BOMA San Francisco's Nearly Perfect November 2015 Election Results

The BOMA San Francisco Political Action Committee (BOMA-SF-PAC) campaigns for candidates and issues that promote economic vitality and the health of the commercial real estate industry - and against those that would harm it. Click here to view their list of accomplishments.

With regard to the recent November 3rd election – the BOMA SF-PAC slate outcome was nearly perfect! Thank you for voting BOMA, your source for sensible political recommendations that benefit all businesses and residents in San Francisco.

BOMA-SF-PAC relies on contributions for funding. This is truly an investment in your future and the future of our industry. Contact kenc@boma.com for more information.

Election Summary

BOMA’s Political Action Committee was very involved in the November 3rd election representing the interests of San Francisco’s commercial property owners. With the exception of Supervisor Julie Christensen, who lost her seat as the District 3 supervisor, all of our endorsed candidates won,

Regarding the ballot measures, our The PAC aligned almost 100% with the voters. The only ballot measure that won (and BOMA opposed) was the Legacy Business Preservation Fund (Proposition J). Our BOMA PAC directors did not agree that the city’s taxpayers should subsidize failing businesses simply because they’d been around 20 or more years. BOMA was very supportive of the Affordable Housing Bond (Proposition A), which passed overwhelmingly, and very opposed to the Mission Moratorium (Proposition I).

The members of the BOMA SF-PAC will be very active in 2016 as there will be both a June and a November election. Supporting your BOMA SF-PAC means they can continue to be an important player in the political arena defending the interests of the commercial real estate industry. The 2016 BOMA SF-PAC Chair is Andrew Junius, Esq., (Reuben, Junius & Rose), with Jim Collins (Shorenstein) serving as Vice Chair, and Rick Buziak (Kilroy Realty) as Treasurer.

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BOMA San Francisco's Political Action Committee's Slate Card

November 3, 2015 Municipal Election

Candidates Endorsed

Edwin Lee for re-election as San Francisco Mayor

Vicki Hennessy for San Francisco Sheriff

Re-Elect Dennis Herrera for San Francisco City Attorney
Re-Elect George Gascon for San Francisco District Attorney

Re-Elect Jose Cisneros for San Francisco Treasurer

Alex Randolph for City College Board

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Julie Christensen for San Francisco District 3 Supervisor - LOST

San Francisco Propositions on the Ballot

Click here to learn more about the various measures

SUPPORT --- Proposition A - Affordable Housing Bond
SUPPORT --- Proposition C - Expenditure Lobbyists
SUPPORT --- Proposition D - Mission Rock
OPPOSE --- Proposition E - Requirements for Public Meetings
OPPOSE --- Proposition F - Short-Term Residential Rentals
OPPOSE --- Proposition G - Disclosures Regarding Renewable Energy
SUPPORT --- Proposition H - Defining Clean, Green, and Renewable Energy
OPPOSE --- Proposition I - Suspension of Market-Rate Development in the Mission District
SUPPORT --- Proposition K - Surplus Public Lands

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NO POSITION --- Proposition B - Paid Parental Leave for City Employees - PASSED

OPPOSE --- Proposition J - Legacy Business Historic Preservation Fund - PASSED

BOMA San Francisco Members Meet With Congresswoman Jackie Speier

BOMA San Francisco leaders met with Congresswoman Jackie Speier at the BOMA San Francisco office recently to discuss issues she is working on and the political climate in Washington D.C.

A number of BOMA issues were discussed:

• Congresswoman Speier said she would look into becoming a co-sponsor of the HR 765 that would make the 15-year leasehold depreciation schedule permanent, something BOMA International has sought for many years. 
• Speier was also very aware of the drive-by lawsuits for minor ADA violations and issupportive of finding ways at the Federal level to reduce them. As many know in California, we were able to pass several measures that put more restrictions on lawyers filing such lawsuits to make sure they are not frivolous or border on extortion. Consequently, many of these cases are now being filed in Federal court, rather than the state courts. Changes need to be made at the Federal level. To that end, HR 3765 has been introduced by Congressman Ted Poe (R, TX) entitled the ADA Education and Reform Act of 2015. 
• Lastly, we discussed the threat of repeal of the 1031 like-kind exchanges. Congresswoman Speier assured us in no uncertain terms that we did not need to worry about this as it was "not going to happen."

BOMA San Francisco leaders thank Congresswoman Speier for her time and we look forward to visiting her in Washington D.C. in February 2016.

SFPD and SFFD Chiefs Recognized as BOMA San Francisco's Public Officials of the Year

On occasion, when there are deserving candidates, BOMA San Francisco selects someone in government to be recognized as our Public Official of the Year. We’ve presented this award to elected officials, and sometimes we have recognized City Department heads or administrative personnel.  Recommendations for award recipients typically emanate through BOMA’s Governmental Affairs Policy Advisory Committee, or via our Political Action Committee.

This year we have chosen to recognize two individuals as BOMA’s 2015 Public Officials of the Year: San Francisco Police Department Chief, Greg Suhr and San Francisco Fire Department Chief, Joanne Hayes-White.

Of the many things that are important to our membership, public safety is at the top. The San Francisco Fire Department and Police Department are the two city agencies that have that responsibility and have been doing a splendid job at it. Indeed, the two Departments work well when they have talented leadership. Both have exhibited leadership, resourcefulness, and collaboration with our commercial real estate industry and we are grateful for it.

