Proponents of a ballot initiative that would require a vote for any development on the San Francisco waterfront that exceeds existing height limits have gathered enough signatures to put the issue to a vote.
After voters rejected a high-rise waterfront residential development called 8 Washington near San Francisco’s historic Ferry Building in the November citywide election, opponents of development projects along the city’s waterfront have gathered twice the necessary number of signatures to qualify a sweeping initiative for the city’s June election.
John Coté reports that the ballot initiative to require voter approval for waterfront projects exceeding existing height limits. Hanging in the current development balance are three major development plans: “the Golden State Warriors' proposal for an 18,000-seat arena complex, the San Francisco Giants' plan for an urban neighborhood on what is their main parking lot, and the development of the industrial Pier 70 area.”
“Proponents, including the San Francisco chapter of the Sierra Club and limited-growth activists who in November helped defeat a luxury condo development planned near the Ferry Building, say the measure is about protecting the waterfront from politically connected developers trying to skirt rules that voters required when they backed the creation of a comprehensive waterfront development plan in 1990.”
The legality of the forthcoming ballot initiative, however, remains in question, reports Coté. “The top lawyer for the State Lands Commission, the agency responsible for regulating use of waterfront and other state property, in January questioned the legality of the proposed measure as an infringement on state authority.” If it qualifies, the initiative is likely to provoke a lawsuit before it goes to the ballot.
FULL STORY: Signatures for S.F. waterfront height limit measure filed

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont