“St. Teresa welcomes new pastor,” August 1970. Father Sammon was very involved with the View over the years. August 2010Old Headlines, RevisitedBy Brittany Riddick and Lisa TehraniThe View has covered hundreds of stories over the last four decades, some of which would be unfathomable to modern readers, others that seem to persist. Helipads, rezoning, Muni cutbacks, new developments and crime have been covered repeatedly and remain pertinent today. Below is a sample of some of our favorite headlines over the years.
The San Francisco Planning Commission approved the environmental impact report to develop a Muni car house and coach yard in Dogpatch. The City purchased the land for $1 million, and displaced three multi-unit residences, two of which housed the Dogpatch Community Development Association and Youth Council. Community members were angered by the paltry number of jobs that would be offered to local residents during the facilities’ construction.
A 1974 planning effort to study City-wide residential zoning was a popular topic in Potrero Hill, where residents were asked their views on neighborhood issues. Hill residents wanted to preserve the Hill’s character, enforce strict design control on new growth, limit development to certain areas, enforce parking requirements, and preserve mom and pop stores.
The grand opening of the Hill’s health center was feted by Mayor George Moscone. The clinic was named after Caleb “Jerry” Clark, who was dedicated to its opening prior to his death.
Supervisor Dianne Feinstein introduced a zoning ordinance that would encourage book stores and theaters that offered sexually explicit materials to be moved to a designated area below Potrero Hill and southward toward Hunters Point.
Anchor Brewing Company moved to a larger facility on De Haro Street from 8th Street. Frtiz Maytag, kin to the Maytag appliance fortune, purchased the business with the intention of increasing production of the special brew, but not to the point of degrading quality.
Rent escalation was damaging neighborhood businesses’ ability to thrive in Potrero Hill, among them the Potrero Auto and Gas station. The station had been opened for 18 months, but was threatened for closure because of a 125 percent rent increase. There were empty storefronts throughout the Hill, which many entrepreneurs blamed on the unrealistic prices demanded by property owners. The lack of rent control guidelines caused many business owners to close shop, eliminating their services to the community.
In response to Southern Pacific’s proposal for 16 million square feet of office space to be developed between China Basin and Potrero Hill, City planning director Dean Macris told the Potrero League of Activist Neighbors that he was concerned about Mission Bay’s size and purpose. The plan included 7,200 condominium units and a luxury hotel. Macris pointed-out that the project was probably “the largest undertaking of this nature in the United States.”
Attempts by The Good Life Grocery owners Kayren Hundibirgh and Lester Zeidman to negotiate a lease with the new owners of the building housing their popular store proved unsuccessful. Community support for the grocery coalesced into the formation of the Good Life Alliance, whose aim was to “put pressure on the owners to negotiate properly with Good Life.”
A tenant committee was formed at Potrero Annex-Terrace to address issues associated with housing arrangements and complaints. Many apartments suffered from leaking ceilings, pealing paint, and broken appliances.
Community members insisted that Muni routes weren’t providing sufficient service to Potrero Hill. The few bus lines that traversed the neighborhood came infrequently, creating long waits to travel on crowded buses. The 19 Polk, 22 Fillmore, 53, and 48 were the only bus lines that travelled through parts of the Hill; the 53 stopped running at 7:15 p.m. because of a lack of ridership. Muni time tables claimed that these buses reach every stop within 15 to 20 minutes, but “many riders scoffed at the claim of such frequency and regularity.”
Three new housing developments were closely examined by the Potrero League of Active Neighbors (PLAN). Two of the projects were fairly underway, but the third project was in its early stages and received much criticism from PLAN.
St.Teresa’s Church, the only Catholic church in San Francisco to declare itself a sanctuary, announced that “Gloria,” a refugee from El Salvador, would be sheltered by the parish. Father Peter Sammon, St. Teresa’s pastor, said that Gloria’s presence was to be “a reminder to each of us of our personal responsibility to work for peace and justice in the world.”
The passing of Proposition B was the determining factor in whether the new Giant’s stadium would be located in China Basin. A large percentage of Hill residents were against the proposal, fearing that the new ballpark would increase traffic congestion in the neighborhood. Residents were also concerned about the potential glare from the stadium’s lights and possible commercial uses of the park when baseball wasn’t in season. However, some residents supported the ballpark, believing that its potential benefits outweighed the negative possibilities.
Fr. Peter Sammon to Celebrate Golden Anniversary As a Priest, 27 Years as Pastor at St.Teresa’s, May 1997 Sammon was honored for his lifetime of service to San Francisco and Potrero Hill. The pastor had worked at a Bay Area high school and San Francisco State University as a counselor and chaplain before he became part of St.Theresa’s parish council in 1970. Sammon believed that turning the parish into a sanctuary was one of the most important things that had ever happened at the church. The church was involved in helping people with moderate incomes, and guiding individuals through the process to become American citizens. Sammon firmly believed the church should serve a larger community than itself, and could do so by helping others in need. Sammon described Potrero Hill as “a neighborly neighborhood in San Francisco” where “there is a real sense of participation.”
The price of housing escalated in Potrero Hill to an all-time high; the affordable real estate prices that the Hill had been known for started to vanish. A two bedroom, one bathroom condominium priced at $386,000 in 1998, jumped to $400,000 in 1999. In 1997 average housing prices rose by 15.9 percent; 24.7 percent in 1998. The days of being able to rent an apartment for under $1,000 were gone, claimed Ford Reality.
The Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association wasn’t happy with the use of proposed live-work condominiums that were created by the City to offer artists low-cost housing. Many of theses condos were converted into office space illegally, the association claimed, and they wanted the City to take notice. Other violations included a lack of permits that allowed residential space to be turned into commercial, as well as the unavailability of wheelchair-accessible services, which discriminated against people with disabilities from working at the businesses. Out of the 35 units that were targeted for artists, an estimated 15 units were being used as office space. The association wanted “the owners to obey the law” and the City to “enforce the Planning and Building codes regarding Live Work City.”
In an eight to three vote, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors turned down a controversial plan to subdivide a parcel at 19th and De Haro streets, where developers proposed to demolish “the little red house,” making room for eight market rate condominiums. Community members against the development called for protection of the historic structure and nearby birds and butterflies. While Supervisor Sophie Maxwell voted against the project due to an inability of the developers to reach a compromise, Supervisor Aaron Peskin advocated for a denial because the development was in violation of several General Plan policies.
The Bay Conservation and Development Commission decided in a 19 to zero vote to reject Mirant Corporation’s massive proposed power plant expansion in Southeast San Francisco. The proposal to build a 540 megawatt power plant didn’t comply with the state’s McAteer-Petris Act.
With the opening of Whole Foods Market, there was concern about the impact large retail chain stores would have on the neighborhood’s small businesses. The Potrero Boosters and Merchants associations considered advocating for a limit on formula retail. The proposed policy would control what types of businesses could be established, and would prohibit “formula (chain) retail” stores.
Neighborhoods surrounding San Francisco General Hospital debated for almost two decades whether a helipad should perch atop the City’s number one trauma center. The controversy was re-sparked in 2003 after the San Francisco Health Commission approved a feasibility study that found that a helipad was necessary to address weaknesses in the City’s emergency response system.
The Backstreet Business Advisory Board issued recommendations on how to support light industrial enterprises located in Potrero Hill, South of Market, the Central Waterfront and other neighborhoods. |
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