YES ON PROP. B
For Immediate Release
September 18, 2013
Contact: David Beltran
Phone: 415-398-4700
Email: david@openupthewaterfront.org
Website: www.openupthewaterfront.org
BAY PLANNING COALITION ENDORSES YES ON B
Bay Planning Coalition is a leader in building coalitions and consensus around smart planning to address issues facing San Francisco and the Bay
San Francisco, CA – The Bay Planning Coalition (BPC) has endorsed Yes on Proposition B and its efforts to create more parks, jobs, and housing in San Francisco. This November 5, 2013, Proposition B will give San Franciscans the final voice in deciding the future they want for our shared waterfront.
BPC is a leader in building coalitions and consensus around smart planning to address issues facing San Francisco and the Bay. In addition, BPC works to advocate and educate on the need for fair and reasonable regulation and sound, integrated planning through collaboration with its partners and regulatory agencies.
“Sound planning means successfully balancing the need for creating economic and job activity, open space and housing,” said Bay Planning Coalition Executive Director, John Coleman. “On all of these counts—8 Washington gets it done by creating parks, housing, jobs and millions of dollars in city benefits that work to address quality of life issues facing San Francisco. Yes on B is about smart planning and process that is good for the City.”
If approved, Proposition B will transform the current 3.2 acre-site, bounded by the Embarcadero, Washington and Drumm Streets just one block from the Ferry Building, by removing the hazardous asphalt parking lot and tearing down the 1,735-foot long fence that blocks public views and public access to the waterfront.
The approved initiative will then open the way for a fully vetted plan, which has been seven years in the making, to create new public parks on the Embarcadero, restore public access from Jackson Street and Pacific Avenue to the waterfront, build open-air cafes with outdoor seating, and provide family housing. The plan designates more than half of the land to be dedicated to recreation and public open space – a total of 30,000 square feet of new public open space where none exists today.
Yes on Proposition B also empowers voters with the opportunity to approve a plan that will immediately create 250 construction jobs and 140 permanent jobs for San Franciscans. 8 Washington will also generate more than $100 million in City benefits that include $11 million for affordable housing and $14 million in direct payment to the Port for infrastructure improvements.
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