Divisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative - Office of ...

Table of Contents7 Overview9 Planning Topics10 Vision Statement11 Summary Strengths12 Summary Challenges14 Small Business Support AndNeighborhood Promotion17 Land Use and Development20 Streetscape Improvements, GreeningAnd Traffic Calming25 Safety And Cleanliness27 Results Since June 200636 Next Steps37 Appendix

OverviewDivisadero Street is a 2.6 mile road that runs north and south, bisectingthe city of San Francisco. The street begins at the Duboce Triangle,roughly the geographic center of San Francisco, and ends in the Marinadistrict on the city’s northern border. Divisadero is a very busy street,and is well-situated to be a successful commercial corridor.Residents cite their proximity to parks, public transportation and centrallocation as a boon for city living. However, the stretch of Divisaderobetween Haight and Geary, and especially its main commercial districtbetween Haight and McAllister, is perceived as lacking certain qualitiesthat would make it a vibrant neighborhood-serving commercial corridorduring both the day and night hours.The city-defined neighborhoods of Western Addition, Alamo Square,North Panhandle, Lower Haight, and Haight Ashbury all borderDivisadero Street in the commercial district. The street thus serves as aspine for these multiple neighborhoods and the meeting place of theirvaried needs and characters.Dotted along the main commercial district’s nine blocks are variousneighborhood-serving retail businesses. These mainly local-servingday use businesses are combined with a city-wide-oriented nighttimeentertainment area with a cluster of bars, restaurants and a live-musicconcert venue.Divisadero intersects several major roads including Fell, Oak, and GearyStreets. Additionally, Divisadero attracts vehicles from around the City tofrequent its three gas stations at Oak and Fell, a full service car wash andcar repair shops along the street,This report describes a community planning effort for the DivisaderoStreet Neighborhood Commercial District.Divisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative7

During early 2006, three community meetings were held to provideresidents and merchants of the neighborhood the opportunity toparticipate in a comprehensive planning and visioning process forDivisadero Street’s southern neighborhood commercial district.The community planning meetings were geared to be visionary,participatory and action-oriented, resulting in priority action items forthe community to focus on and drive positive change by:• Increasing the economic vitality of the business district• Enhancing pedestrian quality and safety• Beautifying streets and public spaces• Creating ecological benefits from increased greeneryThe planning process included discussion around street designs thatbetter serve all modes of transportation -- walking, bicycling, transit,and auto, and coordination with economic development and land useplanning for these streets.The on-going implementation of this project is managed by theNeighborhood Marketplace Initiative of the Mayor’s Office of Economicand Workforce Development (MOEWD), in collaboration with theMayor’s office of City Greening, Department of Public Works (DPW)and Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi. The community planning process wasconducted in cooperation with the non-profit Local Initiatives SupportCorporation (LISC) and Asian Neighborhood Design.8

Planning TopicsAt the community workshops, neighbors and merchants were asked todiscuss their priority neighborhood improvements, and to respond topreliminary recommendations. Participants engaged in visioning exercises,ranking exercises, surveys, and small group discussions centered on generaldesign, safety and cleanliness of Divisadero Street – essentially, how to makeDivisadero Street a nicer place to walk, shop, dine, entertain, and live.The planning process focused on four key areas:1. Small business support, marketing and neighborhood promotion2. Land use and development3. Streetscape improvements and greening4. Safety and cleanlinessCommon themes expressed throughout the planning process were: the desireto improve the neighborhood while not “gentrifying”, a desire to boost thelocal economy, to make the sidewalks more enjoyable for pedestrians and thetraffic calmer, especially around Oak and Fell. There was general agreementthat the street felt dirty, and that some blocks, especially those betweenMcAllister and Geary, felt unsafe at night for pedestrians.Participants repeatedly acknowledged their appreciation for the diverseindependent small business sector on Divisadero and their desire to see itstrengthened. Participants discussed the business mix of the street andwhat it would take to create a vibrant commercial corridor during the dayand night hours for the southern portions of Divisadero Street’s commercialdistrict between Haight and McAllister, before it transitions into mainlyresidential and office use, then into a hospital zone near Geary.Since the completion of the community planning meetings MOEWD, DPW,MTA, and Supervisor Mirkarimi have been working together on implementingsome of the streetscape improvement, cleaning and economic developmentpriority goals identified in the planning process.Divisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative9

Vision StatementA key result of the meetings was a community vision statement forDivisadero’s neighborhood commercial district, which serves as the referencepoint for the community’s efforts:In five years, Lower Divisadero Street is an attractive, tree-lined pedestrian-friendlydistrict with locally-serving retail, unique cafés, restaurants, and shops. Day andnighttime establishments lend vitality and excitement to the area and respectfullywork with residents to ensure a neighborhood that remains clean, safe, andfriendly. Our neighborhood’s identity accommodates the diversity of its artisticand historic character, independent businesses, and individuals and families withvarying economic levels.The vision statement drives the Action Plans, which detail each of theimprovements and changes that are scheduled or proposed for DivisaderoStreet. Action Plans, located further in this report, are detailed for each of thefour main areas of improvement listed above.10

Summary Strengths• High density of residential development and central, transit-orientedlocation: Divisadero benefits from a central location, a good level oftransit service, and a density of uses, contributing to activity on thestreets and providing ease of access for customers of local businesses.• Diversity of local-serving businesses: Divisadero Street containsa variety of small businesses, which provide some daily needs toresidents and visitors.• Night-time destination: Divisadero Street has a cluster of bars,restaurants and a music venue that make it a regional nighttimeentertainment destination.• Diverse population: The neighborhoods adjacent to Divisadero aremade up of a wide variety of people and various socio-economic levelsDivisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative11

Summary ChallengesThe community identified several challenges for Divisadero.• Economic Development Needs: A number of economic needs andchallenges were identified, such as a high commercial vacancy rate anda lack of certain types of day time neighborhood-serving businessesthat residents must currently leave the neighborhood to find. Inaddition open lots with un-met development potential were alsoconcerns, especially the lot at Grove and Divisadero Street.• Barren Streetscape and Unwelcoming physical environment: Thisincludes narrow and poorly-maintained sidewalks, a lack of streetscapeamenities to foster community gathering, not enough greening onsidewalks and none on the median strip (the median strip in particularwas identified as an “eyesore”). New sidewalk lighting for pedestrians’safety rather than only street lighting for cars, as well as more garbagecans were was also cited as a top streetscape enhancement priority.• Oak and Fell Street Intersections – This was identified as a ”trafficnightmare and barrier to neighborhood cohesiveness”. Its use as acity-wide speedway and major cross-town intersection is dangerous forpedestrians, cyclists and motorists. Three gas stations and a carwashuse three of the four corners of this block. The congestion of carsentering and exiting the various driveways, plus lining up on the street,make this block a physical and psychological barrier for pedestrianswalking north and south. One participant described the pedestrianexperience of these intersections as “running the gauntlet with my kidsin a stroller – very scary”.• Traffic & Parking: The high traffic volume on Divisadero in generaland at Oak and Fell Streets in particular was cited as the challengefor pedestrians’ ability to cross Divisadero at several key intersections12

and general cyclist safety. New streetscape design may help mitigatethis challenge. There is a high demand for the existing streetparking. Meeting participants acknowledged that business customersfrequenting the commercial district and residents would benefit fromaccess to the use of the DMV lot (located one block from Divisadero atFell and Oak) during night and weekend hours.• Negative Perceptions of Safety and Cleanliness: Residents identifiedundesirable characteristics of the street, including: graffiti, a lack ofpedestrian level lighting at night, and loitering by job seekers in frontof the paint store on the highly visible corner of Oak/Divisadero and byclients at the three medical cannabis dispensaries.Divisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative13

Small Business Support AndNeighborhood PromotionIssues and NeedsIndependent businesses, rather than retail chains, are one of the mostimportant and defining characteristics of Divisadero Street. Meetingparticipants stressed the importance of maintaining a locally-owned, usefuland eclectic retail mix, rather than nationally-owned chain stores.Valencia Street was often used as a reference for the “ideal” for Divisadero.However, the narrow sidewalks, fast traffic, and lack of parking were cited asreasons why Divisadero is a difficult neighborhood shopping street.Meeting attendees specifically did not want Divisadero Street to be a street ofhigh-end boutiques with no “real” stores frequented on a daily basis. Rather,neighbors strongly indicated the need for more neighborhood serving retailand daytime anchors. Ideal businesses identified in surveys distributed duringthe planning process for Divisadero include:• Bakery• Art gallery• Book store• Clothing store• Flower shop• Bank/credit union• Pharmacy/drugstore• Gym• Theater/community spaceNearly every block of the commercial district had one or two vacantstorefronts. The vacancies attract graffiti and trash, which are unpleasant14

for shoppers and pedestrians. This, in turn, makes it harder to attract newbusinesses to the area. There is an immediate need to fill vacant storefrontswith new businesses, ideally those types identified in the planning meetings.Priorities and Action - Small Business Attraction, Retention andSupportA priority economic development goal focused on assisting the existing smallbusiness sector to be more vibrant and attractive for customers, and helpingbusinesses add a positive impact to the street and sidewalks.The top small business retention and support activities identified included:• Facade improvement programs to help secure new awnings andstorefront lighting• Technical assistance to small businesses, such as merchandising ormarketing• Low interest loans and financingNeighborhood Marketing and PromotionMany ideas were discussed to building neighborhood identity while keepingthe character “eclectic, warm, and vibrant”. They include:• Public art, Banners, Markers• Distinctive lighting, street furniture• Encourage businesses to have café tables, sidewalk displays• Ad campaigns on 24 Divisadero and Muni stopsAlso discussed were events such as street fairs that would bring people tothe neighborhood and build more awareness of the businesses. The North ofPanhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA) has held several successfulstreet fairs on Grove Street, directly off Divisadero. It was suggested that thefair be expanded to be on Divisadero, to include the merchants on Divisaderoas well as those on the smaller streets, and bring city-wide visibility to theevent.Divisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative15

Land Use And DevelopmentSpace is at a premium in our City, and meeting participants had a varietyof ideas for how Lower Divisadero Street and its immediate area couldbe changed and improved if land use and development regulations werechanged.Some possibilities included:• Changing zoning to allow density increases that allow for thedevelopment of one or more of the current gas stations located at Oak orFell Streets into pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use commercial and residentialbuildings• Restrict particular business types that are no longer needed or desired• Opening the DMV lot at Broderick between Oak and Fell for hourlyparking during non-DMV business hours• Promote mixed use development over retail on under-utilized lots• Promote contiguous ground floor retail• Allow creativity in regards to development, including:o allowing more density of units within the height regulationso providing incentives for builders to create family or larger unitso providing incentives for the development of affordable & belowmarket rate unitso require underground parking and greater flexibility in the requirednumber of parking spaces for new developmentsDivisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative17

Opportunity SitesWhile there are no unused vacant lots on Divisadero there are some parcelsthat could support denser infill development. In many cases these parcelscould accommodate mixed uses above commercial spaces similar to existingtypologies in the corridor, without displacing services or businesses that arevital to the character of the district. The parking lot at the corner of Divisaderoand Grove Streets was repeatedly identified as an opportunity for a very bigpositive impact.While “density” is often a sensitive issue in neighborhoods, more housingabove commercial uses on the street could add to the pedestrian activity andconsequent vitality and viability for neighborhood-serving businesses.The Harding Theater site, which has been discussed for re-use, is alsoa potential catalyst site for the corridor. It is currently slated for thedevelopment of eight condominiums on the rear portion of the site, with theintention to keep the front “theater” section intact. The property owner isworking to seek entitlements to allow it to be used in the future for a mixtureof any of the following: retail, office and or art related uses.18

Land Use and Development Action PrioritiesItem Lead Next Steps Possible FundingInvestigate potentialdevelopmentbetween Oak andFell streets to helpphysically knit thedistrict togetherPlanningMOEWDSupervisorCommunity• Work with the property owner and/or potential developerto create a community-supported proposals for futuredevelopment of the auto uses on Oak and Fell• Build consensus on key issues such as parking, affordablehousing, height limits, density and design.• Specifically review the zoning, height and density restrictions forOak and Fell parcels to encourage re-development in the futurethat meets the community’s needsPotential staff support via MOEWDCoordinatecommunity inputand monitoringto any newdevelopment thatoccurs on DivisaderoCommunity • If desired, hold periodic meetings of all neighborhood groupsto discuss input on development proposals and to monitorcommunity benefits agreements as projects are implemented.Potential staff support via MOEWDReviewappropriatenessof existing zoningfor the DivisaderoCorridorPlanningDepartment• Work with the Planning Department to compare Divisadero’scurrent zoning with other neighborhood commercial districtzoning innovations, make changes as appropriate andbeneficial to the neighborhood.N/ADivisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative19

Streetscape Improvements,Greening And Traffic CalmingIssues and NeedsDivisadero Street neighbors agreed that there is a lot of room forimprovement in the aesthetic and utility of the public areas of the sidewalkand street. Discussion centered around the pedestrian experience andstreetscape improvements, traffic calming and the Oak/Fell intersectionspecifically.At the time of the planning meetings, the existing conditions of thestreetscape included: mixed-use, sub-sidewalk basements, cobra-head streetlighting, a concrete median strip, overhead MUNI lines, various tree speciesand many empty tree wells. The community expressed a need for more streettree planting and median greening as well as more site amenities such astrash receptacles and bike racks.Meeting attendees offered the following observations and suggestions:Public Space and Street GreeningDivisadero is a corridor focused on movement, and there are no publicspaces for gathering or resting, and few privately provided seating areas onDivisadero Street itself. The noisy and harsh environment created by autotraffic could be mitigated with the addition of planting areas and other softscapewhere appropriate.Streetscaping and transit improvements identified by Divisadero neighbors ashaving a positive impact on the Street and surrounding area could include:• More trees, especially in the median strip and at gas station edges• Planting in the sidewalk where trees cannot be planted, to help green andimprove storm-water runoff• Upgrade light posts with nicer-looking poles and luminaries20

• More garbage receptacles• Better night-time lighting at storefronts or store windows• Consolidated pay boxes to replace parking meters• Consolidated news racks to replace the “hodgepodge” of individualnewspapers’ competing racks• More bike racks• Remove billboards, which negatively give Divisadero a “highway feel”Pedestrian AccommodationsThere are many available services on Divisadero which are ideal for customerswalking from nearby residential areas. However, the narrow sidewalks andgeneral urban design makes it difficult to support a high volume of pedestriantraffic, and there is little room for outdoor seating and displays of the typethat encourage activity.The lighting of the sidewalk area is not conducive to pedestrians feeling safeat night on the street. Most of the lighting is auto-oriented, placed in themedian, and a lack of light from storefronts creates a large number of darkspots throughout the district.The crosswalks and signals are not ideal for pedestrians, either. Mostintersections have no pedestrian signals or count-down signals to indicatewhen it is safe to cross on foot, making the individual rely on the automobiletraffic light. Some intersections, in particular Grove and Ellis, have only acrosswalk, and pedestrians complained of the very real danger of crossing thestreet at these intersections, as cars very rarely slow down or stop for peoplein the crosswalk.Given the tight dimensions of the street, Divisadero delivers a sharp,uncomfortable contrast between pedestrian and vehicle activities.Meeting attendees had the following observations and suggestions:• Increase sidewalk width for better ADA and stroller access, as well as toencourage café seating at restaurantsDivisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative21

• Improve crosswalk signals to have the “countdown” feature• Add Bulb-outs at corners and distinctive paving in the crosswalks• Add 1-2 mid-block bulb-outs per block by taking out one parking spaceand/or requiring businesses to consolidate their metered loading zones.This could support café seating, newsstands, bike racks, and plantings.• Reduce the number of driveways / ingress and egress at gas stationsTraffic and Transit flowThe Divisadero Corridor is serviced by one MUNI bus line (#24). There arealso several key transfer nodes with other bus lines at Haight, McAllisterand Geary streets. Further planning around the area could key in on thesetransportation nodes as places to increase pedestrian safety and comfort.Meeting attendees had the following suggestions:• Create Bus-only lanes during rush hour to keep things moving• Allow left turns only with left turn arrow, 3-way signal• Remove one lane in each direction, creating a wider median and sidewalks• Rescind the Oak Street morning tow-away to help with traffic calmingOak and Fell IntersectionsThe very busy intersections at Oak and Fell streets were repeatedly identifiedas safety hazards for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. These intersectionssupport three gas stations where it is common to have motorists backedup into the traffic and bike lanes while waiting for a pump; one stationhosts a popular full service car wash as well. Both Oak and Fell streets arefast-moving, multi-lane one-way streets stretching to and from the OctaviaBoulevard freeway ramp.These intersections are seen as a barrier to streetscape cohesiveness, cuttingthe neighborhood in half. It is a psychological and physical barrier detrimentalto businesses on both sides. People do not want to cross the streets, and it isespecially difficult for pedestrians to cross so many driveway cut-outs for thegas stations and car wash.22

Participants suggested that the City remove the morning Oak Street towaway,as one way of alleviating the “freeway” feel of the morning commute,at least on Oak Street. For years, residents have been required to move theircars parked on one side of Oak Street during the morning rush hour. The fouropen lanes of traffic resulted in drivers speeding through timed lights ratherthan driving a steady 30 MPH, and many accidents.Divisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative23

Traffic Calming, Transit and Streetscaping Action PrioriesItem Lead Next Steps Possible FundingWork to furtherdevelop andimplementstreetscapeimprovementsMOCGDPWCommunity• Ensure that Divisadero project is in the pipeline, and thatrelevant technical studies are completed• Review any future streetscape drawings once produced forconstruction• Monitor constructionMOCG with DPWDevelop and kickstarta communitymaintenanceprogram forDivisadero StreetCommunityMOCGDPW• Develop a community-based stewardship program to ensureongoing maintenance of improvementsPotential staff support via MOEWDCommunity Benefit District fundsComplete TrafficStudy and developrecommendations fortraffic calming andbetter traffic flowMTA • MTA to complete traffic study and give recommendationsfor improvement on Divisadero and surrounding impactedstreetsMTA24

Safety And CleanlinessIssues and NeedsThe consensus of the meeting participants was that a cleaner and saferDivisadero Street would contribute to the general safety and well-being ofthe neighborhood, as well as help with business attraction.At the time of the meetings, graffiti, trash, dirty streets and sidewalkswere characteristic of the area. Many streetlights were missing theirbulbs, or they were too high and widely spaced to reach the sidewalksat night. Most merchants do not use outdoor lights on their signage orkeep windows lit at night. Conditions for pedestrians at night neededimprovement.Pedestrian Safety related to traffic and land use is discussed in the TrafficCalming, Streetscape Improvement and Greening Section of this report.Residents asked for more police coverage and foot patrols, feelingthat the current presence was not sufficient for deterrence of rowdy orinappropriate behavior considering a variety of factors on or around thestreet including the density of medical cannabis dispensaries, day-laborerswaiting at the paint store at Oak and Divisadero, and several late-closingrestaurants, bars and the live music club.The table on the next page outlines priority action items.Divisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative25

Safety and Cleanliness Action PlanItem Lead Next Steps Possible FundingWork to prevent andclean graffiti and litterCommunity• Possible activities could include:• Graffiti abatement rapid-response teamCommunity Challenge GrantsCommunity Benefit District fundsDPW• Community clean-up activities• Hiring day-laborers to paint buildings• Coordinate and monitor calls to 311• Raise funds for regular sidewalk cleaning• Coordinate with DPW’s graffiti abatement programIncrease Policesurveillance onDivisadero, especiallyat nightSupervisorPolice DepartmentCommunity• Work with merchants and residents to report all issue to thePolice department• Advocate for increased police attention on DivisaderoPolice Dept.Community Benefit District fundsInvestigate startinga NeighborhoodWatch Program toinclude residents andmerchantsMerchantsCommunityMembersSupervisor• Work with SF SAFE’s neighborhood and/or business watchprogram• Train merchants on crime prevention strategiesN/AMOEWD26

Results Since June 2006Since summer of 2006, progress and results have been seen on DivisaderoStreet, though it is generally agreed among neighbors and merchants thatthere are many more opportunities for improvement.Results: Small Business Support and Neighborhood Promotion1. Divisadero Street Corridor ManagerIn October 2006, the Mayor’s Office of Economic and WorkforceDevelopment (MOEWD) hired a quarter-time corridor manager to assist theDivisadero Corridor with its economic development needs, including thecoordination of the implementation of the priorities set forth in the planningprocess.The corridor manager is the contact at the Mayor’s Office for communitymembers interested in getting involved with the implementation process aswell as a resource for city services and technical assistance for the communityin relation to the topics covered in the planning process.2. Filling Vacant Storefronts and Small Business AssistanceIn October 2006, MOEWD contracted with Urban Solutions, a local-nonprofitorganization dedicated to building neighborhoods through betterbusinesses, to actively market and lease the retail vacancies on Divisadero, atno cost to the property owner. Urban Solutions works with both the landlordand potential tenants to find the best fit for the neighborhood based on thebusinesses specially identified as needed in the area by meeting participants.Urban Solutions also helps small businesses thrive by providing lease-upassistance, contract negotiation help, and loan packaging for businessdevelopment, tenant improvements or building facade upgrades.Divisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative27

Since May 2007, Urban Solutions has actively marketed 1001 Oak Street, atthe corner of Divisadero. This key highly-visible corner property has beenvacant since mid-2006. Urban Solutions has shown this property to over 50interested parties. As of October 2007, the owner has received a Letter ofIntent from a potential tenant.Urban Solutions also worked with the property owners at 857 DivisaderoStreet. This property had been vacant for nearly two years. After showing theproperty to several potential tenants, the owner decided to open their ownreal estate office in the upstairs space, and has plans for a restaurant on theground floor.A third property, 837 Divisadero, which was represented by a broker, hasbeen leased by a tenant who was first introduced to the property throughUrban Solutions. In keeping the effort to physically improve the storefronts ofthe street, the new owner, also a professional visual merchandiser, has offeredher support and ideas for decorating and merchandising assistance for thecheese shop near Oak Street, as well as a few other buildings on the street.Urban Solutions and MOEWD also organized Visual Merchandising supportthat included a team of Visual Merchandising students from San FranciscoState University to help Michael’s Pit Stop at Divisadero and Page to rearrangedisplays to be more visually appealing, as well as to keep the windows free ofgrime and posters, so that customers can see their wares from the sidewalk.Marketing assistance was provided by the students to One Stop Copy andPrint Shop on Divisadero between Page and Haight, with a grand openingparty and related promotional activity. Appetizers were provided byneighboring Divisadero businesses, and the students gave suggestions tothe owner as to what merchandise to carry, arranging compelling windowdisplays, expanding a “sell for you” eBay business, and even subletting extraoffice space.28

3. Neighborhood Promotion and Community BuildingA corner store at Divisadero and McAllister Streets that suffered fromgraffiti and tagging was brought to the attention of the Divisadero corridormanager by a local muralist who suggested painting the wall to deterfurther vandalism. The corridor manager worked with the property owner,the muralist, and two neighborhood associations for funding and support.Both Alamo Square Neighborhood Association and the North of PanhandleNeighborhood Association contributed funds for the mural.Neighbors and members of the Mayor’s Office of Economic Developmentand Office of Criminal Justice, as well as Supervisor Mirkarimi’s office came tohelp paint. Also helping were kids nearby public housing, and various schoolsin San Francisco. Today, the mural proudly proclaims “Divisadero” on therise of the street at McAllister, which adds a splash of bright whimsy to anotherwise dreary street corner. So far, the wall has remained tag-free, and ithas even sparked discussion among neighbors of making this corner a MuralWall, with a revolving display of different murals, and a contest betweenartists to submit their work for consideration for painting on the wall.4. DMV Lot - Public parking and future useMOEWD began negotiations with the DMV in late 2006 to open theirparking lot after hours and during the weekend as requested by memberswho attended the community planning workshops in 2006. This was seen asextremely beneficial for merchants whose customers cannot find parking inthe area, and for neighborhood residents and their guests.Nearly 300 people responded to a survey in March 2007, indicating theirinterest and support for this project.Divisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative29

Respondent comments included:I live in the Sunset and trying to park to go to businesses on the Haight orNOPA is hellish on most evenings. Please open the DMV lot back up as I skippatronizing businesses in this area due to the difficult parking on some nights.We love several restaurants in this area but always dread the horrible hunt forparking. It would be wonderful to have a lot we could use.Would be far more likely to patronize the neighborhood restaurants moreregularly if parking was provided - Nopa, Little Star Pizza, etc. - would begreat for the neighborhood!This is a great idea - it will really help the businesses in the area and economicdevelopment is important to make this area more livable. Thank you!Brilliant idea to open this lot. Charge fees for use in evenings - we’ll all pay &it will help the city.The City of San Francisco and the State of California are currently in leasenegotiations. The lease would then go before the Parking Commission forapproval, prior to the lot being available for public parking.It is important to note that the State intends to eventually develop this landinto a mixed-use commercial/residential development.5. Business Attraction Committee and Resulting SurveyMOEWD helped to organize interested individuals into action committees,one of which is the Business Attraction Committee. The goal of the committeeis to assess the needs and desires of the community, and actively invitepotential businesses to come to Divisadero Street.In Summer 2007, the Business Attraction Committee distributed a survey,which received 116 responses from neighbors and merchants. The responsesof the survey very clearly indicated that the desires of the residents have notchanged from the time of the planning meetings which were held over 12months earlier. Respondents also indicated names of specific businesses ortypes of businesses that they would like to see recruited to Divisadero Street.30

The abridged responses are below, and the full responses and survey may befound in the appendix of this report.Desired types of businesses include:• Inexpensive Restaurant• Bakery• Upscale Restaurant• Clothing/Shoes• GymSpecific businesses named as preferred by the survey respondents include:• Pluto’s restaurant• 24 Hour fitness• Arizmendi bakery• Gold’s Gym• Noah’s Bagels• Trader Joe’s• Bay Bread• Mitchell’s Ice Cream• Whole Food’s• Kinko’s• Great Harvest Bakery• Goodwill/Thrift Village• Cliff’s Hardware StoreThe types of businesses that were rated as least attractive are:• Medical Marijuana Dispensary• Discount/Franchise/Chain Store• Auto RepairDivisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative31

Moving into 2008, the Business Attraction Committee will organizea recruitment campaign to bring those desired types of businesses toDivisadero, and to match them with available properties.Safety and Cleanliness - Preliminary ResultsMOEWD continues to assist community members and the proper cityagencies to work together and identify solutions to the most pressing safetyand cleanliness issues of the neighborhood. This may include establishingmerchant and resident watch programs for crime prevention, andcommunity-led trash and graffiti abatement programs.Since the planning meetings, the City has worked to achieve real results in thefollowing safety and cleanliness areas:Cleaning and Maintenance of the Public Realm (Sidewalk area andbuilding frontage)• In Fall 2006, the Mayor’s Office, in conjunction with the Department ofPublic Works, launched a six-month cleaning project called The CorridorPartnership. The intent of the project was to show the neighborhoodhow Divisadero Street could look and feel if everybody, including thecity agencies responsible for city-owned street fixtures, did their part totake care of the public realm on the street, the sidewalk, and buildingfrontages.• From October ’06 - June 07, the DPW provided cleaning and maintenanceon Divisadero Street between Haight and McAllister Streets. This includedstreet sweeping and sidewalk power-washing around garbage receptaclesand repairing damaged street fixtures within the City’s responsibility(signs, missing trees, Muni shelters, garbage cans, news racks, etc.). ADPW employee walked Divisadero Street from 11am to 7pm Thursdaythrough Saturday, sweeping litter, reporting graffiti and code violations,and being visible to merchants and residents. Concurrently, DPWconducted outreach to property owners and merchants, reminding themof their responsibility for caring for their property and sidewalks.32

• The program proved so successful with residents and merchants, that inJune 2007, DPW requested and received additional funds to continue theprogram another year and extend the Corridors Program along Divisaderofrom Haight to Geary.• DPW and MOEWD will continue to encourage the community to explorelong-term community based programs such as volunteer clean-up daysand graffiti abatement programs or contribution based cleaning programssuch as membership dues run programs or the community benefit districtconcept.Police Foot PatrolsThere is a general desire for community based foot patrols, in addition to carpatrols for Divisadero.Maintaining their presence during bar closing times and increasing theircurrent presence walking along the corridor during the day, is desirable to theparticipants in the corridor planning workshops.Streetscape Improvements and Traffic Calming ResultsFor the initial planning meetings, Asian Neighborhood Design completedthree concept plans for streetscape improvements for Divisadero’sneighborhood commercial district, which can be referenced in the appendixof this report.In 2006 and 2007, the Department of Public Works secured $3M in federalfunding for streetscape enhancements for Divisadero Street. In late 2008 andearly 2009, final streetscape design plans will be developed with communityinput, and construction is scheduled to begin by 2010. (Final design plans arenot yet available for inclusion in this report. They will be posted on the SFGOVwebsite as they are available.)Meanwhile, residents and merchants can arrange for sidewalk planters andsidewalk planting, to start the greening of Divisadero while the streetscapingeffort is in development. MOEWD will encourage the community to organizeand apply for greening funding via Community Challenge Grants.Divisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative33

Rescind the Oak Street Tow-awayMany committed neighbors worked with Supervisor Mirkarimi who wrotelegislation to rescind the morning tow-away lane on Oak Street. The towawayrescind became effective in May 2007, much to the relief of Oak Streetresidents and pedestrians.Now, pedestrians on Oak Street have a “buffer zone” of parked cars betweenthem and the sidewalk to protect them from the moving vehicles, similar toFell Street. The result is a slower, but steadier, traffic flow, and better safety forpedestrians.Traffic Calming Study `In summer 2007, a traffic study was conducted to assess conditions onDivisadero Street between Haight and Geary, and the neighboring streets tothe east and west, Scott and Broderick, which experience a lot of Divisadero“run-off traffic” to determine what the results would be if traffic and transitpatterns were changed.Preliminary traffic pattern changes will be presented for public feedback inlate 2007 and early 2008, with any changes to go into effect after planningcommission approval and funding availability for infrastructure changes (i.e.changing or widening medians, relocating bus stops, adding left-turn or busonlylanes or subtracting parking or traffic lanes).Final design plans are not yet available for inclusion in this report. They will beposted on the MPA website as they are available.34

Next StepsImplementing the Action Plan: The City’s Role and theCommunity’s ParticipationThe action plan is intended as a tool for community members from which towork and drive positive change. MOEWD encourages collaboration amongthe Divisadero merchants, residents, property owners, and other communitymembers interested in volunteering to work on projects identified as prioritiesin the planning process.The City’s Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative program will also contributeto the improvement of Divisadero Street. While City departments will takethe lead on some of the action plan items, the action plan is intended tobe the launching pad and blueprint for the community to empower itself,with assistance from the City. MOEWD staff is available to provide technicalassistance in moving forward those volunteer-led projects, and convenequarterly meetings for stakeholders.Ideally, a corridor collaborative would organize into separate sub-committees,each focused on one or more of the action plan topic areas such as Safety andcleanliness, Small business support, Marketing and neighborhood promotion,Land use and development, or Streetscape improvements and greening.ConclusionThe Divisadero Street Commercial Corridor project has the potential to bringpositive change in the economic and physical health of the neighborhood.We hope that with neighbors and the City working together that theneighborhood will become a more vibrant, diverse, inclusive, clean, andeconomically healthy.Divisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative35

AppendixMeeting FlyersCommunity LetterMeeting Agenda 1Meeting Agenda 2Meeting Agenda 3General SurveyMerchant SurveyVision Statement ActivityAsian Neighborhood Design proposed streetscapeAsian Neighborhood Design Summary Report2007 Business Attraction Survey36

Divisadero Street Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative37

Lower Divisadero StreetCommunity Planning WorkshopsWork together to realize a common visionfor the future of Divisadero StreetCommunity Planning Workshop #1:February 8, 2006 6:30 PMat CPMC Davies Hospital Auditorium,45 Castro Street (at Duboce) North TowerB Level near the CafeteriaCommunity Planning Workshop #2:March 8, 2006 6:30 PMLocation TBDCommunity Planning Workshop #3:April 19, 2006 6:30 PMLocation TBDIssues to be addressed include:DirectionsPhysical appearance and streetscapeMUNI: # 24-Divisadero, 37-Corbett, N-JudahSupport, development, and promotion oflocal serving businessesParking: Garage at 45 Castro St.Wheelchair Access: Castro/Duboce entranceParking and traffic managementCleanliness and safetyOther activities to help Divisadero betterserve its merchants, property owners, andnearby residentsThe Divisadero Community Planning Process is convened jointly byThe San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development in partnership with nonprofit organizations Bay Area Local InitiativesSupport Corporation (LISC), and Asian Neighborhood Design. Planning meetings will be conducted in coordination with Supervisor Mirkarimi’s office,the Department of City Planning, The Mayor’s Greening Initiative, Department of Public Works, and the Metropolitan Transportation Agency.For more information or to request interpretation assistance, please contactMOEWD Deputy Director Rich Hillis at 415-554-4082, rich.hillis@sfgov.orgLISC Project Manager Desirée Sideroff at 415-516-2156x20, dsideroff@lisc.org

GAVIN NEWSOMMAYORDISTRICT 5 SUPERVISORROSS MIRKARIMIJanuary 5, 2006Dear Community Member:We are pleased to invite you to the Divisadero Corridor Community Planning Project.The San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development in partnership withnonprofit organizations Bay Area Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and AsianNeighborhood Design, will host a series of community planning meetings early in 2006 for thelower Divisadero commercial district, (approximately between Haight and Eddy). TheDivisadero corridor planning meetings will be conducted in coordination with SupervisorMirkarimi’s office, the Department of City Planning, The Mayor’s Greening Initiative,Department of Public Works, and the Metropolitan Transportation Agency.As a community member, you play an integral role and have a key interest in the life and healthof Divisadero; it is important that this process addresses your needs and vision. Below is adescription of the project and schedule for community meetings during the Winter and Spring of2006. We hope you can participate.The goal of this project is to support existing neighborhood merchants, residents, and propertyowners by improving the commercial and social center of the neighborhood while ensuring itsstability. The planning process will be an inclusive, community-driven effort where existingmerchants, residents, property owners, and neighborhood organizations develop a vision for thedistrict and prioritize a set of actions in order to translate it into reality. Issues to be addressedinclude: physical appearance; support, development, and promotion of local serving businesses;parking and traffic management; cleanliness and safety; and any other activities to helpDivisadero better serve its merchants, property owners, and nearby residents. At the conclusionof the process, we will develop an Action Plan, the roadmap for implementing the activities tostrengthen the commercial district which are identified as priorities by the community.Divisadero is one of the neighborhood commercial districts selected as a potential candidate toreceived funds from the Mayor’s Greening Initiative, a program to plant trees and implementstreetscape improvements city-wide. If identified during the first community meeting as apriority, the remainder of the community planning process will include getting input on thedesign and maintenance of these improvements for Divisadero.Community Meeting Schedule Community Planning Workshop #1: February 8, 2006 6:30 PMLocation: CPMC Davies Hospital Auditorium, 45 Castro Street (at Duboce)North Tower B Level Near Cafeteria. Community Planning Workshop #2: March 8, 2006 6:30 PM Community Planning Workshop #3: April 19, 2006 6:30 PMEnclosed is an announcement for the first workshop. If you have any questions about the projector would like to set up a meeting to discuss the future of the corridor, please contactMOEWD Deputy Director Rich Hillis at 415-554-4082, rich.hillis@sfgov.orgLISC Project Manager Desirée Sideroff at 415-516-2156x20, dsideroff@lisc.orgSincerely,Gavin NewsomMayorRoss MirkarimiSupervisor, District 5

LOWER DIVISADERO COMMERCIAL CORRIDORCOMMUNITY WORKSHOP #1“Developing a Vision”Wednesday February 8, 20056:30 – 8:30 PMA g e n d aPreliminaries Please sign in Complete “Describing Divisadero” form6:30 p.m. I. Welcome and IntroductionsMayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce DevelopmentSupervisor Mirkarimi remarks6:45 p.m. II. Existing Conditions Summary of field work and stakeholder interviews7:05 p.m. III. Assets of Divisadero7:20 p.m. IV. Vision for Divisadero8:25 p.m. V. Next Steps & Wrap-Up Meeting #2 March 8 th – “Refining the Vision” Meeting #3 April 19 th – “Implementation”

LOWER DIVISADERO COMMERCIAL CORRIDORCOMMUNITY WORKSHOP #2“Refining a Vision”Wednesday February 8, 2005, 6:30 – 8:30 PMFacilitator Agenda6:00 p.m. Preliminaries Sign in Get foodFill out “Where do you shop” form6:30 p.m. I. Recap Workshop #16:45 p.m. II. Visioning exercise follow-up - LISCLarge Group Overview of Visioning process and why it’s important How we arrived at it What we will be working towards Word-smithing will be accomplished in subcommittee Present consensus statements and ask for confirmation/feedback Present elements of non-consensus, tease out specific elements to be addressedin the Action Plan Sign people up for subcommittee for word-smithing7:05 p.m. III. Streetscape design themesLarge Group Discuss physical streetscape as one element/aspect of the overall "Vision" forDivisadero Presentation of key streetscape design themes (PPT?) Solicit input on streetscape big issues; Ideal look/feel Sub-areas/clusters Theme(s) Brief set up for later interactive exercise on potential streetscape design strategies Objective is to create "typical" streetscape concepts to get order-of-magnitudecost estimates and for more detailed technical vetting

LOWER DIVISADERO COMMERCIAL CORRIDORCOMMUNITY WORKSHOP #2“Refining a Vision”Wednesday February 8, 2005, 6:30 – 8:30 PMFacilitator Agenda7:15 p.m. IV. Economic development strategiesLarge Group Present possible economic development tools/action plan items Business attraction/retention Identity-building/promotions Safety/cleanliness Organization/community building Participants give feedback via dot-voting process Present Breakdown of existing business mix, list of business types to Prioritize business attraction targets via dot-voting process7:40 p.m. V. Streetscape design sectionLarge Group – 7:40 p.m. Presentation of samples urban design elements (PPT?) lighting, trees/greenery, corners, median, bus stops, art, etc Explain introductions to the small-group interactive exercise Break into 5 small groups (facilitator team for each group)Small Group Exercise 7:50 p.m.Detailed facilitator instructions on separate page Each group is assigned a focal sub-area of Divisadero, but can come up with ideasfor other areas too if desired Facilitators guide groups through discussions of various elementsLarge Group – 8:10 p.m. Brief report-backs from each small group8:25 p.m. VI. Next steps and closeMeeting #3 announcementOther community announcements

LOWER DIVISADERO COMMUNITY PLANNING MEETING #3AgendaAs people arrive (late), get food and sit downI. Introduction, recap meeting #2, agenda Overview (PPT) 6:30-45 MOEWDII.III.Vision statement presentation 6:45-6:55 LISC/COMMUNITY MEMBERS• Community members to present what they came up with since the last meeting• Brief discussion (LISC)• Anything that you can’t live with?• If yes, and a significant number of people agree, then that aspect is taken out• In any section without consensus – this element will be tabled for futurediscussion (if the group decides to work together) and will be added back tothe Vision once consensus is reached.Action Plan 6:55-7:10 (Large Group) LISCIntroduction (5 minutes) LISC• How the Action Plan came together• Through meetings, stakeholder interviews, existing conditions analysis, wecompiled what people are already working on, and want to see happen onDivisadero• Community prioritized potential items in the last meeting• Action plans are used as a road map to realize a shared vision for the commercialdistrict• In other neighborhoods, what has worked best is when the City and communitymembers prioritize what they are interested in and then commit to workingtogether on these activities.• Can be updated annually• For each item, the Action plan has the following sections:• Activity• Community Lead• City Lead• Possible Next Steps/Ideas• Potential Funding Sources• When we present the plan, think about what you are most excited about and/or whatyou would be most interested in working on together in the future• Present Action Plan PPT 7:05 (10 Minutes)• Safety and Cleanliness• Small Business Support, Marketing and Neighborhood Promotion• Land Use• Streetscape Improvements and Greening

LOWER DIVISADERO COMMUNITY PLANNING MEETING #3Agenda*Note: streetscape design proposals and planning tools are incorporated into Action PlanWhen we get to them in the presentation of the Action Plan, mention that they will bediscussed in greater in the next sectionIV.Streetscape Design AND presents final design proposal 7:15 (30 minutes)• Mayor’s Office City Greening will discuss next steps after tonight, fundraisingplan, construction timeline and MTA traffic study process (5 min)• Presentation of “Typical Intersection” elements and scenarios (10 min) Participants to fill out prioritization survey (5 min)• Presentation/Discussion of Oak & Fell issues and possible solutions – design andland use (10 min)V. MOEWD Presentation 7:25 (10 minutes)• Trade Area and Demographics• Existing Business Mix• Existing Vacancies• Business Attraction - Discussion of potential next steps, Pass out business attraction target list surveyVI.Activity Implementation Brainstorming (in small groups) 7:45-810 (20 minutes)• Big Group: Introduction to the activity (LISC)• Community members should go to the one that most interests them and/or the type ofproject that they would be most interested in working on• Break into facilitated subgroups:• Streetscape Improvements and Greening (MOC/AND)• Safety and Cleanliness (LISC)• Small Business Support, Marketing and Neighborhood Promotion (MOEWD)• Land Use (MOEWD/DCP)• In small groups:• Brief introductions, designate note taker Pass out action plan• Go over section of the action plan• Confirm what activities people/groups (City or community groups) are alreadyworking on in the neighborhood related to the topic• Brainstorm ideas and priorities for next implementing these activities Tool: LISC’s Activity Brainstorming form• Ask Audience: do you want to work together on these activities in the future?• Large Group Report Back (LISC) 8:15-8:25

LOWER DIVISADERO COMMUNITY PLANNING MEETING #3AgendaVII.• Representatives from each group report back to the big group• What you’re excited about• Some ideas you have• Ask: do you want to work together on these activities in the future?• Sounds like you are interested in working togetherNext Steps 8:15-8:30 (MOEWD)• It helps to have a coordinating committee that meets every other month or so tocheck in, and ensure that things get done. Representatives from differentneighborhood groups, and merchant groups could be encouraged as well as anyoneelse here.• MOEWD will provide a coordinating committee with assistance to ensure that theaction plan is implemented• Questions/comments? – (brief discussion if necessary)• Pass out sign-up sheets with check boxes• MOEWD/LISC will be in touch with meeting participants to organize first coordinatingcommittee meeting• Supervisor Mirkarimi to close, discuss next steps, support in implementation

DIVISADERO SURVEY1. What would you describe as the boundaries of the shopping district?What is the heart of the district?2. Do you shop, eat, or find entertainment Divisadero Y NWhich businesses do you patronize?Which types of businesses do you leave the neighborhood for?3. Are there any physical changes that you would like to see on Divisadero (e.g. new sidewalks, trees, etc.)4. What are the key things you think could be improved about Divisadero (Please check the top 3)____ Lack of cleanliness along corridor____ Pedestrian Safety____ Storefront appearance____ Lack of parking____ Availability and/or quality of goods or services____ Lack of foot traffic____ Public Safety____ Merchants keep limited hours____ Neighborhood reputation____ Other: _________________________________5. Are other types of businesses you would like to see on Divisadero?6. Are there other groups or individuals you would recommend we talk to?7. Would you be interested in helping to improve Divisadero by attending community meetings or working onprojects? Y N8. Please provide any additional comments or thoughts on the opposite side:Contact InformationName: ______________________________________________Email: ______________________________________________Preferred method of contact Email PhoneOrganization (if any): ___________________________________Phone________________________________________________Would you like to get involved in activities to improve Divisadero?__________________________________PLEASE RETURN TO: Desirée Sideroff, Bay Area LISC369 Pine Street, Ste. 350, San Francisco, CA 94104Voice: 415.397.7322 x20 Fax: 415.397.8605 dsideroff@lisc.org

DIVISADERO MERCHANT SURVEYBusiness name:Address:1. What do you think are the greatest strengths/characteristics/assets of the shopping district?2. What are the key things you think could be improved about Divisadero (please check the top 3)____ Lack of cleanliness along corridor____ Availability and/or quality of goods or services____ Lack of foot traffic____ Public Safety____ Pedestrian Safety____ Merchants keep limited hours____ Storefront appearance____ Neighborhood reputation____ Lack of parking____ Other: ___________________________3. What kind of businesses would you like to see more of on Divisadero St?4. What type of Small business assistance would you be interested in receiving on Divisadero?_ Access to capital/low-interest loans_ Window display_ Permitting, licensing and registration_ Accounting and financial systems_ Energy efficiency assessment_ Legal assistance_ Business plans and development_ Filling vacancies_ Security assessments_ Negotiating long-term leases_ Marketing and sales_ Graffiti abatement_ Help with promotional activities_ Assistance with storefront improvements &signage_ Other ___________________________5. What type of Neighborhood Promotion and Marketing would help your business?___ Development of a neighborhood marketingcampaign with logos, district name, slogans, ads___ Positive stories/reviews in the press___ Divis. street fair or expansion of existing street fairs___ Business directory or neighborhood website___ Coordinated promotional events featuringmultiple neighborhood businesses___ Highlight the neighborhood’s history throughevents, exhibits, tours, materials___ Other ______________________________________________________Please share any additional comments about doing business on Divisadero Street on the reversePlease return this form to: LISC, c/o Desirée Sideroff 369 Pine Ste.350V: 415-715-6746 ext.20, F: 415-397-8605, dsideroff@lisc.org

Bay Area LISC Commercial Corridor Planning Toolkit 2004NEIGHBORHOOD VISIONING FORMInstructions for small group facilitators7:25 p.m. 1. Introductions As participants get into groups, facilitators should ask each person to share the following: Name? Where do you live? What neighborhood group are you a part of (if any)? What is your connection to the neighborhood How long have you been in the neighborhood Select community participant to give report back7:30 p.m. 2. Visioning Close your eyes and picture a neighborhood commercial district in SF or the Bay Area that you reallylike Who shops there? What kinds of businesses are located there? What are the things that draw people to the neighborhood? What are your favorite establishments in the neighborhood? Why? What are the buildings like? What is the physical environment like? What about it makes the neighborhood unique?7:35 p.m. 3. Ask people to identify which neighborhoods they thought of. Pick one or two commercialdistricts and fill out the Neighborhood Visioning Form First fill out the first column of the form by having participants say some of the things that they likedabout the commercial districts they were thinking of Next have the participants think about how the aspects of other commercial districts they like applyto the context of Divisadero by having them fill out the second and third columns for each row If people mention issues or problems with Divisadero, just write them on the sheet and write “issue”under the “Does this exist on Divisadero” column. Write any other interesting notes on the back”7:45 p.m. 4. Facilitate a discussion to establish 2-3 fundamental qualities/values//goals that are worthpromoting to guide the vision for Divisadero Participants fill out the bottom of the Neighborhood Visioning Form7:55 p.m. Move back into the full group

Bay Area LISC Commercial Corridor Planning Toolkit 2004NEIGHBORHOOD VISIONING FORMNeighborhood Commercial Districts You Like _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Things you like about these commercial districts:Does thisexist onDivisadero? Y/NWould this beappropriate forDivisadero? Y/N2-3 fundamental qualities, values, or goals to guide the vision for Divisadero

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AsianNeighborhoodDesignNeighborhood Commercial District ProfileOctober 2006

Table of ContentsOverview of Divisadero NCD ........................................................................................................... 1Corridor Business Inventory and Land Uses ................................................................................. 3Sub-Area Profiles and Streetscape Characteristics ....................................................................... 9Zone I ...................................................................................................................................... 10Zone II ....................................................................................................................................11Zone III ................................................................................................................................... 12Zone IV ................................................................................................................................... 13Zone V ..................................................................................................................................... 14Market Area Characteristics .......................................................................................................... 15Retail Nodes and Major Employment Nodes ....................................................................... 16Demographic Trends ............................................................................................................. 17Policy Issues .................................................................................................................................... 19AppendicesDivisadero Business Inventory ............................................................................................. 24Market Area Businesses Inventory ...................................................................................... 27

