Notice of New Requirements for Parking Operators of Commercial Garages

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Parking bonds are now required for all commercial garages, whether or not you have an operator.  Please read below for the new requirements.  All information below can also be found here.

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From the Office or the Treasurer & Tax Collector - City and County of San Francisco sent in December 2010 (click here for the PDF version of the information):

The Board of Supervisors and the Mayor of San Francisco have approved amendments to Articles 6, 9 and 22 of the San Francisco Business and Tax Regulations Code (BTRC), which become effective on December 18, 2010.  The full text of the BTRC can be accessed on the City’s website by clicking here.

San Francisco parking operators should be aware of the following changes:

• Beginning in 2011, the Certificate of Authority (COA) will be issued annually. All parking operators are required to complete a new COA application for 2011, for each parking station and renew it thereafter on an annual basis. 
• A Revenue Control Equipment Compliance Fee of $500 is due and payable no later than January 31, 2011. 
• New parking tax bond amounts have been established as set forth below. The amount of the bond is based on annual (or, for a new parking station, estimated) gross receipts at the specific location that is subject to the COA. Operators will need to amend their bonding amounts accordingly no later than December 31, 2010.  Bonds must be kept current and in full force and effect during the entire period that the operator conducts a parking business in the City and County of San Francisco.

• Operators should notify their surety that the term for new bonds and bonds that are being renewed is to include the twelve month period from January 1st through December 31st. Moreover, new or renewed bonds must be issued (or reissued) in the form of the sample bond - click here for the sample bond. A Certification of Continuation is required from the surety for an annual renewal.
• When a deficiency or jeopardy determination is issued against an operator, it will also be issued against the operator's surety. The operator and the surety will be notified of the determination and will have the right to a hearing of the matter with the Tax Collector. The Tax Collector may consolidate the hearings. The surety is obligated to pay the Tax Collector’s determination at the time it becomes final; however, the surety’s liability is limited to the face value of the bond(s).
• Parking operators are required to maintain and utilize Revenue Control Equipment in compliance with Article 22. All lots may be inspected for compliance by our staff without further notice.
• Penalty amounts have increased for failure to timely file a tax return and for other violations of the BTRC. The Tax Collector may impose penalties and use all enforcement actions against a surety that may be used against an operator or any other person who owes tax to the City.
• Monthly reporting and remittances to the Tax Collector shall be based on actual, not estimated, parking tax collections, beginning with the month of January 2011. Non-filers will receive a determination statement setting forth an estimate plus penalties, interest, and fees. Those that fail to comply will be subject to further enforcement action.

The above list is intended to summarize some of the changes to the law. Please consult the San Francisco Municipal Code for the specific requirements. Failure to comply with of the San Francisco Municipal Code governing parking operations may subject an operator to enforcement action, which may negatively affect an operator’s credit rating.

A Look Ahead: Transbay Demolition and Construction Activities + Community Meeting Reminder

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Weekend Work (1/29/11 - 1/30/11): Underground utility work will start on Howard at the intersection of Howard and Fremont between the hours of 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM Saturday and Sunday.

Underground utility work will continue along Minna Street between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM Saturday.

Demolition activity will take place at the West Terminal Building and The Crusher/Conveyors will be set-up at the Center Terminal lot this weekend between the hours of 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM Saturday.

There will be a possibility of a water shutdown this weekend for properties on Minna Street in between First and Second Streets. The water department will notify you if your property is to be affected. For further questions or concerns please contact Eugene Shu at (415) 239-9384.

Weekday Work: Weekday work will take place between Monday, January 31, 2011 and Friday, February 4, 2011. All contractors will work between the hours of 7:00 AM and 11:00 PM.

Work to demolish the East Terminal building basement slab will continue into the month of February.

Work will continue into February in order to demolish the Center Terminal building. Demolition of the West Terminal building using the wrecking ball will continue into the month of February.

Underground utilities work will continue and include:

• Continued sewer trenching along Minna Street from First Street towards Second Street. 
• Continued underground utilities work on Minna across Second Street. 
• Continued water installation work along Beale Street from Mission to Howard Street. 
• Continued water installation work along Howard Street from Fremont to First Street. 
• Continued pothole activities on Natoma Street from First towards Second Street. 

Street and Sidewalk Closure: Lane restrictions will remain on Minna Street and Natoma Streets between First and Second Street. All affected buildings will be granted full access to their parking garages and loading docks.

Lane restrictions will remain on both Fremont Street and First Street between Mission and Howard Street between the hours of 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

Lane restrictions will be in effect on Second Street at Minna Street between the hours of 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

Lane restrictions will be in effect on Howard Street between Fremont and First Streets between the hours of 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

The sidewalk on the east side of Fremont Street will remain closed. Pedestrians must use the west side of Fremont Street until further notice.

