SFT Work Program Priorities for 2016

It’s a good idea to let the turning of the new year inspire you to renew your resolve and focus it on the most pressing problems of the City.  These are necessarily very abstract objectives; we invite you to fill in the particulars and communicate with SFT, either by attending one of our Board meetings (second Wednesday of every month) or by visitng us online.

1. Improve accountability of San Francisco General Plan. It’s supposed to be the path, the policy foundation, for San Francisco tomorrow and the next ten to twenty years.  Our present version does not fully respond to State Law standards for General Plans. We need to work toward legislation that would make the San Francisco General Plan fully conform to State Law and be enforceable.

2. Prop M in the Planning Code. The voter mandated first purpose of San Francisco’s Planning Code is known as “Prop M” and it has been criticized as too vague to stand up in the Courts.  Study how Prop M (Code.e section 101) could be made more enforceable.

3. Environmental Sustainabilty.  Support update of the General Plan with the more current paradigm of environmental sustainability rather than so-called “managed” growth.

4. Carrying capacity of the city. Seismic safety and climate change issues as very important limitations on growth as are transportation infrastructure and the need for new open space.

5.  Displacement and affordability of Housing.  Two measures will be on the ballot to address development of affordable housing.  SFT will continue advocacy, in the spirit of Prop M, against displacement of affordable housing and small businesses.

6. Protect public property (such as the Palace of Fine Arts) from privatization.  Use of public open space must be open public and not be raided away for private use.

7. Transportation.  Monitor BRT (Bus Rapid Transit, proposed on Van Ness and Geary) and other transportation proposals for unintended neighborhood and commercial adverse impacts.  Oppose degradation of service to most vulnerable transit-dependent populations.

8. Regional Planning. Articulate appropriate balance of regional and local controls (vs. San Francisco Bay Area Plan).

— Mary Anne Milller