STURKGOLDEN GATEMCALLISTERFULTONDIVISADEROGROVEHAYESFELLOAKPAGEHAIGHTBRODERICKHAIGHTPAGEFELLOAKGROVEHAYESFULTONMCALLISTERDIVISADERODivisadero Street is a 2.6 mile, four lane surface road thatruns north and south, bisecting the city of San Francisco. Thestreet has a terminus at the Marina district on the city’s northernborder, and its southern most point at the Duboce Triangledistrict is at the approximate geographic center of SanFrancisco. The street provides direct access to eleven differentneighborhoods (as defined by the Planning Department) andintersects several arterial roads including Fell, Oak, and GearyStreets. Divisadero is well situated within the city to be a busycommercial corridor.The Divisadero Street Neighborhood Commercial District(NCD), defined by the nine block area stretching between Haight andTurk streets, is zoned NC-2 and characterized by a mix of businessesoriented to serving both the associated neighborhoods and San Franciscoat large. The NCD lies in a broad north-south valley with commercialactivity concentrated in the central flatland. It also has a variety of architecturaltypes and styles within and between its blocks and a high level ofautomobile traffic.0 250 Feet1

Western AdditionAnza VistaNorth Panhandle Alamo SquareLower Haight / Hayes ValleyHaight AshburyBuena Vista ParkDuboce Triangle Existing Street ProfileWEBWithin its nine block length the Divisadero NeighborhoodCommercial District provides distinct experiences that are unifiedby the contiguous busy vehicular and transit corridor. Thecity defined neighborhoods of Western Addition, Alamo Square,North Panhandle, Hayes Valley (Lower Haight), and HaightAshbury all border on Divisadero Street in the commercialdistrict. The street thus serves as a spine for these multipleneighborhoods and the meeting place of their varied needs andcharacters.The general urban design of the district is a balancebetween a neighborhood retail pedestrian experienceand a connecting corridor for automobile and transit traffic.Given the tight dimensions of the street profile, alongmuch of Divisadero this becomes a rather sharp contrastbetween pedestrian and vehicle activities. The sidewalksare a somewhat narrow ten feet wide throughout the areawith approximately the first eighteen inches from the curbdedicated to parking meters and street tree planting areas.The remaining sidewalk area is for pedestrian flowand in very rare cases commercial activity flows out ontothe building frontage along the sidewalk. Auto traffic isdistributed over two lanes in each direction and a curb laneon each side is dedicated to parallel metered parking. Allbut one intersection in the commercial district have fourwaytraffic signals. Pedestrian crosswalk signals are notprovided on a consistent basis throughout the study area.Street and sidewalk lighting is auto oriented and almostentirely provided by pole-mounted cobra head lamps anchoredin the center street median.2ELLISEDDYTURKFILLMOREGOLDEN GATESTEINERMcALLISTERFULTONGROVEAlamo SquareHAYESFELLDIVISADEROPIERCESCOTTPanhandleOAKPAGEHAIGHTBRODERICKBAKERLYONCENTRALWALLERBuenaVistaParkDUBOCE14TH

PIERCEALAMO SQUAREHAIGHTSCOTTPAGEOAKTURKGOLDEN GATEMCALLISTERFULTONGROVEDIVISADEROHAYESFELLBRODERICKBAKERExisting ConditionsZoningThe City zoning along Divisadero from Haight toTurk is RM-3/NC-2. This technically allows formixed residential and commercial uses (RM-3) andestablishes a Small Scale Neighborhood CommercialDistrict (NC-2). As defined by the City’s zoningcode, an NC-2 district:“is intended to serve as the City’s Small-ScaleNeighborhood Commercial District. These districtsare linear shopping streets which provideconvenience goods and services to the surroundingneighborhoods as well as limited comparisonshopping goods for a wider market. The range ofcomparison goods and services offered is varied andoften includes specialty retail stores, restaurants,and neighborhood-serving offices. NC-2 Districts arecommonly located along both collector and arterialstreets which have transit routes. These districtsrange in size from two or three blocks to manyblocks, although the commercial development inlonger districts may be interspersed with housing orother land uses. Buildings typically range in heightfrom two to four stories with occasional one-storycommercial buildings.” (Sec 711.1)RH-3RM-1RM-2NC-1RM-3/NC-2200 0200 FeetPANHANDLEThis Divisadero NC-2 commercial corridor is clearlyembedded in a surrounding residential zoning area.Allowable densities for housing on the east side ofDivisadero are generally higher (RH-3 and RM-2)than they are for the west side of the corridor (mostlyRM-1).3

PAGEPIERCEOAKALAMO SQUAREFELLHAYESSCOTTDIVISADEROHAIGHTTURKGOLDEN GATEMcALLISTERFULTONGROVELand Use TypesCommercial/RetailAuto-related CommercialHotelInstitutional/CulturalResidentialResidential Above CommercialParkingSource: Field Survey, Asian Neighborhood Design, March 2006.PANHANDLEBRODERICKBAKER200 0200 FeetLand UsesA field survey performed by Asian NeighborhoodDesign in the summer and fall 2005provides current land use information forthe Divisadero corridor. The common patternalong this commercial corridor is twoand three-story buildings with residentialunits above ground-floor commercial uses.There are also many single-story buildingswith larger commercial/retail and auto-relateduses or institutional/cultural facilities.Towards the northern end of the corridorthere are also several buildings with residentialfrontages at the ground floor--essentiallythe “commercial district” endsnorth of McAllister Street where the broadDivisadero valley reaches its peak.4

PAGEPIERCEALAMO SQUAREOAKFELLHAYESSCOTTDIVISADEROHAIGHTTURKGOLDEN GATEMCALLISTERFULTONGROVEGround Floor Land Use TypesCommercial/RetailAuto-related CommercialHotelInstitutional/CulturalResidentialSource: Field Survey, Asian Neighborhood Design, March 2006.PANHANDLEBRODERICKBAKERGround Floor Land UseThe map here shows the land use of eachproperty (“parcel”) at just the ground floorlevel. It shows even more clearly thatDivisadero Street functions as a “commercial”corridor. Most of the ground flooruses are shaded red, denoting generalcommercial/retail activities, and most ofthe rest are noted as auto-related commercialor institutional/cultural. Againthe northern end of the study area showsa predominantly residential ground-flooractivity pattern.200 0200 Feet5

vvvvvvvvvvvALAMO SQUAREPAGEPIERCEOAKFELLHAYESSCOTTDIVISADEROHAIGHTTURKGOLDEN GATEMcALLISTERFULTONGROVEBusiness TypesRetail Product SalesEating, Drinking, and EntertainmentFood and Beverage MarketsHotelSocial ServicesInstitutional and ReligiousPersonal ServicesProfessional ServicesAuto ServicesvVacant SpacePANHANDLEBRODERICKBAKERBusiness TypesThe field survey performed by AsianNeighborhood Design also included aninventory of specific businesses along thecorridor, which adds another level of detailto the land use information. Lookingat the distribution of business types alongthe corridor reveals existing patterns ofactivities. For instance, the blocks atthe northern end of the corridor havean abundance of personal services businesses,while retail products and eatingand drinking businesses are predominanttowards the south end. The blocks in thecenter of the corridor have the most diversemix of business types. The densityof businesses along Divisadero is greatestbetween Page Street at the southern endand McAllister at the northern end.Most of the businesses along the Divisaderocorridor are small enterprises. Thereare very few major “anchor” businessesother than the gas stations and car washat the auto node around the Oak and Fellsteets intersections. The Indpendent isalso an anchor on Divisadero as it attractslarge numbers of patrons for almost nightlyentertainment events.There are only a couple of major retailchain store businesses along this sectionof Divisadero. In fact, the communityrecently adopted a conditional use requirementfor any proposed new “formularetail” businesses.Source: Field Survey, Asian Neighborhood Design & MOEWD,March 2006.200 0200 Feet6

86432 2 21 1 1 111 1120 2031 This chart shows the number of businesses in the DivisaderoNCD by type. While various types of personal services businessesare the most predominant, there is clearly a broadrange of uses on the corridor.On the next page are a table and diagram that break outthese businesses types even further by specific block alongthe Divisadero corridor. Note that the current commercialvacancies are distributed randomly along the blocks ratherthan clustered in any one particular part of the NCD.7

TURK1179 1182 12011218 12371215115311561180 1181 1238121611541155Distribution of Business Type by Block SCOTTPAGEHAIGHT1202 1203 1217OAKFELLFULTONGROVEHAYESMCALLISTERGOLDEN GATEDIVISADERO1204BRODERICK8

SCOTTHAIGHTPAGEOAKFELLHAYESMCALLISTERGROVEFULTONDivisadero at Groveunsignaled stop signDivisadero at Pageobscured traffic signalDivisadero at Oaktimed pedestrian signalZone VDIVISADEROZone IVZone IIIZone IIBRODERICKZone IAKERDistrict CharacterThe Divisadero Street Neighborhood CommercialDistrict can be segmented into five sub-zones ofdistinct character created through a number of factorsincluding architectural type, specific commercial useand traffic and pedestrian patterns. Considering theNCD at this finer-grain scale allows a close review offunctional and aesthetic details of the streetscape alongthe corridor. These are not “boundaries” in any formalsense but rather smaller planning units of the wholecorridor that help draw out very localized features andpotential opportunities.9

MPMPMPMP MPStreet Trees (Matured)Garbage ReceptaclesHydrantsDrains Public PhonesBus Wire PolesMPCenter Median LightsCrosswalk Signal CountdownsAutomobile Traffic Lights OnlyStop SignOn-Street ParkingMetered Parking OAKPAGEHAIGHTPassenger Loading ZoneCommercial Loading ZoneDisabled ParkingMUNI Bus StopSource: Field Survey, Asian Neighborhood Design, March 2006.The first sub-area is comprised of the two blocks betweenHaight Street, which is the upper end of the commercialdistrict, and Oak Street which is a major crosstowntraffic arterial. This zone has a high percentage of19th century and early 20th century buildings; accordinglythe architecture is more ornate and the structuresfill smaller parcels creating a relatively higher numberof distinct facades per block. The street trees in thiszone appear fuller, more mature, and are more frequentlyplaced than other sub-areas along the corridor.The uses in this zone include several eateries, personalservices, new retail purveyors, and multifamily residentialunits. The intersection of Haight and Divisadero isa transfer point for several MUNI bus lines (#24 and #6,7, 66, 77). The diversity of façade styles, uses, and thistransportation node work together to create an activestreet level experience, particularly for pedestrians. AsDivisadero Street continues south out of the study areathe grade increases considerably, making uphill travelmore difficult, and street oriented commercial usesabruptly end as the street becomes residential southtowards the Duboce Triangle and Castro districts.TotalAuto 0Bar / Club 1Entertainment 0FIRE 0Grocery / Market 3Hotel 1Institutional & Religious 1Liquor Only 0Medical 1Nonprofit Service Provider 0Personal Services 7Professional Services 1Restaurant / Cafe / Eatery 7Retail - New 10Retail - Used 2Vacant Space 110Zone I

