Organized Labor

• SB 792 Will Transfer State Parkland to City for Development & Protect Candlestick Point

State Sen. Mark Leno’s bill to transfer a portion of the Candlestick Point State Recreation Area to the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency for development was signed into law by Gov. Schwarzenegger Oct. 11. It passed the Senate and Assembly in September with only two votes against its passage: Tom Ammiano in the Assembly and Leland Yee in the State Senate.

The bill reconfigures the boundaries of the state park in exchange for tens of millions of dollars for the future operation of the park. It approves an exchange of public trust lands that are under the jurisdiction of the State Lands Commission and repeals the Hunters Point Shipyard Conversion Act of 2002 that granted the SF Redevelopment Agency, “all of the state’s right, title, and interest in the Hunters Point trust lands”—essentially expanding the area to include parts of the Candlestick Point State Recreation Area (CPSRA). The land is slated for development by Lennar, which plans to build 10,500 new homes at Candlestick Point and the former Naval Shipyard, creating 1,500 construction jobs each year for the next 20 years. Work would be done under a Project Labor Agreement signed with the Building Trades in 2007 that would guarantee well-paying union jobs and provide work for local residents.

Sen. Leno’s office released a statement saying that, “The Candlestick Point revitalization plan initially proposed by the City of San Francisco and its advocates called for a loss of 43 acres to Candlestick Park. Because this initial plan would have meant the loss of one-third of this important resource to the Bayview-Hunters Point community, Leno authored SB 792 to help protect Candlestick Point State Recreation Area. Throughout the year, Leno sought several important changes to the plan that secured $50 million for park improvements and minimized the City’s impact on the park.”

Leno said that he agreed to sponsor it as long as it was understood that there would need to be amendments to the original bill.

SB 792 was opposed by some politicians, and environmental and community groups who said it would transfer public lands to a private developer and reduce access to the 43 acres of open space. “It was originally opposed by The Sierra Club, Arc Ecology and Friends of Candlestick,” Leno said. “Through a series of meetings and negotiations, the City agreed to every amendment I requested.” Leno said he “worked with advocates on both sides of the issue to cut the impact on the park in half, which saved 20 acres from development.” The bill as amended limits the impact to the park to just 23 acres, with most of that loss (20.6 acres) coming from the area currently used as a dirt parking lot. “I believe we have saved a state park,” he said.

The Sierra Club, Arc Ecology and Friends of Candlestick dropped their opposition to the bill after it was amended to reduce the number of acres transferred to development and added better protections for the park’s natural habitat, including migratory birds and other habitat. In a letter dropping its opposition to SB 792, the Sierra Club’s Jim Metropulos wrote, “As a general rule, we do not believe that the state should be authorized to sell any state park land, particularly for development purposes. However, we recognize that SB 792 will provide funds for the future operations of Candlestick Point State Park Recreation Area and protect the park from any closures planned by the Department of Parks and Recreation. Sierra Club California appreciates your efforts in leading negotiations between us and the City of San Francisco in the effort to resolve our concerns.”

A contingent of opponents from some Bayview community organizations with not satisfied with the compromise protested the bill at Leno’s office October 9. In response, Leno countered that the state park was not being sold off to a developer. “Twenty acres of dirt will be sold, and the benefit is going to be extraordinary,” he said. “What we gave up was 20 acres, 18 of which is literally dirt and rubble used as a parking lot.” Leno countered the notion that the land transfer would set any precedent leading to the privatization of public lands. “It doesn’t set a precedent. It’s a unique situation,” he said. “The state is being starved for funds, so if we have the opportunity to save and improve a park, I don’t see any reason to not do so.” He said the park and coastal areas would remain accessible to the public. “For those concerned with green space, this bill and this plan will provide it.”

While transferring 23 acres for development the bill will also provide benefits to the park and the Bayview-Hunters Point community. “The park has been underfunded and underutilized,” Leno said. He pointed out that of the 120 acres of the site, only 40 are currently being used. He said that his bill would double the size of the improved areas of the park, and saving the CPSRA from closure by eliminating the need for state General Fund support for operations and maintenance. The overall development funded by Lennar will also build new public housing to replace the aging Alice Griffith Housing Project, and create more than 300 acres of new and restored open space and recreational areas in the project area and millions of square feet of desperately needed job-generating commercial and retail space. Thirty-five percent of the housing units will be below market rate.

Leno said the bill goes a long way toward protecting the park from a number of very real threats in the future, by providing a stable funding source for the future operation and maintenance. He said that by not acting, the park could have been slated for closure by the state, subject to the governor’s budget cuts.

“We are at risk of seeing at least a hundred state parks close, and those that are most vulnerable are the ones that are underutilized and underdeveloped, including Candlestick Point,” said Senator Leno. “SB 792 includes an extra $10 million for ongoing operation and maintenance so Candlestick Point can remain open. In addition, $40 million will be provided for park improvements, effectively doubling the amount of improved parkland that can be utilized for biking, hiking, boating and other recreational activities.”

Leno said the $10 million will create an annuity that will yield $600 million annually for park maintenance. “It will have its own revenue source and allow this unique urban park to be self-sufficient,” he said. He added that his legislation includes language that locks in funding for the newly created state fund that can only be used to improve and maintain the CPRA, and isn’t tied to a specific developer.

“Currently, about 40 acres are used for recreation,” Leno said. “As a result of $40 million of investment in bike paths, bike trails and hiking paths, habitat restoration, habitat protection, planting, construction of piers so there can be more water recreation, will double the current 40 acres of use, which will remain untouched, to 80 acres of use.”

Senator Leno’s bill was sponsored by the City of San Francisco and supported by a broad coalition of community leaders, organizations and residents including Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, the San Francisco Labor Council, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, Pastor Arelious Walker, Bayview Merchants Association, Bayview Hunters Point Multipurpose Senior Center, Alice Griffith Tenants Association, Asian Pacific Democratic Club and the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition.

“SB 792 will move forward an important new development that will preserve parks for our members, build an unprecedented amount of affordable housing and create thousands of new jobs for Bayview residents,” said Tim Paulson, Executive Director of the San Francisco Labor Council. “We applaud Senator Leno for working with labor, community and environmental interests to usher this important legislation forward.”