City of San Francisco Mission Rock Development Initiative, Proposition D (November 2015)

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An initiative to allow a development project called Mission Rock was on the ballot for voters in San Francisco, California, on November 3, 2015. It was approved.

Proposition D authorized the increase of building height limits to between 190 and 240 feet in the location called Mission Rock, with certain other restrictions, which are shown below in the ballot summary. The initiative allowed the proposed mixed-use development project called Mission Rock, which was designed to include 1,500 residential units, to move forward.

This initiative was used to comply with Proposition B, approved in June 2014, which required voter approval of any proposed zoning height increases along the San Francisco waterfront.

Mission Rock area (click to expand image)

Housing was one of the most important issues in the city's 2015 election. Gabriel Metcalf, president and CEO of public policy research company SPUR, said, “It’s the No. 1 issue in every poll.” Five propositions on the ballot dealt with housing and development, either directly or indirectly, and proposed solutions for the housing availability issues facing the city were essential to candidate platforms. Voters decided housing-related propositions that addressed affordable housing bonds, restrictions on short-term rentals, a moratorium on market-rate construction in the city's Mission District, housing developments on surplus public lands and a specific development proposal on the waterfront.

About Mission Rock

The proposed development was planned to be constructed on the site known as Mission Rock, which includes Pier 48, some of Pier 50 and Seawall Lot 337. The 28-acre site is bounded on the north side by the China Basin Channel, on the west side by Third Street, on the east by Piers 48 and 50 and to the south by Mission Rock Street.

The proposed development project was designed to include:

Rendering of proposed development

• 1,500 new rental home units, at least 33 percent of which would be in the price range of low- and middle-income residents
• eight acres of parks and open space
• 1.5 million square feet of commercial space, including an urban square with shops, restaurants and cafes
• the renovation of Pier 48, where Anchor Brewing would continue to operate
• a 2,300-space parking garage

Election results

San Francisco, Proposition D
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		146,716	74.04%
No		51,434	25.96%

Election results from San Francisco Elections Office

Text of measure

Ballot question

The following question for this measure appeared on the ballot:

“

Shall the City increase the height limit for 10 of the 28 acres of the Mission Rock site from one story to height limits ranging from 40 to 240 feet and make it City policy to encourage the development on the Mission Rock site provided that it includes eight acres of parks and open space and housing of which at least 33% is affordable for low- and middle-income households?

”

Ballot summary

The following summary of this measure appeared on the ballot:

“

The City, through its Port Commission (Port), owns a 28-acre waterfront area located south of AT&T Park across McCovey Cove. The site known as Mission Rock consists mostly of Pier 48 and Seawall Lot 337 (SWL 337), bounded to the north by China Basin Channel, west by Third Street, east by Piers 48 and 50, and south by Mission Rock Street. SWL 337 includes a paved lot used for public parking, including San Francisco Giants baseball games, and special events. Pier 48 includes open space and two historic buildings used for parking, special events and warehousing. The Port holds Mission Rock subject to the State's public trust. The trust restricts allowable uses and usually prohibits residential and general office uses. State legislation authorizes lifting the trust's use restrictions on SWL 337 to allow the Port to generate revenues from development and spend them for trust purposes on its other property. The Port adopted a vision statement for mixed-use development of Mission Rock after engaging in a multi-year community planning process. Through a competitive solicitation the Port selected a developer to create a project consistent with that statement. In June 2014, San Francisco voters adopted Proposition B, preventing the City from allowing any development on Port property to exceed the height limits in effect as of January 1, 2014 unless the City's voters approved the height limit increase. The building height limit on Pier 48 as of January 1, 2014, and currently, is 40 feet. Most of the rest of Mission Rock is designated as open space with building heights limited as of January 1, 2014, and currently, to no more than one-story. This measure would increase the height limit on up to 10 acres of Mission Rock other than Pier 48 so that: buildings along Terry Francois Boulevard would have a 120-foot height limit, with building frontages of no more than 40-feet high and uses above 90 feet limited to residential, restaurant or retail; three buildings compromising no more than 3% of the total acreage of Mission Rock would have a 240-foot height limit, with uses above 190 feet limited to residential, restaurant or retail; and buildings on the rest of the 10 acres would be allowed heights up to 190 feet. This measure would require all aspects of development other than the height increase to continue to be subject to public approval processes, including environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act. This measure would make it City policy to encourage developing Mission Rock provided the project: includes approximately 1,000-1,950 residential units, most of which are rental and at least 33% of which are affordable to low- and middle-income households; creates approximately eight acres of parks, open spaces and recreational opportunities; rehabilitates and renovates Pier 48 to historic standards; creates space for restaurants, retail, commercial, production, manufacturing, artist studio, small business and nonprofit uses; and creates 3,100 parking spaces, including an above-ground structure with up to 2,300 spaces. This measure would adopt other City policies relating to planning for the project's design, transportation, and infrastructure financing.

