An Alternative Future for the North East Mission Industrial Zone

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An Alternative Future for the NEMIZ Mission Coalition for Economic Justice & Jobs as 30% of the existing uses would be non-conforming if the current planning department proposal is adopted. There is at least 1.1 million square feet of larger businesses in the NEMIZ, of which the average size is about 43,000 square feet. About 14 of these businesses are larger PDR users and combined occupy about 465,000 square feet of space. Under Planning Staff's proposed land use definitions, many of these larger users would not be an allowable use, including Dolby and Williams Sonoma. The definitions of PDR need to be broad enough in the NEMIZ to accommodate existing users and to allow such important users to expand. MCEJJ hired Brion & Associates and Community Design + Architecture to look more closely at real estate trends in the San Francisco Bay Area and similar city-regions over the past twenty years. The team found that manufacturing and distribution jobs have been leaving San Francisco (and other cities) as result of regional shifts in transportation modes and infrastructure, real estate values, building technology, product types, and worker migration. Only rarely have land use policies clearly swayed the location decisions of large and medium size industrial (PDR) firms. Interviews with San Francisco real estate brokers and PDR-related firms indicates that these businesses have left San A mix of uses commonly co-exist in adjacent relationships in the NEMIZ I.4 Executive Summary Francisco not only because of rents, but because of high city business taxes; lack of skilled workforce and high wages; poor access and transportation; and, bureaucratic red tape. In fact, industrial rents are below where they were five years ago and there is a 40% citywide vacancy rate for large, multistory industrial buildings. This information suggests that it is unrealistic to expect that zoning will reverse these regional trends. Instead restrictive zoning could discourage investment in these neighborhoods. According to the City’s own data, approximately 34% of the City’s PDR jobs are located outside the five Eastern Neighborhoods. It is not clear why these jobs would not need “protection.” The MCEJJ land use survey also found that nearly half of the PDR in the NEMIZ is associated with utilities and public facilities such as PG&E and MUNI that are unlikely to be displaced by market forces and thus do not require “special protection.” There is currently 5.0 million square feet of vacant industrial space in San Francisco, most of which is located in the Bayview/Bayshore area. These are areas where the building supply and vehicle access best fits the needs of ‘Core’ PDR businesses. An IPZ protecting ‘Core’ PDR businesses would be most effective here. The MCEJJ examined other cities’ attempts to retain industrial jobs
For non-Core PDR users, such as furniture repair or smaller catering operations, districts such as the NEMIZ can provide the mix of uses upon which smaller users depend. Most “PDR” users still interested in remaining in San Francisco are small users. Their needs average about 5,000 square feet and they employ 5-6 people. These types of PDR uses already co-exist with other uses in the NEMIZ. Down-zoning the majority of the NEMIZ as an IPZ will disrupt this neighborhood which hosts over 500 live/work units and a thriving arts and entertainment cluster. NEMIZ Workshop On November 16, 2002 the MCEJJ sponsored a NEMIZspecific community workshop aimed at establishing goals for the future of the NEMIZ and to brainstorm zoning alternatives to present to the city. The workshop drew a wide range of participants, including residents, workers, business owners, property owners, plus community and civic leaders from the NEMIZ, the Mission, and San Francisco at-large. The overwhelming message received from participants was that the existing unique mix of uses is the area’s primary asset. Most participants were concerned that restrictive zoning could undermine this existing and future asset. In particular, participants were concerned about the potential for rezoning to make some of the neighborhood’s landmarks nonconforming uses. Participants worked in small groups to develop alternative zoning concepts for the NEMIZ. Most groups developed plans that included both policies and programs (including, but not limited to zoning) that promote a finegrained mix of compatible uses and most also created a small IPZ in the Northeastern corner of the NEMIZ. A summary of the workshop is available in Chapter IV of the Final Report. Mission Coalition for Economic Justice & Jobs Small groups mapped their ideas for zoning in the NEMIZ and presented them to the larger workshop. Executive Summary I.5 An Alternative Future for the NEMIZ
Page 1: AN ALTERNATIVE FUTURE FOR THE Prepa
Page 5 and 6: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page 7 and 8: The history of this neighborhood is
Page 9: The City is addressing areas which
Page 13 and 14: Any IPZ Program Needs to Be Flexibl
Page 15: EXISTING CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT This
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Page 53 and 54: PLANNING & POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS I
Page 55 and 56: C. Evaluate Each Industrial Neighbo
Page 57 and 58: NEMIZ Recommendations The following
Page 59 and 60: PDR Sub-Category Core PDR Medium PD
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D. Create a Small IPZ Focused on Ke
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Policy & Planning Recommendations
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APPENDIX
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Mission Coalition for Economic Just
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An Alternative Future for the North East Mission Industrial Zone

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