About Chief Greg Suhr

Greg Suhr is a 33-year veteran of the San Francisco Police Department who was selected as San Francisco’s 42nd Chief of Police on April 27, 2011. He firmly believes in the idea that the Police Department exists to serve the needs of our customers – those who live, work, visit and play in our beautiful city. That belief serves as the foundation for many of the changes Chief Suhr has implemented during his tenure, which began with allowing any member of the public access to the Chief’s Office. It is not enough to talk about being open and accessible, public officials must actually be open and accessible.

Chief Suhr was born and raised in this great city and feels that his success can be attributed to having caring adults around to provide guidance and support when he needed it. He believes that peace officers have a unique opportunity to help children growing up make good choices. The SFPD is dedicated to working closely with organizations that provide our children with positive opportunities – and that encourage young people to get an education, at least finishing high school. It is every officer’s duty to be there for children, both for their safety and for their future success.
About Chief Joanne Hayes-White

Joanne Hayes-White was sworn in by Mayor Newsom as the 25th Chief of the San Francisco Fire Department on January 16, 2004. San Francisco is the largest urban fire department in the world with a female chief. Chief Hayes-White oversees a department of approximately 1,500 members and an operating budget of $350 Million.

Hayes-White, a San Francisco native, came to the Department after graduating from the University of Santa Clara with a degree in business. She was hired as a firefighter in April 1990, promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1993 and to the rank of Captain in January 1996. In May 1996 she was made acting Battalion Chief with oversight of the Department's dispatch and communications systems. She oversaw the installation of the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and automated information systems and by doing so, streamlined and improved the Department's dispatch and records management capabilities.

BOMA San Francisco's Government Affairs Committee Update: SFMTA Director Ed Reiskin & Support for Subway Master Plan

BOMA's Government Affairs Committee members have been meeting with public officials recently to represent your interests. Indeed, the group recently held a meeting to discuss transportation issues with San Francisco Municipal Transportation Director, Ed Reiskin, as well as SFMTA staff in charge of the Transportation Management Program and Fee.

The following topics were some of the topics discussed at the meeting:

• SFMTA Background
• MUNI Forward
• Vision Zero
• Transportation Sustainability Program and Fee

SUPPORT - Transportation Code - Subway Master Plan

The Government Affairs Committee members also reviewed and voted to support Supervisor Scott Wiener's proposal that would require the City to develop a Subway Master Plan with an update to that plan every 4 years. A good public transportation network is critical to the success of commercial real estate in San Francisco.

BOMA San Francisco Workshop: Psychological First Aid for Volunteer Response Staff

Susan Schmitz, SF CARD, Director of Program (standing) presents to BOMA SF members.

BOMA San Francisco's Emergency Preparedness Committee members organized a free workshop for those in the BOMA community recently. The topic was Psychological First Aid and it was incredibly informative thanks to our presenter, Susan Schmitz, SF CARD (a BOMA preparedness partner), Director of Programs.

If you would like to have Susan Schmitz present on this topic to your constituency, please feel free to email her at susan@sfcard.org.

About SF CARD

SF CARD – San Francisco Community Agencies Responding to Disaster – connects nonprofit, faith-based and private organizations with the network and knowledge they need to continue providing critical services after a disaster. We help organizations prepare for emergencies as small as a one-alarm fire all the way to a large-scale disaster affecting the entire region. SF CARD’s function is threefold, Preparedness, Response and Recovery.

BOMA California Advocacy Update: Lighting Control Reforms Adopted & Benchmarking Law Hearing Held - AB 802

Lighting Control Reforms Adopted 

After almost a year of working with the California Energy Commission (CEC), Docket No. 15-BSTD-01 was adopted to address issues related to the 2016 Building Energy Efficiency Standards Lighting Retrofit Code.

As California’s energy code has lead the way in the nation making sure that our buildings are the most efficient in the country, from time-to-time regulations may not work out in the real world as they do on paper. Even with thorough analysis and an inclusive stakeholder process, the lighting retrofit requirements in question have turned out to be more complicated and burdensome to implement than expected when the CEC adopted the package.

On behalf of the commercial, industrial, and retail real estate industry we worked with the CEC and other stakeholders on regulatory language that will still achieve the same, if not greater, energy savings by providing an alternative path to compliance, which will bring down the cost and complication of compliance in some instances and assure that fewer tenant improvements are stalled due to a cost effectiveness concerns.

BOMA California members thank the CEC and its staff for working through to a fix on this issue.

Here is part of a press release they sent on this topic:

The Energy Commission adopted nonresidential lighting standards that allow for several cost effective approaches to lighting upgrades. Compared to the 2013 lighting alteration standards, the newly adopted standards are expected to save an additional 112 gigawatt hours of electricity per year – equivalent to the annual electricity use in about 16,000 homes. Energy efficiency building standards are updated every three years. These nonresidential lighting standards are part of the broader 2016 Building Energy Efficiency Standards adopted in June.

Click here to read the new language and see the presentation.


Benchmarking Law Hearing Held - AB 802

AB 802, the bill that repeals AB 1103 and re-calibrates the regulatory process and addresses a number of complaints our industry has had about since AB 1103 was in the Legislature has already been reviewed at the California Energy Commission.

The regulations on this are on the fast-track because the CEC has already invested too much time and effort on AB 1103, many stakeholders, commission staff, and commissioners are all on the same page moving forward.

So far, representatives for the commercial, industrial, and retail commercial real estate industry are pleased with the direction of the discussion. Click here for a copy of the AB 802 scoping workshop presentation.

As a reminder, here is what has changed moving from the now repealed AB 1103 regulations:

• AB 1103 mandated ALL buildings must be benchmarked regardless of size or use; AB 802 states that buildings 50K s.f. and above must be benchmarked and allows the Energy Commission some discretion to exempt certain building types and situations (i.e. the CEC could decide that long-term empty buildings or buildings scheduled for razing need not be benchmarked).
• AB 1103 was a transaction based program – benchmarking was triggered by a sale/lease of whole building/refinance. The transaction based approach had many unintended consequences such as requiring actively managed building to be benchmarked more often than buildings that are not; put an unnecessary technical process in the middle of a real estate transaction; and required benchmarking be provided to parties that were not making management decisions (i.e. lenders); AB 802 allows the CEC to determine the best trigger for benchmarking – that could be transaction based or time certain, i.e.,  once every two years.
• Under AB 1103 many building owners were unable to get tenant energy information from local utilities; AB 802 clarifies that utilities are required to provide information; in an aggregated format if there are privacy concerns in multi-tenant buildings.
• AB 1103 treated income producing properties separately by only focusing on commercial; AB 802 – with the support of the Apartment industry - includes certain multi-family housing properties.
• AB 1103 provisions will be suspended as of the end of this year (until otherwise notified we recommend you comply with the current provisions of AB 1103 until then). AB 802 provisions will become operative on January 1, 2017 – the CEC will write regulations to implement in 2016.

There will be no statewide energy use disclosure requirement in 2016. During this time, Energy Commission staff will engage in a public process to develop regulations and establish the reporting infrastructure for the new program. 

BOMA California members MUST engage in this process.

POSTPONED: San Francisco's Better Market Street Project - Visual Mapping Survey This Sunday

UPDATE - November 14, 2015

The LiDAR scan has been postponed until early December. There is a 100% chance of rain during the Sunday early morning hours that San Francisco staff members had planned to run the survey motorcade up and down Market Street. The team can’t get the information they need in the rain.

The San Francisco Department of Public Works and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency are going to be taking down all of the NO STOPPING signs so that they don't impact loading and parking unnecessarily.

Click here for an article regarding the survey from the San Francisco Chronicle. 

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UPDATE - November 12, 2015

This weekend, San Francisco Department of Public Works and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will be performing a truck-mounted Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) survey of Market Street. This visual mapping survey is the first step in detailing design work for the Better Market Street project. The Departments will gather accurate information on the exact locations of features and utilities on Market Street – curbs, BART portals, light poles, building facades, trees, fire hydrants, sidewalk and street elevations, and more -- that will enable them to move from conceptual to detailed designs and then on to construction.

The LiDAR survey will take place in the early morning hours of Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. 

To ensure an accurate and complete survey, here is important information about traffic restrictions and the Better Market Street LiDAR survey: 

• The survey will take place between 3:00 a.m. – 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15. 
• Stopping or parking on Market Street and the adjacent side streets is prohibited between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. to ensure the street is clear for the survey. Tow-Away signs have been posted. 
• The survey truck will run along Market Street between Octavia Boulevard and Steuart Street four times in order to get an accurate representation of all the features. 
• The truck also will measure the street features along all the side streets in the project area.
• There are Temporary Tow-Away signs posted along Market Street and in zones along all the cross streets in the vicinity so that vehicles don’t block the view of the curb. PLEASE OBEY THE TEMPORARY TOW-AWAY SIGNS. 
• The LiDAR truck will be escorted by a police motorcade as it cannot stop along Market Street for any reason, since that will distort the data collection. 
• The center lanes of Market Street will remain open to all vehicle traffic including commercial and private vehicles, transit and taxis. The curb lanes will be closed due to the survey motorcade. 
• The LiDAR truck will run against the flow of traffic in two of its four runs, so PLEASE STAY ALERT AND DRIVE SLOWLY. 
• The SFMTA signal shop will place all 26 traffic signals on Market Street onto flashing red for everyone’s safety and the safety of the LiDAR truck and police motorcade. 
• Bicycle riders are encouraged to take alternate routes. 

The LiDAR survey method is a quick, efficient, non-invasive surveying technique that is used around the world. The LiDAR method was chosen to get accurate information while minimizing travel impacts on one of the City’s busiest corridors.

Stay tuned for more information on the status of the Better Market Street project and next steps on their project page here.

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UPDATE - September 15, 2014

BOMA SF-PAC Chair and Better Market Street BOMA member lead, Kathy Mattes 

On September 10, 2014, BOMA San Francisco's Government Affairs and Policy Advisory Committee (GAPAC) member (and BOMA SF-PAC Chair) Kathy Mattes led a discussion for BOMA San Francisco building owners and managers regarding the City and County of San Francisco's Better Market Street Project (BMS). As detailed in our previous blog posts, below, the BMS is a monumental effort to help make San Francisco's Market Street a more welcoming public space and effective transit corridor.

BMS Project Mangers Simon Bertrang and Britt Tanner

The scope this undertaking stretches from, primarily, Market and Mission Streets from the Embarcadero to Octavia Boulevard.  As such, numerous BOMA San Francisco building owners along or adjacent to the project area will be impacted.  This briefing was the first official BMS update to this BOMA member constituency.

The three primary elements to the BMS presentation were:

• Market Street Design
• Vehicular Restrictions
• Loading

Each of these aspects have proposed changes and require your review and feedback.  Please click here to review the BMS presentation and send your feedback to Kathy Mattes at kamattes@sbcglobal.net.

BMS Project Timeline

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Mechanics Monument Plaza gets an upgrade

UPDATE - June 17, 2014

Did you know that Kathy Mattes, BOMA San Francisco's Political Action Committee Chair and member of our Government Affairs Committee, is the BOMA representative for the Better Market Street Community Advisory Committee?