”

Support

Supporters

A website called Mission Rock was created to advertise the development project.

The San Francisco Giants baseball team backed the development project. Larry Baer, president and CEO of the Giants, said, "The Mission Rock Initiative is the culmination of eight years of extensive neighborhood outreach and community planning to transform this surface parking lot into an asset for the community. We are eager to engage with San Francisco voters to share our community's vision of open access along the waterfront, new jobs, neighborhood serving retail, new parks and an unprecedented level of affordable housing."

The South Beach Mission Bay Business Association also endorsed a "yes" vote on Proposition D.

The San Francisco Labor Council gave a conditional endorsement of a "yes" vote on Proposition D.

Editorials

The San Francisco Examiner editorial board endorsed a "yes" vote on Proposition D. The board argued that it provides an exciting opportunity for the neighborhood. The board wrote:

“	This measure would allow the planning process to go forward to develop Mission Rock, now a flat-surface parking lot adjacent to the Giants’ AT&T Park, into a mixed-use development on 28 acres of waterfront property with 1,500 new rental apartments, 40 percent of which will be offered at below market rate. The Mission Rock development, proposed by the Giants, must go before voters because of Proposition B, an initiative passed in June 2014 that calls for voter approval of waterfront height-limit increases. This election’s Prop. D would increase the height limits to 90 to 190 feet for office and retail uses, and 120 to 240 feet for rental housing on up to 10 acres of the space. The project also includes eight acres of open space and rehabbing historic Pier 48 to become the expanded home for Anchor Brewing Company, and parking structures with more spaces than currently exist on the surface lot. A victory for Prop. D at the ballot will only give it the permission to raise the parcel’s height limits, not approve the proposal. The project must still make its way through city boards before becoming reality. It presents an exciting possibility for this nascent neighborhood.	”
—San Francisco Examiner editorial board

Opposition

Opponents

The Sierra Club opposed Proposition D.

Reports and analysis

Ballot simplification digest

The following summary of the measure was provided by the San Francisco Ballot Simplification Committee:

“	The Way It Is Now: The City, through its Port Commission (Port), owns a 28-acre waterfront area located south of AT&T Park across McCovey Cove. Known as Mission Rock, the site consists mostly of Pier 48 and Seawall Lot 337 (SWL 337). SWL 337 includes a paved lot used for public parking, including San Francisco Giants games and special events. Pier 48 is used for parking, special events and warehousing. The Port’s use of Mission Rock is limited by requirements of the State’s Public Trust. Although the Trust usually prohibits residential and general office uses, State legislation has lifted these restrictions on the use of SWL 337. After engaging in a multi-year community planning process, the Port adopted a vision statement for mixed-use development of Mission Rock and selected a developer to create a project consistent with that statement. The Mission Rock site is bounded to the north by China Basin Channel, west by Third Street, east by Piers 48 and 50, and south by Mission Rock Street. In June 2014, San Francisco voters adopted Proposition B, preventing the City from allowing any development on Port property to exceed the height limits in effect as of January 1, 2014 unless the City’s voters approved the height limit increase. The current building height limit on Pier 48 and on a portion of the Mission Rock site near the Channel is 40 feet. The rest of Mission Rock has building heights limited to one-story. The Proposal: Proposition D would increase the height limit on up to 10 of the 28 acres in Mission Rock so that: buildings along Terry Francois Boulevard would have a 120-foot height limit, with building frontages of no more than 40-feet high and uses above 90 feet limited to residential, restaurant or retail; three buildings would have a 240-foot height limit, with the portion above 190 feet limited to residential, restaurant or retail uses and floors generally not exceeding 12,000 square feet; and buildings on the rest of the 10 acres would be allowed heights up to 190 feet. Proposition D would retain the 40-foot height limit on Pier 48 and limit buildings to no more than one-story high on eight acres of open space in Mission Rock. This measure would require all aspects of development other than the height increase to continue to be subject to public approval processes, including environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act. Proposition D would make it City policy to encourage the development of Mission Rock provided that the project: creates approximately eight acres of parks and open spaces; and includes approximately 1,000 – 1,950 residential units, most of which are rental and at least 33% of which are affordable to low- and middle-income households. The City also encourages the development to include: rehabilitation and renovation of Pier 48 to historic standards; space for restaurant, retail, commercial, production, manufacturing, artist studio, small business and nonprofit uses; and 3,100 parking spaces, including an above-ground parking garage with up to 2,300 spaces. A "YES" Vote Means: If you vote “yes,” you want to increase the height limit for 10 of the 28 acres of the Mission Rock site from one story to height limits ranging from 40 to 240 feet and make it City policy to encourage the development provided that it includes eight acres of parks and open space and housing of which at least 33% is affordable for low- and middle-income households. A "NO" Vote Means: If you vote “no,” you do not want to increase the height limit or adopt this City policy.	”
—San Francisco Ballot Simplification Committee

