Monthly Archives: May 2025

Castro CBD Needs Your Support!

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From the Castro Community Benefit District:  We are at risk of losing our 2 critical grants that currently provide services to the Castro. Sign our petition asking Mayor Lurie to continue fully funding these two grants:

– Jane Warner Plaza grant:  funds the daily cleaning and table+chairs set-up in the plaza. Without it, Jane Warner Plaza will become a blight-ridden wasteland…just imagine!!  

– Castro Cares grant: funds four full-time Community Ambassadors, who help in resolving negative street behavior often caused by people with untreated substance use disorders and mental illness living on our sidewalks. The Ambassadors walk our district 7 days a week from 7 am to 7 pm. Without their presence and trained methods to de-escalate and engage, negative street behavior will grow dramatically. 

These grants are a critical piece of the puzzle in the Castro’s economic recovery. Please urge Mayor Lurie to keep these two grants funded, sign this petition and share the link with your friends.

Neighborhood Notification of Proposed Upzoning Required by Board of Supervisors

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On Tuesday, April 22 the Board of Supervisors approved legislation requiring direct notice to residents and businesses when their own property, or one within 300 feet of it, is proposed for upzoning.  Specifically, it requires a mailed notice of increases in height and/or density.  The measure passed with an 8–3 supermajority!  Our supervisor, Rafael Mandelman, voted for this notification.

What does this mean for Dolores Heights?  All of Dolores Heights is proposed for increased building heights (see article above for details.)  So SF Planning will mail all of us that postcard before the Board of Supervisors acts on the proposed upzoning legislation this fall.   

Meet your Neighbors – June 14 DHIC Summer Gathering

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School is out; Pride is coming!  Come to our summer in-person event to meet new neighbors and see old friends. It’s on Saturday, June 14 from 10am to 11:30pm at the top of the Sanchez stairs.  In Dolores Heights, we’re building community and fostering connections.  Drop by for coffee, beverages, and refreshments. 

For those wanting to know more about safety, greening, and housing, we’ll have tables with info.  We’ll have name tags so you can network to meet more neighbors and/or folks with similar interests.  If you just want to hang out, drink coffee and eat treats on Saturday morning, we want to meet you!  

Strong networks are the foundation of neighborhood community, health, and safety.  Come to talk with your neighbors and strengthen ties.  Be part of our community.  All are welcome.  

The Impact of Lurie’s “Family Zoning” Plan on Dolores Heights

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The City released a new proposed upzoning map on April 8.  Height limits in Dolores Heights would increase from 35 feet to 40 feet west of Sanchez, up to 50 feet in most of the area east of Sanchez, and up to 65 feet for properties along Church Street.  In addition, the proposal eliminates controls on density, or number of units per lot.  In other words, a project’s height and volume are regulated, but the number of units on a site is not limited to (for example) one or two units.

This interactive map provides details for Dolores Heights and for your own property.  Expand the map to zero in on your lot.  Click on the lot and a pop-out text box provides details.  Based on recent State and City changes to the rules, in most cases, you as an adjacent homeowner would have no input or no appeal rights on a proposed project. 

Specifically, Church Street can have multi-unit buildings up to 65 feet tall (current height limit: 40 feet.)   Between Church and Sanchez Streets, multi-unit buildings can be 50 feet high (current height limit: 35-40 feet.)  For the remainder of Dolores Heights, the allowed height would increase 40 feet. These changes will have a significant impact on public views and the view of Sanchez Hill from Dolores Park or from 24th Street.  This blog provides computer-generated models showing the impact of proposed height changes along Church Street.  While this program is being marketed as providing more affordable housing, during the past ten years in Dolores Heights, only luxury housing has been constructed.  This trend will continue owing to land prices.    

If you disagree with this blanket upzoning in our neighborhood and in most of the City, you can email the Mayor and our Supervisors by completing this email.  For more information, email info@doloresheights.org.  

Neighborhood Notification of Proposed Upzoning Required by Board of Supervisors

On Tuesday, April 22 the Board of Supervisors approved legislation requiring direct notice to residents and businesses when their own property, or one within 300 feet of it, is proposed for upzoning.  Specifically, it requires a mailed notice of increases in height and/or density.  The measure passed with an 8–3 supermajority!  

What does this mean for Dolores Heights?  All of Dolores Heights is proposed for increased building heights; so all of us will receive that postcard.   

Supervisor Chan (D1) sponsored this ordinance. These supervisors agreed with her that the public has a right to know of proposed changes that affect them: Sherrill (D2), Sauter (D3), Engardio (D4), Mandelman (D8), Fielder (D9), Walton (D10), and Chen (D11).