Category Archives: Events

2025 Fall Gathering Recap – Neighbors Meet New Police Captain & Legislative Aide

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On a warm sunny Saturday, Dolores Heights neighbors socialized and then met Captain Sean Perdomo, the new head of SFPD Mission Station.  They discussed safety concerns – the disruptive and illegal dirt bikes in the Dolores area, the  loud after-hours parties at Dolores Park, and speeding on neighborhood streets.  The Captain took notes and on Monday, Oct. 6 responded with these actions [excerpts from his email of October 6]:  

  1. Dirt Bikes. The Department’s using technology to aid in the apprehension of dirt bikers. At the station we have followed up and obtained an arrest/search warrant for a dirt biker on a previous incident at Dolores Park using the technology. I am tasking my plainclothes officers with more arrest/search warrants for those dirt bikers we can identify. Please encourage your members to call 911 to report a gathering of dirt bikers so that we can coordinate the drone.
  2. Traffic. Dave Burke identified the trouble areas and the intersections have been added to the Traffic Unit’s (motorcycles) daily enforcement activities. Please let me know if you see them in the area  … they are short staffed and are tasked with many dignitary visits. Captain Peter Shields of the traffic unit was notified. If they aren’t in the area much, I can assign a traffic car when staffing allows.
  3. Dolores Park Noise. I contacted Chief Murphy to have him evaluate placing rangers in places where they are most visible. The current challenge is the shift change that occurs at 2200 hours when the park closes. I’ll keep you posted on further. 

Supervisor Rafael Mandelman also spoke and took questions from neighbors.  And he introduced Sophie Marie (sophie.marie@sfgov.org), his newest Legislative Aide and our contact when we need assistance getting City action on filed complaints or finding out “who to contact” for a specific issue.  

We held our annual raffle and Fiona, a young resident, drew the winning tickets.  Neighborhood merchants donated eleven gift cards and bottles of wine & liquor which made the raffle a “hot ticket.”   Please patronize these donating businesses and thank them for their support:  Absinthe Restaurant Group, Poesia Restaurant, Canela Bistro and Wine Bar, Hot Johnnies, Castro Coffee, 17th Street Market, and a kind neighbor who donated two bottles of premium wine and tequila. 

Saturday, October 4 – Come to DHIC’s Fall Party

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Mark your calendars for DHIC’s Fall neighborhood party on Saturday, October 4 

All are welcome to attend our annual party on  Saturday, October 4 – 11am to 1pm.  It’s at Sanchez Street between 21st & Hill Streets.  

Meet & greet neighbors.  See our history exhibit, hear guest speakers, enjoy  snacks, refreshments, and the great raffle!

More details in our September Newsletter.  

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Upzoning Legislation Hearing – September 11

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You should have received a postcard from SF Planning – with a QR code link to the proposed height and other zoning changes.  DHIC urges you to read details below and on the SF Planning site.  This proposed “rezoning of height and/or density” entails the most extensive and highest-impact changes possibly in the history of San Francisco’s planning code.  The plan will significantly affect Dolores Heights (expand this interactive map to ID changes to your lot.)  DHIC opposes this excessive upzoning.  We urge Dolores Heights residents to express your opinion to our elected officials  including our supervisor, Rafael Mandelman, and Mayor Lurie and to attend the Sept 11 hearing at 12 noon at City Hall, Room 400.  Following the Planning Commission hearing, the Board of Supervisors will vote on the proposed legislation to enact the “Family Zoning Plan” this fall.

State law and SF’s 2022 Housing Element require the City to create more “capacity” for housing.  The City has chosen to upzone roughly two-thirds of our City with new heights, density, and other planning code changes. These proposed changes have significant impacts on Dolores Heights.   

What will change in Dolores Heights?    

  • Our heights are currently 35 or 40 feet; the new allowed heights will be 40, 50, or 65 feet.  
  • The rear yard open space is currently 45% of the lot depth or 51 feet for a 114 foot lot.  The plan allows new properties to expand 20 feet further into the rear yard (18% more of the lot depth)
  • Properties on any corner can be up to 65 feet high.  This 65-foot height also applies to lots that are 8000 square feet (less than the size of three merged standard lots or an apartment building-sized lot.)     

Say hello to 50 foot buildings on many DH streets, to 65 foot buildings on corners, and to adjacent buildings that extend 20 feet past your home’s rear wall.  For specific proposed heights for your home, expand this interactive map.  You will see two heights “Base” and “Local Program.”   “Base” height will be the “new” allowed heights.  The “Local Program” height is often higher than the “base” height. To build higher and bigger in Dolores Heights, an owner or developer can “opt into” the local program and receive the benefits bulleted above. 

DHIC opposes this strategy to upzone hundreds of thousands of SF properties for several reasons.  

  • Overkill:  To meet its state housing mandate, San Francisco only needs to approve 36,200 additional projects by 2032 … not hundreds of thousands of projects  
  • Not affordable:  80% of newly proposed projects must be affordable housing. Yet, inclusionary units required under this program and other affordable subsidies will not produce the 28,700 affordable units needed to meet the state mandate. (Read this SF Planning primer for details.)  
  • Not financially feasible:  SF Planning’s own feasibility study modeled the impact of these changes and found that under current economic conditions, no project would meet minimum profitability.  With slightly improved economic assumptions, then multi-unit projects with apartments averaging 866 sf and renting for $4600 monthly would be profitable. (see pages 34 – 63 of SF Planning memo to SF Planning Commissioners, dated June 26, 2025)
  • Tenant/small biz displacement: Church Street and 24th Street are proposed for 65 foot heights along with most other NCDs.  Most renters and small local businesses on these streets that are displaced by new construction won’t be able to afford the new rents.   