Controller analysis

The following estimate of the fiscal impact of this measure on the city's budget was prepared by the city controller and appeared on the ballot:

“	Should the proposed ordinance·be approved by the voters, in my opinion, it would not, in and of itself, affect the cost of government. Under the terms of Proposition B which was approved by voters in June 2014, development on property owned by the Port of San Francisco must conform to specific height limits unless the City's voters approve an increase in height limits for a particular use. Following lengthy public and community planning processes, the Port has engaged a developer to build out a residential, office, retail and public open space development on and around Pier 48 and Seawall Lot 337, known as Mission Rock. The proposal includes new buildings both within and above the current height limits. The proposed ordinance would authorize increased building heights on specified parts of the property that range up to 240 feet. The financial agreements and other aspects of the development project are subject to existing public approval processes and will not be materially affected by the ordinance.	”
—San Francisco Controller

San Francisco Government Television

San Francisco Government Television, "Proposition D: Mission Rock," October 16, 2015

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in California

On May 5, 2015, proponents of this initiative submitted it to the San Francisco elections office, requesting an official title and summary. On May 19, 2015, the petition form was provided to petitioners. On June 30, 2015, petitioners submitted just over 16,524 signatures. They needed about 9,700 valid signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot. On July 9, 2015, the initiative petition was verified as sufficient, and the initiative was certified for the ballot.

Related measures

Housing-related measures in 2015

1. City of San Francisco Housing Bond Issue, Proposition A (November 2015) a
2. City of San Francisco Housing Development on Surplus Public Lands, Proposition K (November 2015) a
3. City of San Francisco Mission District Housing Moratorium Initiative, Proposition I (November 2015) d
4. City of Tracy Active Adult Residential Allotment Program, Measure K (December 2015) a
5. Town of Mammoth Lakes Voter Approval of Short-Term Rental Zoning Initiative, Measure Z (October 2015) a
6. City of San Francisco Initiative to Restrict Short-Term Rentals, Proposition F (November 2015) d

Background measures

• City of San Francisco Voter Approval of Waterfront Construction Exceeding Height Limits Initiative, Proposition B (June 2014) a

Other elections

Mayoral election

See also: San Francisco, California mayoral election in 2015

Mayor Ed Lee was the incumbent candidate in the city's 2015 mayoral race. Mayor Lee was re-elected on November 3, 2015.

Board of supervisors

See also: San Francisco, California board of supervisors election in 2015

The consolidated city-county's District 3 board of supervisors position was up for election on November 3, 2015. Aaron Peskin defeated incumbent Julie Christensen.

See also

• Local zoning, land use and development on the ballot
• Local housing on the ballot
• San Francisco City and County, California ballot measures
• November 3, 2015 ballot measures in California
• San Francisco, California municipal elections, 2015

External links

Suggest a link

• San Francisco Elections Office website
• Mission Rock website