Kathy has offered her time to attend a series of meetings to be sure that our member interests - specifically those building owners along Market Street - have a voice in the planning process.  Any updates from Kathy will be delivered to you via future blog posts.

If you happen to work near Mechanics Monument Plaza, take a look at the improvements (see image above) to the public amenities - including a charging station for your electronic gadgets!

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UPDATE - December 6, 2013

The BOMA members from the Government and Public Affairs Committee (GAPAC) met recently with Simon Bertrang, Project Manager for the Better Market Street (BMS) project; Kelli Rudnick, BMS Assistant Project Manager; and, Marlo Issac, Market Street Project Manager with the San Francisco Planning Department.

The presentation included the following BMS updates:

• Schedule
• Environmental review 2013-2015 
• Design 2015-2017
• Construction 2017
• Design Concepts
• There are three options that will be going into the environmental review process.
• All options include substantial improvements to pedestrian conditions, cycling facility, transit service and stops, invitations for street life, various levels of private car restrictions.
• Project Area Limits

• Market Streets from the Embarcadero to Octavia Street.
• Also includes Mission Street from Van Ness to the Embarcadero.
• Pedestrian Improvements
• Transit & Bicycling Improvements
• The Six Market Street Districts
• Click on the image at right to enlarge.
• Next Steps
• CEQA and NEPA Process formal start in January 2014
• Analyze potential environmental impacts 
• Disclose impacts for public review 
• Support policy decision 
• Proposed Project will include all 3 Options:
• Boost Transit Travel Speeds and Reliability 
• This includes studying the option of loading zone time of day restrictions
• Transportation Task Force Funding
• Federal Transportation Funding 
• Improve Pedestrian Safety 
• Add Bicycle Capacity 
• Build Civic Destination 
• Activate Streetlife Zones and Plazas.
• Make Your Market Street

• Goal: Open Market Street to new use by the public by bringing new activity, energy and people to Market Street’s sidewalks.
• The City wants to partner with Community Benefit Districts (CBD)to support creative/ innovative/commercial/public use of the sidewalks.
• The new Make Your Market Street team is now working with a number of CBDs that border Market Street to help with the development of the BMS endeavor, specifically the major plazas along the thoroughfare.

The information exchange at this meeting was invaluable.  BOMA San Francisco members will be involved in the BMS project via the Better Market Street Community Advisory Committee and Make Your Market Street effort representing the Financial District section of Market Street.  If you're interested in participating in the Community Advisory Committee, please click here to submit your application by January 8, 2014.  

Click here to review the full presentation and email johnb@boma.com with any questions.

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Original Post - October 30, 2012

The BOMA San Francisco Government and Public Affairs Committee (GAPAC) met recently with Kris Opbroek, Project Manager for the Better Market Street project. Note that multiple San Francisco City Departments are a part of this update to Market Street.

BOMA members would like to be continue to be a partner with the Better Market Street team in helping to identify the best practices to improving Market Street and help find solutions to issues of concern going forward. Special thanks to GAPAC Department/Commission Outreach Subcommittee Chair, Warren Mead for organizing this meeting.

Discussion Points

This a long-term project (breaking ground in 2016, at the earliest), and BOMA members discussed near-term concerns for the various department staff to consider as they move forward in the information gathering phase of this effort:

• The homeless population. How can you improve Market Street (adding parklets, nodes and general public gathering spaces) without considering the existing homeless population? 
• Impact of future design and construction on the ground-floor businesses that line and/or are immediately adjacent to Market Street. 
• Maintenance costs after build out – who pays? 
• All forms of conveyance should be considered when improving Market Street.  North/south travel across Market should be carefully reviewed. 
• Continuous outreach to the business community and other stakeholder groups to be sure that the City understands the issues of concern before final design consideration and construction. 

BOMA San Francisco members live and/or work in the City and County of San Francisco and they care deeply about improving the social and economic prospects for all San Franciscans. To help Market Street should not only benefit our members; the improvements should be a boon to all who work, live and visit this great city.

We look forward to working with Kris as this project moves forward. If you have any comments, please send them to wmead@lucasfilm.com and johnb@boma.com.

UPDATE: San Francisco Stormwater Design Guidelines

UPDATE - November 12, 2015

The San Francisco's Public Utilities Commission's (SFPUC) Urban Watershed Management Program has completed the Open House series, which outlined the updates to the Stormwater Design Guidelines that are anticipated to become effective in Early 2016.

Click here to review the Open House presentation that contains information on the updates to the Stormwater Design Guidelines.

Below are a few of the major changes:

• A new name! The Stormwater Design Guidelines will be called the Stormwater Management Requirements (SMR) once the changes become effective in Early 2016. 
• The threshold at which project must comply with the SMR has been redefined. In the 2010 Guidelines, projects disturbing 5,000 square feet or more of the ground surface were subject to the requirements. In the revision, the threshold for Large Projects has been revised to projects creating and/or replacing 5,000 square feet or more of impervious surface.
• Small Projects are regulated under the 2015 SMR. Small Projects are those that create and/or replace 2,500-5,000 square feet of impervious surface in the Separate Sewer Area ONLY. Projects of this size were not regulated in the 2010 Guidelines.