MPMPMPMPFELLMPMPMPMPStreet Trees (Matured)Garbage ReceptaclesPublic PhonesCrosswalk Signal CountdownsAutomobile Traffic Lights OnlyPassenger Loading ZoneCommercial Loading ZoneDisabled ParkingOAKOn-Street ParkingMetered ParkingSource: Field Survey, Asian Neighborhood Design, March 2006.HydrantsDrainsBus Wire PolesCenter Median LightsStop SignMUNI Bus StopMPMPMPThe second sub-area is the single block bounded byOak and Fell streets, the largest two east-west trafficarterials that cross Divisadero. The buildings and useshere are designed to accommodate the increased levelof auto traffic at this node. Along Divisadero the streetwall of intricate building facades in adjacent sub-areasto south and north, is broken by gas stations and a carwash located at three corners in this zone. The useof these parcels is with a building type that is set faraway from the curb line and occupies only portions ofthe sites, the remainder dedicated to parking and othercar staging areas. These uses also necessitate largecurb cuts in the sidewalk to provide for the ingress andegress of vehicles. This high volume of automobile trafficcrossing the sidewalk creates a distinct, some wouldsay uncomfortable, pedestrian experience in this zone.A busy commercial paint store is located on anothercorner in this sub-zone. It has a fairly continuous flowof contractor vehicles into the rear parking lot, and it isalso a meeting place for day laborers and thus a pointof pedestrian traffic and automobiles slowing to pick-upand drop off at the curb.TotalAuto 4Bar / Club 0Entertainment 0FIRE 0Grocery / Market 0Hotel 0Institutional & Religious 0Liquor Only 0Medical 0Nonprofit Service Provider 0Personal Services 1Professional Services 1Restaurant / Cafe / Eatery 0Retail - New 1Retail - Used 0Vacant Space 011Zone II

MP MPGROVEMPMPTotalAuto 1Bar / Club 1Entertainment 1FIRE 1Grocery / Market 3Hotel 0Institutional & Religious 1Liquor Only 1Medical 0Nonprofit Service Provider 1Personal Services 6Professional Services 2Restaurant / Cafe / Eatery 6Retail - New 7Retail - Used 0Vacant Space 3MPHAYESMPStreet Trees (Matured)Garbage ReceptaclesHydrantsDrainsPublic PhonesBus Wire PolesCenter Median LightsCrosswalk Signal CountdownsAutomobile Traffic Lights OnlyMPStop SignMPOn-Street ParkingMetered ParkingMPPassenger Loading ZoneCommercial Loading ZoneDisabled ParkingMUNI Bus StopSource: Field Survey, Asian Neighborhood Design, March 2006.FELLThe third sub-area is the two block area between Felland Grove Streets, which is one of the densest areas ofbusinesses on the corridor and the largest concentrationof eateries, cafes, and entertainment uses. This sub-areahas a diverse grouping of parcel sizes and uses. Bothsides of the street have an unbroken building façadestreet wall along Divisadero, and an eclectic mix of architecturalstyles side by side. The majority of the area hasa rhythm of business frontages that is similar to the firstsub-zone near Haight street, but at some points singlefaçades extend for fifty or sixty feet (eg. currently vacantHarding Theater) creating in a few locations a less welcoming“blank wall” pedestrian experience. The largestsingle use in this section of the corridor is the IndependentTheater, an active live performance venue that hasa regional draw and drives most of the late night activityin this area. Lighting conditions in this zone are consistentwith the rest of the study area consisting of tallcobra-headed lights in the center median of the street.Cross traffic at Grove is controlled by a stop sign onlywhile all other intersections are light controlled. Withthe high traffic volume along Divisadero, a pedestrianmust use extra caution at this point.12Zone III

Street Trees (Matured)Garbage ReceptaclesPublic PhonesMPMcALLISTERMPMPMPFULTON MPMPMP MPGROVEHydrantsDrainsBus Wire PolesCenter Median LightsCrosswalk Signal CountdownsAutomobile Traffic Lights OnlyStop SignOn-Street ParkingMetered ParkingPassenger Loading ZoneCommercial Loading ZoneDisabled ParkingMUNI Bus StopSource: Field Survey, Asian Neighborhood Design, March 2006.MPThe fourth sub-area is the two block area north ofGrove and south of McAllister streets, which marks thenorthern edge of the truly “commercial” part of the corridorstudy area. The facade street wall here is fairlycontiguous except for the small surface parking lot atthe southwest corner of Grove and Divisadero. Additionally,the southeast corner of this same intersectionis dominated by a large residential building whosesingle car garage entries preclude the opportunity forcommercial fronts along Divisadero for most of theblock. There are fewer street trees in this zone thanthe others. However the northern half of this sub-areaintroduces more mixed commercial activity, and theintersection of Divisadero and McAllister is a transferpoint for MUNI lines #24 and #5. A café in this areaprovides one of the few outdoor seating opportunitiesalong the Divisadero corridor and the commercial offeringsare weighted to neighborhood-serving food optionsand personal services with less of a city-wide or regionaldraw than other sub-areas of the district. Lightingconditions like elsewhere are auto oriented and thereare no pedestrian crosswalk signals in this zone.TotalAuto 2Bar / Club 2Entertainment 0FIRE 1Grocery / Market 4Hotel 0Institutional & Religious 0Liquor Only 0Medical 0Nonprofit Service Provider 1Personal Services 12Professional Services 2Restaurant / Cafe / Eatery 6Retail - New 2Retail - Used 0Vacant Space 313Zone IV

Street Trees (Matured)Garbage ReceptaclesHydrantsDrainsPublic PhonesBus Wire PolesCenter Median LightsCrosswalk Signal CountdownsAutomobile Traffic Lights OnlyStop SignOn-Street ParkingMetered ParkingMPPassenger Loading ZoneCommercial Loading ZoneDisabled ParkingMUNI Bus StopTURKGOLDEN GATEMcALLISTERTotalAuto 1Bar / Club 0Entertainment 0FIRE 0Grocery / Market 1Hotel 0Institutional & Religious 1Liquor Only 0Medical 0Nonprofit Service Provider 0Personal Services 5Professional Services 0Restaurant / Cafe / Eatery 1Retail - New 0Retail - Used 0Vacant Space 4Source: Field Survey, Asian Neighborhood Design, March 2006.The fifth sub-area in the corridor study is north of McAllisterto Turk Street and beyond towards Geary. The “valley”of the Divisadero commercial district crests at McAllister,and the abrupt change in topography correspondswith a change to a much more residential ground floorland use pattern in these blocks. Commercial uses aremostly located at the corners which is typical of a moremixed residential area. There is noticably less pedestrianactivity in this sub-area. Streetscape conditions are generallythe same as they are in the blocks to the south, withscattered tree plantings and large overhead cobra lights inthe center median.14Zone V

WEBSTERMarket Area CharacteristicsWestern AdditionTURKAnza VistaGOLDEN GATEMcALLISTERFULTONNorth Panhandle Alamo SquareGROVEHAYESDIVISADEROPanhandleELLISEDDYThe Divisadero NCD exists within a broader “marketarea” that serves as both its primary customer base andthe competitive supply of other commercial/retail opportunitiesfor customers.FILLMORESTEINERWithin close proximity to the Divisadero corridor is theimmediate pedestrian catchment area for the local-servingbusinesses, depicted by the yellow-shaded area on themap below. Residents living two or three blocks away mayfrequently visit the commercial district for a variety orneeds and activities.FELLOAKALAMO SQUAREDIVISADEROPANHANDLEGEARYCALIFORNIAPAGEHaight AshburyLower Haight / Hayes ValleyHAIGHTAlamo SquarePIERCESCOTTBRODERICKA wider area puts Divisadero businesses into competitionwith other potential optionsfor residents and workersBAKERLYONCENTRALwithin the generalmarket area, which isdepicted by the ovalBuenaVistaParkWALLERDUBOCEFILLMOREFULTONBuena Vista ParkDuboce TriangleFELLOAK14THMASONICcircle on the map.Potential patrons andvisitors to Divisaderomay be walking or theymay be using transit orauto access for thisdistance of travel to thecorridor. For someDivisadero businesseswith a citywide draw, the“market area” isobviously even greater.HAIGHTMARKET0 400 800 Feet15

11KL12M13NOP14Q15E10HDFG0 400 800 Feet9214C68AB537JIMARKETTURKFILLMOREALAMO SQUAREDIVISADEROHAIGHTBUENA VISTAPARKOAKFELLCALIFORNIAGEARYFULTONMASONICPANHANDLEMarket Area -- General Retail Nodes & Major EmploymentSourcesAsian Neighborhood Design conducted a windshield survey ofcommercial districts and retail nodes in the Divisadero area, theresults of which are shown on the map here. Major employmentnodes in the area are also shown as these are sources of daytimeworkers who may patronize nearby commercial services as wellas the local residents. This mapping of retail supply in the areashows how the local-serving market area of Lower Divisaderocommercial corridor is bracketed by significant retail opportunitiesalong Filmore to the east, along the general Masonic corridorto the west, Upper Divisadero to the north, and the Haightdistricts and Upper Market to the south.Statistics compiled from the City’s business database by neighborhoodplanning district are provided in the appendix LowerDivisadero Market Area Businesses Inventory. Within the marketarea there are approximately 1,700 retail businesses, 4,400businesses providing various services, and 1,600 businesses inthe finance, insurance and real estate sectors. There are severalhundred other businesss in the area of a variety of types fromconstruction to wholesale and a number of “nonclassifiable”businesses.Retail Nodes Major Employment Nodes1. Upper Fillmore NCD2. Fillmore & California3. Japan Town & Kabuki4. Fillmore Center & Saveway5. Lower Fillmore NCD6. Lower Haight NCD7. Market & Church8. Market St. NCD9. Market & Castro10. Upper Divisadero NCD11. California & Masonic12. Trader Joe’s13. The City Center14. Fulton Center and Albertsons15. Upper Haight NCDA. CPMC - Pacific CampusB. West Bay Community CenterC. Northern Police StationD. UCSF Mt. Zion Medical CenterE. Kaiser-Permanente Medical CenterF. School, Recreation Center, LibraryG. Elementary SchoolsH. Dept. of Motor VehiclesI. CPMC - Davies CampusJ. Jewish Community CenterK. San Francisco Fire Credit UnionL. UCSF - Laurel Heights CampusM. MUNI Repair Service CenterN. Childrens HospitalO. Blood CenterP. University of San FranciscoQ. City College - John Adams Campus16

CALIFORNIA01340020153001015300201550020155003GEARY0158001015900201580050161004FILLMORE01580020158004016100301610020157002015800301630010163003016300201640010168004FULTONFELLOAKHAIGHTALAMO SQUAREDIVISADERO01650020165001 0164002060300101670040166001MASONIC016800501670010168006016700301670020166002MARKETBUENA VISTAPARKDemographic Trends 1990 - 2000The Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Developmentreviewed census data from the 2000 survey andfound a number of illuminating characteristics of theLower Divisadero local resident population.Over the 1990-2000 period there was significant populationgrowth of 15%, which is higher than for the cityas a whole.However, during that same period the average familysize dropped from 2.9 to 2.0 persons per household.Age characteristics of residents show fewer children,while there are many more 25 – 34 years olds (a total of1/3 of the local population).In terms of race characteristics, there was an increasein White and Asian residents between 1990 and 2000,while there was a decline of African-American residents.There was also an increase in households with incomesof $100,000 or more, and a loss of low income households.0152003015400201570010045003016600401710010170001016900101710020170002016900201710030170003Blockgroup BoundaryCensus block groups0169002 Blockgroup Number0 400 800 Feet17

Policy IssuesPedestrian SafetyThe pedestrian experience of the district is unique inthat a high percentage of available services are ideal forcustomers walking from nearby residential areas, butthe sidewalks and general urban design are not necessarilyoptimized for travel on foot. The sidewalks arequite narrow for a high volume of pedestrian traffic,particularly in multiple directions and there is littleroom for outdoor seating and displays of the type thatencourage activity. The lighting of the sidewalk areais also potentially not conducive to pedestrians feelingsafe at night on the street. Auto oriented lights and alack of light from storefronts creates a large numberof dark spots throughout the district. Additionally, thecrosswalks and signals currently provided are not idealfor pedestrians. Most intersections have no pedestriansignals or count-down signals to indicate when it issafe to cross on foot, making the individual rely on theautomobile traffic light.Public Space and Street GreeningThe Divisadero Commercial District has a lack of openpublic space accessed from the street level. It is currentlya corridor focused on movement, and while someof the abutting neighborhoods have large parks withina few blocks distance, there are no public spaces forgathering or resting, and few privately provided seatingareas on Divisadero Street itself. Future considerationof the district could evaluate its potential as part of alarger network of public spaces. The noisy and harshenvironment created by auto traffic could also be wellmediated with the addition of planting areas and othersoft-scape where appropriate.TransportationThe Divisadero Corridor is serviced by one MUNI busline (#24). There are also several key nodes of transferwith other bus lines particularly at Haight and again atMcAllister streets. There is, however, just one shelteredMUNI stop on Divisadero in the commercial district, atHaight street in the southbound direction. Further planningaround the area could key in on these transportationnodes as places to increase pedestrian safety andcomfort.Formula retail vs. Independently OperatedIn 2005 the San Francisco Planning Commission approvedan amendment to the planning code to designateformula retail uses as conditional uses in the DivisaderoNeighborhood Commercial District between Haightand Turk Streets. While the technical specifications for“formula retail” sometimes fall under debate it typicallyis applied to any retailer with eleven or more outletsthat sell an identical set of goods and incorporate aconsistent architectural style at each outlet, and markettheir goods in the same manner regardless of the placewhere they are sold. Often these outlets represent alarge national chain or franchise that has the benefit ofglobal marketing and increased capital. It is argued thatthese advantages can put locally owned small businessesat an insurmountable competitive disadvantage.Formula retail stores are also scrutinized for their potentialimpacts to the aesthetic character of establishedneighborhoods.18