Lane restrictions will be in effect on Beale Street between Mission and Howard Streets between the hours of 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

What to Expect Next Weekend (2/5/11 – 2/6/11): Underground utility work will continue on Howard Street between Main Street and Beale Street (in front of the Temporary Terminal) between the hours of 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday.

Underground Utility work will continue along Minna Street between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM Saturday.

Demolition work will continue on Saturday, January 29, 2011 between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, to demolish the West Terminal building. 

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Community Meeting Reminder: Join the TJPA on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 to learn more about upcoming demolition and construction activities, street closures and hours of activity. The first community meeting will be held from 12:00 noon until 1:00 PM. The second community meeting will be held from 6:00 PM until 7:00 PM. Both meetings will feature the same content and will be held at the TJPA’s offices located at 201 Mission Street, Suite 2100.

Should you have any general questions about the Transbay Transit Center Project, please call Courtney Lodato or Adam Alberti, Transbay Outreach Team, at: (415) 227-9700 or via e-mail at: info@transbaycenter.org.

If you have any urgent questions regarding site-specific demolition or construction activities, please call the construction activity number: (415) 409-TJPA (8572).

Please continue to check our website for the most up to date schedule of activities at: www.transbaycenter.org/demolition. 

Leading the Charge: BOMA San Francisco Member is the First Class A High Rise With Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in San Francisco

Image retrieved here

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Post Montgomery Center is proud to be the first Class A high rise in San Francisco with Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations.  Two Electric Vehicle Charging stations have been installed in the parking garage that are capable of fully recharging 4 vehicles simultaneously in only 4 hours.

Electric vehicles are becoming a popular option for car drivers, with new models being launched by several major car manufacturers over the next few years.  The new vehicle models offer superior performance, extended range, and attractive financing and rebates which make them a realistic and sensible choice.  Additionally, infrastructure for refueling of these cars is being encouraged with national funding for the ChargePoint America project administered by Coulomb Technologies, one of the leaders in modern Electrical Vehicle charging technology.

With the installation of the Coulomb Technologies ChargePoint stations in the garage, Post Montgomery Center is actively participating in the effort to reduce emissions, improve overall health, and reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign fuels.  Post Montgomery Center has consistently taken a proactive approach to conservation, environmental protection, energy efficiency, and sustainable practices, and we are extremely excited to be on the forefront of this socially responsible alternative to fossil fuels.

Congratulations to Jose Guevara, Property Manager with Cushman & Wakefield, and the entire Cushman and Wakefield management team for leading the charge!

UPDATE - SFPUC: The Fats, Oil and Grease (FOG) Control Ordinance

BOMA San Francisco Members:

UPDATE - January 26, 2011

The Proposed Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) Control Ordinance was introduced at the Board of Supervisors on 11/9/10 and was assigned to the City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee. The Committee held a hearing on the ordinance on 1/24/11 and voted unanimously to refer it to the full Board of Supervisors for approval.

Click here for a version of the proposed ordinance as it was introduced.  For additional questions on the proposed FOG Control Ordinance, email FOGOrdinance@sfwater.org.

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Original Post - November 16, 2010

The Proposed Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) Control Ordinance was introduced at the Board of Supervisors on 11/9/10 and has been assigned to the City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee. A hearing at this committee will be schedule in the near future after a 30 day period has passed from the date of introduction. Click here for a version of the proposed ordinance as it was introduced.  Also, see the Fact Sheet for the Proposed FOG Control Ordinance in English, Chinese and Spanish.

Background Information: 

Fats, oils and grease (FOG), can be a major problem for San Francisco's sewers and for the bay and ocean that surround San Francisco. When not disposed of properly, FOG can clog San Francisco's sewers costing us all a lot of money —over $3.5 million each year to respond to grease clogged pipes. When poured down drains, cooking oil will harden and build up inside of drain pipes and sewer pipes, constricting water flow the way cholesterol affects blood flow in arteries. Grease blockages can also cause back ups in the City sewer system itself and can lead to sewer overflows onto City streets or into the bay and ocean.

Restaurants, and other food service establishments (FSEs), are a significant source of FOG because of the amount of grease used in cooking and other food preparation work. For several years, the SFPUC has been working - with input from Golden Gate Restaurant Association to develop a plan to prevent FOG from restaurants and other FSEs from entering the sewer system. The proposed FOG Control Ordinance is being developed to resolve/improve the problem.

San Francisco law already requires that restaurants and other FSEs comply with limits for the amount of total oil and grease that can be discharged into City sewers. The discharge limit alone, however, is clearly not working to keep FOG out of the sewers. The proposed ordinance will give local FSEs clear requirements on exactly what type of grease capturing equipment they have to install, resulting in standards and inspections to ensure that any type of grease capturing equipment is well maintained and serviced.

