Locals aren't happy about Amazon's numerous new distribution facilities in San Francisco, but all of the new facilities are all perfectly legal under the city's zoning code—much more legal than housing, for example.
J.K. Dineen reports (in a paywalled article for the San Francisco Chronicle) on a growing political controversy over Amazon's footprint in San Francisco. The story is directly related to the city's zoning code—specifically, the city's Production, Distribution, and Repair (PDR) zoning designation.
"Amazon has been gobbling up space throughout the southeast corner of the city, taking advantage of zoning meant to preserve blue-collar jobs in a market in which housing and office space have typically generated higher revenues," explains Dineen.
There's a new UltraFastFresh logistics center at 888 Tennessee Street, at the foot of a slow street and across from Esprit Park. There's a 75,000-square-foot warehouse 435 23rd Street and a 112,000-square-foot delivery hub at 749 Toland Street. "But Amazon’s biggest and most controversial incursion into San Francisco is a proposed 725,000-square-foot delivery hub at 900 Seventh St., a 6-acre rectangular parcel in Showplace Square that Amazon bought for $200 million," reports Dineen. Day time workers at the delivery hub have generated 2,800 car trips, according to neighbors quoted in the article.
San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton announced new legislation that would enact an 18-month moratorium on all new parcel delivery services in the city. The moratorium would essentially void the city's own zoning. In a separate article for the San Francisco Standard, Kevin Truong details Walton's legislation, noting that the ordinance would require conditional use authorization for new delivery services.
The other zoning catch: the Seventh Street distribution center is only there because a previous housing development was rejected by local stakeholders.
"But while a busy distribution center may feel out of sync with Showplace Square’s current vibe, it is in fact just what city zoning calls for. And [the previous owner of the site] decided to sell the site only after neighbors had rejected its 2018 plan to build about 1,000 units of housing there," explains Dineen.
San Francisco is embroiled in almost continuous controversy about housing development—most recently manifesting in a vacancy tax proposed by one of the city's most consistently anti-development supervisors.
More details about Amazon's expanding footprint in San Francisco, and the local response, can be found in the source article below. For more background on Amazon's growing footprint in the real estate market and its impacts on the land uses and transportation systems of U.S. cities, see the Fulfillment Centers tag on Planetizen.
FULL STORY: Amazon is using San Francisco’s zoning policy to plot a huge expansion in the city. Some locals aren’t happy
Amazon’s Largest Warehouse Ever Under Construction in Southern California
Twice as big as Downtown L.A.’s tallest skyscraper and bigger than Disney’s California Adventure Park with room to spare, the largest Amazon warehouse in the world is under construction in Southern California’s Inland Empire.
The Impact of Amazon Warehouses on Communities
Often located in low-income communities of color, Amazon's warehouses contribute to public health impacts like poor air quality, noise pollution, and traffic congestion.
Amazon Shifting From Land Lessee to Land Owner
Amazon has been tending to buy when previously it would have leased, and the trend has massive implications for the industrial real estate market.
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Idaho Data: Unexpected Vehicle Repairs Exacerbate Housing Instability, Eviction Risk
Over 21 percent of clients struggle with transportation barriers.
A Year-Long Investigation On Permanent Supportive Housing
The New York Times reveals what’s working and what’s not in the cornerstone of Housing First.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland