Community Updates

Teacher Housing Meeting Recap

In May, SF Mayor Ed Lee announced a $44 million commitment to build teacher housing

at the former Francis Scott Key Annex site (1360 43rd Ave.).

Our office hosted a public meeting on June 21 at Francis Scott Key Elementary School

where the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD),

the SF Planning Department and SF Unified School District (SFUSD) shared

preliminary details about the project and timeline. Lee was also in attendance to lend his

strong support for the project and to thank community members for their commitment

to our teachers.

The need for teacher housing is evident, with market rents increasing

50 percent and home prices increasing 72 percent between

2011-2017. An experienced educator earning $80,700 would need to pay 52 percent of

their income for a market-rate, one-bedroom apartment, but may earn too much to

qualify for any type of housing subsidy or program.

This housing crunch is making it necessary for teachers to live further away from the

schools and neighborhoods they teach in, or to leave the SFUSD altogether.

For that reason, we are losing teachers at an unprecedented rate – and many

classrooms are beginning their years with no permanent teacher.

Community members that attended the June meeting were supportive, but expressed

their concern that these rental units would not solve the problem.

City staff is exploring other tools as well, including increasing teacher salaries and

creating additional opportunities for affordable rentals and home-ownership

that are accessible to those earning teacher salaries.

The Francis Scott Key Annex site was chosen among several owned by SFUSD due to its

large size, flat topography and public zoning. The project may have

approximately 130-150 rentals that are 1-, 2- and 3-bedrooms;

and will be built at a neighborhood scale and incorporate open space, parking and

carshare pods. The site will need to be re-zoned from a public land use to a

housing land use.

The next steps include issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to select a

developer/architect team. Design will begin in early 2018 and a series of community

meetings will be held to hear from the neighborhood and incorporate

feedback and ideas. Construction will likely begin in mid-2019.

In the meantime, the current use of the site as Playland at 43rd Avenue will remain until

further notice. Our office will continue to engage with neighbors and keep the

community informed about the progress of the project and upcoming meetings.

Update on MCD hearing date

As many neighbors are currently aware, there is a proposal to establish a medical

cannabis dispensary (MCD) at 2505 Noriega St. (between 32nd and 33rd avenues).

The proposal requires a Conditional Use Permit authorization from the Planning

Department. The hearing was originally scheduled for June 8,

but the SF Planning Commission rescheduled the hearing for July 13.

Planning Commission meetings begin at noon and take place at City Hall, in Room 400.

Please check the Planning Commission’s website to find out when the MCD item will be

on the agenda. (http://sf-planning.org/meetings/17).

If you have any further questions or cannot attend any of the public hearings but would

like to weigh in on the proposed MCD, please contact Planning Department staff handling

the project (Andrew Perry) by calling (415) 575-9017 or e-mailing

Andrew.Perry@sfgov.org.

Front Yard Ambassadors Program Applications Open

On June 10, our office joined with Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF) for our eighth round

of Front Yard Ambassadors plantings. Friends helped neighbors remove concrete from

and landscaped 14 front yards in the Outer Sunset.

Our Front Yard Ambassadors Program helps Sunset residents remove concrete and

install landscaping in their front yards with the assistance of experts and volunteers.

Through the program, we have installed 76 gardens on 16 blocks and removed

9,444 square feet of concrete in the Sunset thus far, which will divert 113,328 (and

counting) gallons of water from our combined sewer system. Each square foot of

concrete removed is equivalent to 12 gallons of storm water diverted annually.

All gardens are planted with drought tolerant and low-maintenance

landscaping that grows well in the Outer Sunset.

Our office is re-opening applications for the Front Yard Ambassadors Program beginning

July 1. Participants receive roughly $1,500 of improvements and are only required to

pay a nominal $100 fee to participate. Applicants must partner with a

minimum of four houses on their block (five total). Applications for the

Front Yard Ambassadors Program will be open through Aug. 31 and can be found online

at http://www.sfbos.org/FrontYardAmbassadors.

If you have questions about the program, please contact my aide Ashley Summers at

ashley.summers@sfgov.org or call our office.

Katy Tang represents District 4 on the Board of Supervisors.