5411 Geary Boulevard, where AT&T wants to put antennas on the roof
The 5411 Geary property that used to house a Walgreens has been vacant for over 2 years. In 2011, a Petco Unleashed store was successfully blocked by Supervisor Eric Mar and neighborhood pet-related merchants, and there have been no other interested tenants in the 5,000 sq. ft. space.
Recently, a notice was posted on the building about a proposal for a Wireless Telecommunications Facility (WTS) to be installed on the roof of the building by AT&T. According to the notice, “the WTS facility would consist of nine panel antennas mounted within an existing rooftop penthouse, and related electronic equipment on the rooftop.”
Rooftop antennas for wireless carriers are nothing new in the Richmond District. In late 2011, there was some uproar over the installation of a facility on top of the Bureau of Jewish Education at 639 14th Avenue. The Bureau is located next to a school, the Hebrew Academy, which was concerned about the effects that the antennas would have on their students. The proposal was eventually approved and the facility was upgraded (there were already older mobility antennas on the Bureau’s roof).
The Planning Commission hearing for the 5411 Geary antennas will take place on August 8, 2013 at 12noon at City Hall, Room 400.
One lingering question we have is how much the landlord will make off the antenna installation and annual rent. Is it enough to make him or her even less motivated to rent out the 5,000 sq. ft. space? Let’s hope not.
Sarah B.
Perhaps it’s also worth a question to our esteemed supervisor who prevented a store from opening here… what is he doing to help get all the empty stores rented again?
the residents of the 94121 dont deserve much better for RE-ELECTING this idiot whose greatest claim to fame is banning toys in happy meals.
I think the landlord is motivated who wouldn’t be motivated to rent out the space if they owned. The supervisor and the neighbors have left the landlord no choice but to get creative. Who else can afford to occupy a space that big? We live in a city that is unfriendly to small business owners but we want small business owners to occupy a large space at market rents plus all of the friendly SF taxes. I know common sense doesn’t exist but this is really worse than no sense. NIMBYS have no idea what it is like and we have an idiot supervisor who thinks grocery outlet is good for the neighborhood. Where were the NIMBYS to block grocery outlet? Don’t get me started about the blight that will be grocery outlet. Eric Mar is good at keeping blight and I think his goal is scuzzy mid market chic. No solution supervisor so caught up in his own agenda which is an outlet of socialist non-sense for our neighborhood.
I propose a trade- eric mar, grocery outlet, fresh n sleazy plus ed jew for Katy Tang who is a real supervisor. Sorry Sunset Katy Tang is a knight in shining armor.
Why all the Eric Mar hatred? I was a neighbor who signed a petition against the pet store, along with many other Richmond residents. If you guys really wanted the store to open, did you go to planning meetings and voice your support?
We can make things happen in our neighborhood by being involved and voting with our voices, our civic engagement and of course voting for supervisor.
@Rachel-what do you think an appropriate business would be for that space?
In all honesty, I have no idea. It was a weird space back in its Walgreen’s days. Too big to be small, too small to be big.
Every time I walk by that empty storefront (and the many, many others in our neighborhood), I just shake my head, especially after spending time this summer in Portland’s bustling Pearl District, which has chain stores aplenty (Safeway, Ben & Jerry’s, Starbucks, Whole Foods, Sur La Table) and lots of thriving independent businesses as well.
@ Rachel – I appreciate your honesty and identifying a solution is vital. We can all identify problems. This is a blight right across from another even bigger blight. We are not being good neighbors by creating more issues rather than sustainable solutions. For that I can understand why you would question my criticism of our exalted supervisor. With the support of individuals like you he does nothing in the way of finding solutions or even facilitating the process with the neighborhood and commercial property owners. We have a lot at stake here. This kind of environment is divisive and furthers the us against them mentality which ultimately leaves us with blight. Frustrating to say the least
Pet owner here who shops all the way across town by the SPCA at a chain store for cedar litter and food. Stopped going to Cals about 20 years ago when the employee was too high to count change. Stopped going to the Koreans at 12th & Geary about 10 years ago after they sold to the present owners who are not as friendly and knowledgeable as the original owners. Never shopped the bird joint that lasted only a few years as the conditions inside visible from the sidewalk were not appealing.
The long-standing vacancies on Geary sometimes make me feel that ABAG or other “in” politicos want to run the area down so that Willie Brown’s plan for highrises blanketing Fulton along the Park and boulevards providing cross town traffic can be cut through once more of the Presidio is developed. 15th Avenue has been a target from inside the Presidio to Fulton for over 15 years, it’s been quiet for a while but one never knows.
There has also been zero action in the vacant Blockbuster space for years. When they closed I thought the space would be quickly grabbed by one of the medical pot joints due to the lack of windows needing covering to protect the identity of their clientele. I miss Value Giant but not its successor Giant Value and I miss Merrill’s.
