zone capacity for more units consistent with our commitment in the housing element. However, it needs to be consistent with other parts of the housing element, for example, adding housing on commercial and transit corridors, and underutilized land. I look forward to seeing the next draft before considering scheduling it at the land use committee.
Endorsed by: SF Labor Council, SF Tenants Union, Supervisor Aaron Peskin, Supervisor Hillary Ronen, Supervisor Connie Chan, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Supervisor Catherine Stefani, Senator Scott Weiner, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins … read more here
Stephen Martin-Pinto
- Job: Firefighter/major, U.S. Marine Corps reserves
- Age: 46
- Housing: Tenant in SF, property owner and landlord in Lemon Grove, California
- Transport: Fairly evenly split between car, Muni and walking
- Languages: Spanish, Russian, Georgian
- Education: University of California, Davis
- Residency: Living in District 7โs Sunnyside since 2014, and earlier from 1983 to 1998
The plan needs further refinement. It does not consider limitations of street size and geologic conditions. For example, the upzoning along 19th Avenue from Ocean Avenue to Junipero Serra Boulevard does not actually occur there, but rather on Stonecrest and Denslowe Drives, two narrow residential streets. It would be more appropriate to shift this to the west side of 19th Avenue. The greenbelt on Junipero Serra should remain. Brotherhood Way, another greenbelt and site of a former creek, is not ideal for high rise development. Development needs to be concentrated in Stonestown and Parkmerced, with height limits raised by a … read more here
Endorsed by: Former District 7 Supervisor Tony Hall, former Planning Commissioner Michael Antonini, former Police Chief Tony Ribera, drug policy advocate Tom Wolf, BART Board Director Debora Allen … read more here.
The order of candidates alternates each week. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar.
Do you have a question for the candidates? Let me know: kelly@missionlocal.com
Read the rest of the series here. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
Melgar had a proposal at a Land Use and Transportation meeting to give down payment for housing to people making $200,000.She did not know where the money was coming from .She did not know what the qualifications to have this money not paid back were.She is part of the problem.Her zoning ideas leave out where she lives and where Engardio lives.