Tag Archives: Dolores Heights

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).

Join Our Neighborhood Safety Groups

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Please be careful and be on alert. These neighborhood safety groups provide ways to protect your property. The best defense are eyes on the streets. Join your block safety email lists and be alert and notify neighbors of suspicious activity. Always call 911 if you believe a crime is in progress – or if you see people “casing” a house, garage, or parked car on the street.

Connect with your neighbors via DHIC’s Block Safety Aliases. 

  • 19th Street from Church to Noe (including 700 block of Noe)
  • “Lower” 20th Street from Church to Sanchez (including 600 & 700 blocks of Sanchez)
  • “Upper” 20th Street from Sanchez (top of stairs) to Noe
  • Liberty Street Safety from Dolores to Noe
  •  21st Street Safety from Church to Noe

To join one of these block safety group emails, or if you have an alias that we haven’t listed or want to help, please email info@doloresheights.org

SF Safe is a citywide organization seeking to work with San Franciscans to build safer neighborhoods.  They offer safety checks and other services.

D8 Town Hall: Focus on Safety

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On Monday, January 13, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman hosted a District 8 (D8) Town Hall at the Noe Valley Ministry.  The topic was Public Safety and Street Conditions.  Appearing with him were  Brooke Jenkins, SF District Attorney; Liza Johansen, Captain of Mission Station; Amy Hurwitz, Captain of Ingleside Station; and Sam Dodge, Director of Healthy Streets Operations Center (HSOC.)

The SFPD Captains are focusing on top priority safety issues in their districts.  For Mission Station, that includes property crimes, violent crimes, and motor vehicle violations.  They stressed calling 911 if you see a crime in progress or see a possible crime or violence.  From mobile phones, call 415-553-8090 to avoid the call being routed to CHP.  If the call is non-emergency, dial 415-553-0123.  Captain Johansen holds a monthly Mission Station community meeting at 5pm on the last Tuesday of every month.  The next one is on February 25 at Mission Station.  It’s your opportunity to hear the Captain’s report and more importantly, raise concerns/questions with her about safety and criminal activity in our neighborhoods.   

During the Q&A session, Carolyn Kenady, chair of DHIC, urged neighbors to do our part by being aware and joining or starting block safety groups.  Both SFPD Captains underscored the importance of block safety groups.

Crime in Dolores Heights

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With the New Year, we’re hearing of more crime in Dolores Heights.  Be alert and review your property’s security.  Consider installing an alarm/security system and/or video cameras.  And be an active member of your block safety group. 

On January 6 at 4:10 am, two men attempted to break into a home on the 3600 block of 21st Street.  They entered the side door where Recology carts are kept and attempted to open the door to the garage but were thwarted by a 2×4 barricade on the garage side of the door.  Be on the lookout for people “casing” properties, trying to open doors, etc.  That same night burglars broke into the construction site on 21st Street.  

On Tuesday, January 14 at approximately 8:15 pm a neighbor walking his dog on the 400 block of Hill Street spotted a woman closing a garage door.  He smelled smoke and called 911.  SFFD and SFPD both responded to the call.  The fire was put out, and the woman was arrested.  According to SFPD, she appeared to be “out of it” and has an arrest record – so is currently in jail.  A big “thank you” to the alert resident who called 911.   

We are also hearing about thefts from neighbors’ home mail boxes. One mail-box thief also spent time with a flashlight looking inside a car parked on the north side of Liberty Street as well as the locked gate of a home on the north side of the street.

DHIC has block safety groups covering 19th Street to 21st Street and from Church to Castro Streets.  We urge all neighbors to join their block safety group.  To get connected, email info@doloresheights.org.  Be alert and call 911 if you see suspicious activity.  Let us know about safety issues via your block safety group alias and/or via info@doloresheights.org.

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. 

SB 423: You’ve Lost Your Voice on Adjacent Housing Projects

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What if you wake up one morning to a construction site next door – with no warning or discussion?  It can happen.   

SB 423, one of scores of housing bills passed by our state senator, Scott Wiener, deprives neighbors of the tools to give input on nearby projects.  And starting this July, the state is applying this law to San Francisco, and San Francisco alone, because of last-minute language inserted into the bill by Senator Wiener.  

What does this mean?  The tools … in place for over 40 years to provide neighbors with a voice in housing projects affecting them  … are abolished for most projects:

  • No neighborhood notification of proposed projects near your property
  • No pre-application meeting where project sponsors are required to review the project scope and plans with neighbors, answer their questions, and discuss areas of concern
  • No discretionary review process in which affected neighbors can appeal a project that has negative impacts on their property and be heard at the Planning Commission 
  • No Planning Commission review of demolitions or monster homes

Developers are already taking advantage of SB 423’s preventing neighbors from having any voice in housing projects.   The San Francisco Chronicle reported that “one market-rate developer intends to line up paperwork in the next few weeks to take advantage of SB423. Developer Chris Foley plans to submit an application for a 200-unit, 23-story tower … in Castro neighborhood at 1965 Market Street [the current FedEx Office location.]”  

DHIC has a long history of involvement in planning and land use.  We will continue to advocate for balanced development and against policies that enrich developers at the expense of the communities where they are building. 

For more information or to get involved, email PLU@doloresheights.org 

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.