Medical MarijuanaCollectives and dispensaries of medical marijuana are a legaland even politically supported businesses in the City ofSan Francisco. They are regulated and fill a proven need inthe community. However, they have also raised concernsabout what types of uses can or should be located close by,the activities of the clientele that may frequent the medicalmarijuana clubs, and what effect it could have on propertyvalues. There are currently two medical marijuana sites inoperation in the district.Opportunities SitesWhile there are no unused vacant lots in the NCD and onlyone off-street surface parking lot, there are some areas thatcould support denser infill development. For example, inthe Northern section of the district the frequency of singlestory, single occupant, commercial buildings along thecorridor increases. In many cases these parcels could accommodatemixed uses above commercial spaces similarto existing typologies in the corridor, without displacingservices or businesses that are vital to the character of thedistrict. While “density” is often a sensitive issue in neighborhoods,more housing above commercial uses on thestreet could add to the pedestrian activity and consequentviability for several small businesses. The Harding Theatersite, which has been discussed for re-use, is also a potentialcatalyst site for the corridor.19

Appendix 20

Appendix Asian23

AsianNeighborhoodDesignCommunity Planning Program1182 Market StreetSuite 300San Francisco, CA 94102voice: 415.593.0423fax: 415.593.0424www.andnet.orgProject Team:Peter CohenFernando MartiKa Man C. ChanCarey Barker

Lower Divisadero Corridor : BAC SurveyLower Divisadero Corridor Business Attraction SurveySummer 2007Prepared for:Lower Divisadero Corridor Revitalization ProjectPrepared by:Business Attraction Committee (BAC)Lower Divisadero Corridor Revitalization ProjectEmail: lowerdivis@nopnawiki.orgAbstractThe Lower Divisadero Corridor (LDC) business attraction survey was created to gage the types of businessresident's were interested in as well as to determine their overall thoughts about the corridor. The LDC spans fromHaight street to the south, Geary street to the north and surroundings within a 0.5 mile radius of Divisadero.Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com) was used to collect data in three categories: Business Types, AreaCulture and Household. There were a total of 16 questions in all categories. A total of 117 respondents started thesurvey with 116 completing it. Results from the business types section indicate that respondents wantRestaurants (both inexpensive and upscale), Bakery and Clothing/Shoes types of businesses within the corridorand don't want Medical Marijuana Dispensary, Franchise/Chain Store and Auto Repair type of businesses.Responses within the area culture section indicate that the respondents see the neighborhood as independent,crime ridden and laid back while not seeing it as Hippie, Family-oriented or Yuppie. The majority of therespondents are from household's with income over $100k (59.3%), on average have 2.1 people in theirhousehold while 14.8% have children under 18. These household demographics are within the 2000 census datafor the 94117 (64.9% of respondents) area code but on the high side when it comes to income (>$100k was12.9%, based on 2002 data). Respondent's also self identified themselves as professional, community focusedand liberal while not identifying with hippie, conservative and student. Overall, the respondents were positiveabout the corridor's future and wanted to see crime reduced, the streets cleaner and businesses that support theneighborhood culture.Page 1 of 25

Lower Divisadero Corridor : BAC SurveySUMMARY .................................................................................................................................................................................. 3SCOPE .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 31 PURPOSE .................................................................................................................................................................................... 32 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................................................... 43 DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................................................................................... 4METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................................................... 41 RESPONSE GATHERING .................................................................................................................................................................. 42 QUESTION SELECTION AND CONSTRUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 4RESULTS AND ANALYSIS ....................................................................................................................................................... 51 OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................................................. 52 RESULTS AND ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................................................... 8..2.1 Business Types ............................................................................................................................................................... 8..2.2 Area Culture ................................................................................................................................................................ 13..2.3 Household ................................................................................................................................................................... 16..2.4 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................................................. 19APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................................................................ 201 LIST OF QUESTIONS ................................................................................................................................................................... 202 SURVEY FILES .......................................................................................................................................................................... 24Page 2 of 25

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC SurveySummaryRespondent's to the Lower Divisadero Corridor (LDC) survey were excited about what thecorridor can become. Their general feeling is that it has a lot of potential but that the crime,dirty streets and graffiti need to be addressed. Most respondent's want the neighborhoodcharacter to remain and don't want to see the neighborhood turned into a homogeneousarea.ScopeA total of 117 respondent's started the survey with 116 completing it. The top types ofbusinesses requested were: Clothing/Shoe store, bakery and Restaurants (bothinexpensive and upscale). The types of businesses that people don't want to see are:Medical Marijuana Dispensary, Franchise/Chain Store and Auto Repair.The majority of the respondents are from household's with income over $100k (59.3%), onaverage have 2.1 people in their household while 14.8% have children under 18. Thesehousehold demographics are within the 2000 census data for the 94117 (64.9% ofrespondents) area code but on the high side when it comes to income (>$100k was12.9%, based on 2002 data). Respondent's also self identified themselves as professional,community focused and liberal while not identifying with hippie, conservative and student.Most respondent's felt that the LDC was an independent, crime ridden and laid backcommunity that can and will pull together to make positive change. Some of the responsesthat best characterized how people felt were:“It's like Sesame street with occasional semi-automatic gun battles.”“It feels like "normal" people live here. I like the small-town feel of NOPA.”“There is a mix of cultures in this neighborhood. It is unpretencious, up and coming,and fresh. The people in this neighborhood care and are outspoken.”Any business that wants to setup in the LDC should consider the community focusednature of the area. The majority of the respondent's were in neighborhood associationslike NOPNA, Lower Haight and ASNA. These organizations are active in the area andseem to have a strong say in what does on.Next steps for the Business Attraction Committee will be to take the data gathered by thissurvey and actively pursue the types of businesses the respondent's requested. Oncecandidate businesses are attracted, additional surveys and emails will be produced togage neighbors feelings about the proposed businesses.1 PurposeThis survey was commissioned by the Business Attraction Committee to gage resident'sfeelings on the type of businesses they would like in the area as well as their generalimpressions about the area. The collected data and analysis will be used to attractbusinesses to the Lower Divisadero Corridor (LDC).Page 3 of 25

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC Survey2 References Census data for 94117:http://www.dataplace.org/area_overview/index.html?place=x108448&z=1 San Francisco City Survey (2007):http://www.nopnawiki.org/images/5/54/2007CitySurvey.pdf Harding Theater Survey (Feb. 2005):http://www.nopnawiki.org/images/a/a3/Harding_survey_results.pdf LDC Survey PDF (http://www.nopnawiki.org/images/a/ad/Lower_Divis_Survey.pdf)3 DefinitionsLower Divisadero Corridor (LDC): The stretch of Divisadero that runs from Geary toHaight and surroundings out to a ~ 0.5 mile radius.Methodology1 Response gatheringSurvey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com) was used to gather responses from people. Alink to the survey( http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=XKB_2b_2fILq7gAKdwTewdcu7w_3d_3d )was sent to various e-mailing lists including:Lower Divisadero Neighborhood Group (lowerhaightorg@googlegroups.com)PRO-SF (home@pro-sf.org)North Panhandle Neighborhood Association (nopna_board@yahoogroups.com)Alamo Plaza Neighborhood Association (via a flyer and e-mail)Craigslist General Community (Western Addition Section)SF5Together yahoo group list (5Together@yahoogroups.com)Placed on www.nopnawiki.org and www.nopna.orgEmails were also sent out to friends and neighbors of the BAC.2 Question selection and constructionQuestions were selected to gage peoples desires as to the type of businesses that theywant on the LDC as well as what their feelings are as to the character of theneighborhood. Additional questions were added to determine what should be done withThe Harding Theater site as well as some demographic questions to compare to censusdata. See the appendix for a complete list of questions.Some of the questions also contained selections that were meant to determine if theresponses were truthful as well as to gage what people don't want in the neighborhood.Free form responses were also include to get feedback on the survey and what peoplewanted fixed around the LDC.Page 4 of 25

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC SurveyDemographic comparisons will be done based on the census data from the 94117 zipcode (other zip codes responded but this one was the biggest responding group). Alldata is taken from the 2000 census unless otherwise stated. The relevant data tocompare to is listed below:General InformationItem Units ValueTotal Population people 38,168Population Density people/sq-mile 27,158.515Population under 18 % 6.5Total Households N/A 18,025Average household size people 2Households with children % 25.5Median Household Income $ 63,983Average Household Income $ 85,314Total number of establishments (2003) # 732Establishment density per 1000populationArea IncomeItem (2002 Data) Units ValueAverage Adjusted Gross Income $ 62,743$100,000 % 12.9City Survey ResultsEach year, the City and County of San Francisco's Office of the Controller, City ServicesAuditor does a City Survey to gage San Francisco resident's thoughts and feelings. Thesurvey asks several quality of life related questions that are reported by district. Therelevant data to compare to is presented below:Chapter 2: Safety (Page 2-1)Feelings of Safety was stable from 2005 and higher than in the 1990'sFifty-seven (57%) of residents feel safe both day and nightAppendix A-4: District 5 reports 47% of respondents feel safe both day andnight. Eighty (80%) of respondents report feeling safe or very safe walking alone in theirneighborhoods during the daytime, down from 83 percent in 2005.Page 6 of 2519

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC SurveyAppendix A-3: District 5 reports 82% of respondents feel safe or very safewalking along during the day in their neighborhood.Appendix A-3: District 5 reports 50% of respondents feel safe or very safewalking alone during the night in their neighborhood.Chapter 4: Streets and Sidewalks (Page 4-1) Steady grades for street and sidewalk cleanliness from 2005.Forty-nine (49%) percent of respondents consider the cleanliness of theirneighborhood streets as good or excellentAppendix A-9: District 5 reports 37% of respondents consider the cleanlinessof their neighborhood sidewalks as good or excellent.Appendix A-10: District 5 reports 44% of respondents consider the cleanlinessof their neighborhood streets as good or excellent.Appendix A-11: District 5 reports 35% of respondents consider the pavementconditions of their neighborhood streets as good or excellent.Forty-five (45%) of San Franciscans think that the cleanliness of theirneighborhood sidewalks are in good or excellent condition. The average ratings in Districts 1,2,3,4,5,7 and 8 are significantly lower in 2007than in 2004 and 2005. There is a dramatic drop in District 2 and 7.Chapter 10: Demographic Information (Page 10-2 and 10-4) What was your household's total income before taxes in 2004?Item Units Value$100,000 % 32 How many people live in your household/Any children under 18?Item Units ValueOne % 33Two % 37Three % 15Four % 10Five or more % 6Children under 18 % 20Chapter 9: Technology and San Franciscans (Page 9-1 to 9-10)Page 7 of 25Eighty-two (82%) of the population uses a computer at home and 80% of thoseuse it to access the InternetAppendix A-22: District 5 reports 86% of respondents reach the Internet fromhome.