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UPDATE - September 30, 2015

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s (SFPUC) Urban Watershed Management Program (UWMP) has been working over the past year to implement regulatory-driven updates to the 2010 Stormwater Design Guidelines (Guidelines). We are pleased to present you with the Final Draft of the newly named Stormwater Management Requirements and Design Guidelines (SMR) and the associated appendices for your review. Some of the major changes include:

• The threshold at which projects must comply with the SMR has been redefined. In the 2010 Guidelines, projects disturbing 5,000 square feet or more of the ground surface were subject to the requirements. In the revision, projects creating and/or replacing 5,000 square feet or more of impervious surface are subject to the requirements.
• Small Projects are regulated in separate sewer areas under the 2015 SMR. Small Projects (those creating and/or replacing 2,500-5,000 square feet of impervious surface) must implement one or more Site Design Measure(s). Projects of this size were not regulated in the 2010 Guidelines.

The changes above have been made for regulatory compliance. There are additional changes throughout the document that reflect the knowledge gained through five years of implementation of the Stormwater Design Guidelines. Our goal is to provide a resource that outlines the stormwater management requirements clearly while providing technical assistance and inspiration for green infrastructure design that is beautiful and functional.

The team would appreciate feedback on the technical content of the text, its general clarity, and the overall completeness of the document. Understanding that we all have busy schedules, this is merely an opportunity to comment and comments are not required. Feel free to concentrate your review on relevant sections.

Please submit your comments via email using the Stormwater Management Requirements Comment Sheet, included in the linked folder below. Comments are due to Polly Perkins (pperkins@sfwater.org) by COB Friday, Oct 9th.

The documents can be downloaded from: https://sfpuc.sharefile.com/d-s6286a375ff841f38

Thank you in advance for your help in making the Stormwater Management Requirements and Design Guidelines clear, useful, and inspiring.

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UPDATE - July 31, 2014

BOMA San Francisco Members

Please click here to view a Stormwater Design Guidelines presentation to BOMA San Francisco's Codes and Regulations Committee members recently. Also discussed at the gathering was the SFPUC Non-Potable Water Guidebook, as several BOMA members have expressed interest in non-potable water reuse.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to:

Mike Adamow
Urban Watershed Management Program
Wastewater Enterprise
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
525 Golden Gate Ave., 11th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102
madamow@sfwater.org | 415-934-3904

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Original Post - April 14, 2010

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Thank you for your feedback on the San Francisco Stormwater Management Ordinance that would amend the San Francisco Public Works Code to require the development and maintenance of stormwater management controls for specified activities that disturb 5,000 square fee or more of the ground surface including, but not limited to, the construction, modification, conversion, or alteration of any building or structure and associated grading, filling, excavation, change in the existing topography, and the addition or replacement of impervious surface.  The measure will also create a Stormwater Management Plan to verify that no additional run-off will be created by a new development/project, and that any such new run-off is being properly treated or mitigated in an approved fashion.

UPDATE! - As of April 14, 2010

After reviewing the ordinance, your BOMA San Francisco Advocacy Team and Codes and Regulations Committee members have determined that this measure--approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on April 13, 2010--will have a minimal  impact on the BOMA San Francisco membership.   

You can download a copy of the ordinance, here, and the stormwater design guidelines, here.

What are Stormwater Design Guidelines?

The Port of San Francisco (Port) and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) are developing the San Francisco Stormwater Design Guidelines (“Design Guidelines”).  The Design Guidelines will improve San Francisco’s environment by reducing pollution in stormwater runoff in areas of new development and redevelopment. The Design Guidelines will be applied in areas of San Francisco served by separate storm sewers that discharge directly to local lakes or San Francisco Bay.  Given current trends in development, at this time mostly Bay waterfront parcels will be affected.

Please click here to review the Stormwater Design Guidelines.

What is stormwater runoff and why is it a concern?

Stormwater runoff is rainwater that flows over the land surface and through collection pipes.  In vegetated areas such as forests, fields and wetlands, rainwater seeps slowly into the ground, limiting runoff.  However, when rain falls on paved concrete and other hard (impervious) surfaces such as those found in most of San Francisco, it runs off quickly and is conveyed by pipes and other drainage features.  Though starting as relatively pure rainwater, stormwater runoff collects pollutants as it flows over impervious surfaces.  For example, runoff from parking lots picks up oil and grease from leaking engines, copper from worn brake linings, and zinc from tires. Although most runoff in San Francisco flows into the combined sewer system and receives treatment at the city’s two sewage treatment plants, there are a few areas in the city that discharge directly into  San Francisco Bay or other surface water such as Lake Merced without receiving any treatment.  These polluted stormwater flows can be detrimental to aquatic and other life.  The Design Guidelines will help improve San Francisco’s environment by reducing pollution in water that runs to the bay or other waters from newly constructed facilities.

How can San Francisco help reduce the detrimental impacts of stormwater runoff? 

One way to help reduce the detrimental impacts of stormwater runoff is by changing the way we approach new construction.  New development and redevelopment projects can be designed to minimize pollutant exposure within the project area.  Through careful pre-construction planning and designing, new development and redevelopment projects can be built to:

• Minimize impervious surfaces, which would allow more rainfall to soak into the ground
• Reduce the volume and intensity of storm water runoff, which would reduce flows that end up in the receiving waters 
• Convey and treat storm water runoff using landscape features and other “green” systems  to provide treatment to the pollutants in the runoff

Studies performed around the world show that proactive site planning and design is the most cost-effective approach for reducing stormwater pollution.

What is San Francisco doing to address stormwater impacts associated with new development and redevelopment projects?

