Bathroom in Yard
The Potrero Yard, built in 1915, spans more than four acres, edged by Bryant, 17th, Hampshire, and Mariposa streets. One hundred years ago the two-story structure located on the site housed and repaired San Francisco’s iconic street cars. Today the Yard has space for 146 trolley buses, including the sixty-foot-long accordion-style models. America’s greenest vehicle fleet, supporting the 5 Fulton, 5 Fulton Rapid, 6 Haight/Parnassus, 14 Mission, 22 Fillmore, 30 Stockton, and 49 Van Ness/Mission routes, runs from Yard. Several years ago, a modernization planning effort was launched to improve the Yard’s working conditions, increase indoor space available to repair vehicles, and meet seismic safety standards. Affordable housing was originally included in the scheme. But facing a $307 million deficit, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency drastically shrunk the residential development portion. A revised strategy reflects less than a quarter of the housing originally proposed, one hundred affordable units, to ultimately be leased through DAHLIA, the San Francisco Housing Portal run by the mayor’s office. Importantly to the neighborhood, the revised plan retains a public bathroom, to be located on 17th street across from Franklin Square Park, two retail spaces, a lobby entrance for SFMTA employees, and a 700-square-foot accessible community room. The Tard will be beautified by local artists selected by the San Francisco Arts Commission. The redeveloped Yard is projected to open in 2030.
Crooked Lot
For decades the oddly shaped lot at the southern end of McKinley Square Park has been subjected to intermittent community-sparked improvement efforts, none of which have lasted more than a few years. The space, west of the bottom of Vermont Street’s crooked section, isn’t a part of the historic park at 20th and Vermont streets. Instead, it’s under the San Francisco Public Works’ jurisdiction, according to Annie Yalon, Public Works deputy director of policy and communications. Yalon encouraged those who want to improve the largely derelict lot to investigate the Street Parks Program, a Public Works initiative to foster community-managed spaces on municipal property. “This will ensure we can support the community in creating a more welcoming space for families to enjoy,” said Yalon. Other possible funding sources for those willing to organize a development effort include the Community Challenge Grant, applicants for which must be a 501c3 nonprofit or have a fiscal sponsor that meets the criteria.
Walton Aid to Run
In October Natalie Gee, chief of staff and legislative aide to District 10 Supervisor
Shamann Walton, filed paperwork to run for the open District 4 supervisor seat in the June 2026 election, representing the Sunset District. Gee started working for Walton as his campaign manager in 2017. Walton, who terms-out as D10 supervisor at the end of next year, said he’ll donate money to and appear at events in support of Gee.
Newspaper Needs Some
Book Learning
You’d think an article featuring a bookstore would be scrubbed clean of factual errors and spelling mistakes. Not so with last month’s “Christopher’s Books a Neighborhood Bestseller,” which was chockfull of misinformation, including: the former pharmacy that occupied the space was called “Wulzens,” not “Wilsons;” the enterprise’s founder, Christopher Ellison, was a lawyer, not an attorney, a relevant distinction in his home country of New Zealand; Jackson Tejeda, whose name was misplaced in two different ways, is not a co-owner; and the name of a popular book is Corelli’s Mandolin not Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. Yeesh. The View apologizes.