Fury about towers impacting waterfront views has long history in San Francisco. This week, candidates share their views on views.
Welcome back to our “Meet the Candidates” series, where District 2 supervisor candidates respond to a question in 100 words or fewer. Answers are published every Tuesday. District 2 covers neighborhoods in the north of the city including the Presidio, the Marina, Cow Hollow, Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights,, one concern that residents soon raised was that views of the bay from private homes and public lookout points would be impacted.
“I would block the view of the bridge for some people. I don’t think it’s that great of an idea,” one resident Fury about towers impacting waterfront views has a long history in San Francisco. In the early 1960s two 17-story apartment buildings, dubbed the Fontanta Towers, were built on the waterfront near Fort Mason and Fisherman’s Wharf. They sparked intense backlash, in part because they blocked views of the bay. Soon after, the city instituted a 40-foot height limit along the waterfront. And the city has defended that limit — in 2013 San Francisco voters As the city’s housing affordability crisis has grown, pro-development YIMBYs have become a louder voice in the city. For them, preserving views is not as important as building more housing to address the city’s shortage. Most have come outLori Brooke, who has long opposed tall developments, was quick to advocate for preserving San Francisco’s “iconic” sightlines. “We must ensure that we do not lose what makes our city so special,” she said.for taller buildings. “I went parcel by parcel through the entire district with neighbors and communities to set clearer expectations about where new housing should go and what form it should take,” Sherrill said. “That is where community input belongs.”Some housing projects in San Francisco face opposition over impacts to views and sightlines. Do you think that’s an appropriate basis for political pushback from elected officials? Mission Local color codes the answers to yes/no questions. A blue background means the candidate answered yes, an orange background means no, and a yellow background means that the candidate dodged the question. Yes. San Francisco is known for its iconic views and sightlines that help drive our economy, attract new residents, and support tourism. While we cannot block housing just because it impacts views, we must ensure that we do not lose what makes our city so special. We need planning that concentrates height and density in areas that work for our neighborhoods. What we’re seeing now is luxury projects that mostly serve speculative investors, developers, and the ultra wealthy, not real affordability needs. Our city should continue to grow, and create the housing we need without destroying the neighborhoods we love.That’s why I worked so hard on — and supported — the Family Zoning Plan. I went parcel by parcel through the entire district with neighbors and communities to set clearer expectations about where new housing should go and what form it should take. That is where community input belongs. With those rules now set, elected officials need to focus on lowering the cost of construction so that we can build the housing we desperately need, instead of trying to re-litigate a thoughtful, forward-thinking plan.: Mayor Daniel Lurie, GrowSF, Nor Cal Carpenters Union, San Francisco Police Officers Association, SF YIMBY, Northern Neighbors … read more Candidates are ordered alphabetically and rotated each week. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at io@missionlocal.com. Because of you, Mission Local reached and surpassed our $300,000 year-end fundraising goal.Thank you for choosing to invest in a local newsroom rooted in San Francisco’s communities — one that listens first and reports deeply. Your contribution today helps sustain the reporting our city relies on all year long.Io is a staff reporter at Mission Local covering city hall and S.F. politics. She is a part of Report for America, which supports journalists in local newsrooms. Io was born and raised in San Francisco and previously reported on the city while working for her high school newspaper, The Lowell. She studied the history of science at Harvard and wrote for The Harvard Crimson. Please keep your comments short and civil. Do not leave multiple comments under multiple names on one article. We will zap comments that fail to adhere to these short and easy-to-follow rules.Sign up for Mission Local's daily newsletter: The latest San Francisco news in your inbox, no more than once a day, for free.
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