As the owners and operators of San Francisco’s storm drain systems, the Port and the SFPUC have teamed to develop the San Francisco Stormwater Design Guidelines.  The  Design Guidelines will apply to new development and redevelopment in areas of San Francisco served by separate storm sewers (e.g., storm sewers that discharge directly to receiving waters).   The Port and the SFPUC invite you to participate in the development of the Design Guidelines.

Is San Francisco required to develop Stormwater Design Guidelines?

Yes - a Clean Water Act discharge permit administered by the State Water Resources Control Board requires local agencies to develop programs for the control of stormwater runoff for the life of a project (“post-construction control” of stormwater).  The Design Guidelines will comply with the mandate of this permit, while at the same time providing a vehicle through which planners, designers, engineers and developers can work together toward a more sustainable city.

UPDATE: San Francisco Safer Market Street

UPDATE - November 12, 2015

Since August 11th, paint crews have completed the red lanes on Market Street from 8th to 3rd streets, and extended or added transit-only lanes on 3rd, 7th and O’Farrell streets. The lanes on O’Farrell and 7th streets were in response to feedback and aim to improve bus service on those streets. The transit-only lanes will be complete by the end of this month.

In addition to completing the transit-only lanes, the final two turn restrictions will go into effect upon completion of Central Subway construction on Ellis Street and once Ellis Street reopens to traffic. Variable and static messaging signs are now in place to notify drivers of the upcoming changes. The graphic below indicates in red the existing turn restrictions, and in black the upcoming turn restrictions at 5th and Ellis streets. With these new restrictions, people driving north on Market Street will be required to proceed onto Cyril Magnin; access to 4th Street will be available via Ellis Street. Taxis, buses, bikes, paratransit commercial and emergency vehicles are exempt from the restrictions.

Stay tuned for more information on the upcoming implementation of the final turn restrictions and next steps on this project page: https://www.sfmta.com/safermarketst

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UPDATE - August 7, 2015

A Safer Market Street is just days away with the upcoming turn restrictions on Market Street going into effect Tuesday, August 11th

Turn restrictions between 3rd and 8th streets will prohibit private vehicles at most intersections from turning onto Market Street eliminating conflicts at the intersection, increasing transit reliability, and improving safety for all users. Instead, private vehicles will proceed straight across Market Street.The locations of the turn restrictions are indicated in the following turn restriction notice.

Safer Market Street is one of over 24 Vision Zero high-priority projects to be completed by February 2016.

The SFMTA Board unanimously approved the Safer Market Street project June 16, 2015. It includes a series of traffic engineering solutions, such as turn restrictions, extension of existing transit-only lanes, and new loading and painted safety zones.

One advantage of these solutions is that they can improve safety conditions quickly with minor disruptions and without major construction. Less than two months after board approval, the majority of work at the intersections is complete, and the remaining intersection work will be complete later this month. The turn restriction signs will continue to go up throughout this week and will remain bagged until Monday, Aug. 10. Beginning Tuesday morning, Aug. 11, the turn restrictions will be enforced, and violators may be ticketed. Parking control officers (PCOs) will be at every intersection beginning at 7 a.m. on Tuesday to assist in guiding traffic across Market Street in accordance with the upcoming turn restrictions. PCOs will be on hand Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for two weeks following the unveiling.

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UPDATE - June 25, 2015

On June 16, 2015, the SFMTA board unanimously approved the Safer Market Street project; a critical Vision Zero initiative that will help the City reach its goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities by 2024. Safer Market Street will reduce the number of private vehicles on Market Street between 8th and 3rd Streets, extend the existing transit-only lanes, add loading zones and install painted safety zones.

IMPLEMENTATION

The paint crew began restriping at Hyde Street in preparation for the turn restrictions yesterday (June 23rd), just a week after board approval. The paint crew will continue their work through July along with the sign and meter shops, to install the turn restriction signage and loading zones respectfully. It is expected that the work for the turn restrictions, loading zones, and painted safety zones will be complete by early to mid-August. The signs will be bagged until all are complete, at which time the turn restrictions will go into effect, and will be enforced by SFMTA parking control officers and SFPD. In preparation for this, staff will post re-route maps as well as work with mapping/GPS providers to ensure directions are updated to safely navigate the project area. The transit-only lanes will be complete by January 2016.

Keep checking the project page for more information in addition to our FAQ and factsheet.

Below are links to recent related news articles:

http://www.citylab.com/design/2015/06/to-improve-street-safety-san-francisco-bans-cars-from-turning/396473/

http://sf.streetsblog.org/2015/06/17/sfmta-bucks-uber-bans-private-autos-from-turning-on-to-mid-market-street

http://hoodline.com/2015/06/safer-market-street-plan-sparks-opposition-from-uber-hearing-to-be-held-tomorrow

http://sf.streetsblog.org/2015/06/15/tomorrow-support-car-restrictions-for-a-safer-market-which-uber-opposes/

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SFMTA-OKs-safety-measures-for-Market-Street-6331508.php

http://www.kgoradio.com/common/page.php?id=129041

http://sf.streetsblog.org/2015/06/17/sfmta-bucks-uber-bans-private-autos-from-turning-on-to-mid-market-street/

http://sfappeal.com/2015/06/sfmta-approves-plan-to-ban-turns-on-market-street-despite-uber-opposition/

http://sfist.com/2015/06/17/sorry_uber_no_turn_for_you.php

https://medium.com/urban-design-and-planning/sfmta-it-s-time-to-prioritize-buses-bikes-and-pedestrians-on-market-street-97ae398cee57

http://www.sfbike.org/news/mid-market-street-win/

http://walksf.org/sfmta-backs-turning-restrictions-on-market/

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UPDATE - June 9, 2015

The City is one step closer to Vision Zero pending SFMTA Board Approval of the Safer Market Street project.

