More information about Balboa Reservoir Project including archive of past posts.
Source for this FAQ: http://sfwater.org/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=10717
FROM SF PLANNING: Balboa Reservoir Project | Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Balboa Reservoir Project?
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is working with the San Francisco Planning Department and Office of Economic and Workforce Development on developing the Balboa Reservoir. This site is located immediately west of City College’s Ocean Campus, east of the Westwood Park neighborhood, and south of Archbishop Riordan High School. The site has never been required or used for water storage, and currently includes a surface parking lot. The SFPUC is seeking a development partner to provide mixed-income housing, open space, and other neighborhood amenities at its Balboa Reservoir property.
Who owns the Balboa Reservoir?
In the context of the Balboa Reservoir Project, “Balboa Reservoir” refers to the approximately 17-acre property owned by the City and County of San Francisco through the SFPUC. The Project does not include the City College-owned parcel of land immediately west of Phelan Ave, which contains City College’s Multi-Use Building and adjacent parking.
Why is this development happening now?
By supporting two recent Propositions, Prop K in 2014 and another Prop K in 2015, San Francisco voters have told the City that they want more affordable housing built on both private and publicly-owned sites. The Public Land for Housing Program has identified the Reservoir as a property which can help achieve these goals while providing an opportunity for other community needs, such as open space and childcare.
What has already taken place?
The City began discussing possibilities for the SFPUC Balboa Reservoir site with community organizations and members of the general public in early 2015. Since then, two public workshops and a series of 20 Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meetings have been held to discuss development parameters, outreach strategies, and community feedback. Information on past CAC meetings can be found at sf-planning.org/brcac.
What will happen at the upcoming community meetings?
Three different development teams have been selected as finalists, and invited to submit development proposals for the Balboa Reservoir, based on their level of experience and proven ability to complete a project of this size and complexity. The two upcoming community meetings will introduce the proposals to the public for discussion and review. Feedback submitted by the public will help determine which development team is ultimately selected. Please note that these meetings are designed to obtain public comment to inform the proposal evaluation panel only. The meetings are not a venue to discuss whether the Balboa Reservoir project should proceed.
What is the difference between the two meetings?
The first meeting on June 10 will include live presentations by the developers, facilitated discussion groups, and opportunities for participants to submit written comments. For those unable to attend June 10, the presentations will be recorded and broadcast at a subsequent public meeting of the Balboa Reservoir CAC and will be available on the website http://sfwater.org/balboa/community. At the June 10 meeting, Spanish and Chinese interpreters, refreshments, and activities for children will be available on site.
The second meeting will be structured as a Balboa Reservoir Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting. It will begin with a screening of the developer presentations, after which the CAC Chair will facilitate discussion and comments. As with all CAC meetings, language interpretation can be provided upon request. Should you need interpretation services, please request them at least 72 hours in advance by contacting Thomas Shanahan at brcac@sfgov.org or (415) 554-6512. At both meetings, participants will be encouraged to provide written comments and/or
submit them online.
I cannot attend either meeting. How can I participate?
Proposal excerpts and video of the development teams’ presentations will be posted online at http://sfwater.org/balboa/community. The public is encouraged to view the video, review the documents, and submit comments by following the instructions on the website.
For those without internet access, please contact Tom Shanahan at (415) 554-6512 to arrange for an alternative way to access the presentations and proposal information.
Written comments about the proposals may be mailed to:
Tom Shanahan
Office of Economic and Workforce Development
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
Room 448
San Francisco, CA 94102
How will the winning developer be selected? How will community members’ comments play a role in the selection?
An evaluation panel comprised of City staff and neighborhood stakeholders will review and score the proposals. The panelists will be representatives of the SFPUC, the Planning Department, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, City College of San Francisco, and the Balboa Reservoir Community Advisory Committee.
The panel’s scoring criteria will consider the proposals’ consistency with the development principles and parameters that the CAC helped to shape, as well as the development teams’ experience, planning and financial capacity, and ability to respond to community members’ comments. To evaluate the developers’ responsiveness to the community, each team will be required to provide written responses to the public comments about their respective development proposals. These developer responses will be reviewed for indications of how well the teams understand community priorities and respond to feedback. Once the panel completes its evaluation process, the panel will recommend the top-scoring development team to the SFPUC, which will be responsible for certifying these results.
Can the winning developer change its plan based on feedback from the community?
Yes. The community feedback received during the evaluation process will guide the winning proposal as it is refined. However, the June meetings will not be a venue for developers to respond to specific suggestions or commit to specific changes. That will occur after the developer has been selected in a series of interactive workshops.
When will the winning developer be selected?
The developer selection process is expected to conclude by fall 2017.
How can I stay involved in this project once the developer has been selected?
The selection of a developer is only the beginning of a multi-year process that must occur before the development plan is finalized and approved. During that period, the Balboa Reservoir Community Advisory Committee (BRCAC) will continue to serve as a primary venue for public information and feedback. To receive future announcements about BRCAC meetings, visit http://sf-planning.org/brcac and click the “Stay Informed” button in the top right-hand corner of the page.
Sunnyside Neighborhood Association 