An Alternative Future for the North East Mission Industrial Zone

Mission Coalition for Economic Justice & Jobs (MCEJJ)
Summary: Group J and K
J and K had a predominance of business and property owners, several who live in the neighborhood, and
consensus occurred between members on several issues.
During the workshop discussions, members of the group expressed concern that the City of San Francisco
used incorrect data to determine areas of industrial zoning. The group was also concerned about the high
number of non-conforming uses under the City’s Alternative B. Another item of near universal agreement
was maintaining the existing character of the NEMIZ, with its mix of industry, housing, commercial, and
office. Several members of the group stated that while they could be in other areas of the city, they stay in the
NEMIZ due to its character. They expressed concern about one use-type prevailing, but were wary of the
city’s intervention, preferring a market-oriented approach. Another priority goal of the group was to protect
existing industrial areas from being rezoned residential. A fear is that too much residential would change the
character of the area and lead to other problems, such as parking shortages. There was concern that once
industrial buildings are retrofitted for residential or office uses, it is unlikely they will be converted back for
industrial uses. A dissenting voice in the group stated a desire for more affordable housing, and communityoriented
uses, especially in the “tail” area of the Southern portion of the NEMIZ. In general, they felt that the
city was pushing the rezone through too quickly, considering the data problems and non-conforming uses
Alternative B would create in the NEMIZ.
An enforcement issue mentioned is that Live/Work spaces should be used for work. Two members of the
group own and work in a Live/Work unit. The group is not opposed to Live/Work units in general, only
when they were used as high-end apartments or other non-intended uses. On new residential construction,
the group was concerned about a large number of either high-end or affordable housing units in the
neighborhood, as they feel too much of either would change the neighborhood’s character. They also
expressed concern about the process for approvals of new housing construction, citing changes in the design
of the apartments on the Penske lot at 19 th and Alabama Streets.
The attitude of the group was suspicious and reserved. Several members of the group were reluctant to give
personal input, and members expressed disappointment at not being invited to participate in the city’s
process. Most group members also acknowledge that they are motivated by the desire for the neighborhood to
stay exactly as it is. The group expressed cynicism that their input would be taken into account by the city.
One member of the group repeatedly expressed the opinion that the city’s Alternative B is an attempt at a
“land grab”. Other members were concerned that the great number of non-conforming uses under Alternative
B would lead to the construction of predominantly affordable units, and lower property values. There is also
concern about the effectiveness of using zoning to plan these areas, as current zoning allowed the construction
of large numbers Live/Work lofts and Dot-Com offices in the area, many of which are empty today.
They are also in favor of more neighborhood-serving retail, such as the 16 th
and Bryant shopping center. The
members approve of that center because it brings essential services to the neighborhood, as well as more foot
traffic for safety. However, the group was not in favor of more “big-box” regional development, such as the
Best Buy in the far North of the area, especially in the core NEMIZ.
Planning Goals Worksheet
The Goals listed from other NEMIZ plans were a source of confusion for the group. They felt that much of
the language was difficult to understand, and most of the group didn’t feel comfortable giving an opinion
before thorough discussion of each goal statement. After 45 minutes, we had gotten through the first 3 Goals
before scrapping the effort and moving onto some of the group’s specific goals.
Appendix A.22