Market Street is the City’s premier civic and commercial corridor hosting hundreds of thousands of people arriving by means of transit, walking, biking or driving. More bikes travel down Market Street than vehicles, making it one of the busiest bikeways west of the Mississippi.

High collision rates, however, also make Market Street a high-injury corridor, with four of the top 20 intersections for pedestrian-injury collisions and the top two intersections for bicycle injury collisions. Safer Market Street is one of over 24 Vision Zero projects being expedited to address the recent spike in fatalities along high-injury corridors such as Market Street. The proposed changes, including a package of turn restrictions, the extension of existing transit-only lanes and supplemental safety treatments, will help the city reach its Vision Zero goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities by improving safety conditions for all users.

The team recently submitted its environmental documentation to the planning department and completed its third round of outreach, in which it met with community organizations and concerned property owners to inform them of the proposed changes and address any questions or concerns.

Years of analysis and outreach to the community have informed the proposed changes and pending the approval of the SFMTA Board of Directors June 16, 2015 construction can begin within the month. The turn restrictions would be unveiled as a package once complete later this fall.

Question or concerns please contact Kate Elliott at kate.elliott@sfmta.com

Date, time and location of SFMTA Board of Directors Meeting:

City Hall Room 400, June 6, 2015 1:00 pm

1 Charles B. Goodlett Drive

San Francisco, CA 94102

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UPDATE - May 20, 2015

BOMA San Francisco Members:

BOMA's Government Affairs Committee members have been meeting with public officials to represent your interests.
Recently, representatives from the SFMTA Safer Market Street initiative spoke to our members about the project. Please click here to review the project fact sheet and here for the presentation.

Questions or concerns? Feel free to contact Kate Elliott at kate.elliott@sfmta.com or at (415) 701-2483.

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Original Post - March 4, 2015

The Safer Market Street team is planning changes to the way various modes of transportation move up and down on Market Street.  These updates will commence in the Spring/ Summer of this year and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is hosting a public hearing next Friday March 6 to solicit public feedback on the project.

Safer Market Street is one of over 24 projects to be expedited to address the disproportionately high number of severe and fatal collisions along high-injury corridors such as Market Street. Safer Market Street will help achieve the Vision Zero goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities citywide by improving safety across all transportation modes. The extension of transit-only lanes and turn restrictions between 3rd Street and 8th Street on Market will reduce conflicts between pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.

To date they have held two Community Workshops to receive feedback on the proposed transit-only lanes and turn restrictions as well as informational signage as you approach Market Street and potential new loading zones. Click here for the Public Hearing Notice that provides details on the location and conditions of the transit-only lanes, turn restrictions, loading zones and parking changes incorporating public and SFMTA feedback. Additionally, an updated fact-sheet can be found here with more details and graphics regarding the proposed conditions.

The Public Hearing is Friday, March 6, 2015 @ 10:00 am City Hall Room 416 (Hearing Room 4) 1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Place.

Safer Market Street website

Questions? 

Kate Elliott

Public Information Officer

SFMTA | Municipal Transportation Agency

kate.elliott@sfmta.com

1 South Van Ness Avenue, 3rd Floor

San Francisco, CA 94103

Phone:  415-701-2483

www.sfmta.com

UPDATE: San Francisco's Better Market Street Project - Visual Mapping Survey This Sunday

UPDATE - November 12, 2015

This weekend, San Francisco Public Works and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will be performing a truck-mounted Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) survey of Market Street. This visual mapping survey is the first step in detailing design work for the Better Market Street project. The Departments will gather accurate information on the exact locations of features and utilities on Market Street – curbs, BART portals, light poles, building facades, trees, fire hydrants, sidewalk and street elevations, and more -- that will enable them to move from conceptual to detailed designs and then on to construction.

The LiDAR survey will take place in the early morning hours of Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. 

To ensure an accurate and complete survey, here is important information about traffic restrictions and the Better Market Street LiDAR survey: 

• The survey will take place between 3:00 a.m. – 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15. 
• Stopping or parking on Market Street and the adjacent side streets is prohibited between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. to ensure the street is clear for the survey. Tow-Away signs have been posted. 
• The survey truck will run along Market Street between Octavia Boulevard and Steuart Street four times in order to get an accurate representation of all the features. 
• The truck also will measure the street features along all the side streets in the project area.
• There are Temporary Tow-Away signs posted along Market Street and in zones along all the cross streets in the vicinity so that vehicles don’t block the view of the curb. PLEASE OBEY THE TEMPORARY TOW-AWAY SIGNS. 
• The LiDAR truck will be escorted by a police motorcade as it cannot stop along Market Street for any reason, since that will distort the data collection. 
• The center lanes of Market Street will remain open to all vehicle traffic including commercial and private vehicles, transit and taxis. The curb lanes will be closed due to the survey motorcade. 
• The LiDAR truck will run against the flow of traffic in two of its four runs, so PLEASE STAY ALERT AND DRIVE SLOWLY. 
• The SFMTA signal shop will place all 26 traffic signals on Market Street onto flashing red for everyone’s safety and the safety of the LiDAR truck and police motorcade. 
• Bicycle riders are encouraged to take alternate routes. 

The LiDAR survey method is a quick, efficient, non-invasive surveying technique that is used around the world. The LiDAR method was chosen to get accurate information while minimizing travel impacts on one of the City’s busiest corridors.

Stay tuned for more information on the status of the Better Market Street project and next steps on their project page here.