Ordinance Revisions:

• The first version of the proposed FOG Control Ordinance  was posted on the SFWater.org website in February 2010. From March through May 2010, SFPUC staff conducted outreach to potentially impacted businesses in the City – such as restaurants, caterers and other food service establishments. Presentations were made at several Town Hall meetings for restaurant owners and managers, in coordination with the Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA). Information on the proposed ordinance was also presented to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and to BOMA San Francisco. Additional door-to-door bilingual outreach was conducted to several hundred smaller restaurants in the City.
• The second version of the Proposed FOG Control Ordinance was presented to the SPFUC Commission on 9/14/10. This version of the proposed ordinance reflected revisions made to address comments received, to make the ordinance language more technically accurate in some cases, and to address several necessary non-substantive, administrative changes.
• The final version of the proposed FOG Control Ordinance was introduced at the Board of Supervisors on 11/9/10. The only change made to the ordinance as compared to the previous version was the addition of language clarifying or extending compliance and effective dates.

For those interested in reviewing the revisions made in greater detail, the following documents are provided:

• To view a summary document explaining the rationale for the revisions made from the initial version circulated in February 2010 through to the version introduced at the Board of Supervisors in November 2010, click here. 
• To view a redlined version of the revisions made between the first and second proposed versions of the ordinance, click here.

For additional questions on the proposed FOG Control Ordinance, email FOGOrdinance@sfwater.org.

UPDATE: Existing Commercial Buildings Energy Performance Ordinance

BOMA San Francisco Members:

UPDATE - January 24, 2011

The members of the Board of Supervisors' Land Use & Economic Development Committee voted unanimously to send the Existing Commercial Buildings Energy Performance Ordinance - as amended on December 13, 2010 (see our previous post, below) - to the full Board of Supervisors for their consideration. 

Your BOMA San Francisco Advocacy Team will monitor the progress of the legislation and report any updates on the blog.

Please send any feedback you man have to Ken Cleaveland at kenc@boma.com and John Bozeman at johnb@boma.com.

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UPDATE - December 15, 2010

The Board of Supervisors' Land Use Committee met for the second time this month on Monday, December 13, 2010 to discuss the details of the Existing Commercial Buildings Energy Performance ordinance.

Please click here to read the Ordinance and here for the Legislative Digest.

This ordinance, the most comprehensive of any city in the nation, will require all commercial buildings in San Francisco to be benchmarked and audited within THREE years, and to report that information to the San Francisco Department of the Environment. We had originally worked out a compromise of 5 years for both the initial benchmarking/audit and a 5 years recertification requirement for same. That was changed to three years for the initial audit, with the recertification/audit update requirement staying at 5 years. The 18 months to begin compliance was also reduced to 12 months. Both of these amendments were suggested by Board of Supervisors President, David Chiu. Chiu has now added his name to the Mayor's as a co-sponsor of the legislation.

The Department of the Environment presented a scenario for ramping up the benchmarking/audit requirement on existing buildings within a three year period, although they insisted that they needed to select buildings via a lottery rather than start with the largest properties and work downward. Department representatives also stated that there were approximately 630 commercial buildings in SF over 50,000 square feet, and over 2,500 between 10,000 - 50,000 square feet in size. This legislation will not cover buildings smaller than 10,000 square feet.

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UPDATE - November 30, 2010

BOMA San Francisco Members:

On  November 23, 2010, Mayor Newsom introduced the substitute Existing Commercial Buildings Energy Performance Ordinance, which is scheduled to be heard at the Board of Supervisors Land Use & Economic Development Committee on December 6, 2010 at 1:00 p.m.:

Revisions from the prior version from July/August include: 

• Increased the minimum square footage of buildings required to comply from 5,000 to 10,000 sq. ft. (Section 2002, line 8);
• As described in Section 2004(a), for buildings submitting their benchmarking data for the first time, a window of time was added between when they are required to submit their data and when the data is made public.  This will allow some time for the facility to review and ensure the accuracy of the data before it is posted;
• Section 2006 was added to clarify compliance requirements for municipal buildings;
• The benchmarking requirements are much the same as those for commercial buildings, the primary exception being allowing the City to use a benchmarking tool other than Energy Star Portfolio Manager if it deems another tool to be more relevant for municipal buildings, as long as it provides the same type of data (Portfolio Manager is currently quite limited in the types of buildings it has categories for, and does not include many municipal building types, ie fire stations, etc.).
• However, because the City owns over 1,000 buildings and it would be impractical to expect the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) to conduct energy audits in all of those buildings in the timeline required in Section 2004(b), this section allows the SFPUC to elect to develop a compliance plan, to be submitted by July 1, 2011, to develop protocols and a compliance timeline for conducting energy audits in municipal buildings.  The expectation is that the SFPUC will perform 20-30 municipal energy audits per year.
• An exception was added for unoccupied buildings (Section 2008(c)(2));
• Administrative fines were revised as described in Section 2009(b).