What can we do?  DHIC is part of Neighborhoods United SF (NUSF.net ) which opposes the plan and advocates for alternative strategies.  You can write or call the Mayor to express your views on the plan. Questions? Feedback?  Or if you’d like to come with us to the Sept. 11 hearing, email DHIC at info@doloresheights.org  

For more details and the full list of proposed changes, see SF Planning memo, June 26, 2025, page 16 – 19, Figure 6.  DHIC is part of Neighborhoods United SF (NUSF.net ) which opposes the plan, provides factual arguments relating to its shortcomings, and advocates for reasonable changes to the plan. 

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.  

Green Garden Day December 7

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Hello Neighbor!

Please join the DHIC’s Green Garden Group for an invigorating morning of gardening and clean-up at the Sanchez & 19th St staircase on Saturday, December 7. Meet us from 9 – 11 am and we’ll provide all the tools needed, including Spike’s Coffees & Teas and homemade treats!

Attend D8 Town Hall on Upzoning – Monday, September 9 at 6 pm

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In November 2023, the SF Planning Department published this current proposed map which doubles height limits along Church Street, 24th Street and other areas of District 8.  Combined with SB 423’s “ministerial” approval of residential projects (see article below), it opens the door to tall luxury condos and hinders the construction of affordable housing.  To learn why upzoning is the wrong solution for D8 (& SF), come to the D8 Town Hall on Housing sponsored by DHIC and other D8 neighborhood groups on Monday, Sept. 9 at 6pm at the Noe Valley Ministry (1021 Sanchez Street.)

Want to know more now?  The proposed map was driven by the State’s mandate that SF produce 82,000 new housing units by 2031.  But wait, San Francisco has over 73,000 permitted projects in its pipeline, including 16,000 affordable units. And in 2022, the Board of Supervisors up zoned – allowing four-plexes on single family lots and six-plexes on all residential corner lots – creating capacity for over 480,000 more housing units.  Moreover, the State Density Bonus law provides additional height when projects include at least 10% affordable units.  

So where’s the housing shortage?  The SF Planning Department has since announced that SF only needs 36,200 additional housing units (beyond those in the pipeline.)  However, 80% of these need to be affordable housing.

San Francisco doesn’t lack sites for housing.  It lacks subsidies for affordable housing and favorable interest rates and construction costs for market-rate housing. Cities themselves do not construct housing.  Instead, they issue permits for housing projects. Current economic factors and lack of affordable housing subsidies, rather than zoning restrictions, primarily influence the slow pace of construction in San Francisco.

Simply put, an “upzoning” plan to double height limits and disregard public input is radical and will not benefit the city’s residents or small businesses. Rather, such moves would destroy our neighborhoods and displace the people and local businesses that make San Francisco special. A top-down, one-size-fits-all approach to zoning undermines the vibrant character of our amazing neighborhoods. 

Attend the D8 Town Hall on Housing – Monday, September 9 at 6pm at the Noe Valley Ministry. 

Meet Mayoral Candidates & Your Neighbors at the DHIC FallFest

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Saturday, September 28

DHIC’s Fallfest, our annual neighborhood block party, is happening on Saturday, September 28 from 11am to 1pm on Sanchez Street between 21st and Hill Streets.  Everyone is welcome!

The FallFest will feature two mayoral candidates: Mayor London Breed and President of the Board of Supervisors, Aaron Peskin.  Mayor Breed will join us at 11:30am for 30 minutes of talk and Q&A. Supervisor Peskin will do the same from 12:15-12:45 pm. 

Join us to meet your neighbors, learn about our activities, hear from our Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and the mayoral candidates, and participate in our great raffle.  

This is an-all volunteer event.  If you can help, email us at info@doloresheights.org

Here’s what’s on tap for you:

  • View the historic Dolores Heights photos
  • Join your neighborhood block safety group
  • Get safety and security handouts; talk with savvy neighbors about home safety
  • Learn about the proposed mural project at 20th and Noe Streets
  • Meet the people behind the Green Gardens monthly hillside clean-ups
  • Bring your kids to “Kids Korner” activities
  • Hear from our District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman

And enter the raffle to win gift cards to great area restaurants and other services! (Note the raffle drawing will occur at 12:45pm.  You must be present to win.) 

SAVE THE DATE: DISTRICT 8 NEIGHBORHOOD MAYORAL FORUM

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Thursday, September 5

Thursday, September 5 at 6:30pm at the Randall Museum Theater:  All five major candidates are scheduled to participate. The forum is strictly a non-partisan, public education forum, organized by ten neighborhood groups. DHIC is proud to be a co-sponsor of this non-partisan forum along with nine other neighborhood associations from across District 8.  No sponsoring organization endorses any of the mayoral candidates. Doors open at 6pm.  Seating will be limited.  Mark your calendar for Sept. 5 at 6:30pm.    

Can you help out? Share your volunteer interest to make the forum a success.