This November 5th, San Francisco voters will decide on Propositions B & C, two ballot measures regarding the proposed development at 8 Washington along the Embarcadero. The San Francisco League of Conservation Voters urges you to vote NO on both measures B & C for environmental reasons.In short, the proposed project will build 134 luxury condominiums in a high-rise near the Embarcadero Center buildings downtown, across from the waterfront itself. The development will be built on what is currently a private tennis club & a parking lot. If either of the two measures pass, the development will go forward.Proposition B was placed on the ballot by the developer and will give the developer the entirety of the deal they seek, without discretionary review by the City’s planning department.Proposition C was placed on the ballot by opponents of the development and is a referendum on the exception that has been granted for this project to be taller than the currently allowed height limits for waterfront construction. A “yes” vote would mean that the exception will stand, and a “no” vote would mean the exception would be rescinded.
Proponents argue that the new space will enhance civic life by opening more street space, ground floor retail & some park space to the public, and that the project will contribute significantly to the City's affordable housing fund.
Meanwhile, those who oppose the development focus on the increase in the height limits and characterize it as a "wall on the waterfront" that must be stopped.
While these buildings are significantly higher than the currently allowed height limits for the waterfront, we don't believe they are out of place in the context, given that the highest parts are set away from the water, and are not nearly as high as the nearby Embarcadero Center buildings. Building higher, if done carefully, will allow us to build more densely. And if San Francisco really wants to address our continuing housing crisis, we will need to build more densely, especially in transit rich areas such as downtown.
That being said, we find this project’s transit & transportation effects to be the most problematic part, and therefore, we oppose the development.
The project includes one parking space for every condo & an additional 200 spaces above and beyond those. We feel strongly that projects in San Francisco’s most transit rich neighborhood do not need one parking space for every unit., This approach to parking violates our Transit First Policy: by building so much parking we encourage people to drive when there are many better options nearby. More parking will lead to additional cars in our already heavily congested downtown, which will badly impact Muni, create more air and carbon pollution, and reduce the quality of life for everyone.Please Vote NO on both Propositions B & C this November 5th!
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Here are some pro & con args we've read & found informative:
NO: San Francisco Bay Guardian
YES: San Francisco Chronicle