Thank you to Johanna Partin, Director of Climate Protection Initiatives - Office of Mayor Gavin Newsom, for this information.

Please review legislation as soon as you can.  Please send any feedback to Ken Cleaveland at kenc@boma.com and John Bozeman at johnb@boma.com, and what positives/negatives aspects you see emanating from passage/implementation of this ordinance. 

Most importantly, if you would like to attend the December 6th meeting of the Land Use Committee to testify in support of this legislation and/or add any specific comments.  Please email us.   

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Original Post - August 12, 2010

BOMA San Francisco members have been working with the San Francisco Department of the Environment to craft the Existing Commercial Buildings Energy Performance Ordinance. Click here to review the ordinance.

The proposal would require owners of nonresidential buildings in San Francisco to obtain energy efficiency audits, as well as to annually measure and disclose energy performance. It would also requires the Department of Environment to collect summary statistics about the energy performance of nonresidential buildings and make those statistics available to the public.

The proposal would require the owner of any nonresidential building in San Francisco with a gross area of 5,000 square feet or greater to conduct a comprehensive energy efficiency audit for each such building not less than once every 5 years. The audits would have to meet specified industry standards and be conducted by a qualified energy professional in accordance with rules promulgated by the Director of the Department of the Environment. The size of the building would determine the scope of the audit.

The energy professional would prepare a signed report of the energy efficiency audit meeting industry standards. The report would include, among other things: a list of capital and non-capital measures that would improve the building's energy efficiency; an estimate of the approximate energy savings, avoided energy cost, and costs to implement those measures; and an estimate of the economic value of the corrective measures. The ordinance would require the building owner to file with the Department of the Environment a report confirming that the energy efficiency audit had been completed.

Building owners would also be required to use the "ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager"— the Environmental Protection Agency’s online tool for managing building data—to track the total energy use of each non-residential building and obtain an "ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager Energy Performance Rating" for each entire nonresidential building. The owner would then file an Annual Energy Benchmark Summary report ("AEBS") for each covered building with the Department of the Environment. The AEBS would be based on an assessment of the entire non-residential building and related facilities made using Portfolio Manager.

No energy efficiency audit would be required for: (a) a building newly constructed less than five years prior to the date an AEBS was due; (b) a building that received the ENERGY STAR® label from the EPA for at least three of the last five years; or, (c) a building that was certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system for Existing Buildings Operation and Maintenance, within the past five years. Owners of financially distressed buildings could apply for extensions of the deadlines for completion of an energy efficiency audit or for submittal of an AEBS.

The Department of the Environment would annually report to the public summary statistics on Citywide energy use in nonresidential buildings and on overall compliance with the Chapter. For individual buildings covered by the ordinance, the department would report whether the building was in compliance with the Chapter, what level of energy audit was required for the building, the date of the most recent audit, and whole-building information on energy use and efficiency.

The ordinance would require building owners to make the Annual Energy Benchmark Summary report available to all tenants occupying the building in order to engage tenants in efforts to save energy.

The ordinance would set a staggered, 3-year schedule for compliance with these new requirements, beginning April 1, 2011.

Violations would be enforced through a system of administrative penalties, after written warning to the building owner.

CALGreen Now Mandatory - Training Available

BOMA San Francisco Members:

CALGreen, the nation’s first statewide green building code, is now mandatory for all new construction.  Training on this new code is now more important than ever.  Green Technology's CALGreen training, developed in partnership with the California Building Standards Commission and the Department of Housing and Community Development, has proven the most popular and effective introduction to this new code.  Here are dates for upcoming Seminars:

Ventura, 26 January
San Jose, 2 February
Irvine, 9 February
Sacramento, 23 February
San Francisco, 9 March

For more information and a full list of upcoming seminars, click here.

New GSA Registry Seeks Innovative Private-Sector Technologies and Practices

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Through its Green Proving Ground Program, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is working to drive innovation in environmental performance across the agency’s building portfolio and help lead market transformation. In support of this program, GSA is seeking information from the private sector to develop a registry of innovative technologies and practices that optimize energy performance, protect and conserve water, enhance indoor environmental quality, reduce waste and environmental impact of materials, reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with building operations, and promote integrated design. This program will, on a limited and carefully controlled basis, test and evaluate innovative technologies and practices in selected GSA-owned buildings across the country.

Commercial organizations, companies, educational institutions and non-profit organizations are invited to submit their innovative building technologies and ideas to be included in the registry. If you have questions or need additional information, contact GSA’s Public Buildings Service Industry Relations at 866–727–8363 or industryrelations@gsa.gov.