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UPDATE - September 15, 2014

BOMA SF-PAC Chair and Better Market Street BOMA member lead, Kathy Mattes 

On September 10, 2014, BOMA San Francisco's Government Affairs and Policy Advisory Committee (GAPAC) member (and BOMA SF-PAC Chair) Kathy Mattes led a discussion for BOMA San Francisco building owners and managers regarding the City and County of San Francisco's Better Market Street Project (BMS). As detailed in our previous blog posts, below, the BMS is a monumental effort to help make San Francisco's Market Street a more welcoming public space and effective transit corridor.

BMS Project Mangers Simon Bertrang and Britt Tanner

The scope this undertaking stretches from, primarily, Market and Mission Streets from the Embarcadero to Octavia Boulevard.  As such, numerous BOMA San Francisco building owners along or adjacent to the project area will be impacted.  This briefing was the first official BMS update to this BOMA member constituency.

The three primary elements to the BMS presentation were:

• Market Street Design
• Vehicular Restrictions
• Loading

Each of these aspects have proposed changes and require your review and feedback.  Please click here to review the BMS presentation and send your feedback to Kathy Mattes at kamattes@sbcglobal.net.

BMS Project Timeline

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Mechanics Monument Plaza gets an upgrade

UPDATE - June 17, 2014

Did you know that Kathy Mattes, BOMA San Francisco's Political Action Committee Chair and member of our Government Affairs Committee, is the BOMA representative for the Better Market Street Community Advisory Committee?

Kathy has offered her time to attend a series of meetings to be sure that our member interests - specifically those building owners along Market Street - have a voice in the planning process.  Any updates from Kathy will be delivered to you via future blog posts.

If you happen to work near Mechanics Monument Plaza, take a look at the improvements (see image above) to the public amenities - including a charging station for your electronic gadgets!

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UPDATE - December 6, 2013

The BOMA members from the Government and Public Affairs Committee (GAPAC) met recently with Simon Bertrang, Project Manager for the Better Market Street (BMS) project; Kelli Rudnick, BMS Assistant Project Manager; and, Marlo Issac, Market Street Project Manager with the San Francisco Planning Department.

The presentation included the following BMS updates:

• Schedule
• Environmental review 2013-2015 
• Design 2015-2017
• Construction 2017
• Design Concepts
• There are three options that will be going into the environmental review process.
• All options include substantial improvements to pedestrian conditions, cycling facility, transit service and stops, invitations for street life, various levels of private car restrictions.
• Project Area Limits

• Market Streets from the Embarcadero to Octavia Street.
• Also includes Mission Street from Van Ness to the Embarcadero.
• Pedestrian Improvements
• Transit & Bicycling Improvements
• The Six Market Street Districts
• Click on the image at right to enlarge.
• Next Steps
• CEQA and NEPA Process formal start in January 2014
• Analyze potential environmental impacts 
• Disclose impacts for public review 
• Support policy decision 
• Proposed Project will include all 3 Options:
• Boost Transit Travel Speeds and Reliability 
• This includes studying the option of loading zone time of day restrictions
• Transportation Task Force Funding
• Federal Transportation Funding 
• Improve Pedestrian Safety 
• Add Bicycle Capacity 
• Build Civic Destination 
• Activate Streetlife Zones and Plazas.
• Make Your Market Street

• Goal: Open Market Street to new use by the public by bringing new activity, energy and people to Market Street’s sidewalks.
• The City wants to partner with Community Benefit Districts (CBD)to support creative/ innovative/commercial/public use of the sidewalks.
• The new Make Your Market Street team is now working with a number of CBDs that border Market Street to help with the development of the BMS endeavor, specifically the major plazas along the thoroughfare.

The information exchange at this meeting was invaluable.  BOMA San Francisco members will be involved in the BMS project via the Better Market Street Community Advisory Committee and Make Your Market Street effort representing the Financial District section of Market Street.  If you're interested in participating in the Community Advisory Committee, please click here to submit your application by January 8, 2014.  

Click here to review the full presentation and email johnb@boma.com with any questions.

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Original Post - October 30, 2012

The BOMA San Francisco Government and Public Affairs Committee (GAPAC) met recently with Kris Opbroek, Project Manager for the Better Market Street project. Note that multiple San Francisco City Departments are a part of this update to Market Street.

BOMA members would like to be continue to be a partner with the Better Market Street team in helping to identify the best practices to improving Market Street and help find solutions to issues of concern going forward. Special thanks to GAPAC Department/Commission Outreach Subcommittee Chair, Warren Mead for organizing this meeting.

Discussion Points

This a long-term project (breaking ground in 2016, at the earliest), and BOMA members discussed near-term concerns for the various department staff to consider as they move forward in the information gathering phase of this effort:

• The homeless population. How can you improve Market Street (adding parklets, nodes and general public gathering spaces) without considering the existing homeless population? 
• Impact of future design and construction on the ground-floor businesses that line and/or are immediately adjacent to Market Street. 
• Maintenance costs after build out – who pays? 
• All forms of conveyance should be considered when improving Market Street.  North/south travel across Market should be carefully reviewed. 
• Continuous outreach to the business community and other stakeholder groups to be sure that the City understands the issues of concern before final design consideration and construction. 

BOMA San Francisco members live and/or work in the City and County of San Francisco and they care deeply about improving the social and economic prospects for all San Franciscans. To help Market Street should not only benefit our members; the improvements should be a boon to all who work, live and visit this great city.

We look forward to working with Kris as this project moves forward. If you have any comments, please send them to wmead@lucasfilm.com and johnb@boma.com.