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC SurveyPercent of Internet in the Home versus IncomeItem (2006 Income) Units Appox. Value$100,000 % 992 Results and Analysis..2.1 Business TypesThere were a total of five questions in this section. Three had to do with types ofbusinesses desired, one dealt with walking versus driving to businesses and the lastone dealt with the Harding Theater property. The Harding Theater question was postedbecause it has been in limbo for quite a while and it is a major store front on the LDC.Three questions were posed to respondents to determine the types of businesses thatthey want on the LDC. Two of the questions were selection from a list while the otherwas to list your top three businesses. The exact wording of the questions follows:Question 1: How often do you travel outside of the Lower Divisadero to go to thesebusinesses (greater than a mile away)?Question 2: Please rank the following types of businesses you would like to see onLower DivisaderoQuestion 3: Please list your top 3 businesses that you would like to see in theLower Divisadero. You can indicate a specific business by name, or bycategory/type.The methodology to determine the actual business wants of the respondents was todetermine the commonality between the three questions. It was felt that the businessesthat people travel outside their neighborhood for are more valuable then ones that theymight potentially want. The top three list was to narrow down the list more and tocorrelate to the other two lists. In addition to a wants, we also wanted to determine whatthe respondent's don't want by including selection items that we deemed unpleasant tothe respondent'sThe results of the comparisons is presented below:Page 8 of 25

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC SurveyThe list above is in ranked order based on the average of the two questions. Theinteresting thing about the responses is that what people want and what they travel outof the neighborhood for can be quite different. This might indicate the frequency ofwhich the respondent's go to these types of businesses or they might frequent themmore if they were closer.Question three results are presented below:Page 9 of 25

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC SurveyThese results also include the write in results from the wants and travel question. Thetop three were given weights of 1, 2 and 3 to correspond to questions 1 and 2. Theweighted average is the average response of all three rankings with the additionalweight of total responses for that item. As can been seen, the responses are a littledifferent than question 1 and 2. To determine the actual business like and dislikes, wecompare the top and bottom of the lists as follows:Looking at what is in list 1 and in list 2, we find that the common types of businessesbetween them are:Page 10 of 25Inexpensive RestaurantBakeryUpscale RestaurantClothing/ShoesGym

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC SurveyRespondent's also put in specific names for businesses. The names they put in were: Plutos restaurant 24 Hour fitness Arizmendi bakery Golds Gym Noah's Bagels Trader Joe's Bay Bread Mitchell's Ice Cream Whole Food's Kinkos Great Harvest Bakery Goodwill/Thrift Village Cliff's Hardware Store (Castro)The bottom businesses on both list 1 and 2 were as follows:These two lists are also different but share the following in common:Medical Marijuana DispensaryDiscount/Franchise/Chain StoreAuto RepairAny business that is of these types will have a hard time getting neighborhood supportand will be avoided by the business attraction committee.Page 11 of 25The next question dealt with traveling to desired businesses. The exact question text isas follows:Question 4: If the business you indicated above were in the Lower Divisaderoneighborhood, what is the probability that you would walk there?The overwhelming response was that they would. Over 94% of respondent's said theywere very likely to walk to the desired businesses.The last question in this section had to deal with the Harding Theater. The Hardingused to be a theater and now has fallen into disrepair. A 2005 survey about the desiredfate of the Harding revealed that people wanted it to be saved and restored.

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC SurveyThe question in this survey asked respondent's to list in order of preference theirdesired outcome for the site. Respondent's also had a section to put their comments.The question was as follows(the results follow):Question 5: Please rank what you feel would be the best useage for the HardingTheater Site (at Divisadero at Hayes). (Please keep in mind that the theater isprivately owned. Your suggestions provide guidance but do not necessarilydetermine its ultimate best usage.)Clearly, the respondent's want to see the theater restored but there is a strong feelingthat it needs to be mixed use since that seems to be the best way to ensure that it willnot fall into disrepair again. The comments seem to point that way as well. Out of the115 respondent's, 30 added comments. A select number of them are reproduced below(for a complete list, see the raw data file).Page 12 of 25“Just do SOMETHING with it!!!! Except put in a bunch of chain stores.”“If a theater, best not a movie theater--single-screens don't do well, and anyway theRed Vic and the Sundance are nearby for indie fare. Much better would be avenue for live music or performances.”“We need to be sensitive to economic realities. A self-sustaining community centeris not feasible. Condos are a good thing for the neighborhood: increases the taxbase and adds lots of customers to the shops/restaurants plus increased vitality tothe sidwalks. Street level must be businesses, not driveways.”“I don't want to see just expensive housing, nor 100% affordable. Should be mixedincomehousing, if condos are built. But ideally the building would be a communitycenter, or a mixed-used development.”“Enough already with the protecting "historical landmarks." That thing is an eyesore and the sooner it gets turned into something useful the better for theneighborhood. Some "activists" need to get a life and stop living in the past.”In general, the comments lean toward a mixed use development. It does seem thatpeople want something done with the site since it has been vacant for a long time. Theowner should consider some sort of mixed use project that keeps the theater aspect ofthe site.

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC Survey..2.2 Area CultureFour questions dealt with area culture. The driving force behind these questions was todetermine how the respondent's felt about the neighborhood and how they woulddescribe it. There were also free form questions that asked respondent's about thethings they liked and disliked.The first two questions dealt with how they thought about the neighborhood and howthe identified themselves. Both questions are listed below:Question 6: When you think of the community around the Lower Divisadero, whichwords/phrases come to mind (click all that apply)Question 7: How would you describe yourself (please click all that apply)?The responses to question 6 are summarized below (in ranked order):These results show that the respondent's see the neighborhood as Independent, Crimeridden and Laid Back. The last entry, Diverse, was the most typed in response in theOther Category.When respondent's answered questions about how they saw themselves, the majorityof them saw themselves as Professional, Community-focused and Liberal (see theresults below).Page 13 of 25

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC SurveyThis implies that any business that is attracted to the LDC, needs to keep in mind theseresults so that the business will be successful.Page 14 of 25

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC SurveyThe next set of questions were fill in the blank and focused what people like about theLDC and what they would change. The questions are reproduced below:Question 8: What do you think are some of the best features of our neighborhood?Question 9: What are the top two things you would change about ourneighborhood?Several general themes emerged from the analysis of question 8 and 9. Respondent'shad a lot to say about what they like and dislike. On the like side, the responses tendedto follow these themes (in no particular order):Diversity of all kindsLocation (Central)Access to parksCommunity Spirit/Neighborhood feelIndependentUp and coming with great independent businessesA lot of the comments had specific names of independent businesses that they thoughtwere great. A select list of comments are reproduced below. These were thecomments that seemed to sum up the other comments nicely.“It's like Sesame street with occasional semi-automatic gun battles.”“It feels like "normal" people live here. I like the small-town feel of NOPA.”“NOT overidden with chain stores. Central location. Diversity of people.”“Walkability, many transit options, great architecture, good restaurants, close toparks”“There is a mix of cultures in this neighborhood. It is unpretencious, up and coming,and fresh. The people in this neighborhood care and are outspoken.”“diverse population independent character neighborhood activism centrallocation”On the dislike/improvement side, the responses tended to follow these themes:Page 15 of 25Crime/ViolenceEmpty store frontsMedical Marijuana DispensariesDirty streets, poor conditions of streets/side walks and graffitiNeed more parkingLack of green on LDC.

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC SurveyA select list of comments are reproduced below. These were the comments thatseemed to sum up the other comments nicely...2.3 Household“I want lots of great places to eat at in the neighborhood. I want more small coolshops I can walk to.”“Fill vacant shops. Work on getting/keeping the street a cleaner, including thepreventing and removing of graffiti and street trash and planting streetscapes.”“The street needs cleaning up, there are storefronts that look desolate and grimey.If trees were planted along the sidewalk, a sense of place could be established andwould be a welcome to walkers who like to browse and windowshop.”“Stop gang violence. clean up the appearance including graffiti and tattered storeawnings. more trees. bring in more useful businesses, like a gym, clothing/shoestores, running store, pet store.”“While I think this neighborhood is getting better, I remain concerned about thelarge amount of crime that goes on. When I've lost count of the number of murdersthat have occurred within 8 blocks of my house, there's a serious problem thatneeds to be addressed.”“1) Paint all of the shops and buildings along Divisadro 2) Green the median ofDivisadero 3) Fill in the empty stores with gift shops and restaurants and clothingstores”The remaining section dealt with demographic data as well as asking for anycomments about the LDC. The first question (question 10) in the series askedrespondent's their cross street and their area code. This data was used to determinethe respondent's proximity to Divisadero as well as to select which census data to usefor comparisons. The map of respondent's is presented below:Page 16 of 25

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC SurveyThe black box represents the LDC area. As can be seen from the plot, the majority ofthe respondent's live within the LDC area with most respondent's on the West side ofDivisadero. A large number of respondent's, 64.9%, were from the 94117 area codewhile 28.3% were from the 94115 area code. Two other area codes were reported aswell, 94114 (1 response) and 94118 (6 responses). For simplicity, all census data willbe taken from 94117 and any City Survey data will be taken from the District 5breakout.The next two questions (Questions 11 and 12) asked respondent's how many peopleare in their household as well as how many people under 18 are living there. Theresults are presented below as well as comparisons to other demographic data.Item Units LDC Survey Census/City SurveyPersons in household people 2.1 2.0 (census)Children under 18 % 14.8 25.5/20Comparing the LDC survey to the Census/City Survey, it appears that the LDCrespondent's are representative of the resident's that live in the 94117 area code.Question 13 asked respondent's to select which neighborhood associations theybelong to. This was done to figure out how active people are in the community as wellas to determine where potential businesses should go to get community buy in. Theresults are presented below:Page 17 of 25

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC SurveyAn overwhelming majority of people belong to NOPNA that responded to this surveyfollowed by Lower Haight. Any businesses that wants/needs LDC input from neighborsshould talk to these groups.Question 14 asked respondent's to report their household income level. This data wastaken so that a comparison could be made to both the census data and the CitySurvey Data.Item Units LDC Survey Census/City Survey< $25,000 % 0.9 7 (City Survey)$25,000 - $49,000 % 7.1 12 (City Survey)$50,000 - $74,000 % 14.2 19 (City Survey)$75,000 - $99,000 % 10.6 30 (City Survey)>$100,000 % 59.3 32 (City Survey)Average household income k$ N/A 85.3 (Census)This data suggests that the respondents are on the high side for income but if you lookat the total % for >$75K compared to

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC Survey“It's about time!”..2.4 Conclusions“When I see my neighbors we wave, it's a nice place to live. But for some reason,when outsiders come to our area they feel compelled to act like thugs and bums.Yuppies puke, drug dealers kill, cyclists give you the finger as the blow stop signs,drivers glare at you should you put a toe in a crosswalk. Sigh. I guess I wantbusinesses that will bring nicer folk to our little corner of the city. No morebars/pot/skateboard/late night pizza joints, please.”“Please continue funding the Divisadero corridor street cleaning program”“This is much needed. This is a great neighborhood, but it has recently taken astep backwards in terms of appearance and safety.”“We need this! Improving the main corridor, adding lights, benches, making itfriendlier, will all help cut down on crime.”“It needs to go all the way to Geary, not stop at Turk. There is a real chance hereto make lasting change and improvement to this neighborhood and regenerate thearea in a positive way. There are many Businesses and residences betweenGeary and Turk on Divisadero Street.”It is clear from the survey that respondent's want improvements to the LDC but stillwant the neighborhood character to remain the same. Any businesses that want tocome into the LDC need to be aware of the strong preference for independentlyowned small businesses that are unique and want to be part of the community.Page 19 of 25

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC SurveyAppendix1 List of QuestionsPage 20 of 25

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Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC Survey2 Survey FilesThe raw survey data can be downloaded (in Excel format) from here:http://www.nopnawiki.org/images/3/3d/Ldc_survey_raw_data.xlsPage 24 of 25

Lower Divisadero Corridor: BAC SurveySome of the data was removed from the data set because of its sensitive nature (i.e. IPand email addresses, etc.).A summary of the results directly from Survey Monkey can be found at the link below:http://www.nopnawiki.org/images/7/73/Lower_divis_biz_survey_summary.pdfThe blank survey can be downloaded from the link below:http://www.nopnawiki.org/images/a/ad/Lower_Divis_Survey.pdfPage 25 of 25