SFDBI January and February Brown Bag Lunch Talks - Amendments to 2010 California Building Code and Updated San Francisco Green Building Requirements

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please join the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection for their Brown Bag Lunch Talks from Noon to 1:30 P.M. in Room 2001, 2nd floor of 1660 Mission Street, San Francisco.

Respective topics for January and February 2011 are:

Thursday, 1/20/11  The New 2010 San Francisco Amendments to the 2010 California Building Code.

Thursday, 2/17/11 Updated San Francisco Green Building Requirements

SFDBI 2011 Disabled Access Valuation Threshold

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please note that the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (SFDBI) has updated the Disabled Access Valuation Threshold for 2011 to $132,536.28 (from $128,410.86 in 2010  $126,764.66 in 2009) per 2007 California Building Code (CBC) Section 1134B.2.1 Exception 1, and will be updated again in January 2012.

Background - Disabled Access Valuation Threshold & Disabled Access 20% Rule

Based on CBC 1134B.2.1, Exception 1, only projects with a construction cost less than the valuation threshold (current ENR Construction Cost Index Amount) are eligible for the 20% rule, where the project must provide disabled access upgrades up to 20% of the cost of construction in the required priority as listed on page 2 of the Disabled Access Checklist.  In general, projects valued over the threshold are not eligible for the 20% rule (see CBC 1134.2.1 Exception 2 for a possible exception, below).

CBC 1134B.2.1 Exception 2 (abbreviated): In alteration projects involving buildings & facilities previously approved & built without elevators, areas above & below the ground floor are subject to the 20% disproportionality provisions described in Exception 1, even if the value of the project exceeds the valuation threshold in Exception 1.  Refer to the Code for the types of buildings & facilities that qualifies for this 20% disproportionality provisions when project valuation is over the threshold.

To access the SFDBI's Disabled Access Upgrade Compliance Package for Existing Buildings Only, please click here.  If you have any questions about the valuation threshold, or general disabled access issues, please contact the Department of Building Inspection at dbicustomerservice@sfgov.org or (415) 558-6088.

San Francisco’s Small Businesses Welcome Our New Supervisors on February 17th

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please consider attending attend a reception - co-hosted by The San Francisco Council of District Merchants, San Francisco Small Business Network and the Small Business Advocates -  to meet the newly elected San Francisco Supervisors on Thursday, February 17, 2011.  As BOMA San Francisco member  buildings house a large portion of small businesses in San Francisco, we're hopeful you'll be able to stop by!  

Mark Farrell – District 2

Jane Kim – District 6

Scott Wiener – District 8

Malia Cohen – District 10

The reception will be at the Old Mint Building, at 5th and Mission Streets from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.  Please come and enjoy wine and light hors d’oeurves at the historic location with San Francisco's newly elected leaders.   

Please RSVP to execdirector@sfsbn.org

For more information please visit the websites of The San Francisco Council of District Merchants and San Francisco Small Business Network. 

A Look Ahead: Transbay Demolition and Construction Activities

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Weekend Work (1/15/11 - 1/16/11): This weekend, work will take place on Saturday, January 15th, between the hours 7:00 AM and 11:00 PM. The contractors will focus on the demolition of the West Terminal building using the wrecking ball and sewer trenching along Minna Street.

Weekday Work: Weekday work will take place between Monday, January 17, 2011 and Friday, January 21, 2011. All contractors will work between the hours of 7:00 AM and 11:00 PM. The demolition contractor will also perform clean-up and material handling between the hours of 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM.

Work to demolish the ramp over Natoma Street will take place between Monday and Friday. Due to this, a small portion of Natoma Street, between First and Second Street, will be closed entirely. However, all affected buildings will be granted full access to their loading docks.

Work to clean-up and demolish ramp footings at the lot between Howard and Natoma Streets (500 Block) will continue.

Work to demolish the West Terminal building between Minna and Natoma Streets, using the wrecking ball, will continue for the remainder of the month.

Webcor Obayashi's subcontractor, Trinet, will continue utilities work along on Minna Street. Sewer trenching along Minna Street will continue on towards Second Street.

Webcor Obayashi's subcontractor, Trinet, will start underground utilities work across Second Street.

Webcor Obayashi's subcontractor, M Squared, will start utilities potholing work along both Beale and Howard Streets.

Street and Sidewalk Closure: The sidewalk on the east side of Fremont Street will remain closed. Pedestrians must use the west side of Fremont Street.

Lane restrictions will remain on Minna Street between First and Second Street. All affected buildings will be granted full access to their parking garages and loading docks.

Lane restrictions will remain on Natoma Streets between Fremont and Second Street. All affected buildings will be granted full access to their parking garages and loading docks.

Lane restrictions will remain on both Fremont Street and First Street between Mission and Howard Street between the hours of 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

Lane restrictions will be in effect on Second Street at Minna Street between the hours of 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM starting January 17, 2011.

Lane restrictions will be in effect on Howard Street between Beale and Fremont Streets between the hours of 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM

Lane restrictions will be in effect on Beale Street between Mission and Howard Streets between the hours of 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM

What to Expect Next Weekend (1/21/11 - 1/23/11): Demolition work will take place on the Howard Street overpass, between First and Second Streets, next weekend. MUNI OCS lines will be de-energized and removed commencing Friday, January 21, 2011 at 10:00 PM.

Jackhammering will commence at 6:00 AM on Saturday January 22, 2011. Demolition and bridge removal will continue 24-hours a day over the weekend. Howard will reopen Monday, January 24, 2011 at 5:00 AM.

Demolition of the West Terminal building using the wrecking ball will continue throughout the weekend. Sewer trenching along Minna Street will take place on Saturday, January 22, 2011.

Should you have any general questions about the Transbay Transit Center Project, please call Courtney Lodato or Adam Alberti, Transbay Outreach Team, at: (415) 227-9700 or via e-mail at: info@transbaycenter.org.

If you have any urgent questions regarding site-specific demolition or construction activities, please call the construction activity number: (415) 409-TJPA (8572).

Please continue to check our website for the most up to date schedule of activities at: www.transbaycenter.org/demolition.

BOMA California Board Of Directors Set Direction for 2011

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The BOMA California Board of Directors held its first board meeting of 2011, welcoming new President Ray Magnussen, Paragon Services (BOMA San Diego).  The board reviewed successes in 2010 on issues related to energy, taxes, Climate Change policy, and repelling changes to Proposition 13.  The board received a briefing on the political climate in Sacramento and learned about proposals contained in Governor Brown’s first budget.

The Board also set the direction for the policy staff in Sacramento as we enter the 2011 Legislative Session.  Despite the continued economic doldrums, legislators are introducing bills, many of which could have a major impact on the commercial real estate industry. BOMA representatives expect measures on property taxes, energy efficiency of new and existing buildings, solar and photovoltaic policy, third party verification for building codes, and civil penalties for those that don’t meet minimum standards.

BOMA California is a federation of all eight metropolitan BOMA local associations and serves as the collective membership through its mission of preserving and promoting the interest of California commercial real estate professionals through legislative and regulatory advocacy.

BOMA California is headquartered in Sacramento and has a full time presence at the Capitol and regulatory agencies. Each local association nominates up to five of its members to represent that association on the BOMA California Board of Directors. Therefore, every BOMA member in California has a voice in the setting of policies of BOMA California vis-à-vis their local association representation on the state association's governing board.

UPDATE: San Francisco Fire Department's 30 Day Posting for New Proposed Administrative Bulletins

BOMA San Francisco Members:

UPDATE - As of January 14, 2011

The SFFD reports that there are further revisions to four of the Administrative Bulletins that were posted.  They are 2.01, 3.05, 5.07, and 5.08.

Of particular importance to BOMA San Francisco Members is 3.05 - New and Replacement Fire Alarm Systems - High-Rise Evacuation/Relocation Policy.  Please click here for a pdf version of this Bulletin.

Click here to review all of the amended proposals.

A public hearing on the Bulletins scheduled for January 21, 2011 has been canceled; the hearing has been rescheduled for February 7, 2011.  You may also submit written comment on any proposed revised Administrative Bulletin.  The Department must receive any written comment by no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 7, 2011.

Written comment may be submitted to:

San Francisco Fire Department

Office of the Fire Marshal

698 Second Street, Room 109

San Francisco, CA 94107

FireMarshal@sfgov.org

(415) 558-3320

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UPDATE - As of December 27, 2010

NOTE: There have been further revisions to three of the Administrative Bulletins that were posted.  They are 2.01, 3.05, and 5.08.  Please click here to review and comment on the amended proposals if you wish.

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Original Post

The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) is posting a large number of revised Administrative Bulletins for your review on the SFFD website.  Please take a look at them and feel free to comment on the proposals, in accordance with the instructions therein.

Please email Ken Cleaveland, at kenc@boma.com or John Bozeman at johnb@boma.com with any questions or concerns you may have.

BOMA SF Op-Ed in the San Francisco Examiner: A Century in the Making of an Iconic Skyline

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please take a moment to read the op-ed piece, A century in the making of an iconic skyline, by Marc Intermaggio, BOMA San Francisco's Executive Vice President, published in the San Francsico Examiner on January 9, 2011.  Click on the print article, above, or click here for the digital version.

