Supervisors Delay Final Vote on Garage Legislation for Another Week

Supervisor David Chiu has sponsored a measure to ban garages built following no-fault tenant evictions in parts of the Northeast corner of San Francisco. Photo: Michael Rhodes

For a second time in two weeks, the Board of Supervisors today delayed a final vote on legislation that would impose stricter rules on the construction of new garages in Chinatown, North Beach and
Telegraph Hill. Unlike the first delay, however, the Board voted to make a small amendment to the measure today, passing the amended bill on first reading. It will be back next week for a final vote.

The amendment today fixed an initial error in the drafting of the
legislation, said its sponsor, Board of Supervisors President David
Chiu. The portion of Broadway included in the measure would
stretch from the Embarcadero to Mason Street, not all the way to Polk
Street, as the initial legislation had it.

After initially approving the legislation on first reading by a 7-2 vote on
February 9, the supervisors voted on February 23 to continue the measure
until today. Supervisor Bevan Dufty, whose vote would be crucial to
override a
potential veto from the Mayor, has asked for more time to talk to people on both sides of the debate before taking a final vote.

Garage addition companies, landlords and condo conversion
supporters are reportedly pressuring Dufty to vote down the measure,
while affordable housing, transit, pedestrian and bicycle advocates are
rallying behind the garage legislation.

You can contact Supervisor Dufty about the legislation
by emailing him at bevan.dufty@sfgov.org
or by calling his office at 415-554-5184.