Board OKs Saturday car ban for GG Park

SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - A controversial plan to give San Francisco’s bike riders, roller bladers, joggers and pedestrians car-free access to some of Golden Gate Park’s roadways on Saturdays — as well as Sundays — was given final approval by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

The vote on the ordinance, which closes a 1.5-mile stretch of John F. Kennedy Drive and some connecting roads on Saturdays for a six-month trial period, was a repeat of the preliminary 7-4 vote in favor two weeks ago.

Although a similar ban on cars has existed for nearly 40 years on Sundays, the plan to extend the road closures to Saturdays has raised concern from park museums that predict a drop in their attendance; nearby neighborhood residents who say cars will now take over already limited parking; and disability advocates.

Last Tuesday, Alioto-Pier, who uses a wheelchair, expressed concern that not enough was being done to ensure that those who are disabled would still be able to use the park. Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, who had introduced the trial ordinance, added amendments that provide, among other disability accommodations, a shuttle bus, parking spaces and drop-off zones inside the park for people with disabilities. He vowed to keep working on ways to improve accessibility.

The measure now goes before Mayor Gavin Newsom, who has expressed concern in the past about the potential negative impacts of the road closure plan. His spokesman, Peter Ragone, said Newsom has not yet made a “final decision” on whether he’ll veto the legislation.

IN OTHER ACTION

Legislation intended to discourage evictions related to real estate speculation was passed with preliminary approval by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, and given a vote of support by Mayor Gavin Newsom’s office.

The measure was written in the hope of discouraging landlords from evicting less-profitable rental tenants in order to sell apartments to individuals with a tenancy-in-common agreement, who then apply to turn the buildings into condominiums.

The legislation would prohibit condo conversions, which increase the property value, when a senior citizen, disabled or catastrophically ill person is evicted — and delay condo conversions for 10 years if multiple tenants are kicked out in the process.

In order to make a fast profit, some speculators are buying rental property with the intention of turning them into condos. Using the state’s Ellis Act, which allows landlords who want to get out of the rental business to evict the tenants, speculators are emptying buildings and shrinking the rental market, according to tenants’ rights groups.

The Board of Supervisors voted 7-3 in favor of the measure, with Supervisors Michela Alioto-Pier, Sean Elsbernd and Fiona Ma voting against and Ross Mirkarimi recusing himself since he owns a tenancy-in-common property.

Matt Franklin, director of the Mayor’s Office on Housing, said Newsom has been “very concerned about the rise in speculative evictions … this legislation now offers a fair and equitable way to provide protection to vulnerable tenants.”

With the help of the City Attorney’s Office, Peskin amended the legislation to be retroactive only to May 1, 2005, instead of January 1, 1999, as originally proposed.

beslinger@examiner.com