A Look Ahead: Transbay Demolition and Construction Activities

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Weekday Work: Weekday work between Monday, January 10, 2011 and Friday, January 14, 2011 will focus on the demolition of the West Terminal building using the wrecking ball. Work began on Thursday, January 6, 2011 to demolish the ramp between Howard and Natoma and will continue for the remainder of the week.

Webcor’s subcontractor, Trinet, will continue utilities work along on Minna Street. Sewer trenching along Minna Street will begin on Monday, January 10, 2011 and will work its way towards Second Street. Due to the trenching, a small portion of Minna Street will be closed entirely, however all affected buildings will be granted full access to their loading docks.

The contractor will work between the hours of 7:00 AM and 11:00 PM.

Street and Sidewalk Closure: The sidewalk on the east side of Fremont Street is closed. Pedestrians must use the west side of Fremont Street. Pedestrian protection will be provided.

Lane restrictions will remain on Natoma Streets. A small portion of Minna will be closed, however all affected buildings will be granted full access to their loading docks. Lane restrictions will be in effect on both Fremont Street and First Street between Mission and Howard Street between the hours of 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

What to Expect Next Weekend (01/14/11 - 01/16/11): Demolition of the West Terminal building using the wrecking ball will take place on Saturday, January 15, 2011.

Should you have any general questions about the Transbay Transit Center Project, please call Courtney Lodato or Adam Alberti, Transbay Outreach Team, at: (415) 227-9700 or via e-mail at: info@transbaycenter.org.

If you have any urgent questions regarding site-specific demolition or construction activities, please call the construction activity number: (415) 409-TJPA (8572).

Please continue to check the Transbay Center website for the most up to date schedule of activities at: www.transbaycenter.org/demolition.

New Look Congress Convenes

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The 112th Congress convened this week with a political dynamic that will undoubtedly make passing legislation increasingly difficult. The Republicans start out 2011 with a comfortable 242–193 majority in the House of Representatives while the Democrats hold a small 53–47 majority in the Senate, which includes two independents caucusing with the majority.


This new political reality in Washington means we will see increased gridlock, which may be good or bad for BOMA International. The good news is that it will be even more difficult for Congress to pass any controversial issues that affect the industry negatively, like the tax increase on carried interest. The bad news is it will be equally as challenging for legislation that is beneficial to the industry, such as making permanent the 15 year depreciation period for leasehold improvements, to make it through Congress.  Nevertheless, BOMA International will take this opportunity to educate the new Congress on the commercial real estate industry and the issues that affect it.

Public Hearing on San Francisco Green Business Standards - January 10th

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Now's the chance for you and your tenants to weigh in on what it means to be a San Francisco Green Business. 

The San Francisco Green Business Team will be hosting a public hearing on Monday, January 10, 2011 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at their EcoCenter at 11 Grove St. (Civic Center BART). 

We'll be amending the checklists for Hotels/Motels, Offices/Retail, and Restaurants, and adopting new checklists for Dentists, Garment Cleaners, Janitorial Cleaners, Caterers, and Commercial Printers.

   

Learn more about the event and review the draft standards here.  Please take a moment to forward this blog post to your tenants.

San Francisco Mayoral Candidate Joanna Rees Speaks at BOMA San Francisco's Government Affairs Committee

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Joanna Rees, candidate for Mayor of San Francisco, spoke at BOMA's Government and Public Affairs Committee (GAPAC) meeting on January 5, 2011.  Your BOMA San Francisco Advocacy Team has met with Joanna previously, but today was Joanna's first chance to address the members of the GAPAC.  Please click here for her background.

As a successful entrepreneur and founder of the firm, VSP Capital, Ms. Rees is a political Independent, and is interested in meeting with all the various organizations and community groups that comprise the diversity of San Francisco politics. Her top priorities are creating more jobs in San Francisco, making local government more efficient and accountable, and creating a world-class public school system.

Economic Development

Jobs, jobs, jobs. With her entrepreneurial work ethic, Joanna is motivated to get companies to move to San Francisco.  She mentioned that other cities around the country are actively lobbying companies to locate in their cities and San Francisco - a natural place for more international businesses to establish a U.S. base - should be doing the same thing. She cited the large amount of office space vacancies in the City - currently equivalent to 18 or 19 Bank of America (555 California Street) buildings as proof that we need to regain our "competitive edge" as a city in which to do business.  

Public Education

Joanna quizzed the members of the GAPAC: What percentage of high school kids graduate in San Francisco?  The answer is 49%.  A shockingly high number and one that Joanna is committed to changing.   She stated that there "no downside to making our schools better" as it improves the social and economic well-being of the city. Joanna detailed two ways she will make this happen: increased administrative efficiencies and increased private sector philanthropic outreach. She gave the example of Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, who recently gave over $100 million to the public school system in New Jersey, and said that was money that could have been spent on our schools, and students, if we had a long range plan for building a successful San Francisco school system. 

Efficient Government

Joanna noted that other world-class cites are way ahead of San Francisco in transparency in government.  "Voters in San Francisco deserve to know how we spend and invest money in the local community in a transparent and viable way" said Joanna. She mentioned New York City where the Mayor there has the city's entire budget online in a powerpoint presentation so anyone can see exactly where their tax dollars are being spent. "We in San Francisco should do the same", said Rees. 

Please click here to visit her website to learn more about Joanna Rees.  

Two Overnight Closures of Hwy 1 at Hwy 101, January 7 and 8

BOMA San Francisco Members:

If your commute takes you over the Golden Gate Bridge or on Highway 1, please be aware that on Friday, January 7 at 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. the next morning, the ramp from northbound Hwy 1 to northbound Hwy 101 will be closed. This closure will begin at Lake Street.  Also on Saturday, January 8 at 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. the next morning, the ramp from southbound Hwy 101 to southbound Hwy 1 will be closed.

Optional trips should be avoided during these closures.  Drivers should be aware of the new roadway alignment and southbound merge.

Please click here for the advisory for a map of the closures and detour routes and here to visit the Presidio Parkway website.

UPDATE: SFDPH Secondhand Smoke Prevention and Enforcement Program

UPDATE - January 4, 2011

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please click here for an updated fact sheet outlining the requirements of the San Francisco Department of Public Health Secondhand Smoke Prevention and Enforcement Program related to those building owners whose properties fall under the definition of a Multiple-Unit or Multi-Unit Housing Complex: a public or private building, or portion thereof, containing 2 or more dwelling or other housing units including, but not limited to, a building with live/work units, apartment buildings, condominiums, senior citizen residences, nursing homes, housekeeping room/units, residential or single room occupancy hotels, and other multiple unit residential dwellings, group housing, or boarding facilities.  

If you have any questions or concerns about meeting the requirements of the program, please contact Janine Young at smoke_free.DPH@sfdph.org or call her at (415) 252-3903.

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UPDATE - October 19, 2010

Please click here for a fact sheet outlining the general requirements of the San Francisco Department of Public Health Secondhand Smoke Prevention and Enforcement Program.  

If you have any questions or concerns about meeting the requirements of the program, please contact Janine Young at smoke_free.DPH@sfdph.org or call her at (415) 252-3903.

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UPDATE - August 4, 2010

The BOMA San Francisco Government and Public Affairs Committee (GAPAC) welcomed Janine Young, San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) Program Coordinator to discuss the Secondhand Smoke Prevention and Enforcement Program.  

Please click here to view her presentation.  

If you have any questions or concerns about meeting the new requirements of the code, please contact Ms. Young at smoke_free.DPH@sfdph.org or call her at (415) 252-3903.  

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UPDATE - July 26, 2010

We've been informed by the San Francisco Department of Public Health that BOMA San Francisco members are to start implementing all requirements of the Smoking Ordinance (San Francisco Health Code, Article 19F).  Click here for more detailed information on the new code.

The requirements are summarized as follows:

• Post clear and prominent signs at each entrance to the premises no higher than 8 feet and no lower than 5 feet; and within 10 feet of the door or most appropriate place for visibility from outside.
• Building entrances sign must include all of the following:
• Read "Smoking only 1) at the curb, or 2) if no curb, at least 15ft. from exits, entrances, operable windows, and vents” in letters no less than 0.5 inch high.
• The international "No Smoking" symbol, consisting of a pictorial representation of a burning cigarette enclosed in a circle, with a diameter of at least 3 inches with a bar across it 15 feet--language may be substituted for greater distances.
• Post clear and prominent “no smoking” signs in any area on the premise where smoking is prohibited.
• Request any patron to refrain from smoking in prohibited areas when appropriate. 
• Remove any ashtray or ash receptacles from inside the premises.

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Original Post - July 19, 2010

We have recently posted information on the blog in regard to new law that has amended the San Francisco Health Code to prohibit smoking in certain enclosed areas, certain unenclosed areas and sports stadiums.

The San Francsico Board of Supervisors have passed a 'clean-up' measure that finalized necessary language changes to the the original ordinance.  Please click here to read the Smoking Prohibition Signage Requirement Ordinance and here for the Legislative Digest.  The changes affect the signage language that will now require posted signs at the entrances of all buildings to read:

• "Smoking only 1) at the curb or 2) if no curb, at least 15 ft. from entrances, exits, operable windows, and vents."

 If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ken Cleaveland, Director of Government and Public Affairs for BOMA San Francisco at kenc@boma.com and John Bozeman, Legislative Assistant for BOMA San Francisco at johnb@boma.com with your comments.