While we are faced with endless empty storefronts in the Richmond, Eric Mar is busy banning other businesses. I think his proposal for the latest chain ban includes, banks, gyms and practically anything that makes money. At this rate, we should just open the empty buildings and let the hobos defecate in it because Mar and all the other bozos at the Bored of Stupidvisors are determined not to let any legitimate business into the neighborhoods.
Of course, they have no problem with another creepy “spa” entering into the storefronts.
I’m all for the little guy but let’s be realistic, only franchises and big business can rent out space like the Walgreens. It also doesn’t help that you have fly by litigants suing businesses over ADA issues. Another problem that Mar doesn’t address.
Yes I think he’s practically useless but we do get to bike downtown with him once a month. What a consolation!
why was the Petco banned? I’d like an affordable Pet hotel business nearby, maybe a Petsmart hotel, currently I have to drive all the way down to San Carlos, its $35 a night vs the $60-70 a night some of the smaller pet boarding places charge.
The Richmond District has found itself suffering from San Francisco’s formula retail restrictions. The city says it’s purpose is to “promote local and independently owned businesses and prevent competition from large chain stores”, but what this really means is a rent control imposed on commercial real estate. Local business owners cannot afford high rent and chain retailers cannot be approved to move into retail locations governed by the zoning restrictions. So, the city prevents chain stores who can afford the rent from entering the market forcing a ceiling on rent, hence a rent control. Unfortunately, there are not enough small businesses out there to fill all the vacant spaces that currently exist.
These regulations actually hurt local businesses and property owners by causing increased vacancies in large spaces that local businesses cannot afford, lower the foot traffic which small business thrives on, lower property values (which lowers gross property tax a city could collect and reinvest in the community), prevents job creation, and puts a damper on local investment of property in the surrounding areas.
The Richmond District is developing the “Empty Restaurant Syndrome”. This is when a prospective retailer (hungry patron) comes into the Richmond (restaurant) and see vacancies everywhere (nobody there), immediately thinks its a poor place to do business (bad food and/or service), and they open a store elsewhere (eat somewhere else).
As long as these regulations stay in effect we will continue to see communities be held back from what they could be. It’s unfortunate that city officials and people in the community don’t see this, but it is happening before our eyes. This is a prime example.
@SFResident —
1. ADA is a federal statute. I’m not sure what you’d like any district supervisor to do about it since local ordinances cannot override it
2. IIRC the city did start a project to inform small business people of ADA requirements and help them comply.
Annie, yes the City did start a project to inform primarily non-English speaking small business owners about ADA requirements.
I want to say “ha ha!” to all the NIMBYs who had their feathers ruffled over the Petco fiasco. But I live here and I hate this happening in the neighborhood I love. I suppose I’m just grateful they haven’t turned it into a massage parlor — yet.
Residents: We need to fill the empty storefronts!
Petco: Ok, we’ll take that one.
Residents: No pet stores!
AT&T: We’ll take it.
Residents: No antennas!
I’ve been surprised by the efforts to keep “chain” stores off Geary Blvd. The Geary corridor is not a charming village enclave of tiny independent boutiques, it is a high-traffic transportation throughway and retail destination with a mix of small and mid-size businesses. There are already many examples of chains and mom-and-pop stores competing successfully side-by-side in the neighborhood. We have drug stores, coffee shops, liquor stores, restaurants, clothing retailers, hair salons, and others which seem to find their niche and coexist. Should we keep out banks, multi-site gyms, branded clothing retailers, auto parts dealers, business and art supply stores, national hardware chains and paint stores, and allow only independent health care providers? I thought the narrowly targeted special legislation to keep out Petco was a bad precedent and probably the result of some invisible political string-pulling. Spaces that size are too large for almost any independent startup. Instead of a coordinated effort to recruit quality business tenants for the neighborhood, sometimes it seems we have an organized effort to keep storefronts empty.
totally agree with small business owner. I was excited for the petco as my sister lives around the corner and she could have walked there (always a plus for so many reasons). The Geary corridor (from Park Presidio to 25th) is a disgrace. It’s becoming more and more like the land that time forgot. The median strips were finally upgraded and planted but aren’t watered and are full of trash all the time. Medium to large storefronts sit empty for YEARS and the only interested parties get shown the door. How is this a good thing for the neighborhood? If there was a Gap, for instance, wouldn’t that lift up the other businesses around it by increasing foot traffic; people needing lunch or coffee or a haircut. Why should Stonestown or Chestnut street get our business instead. Walgreens, Blockbuster, FRB, The Alexandria…just a shame.
@Annie said:
@SFResident –
1. ADA is a federal statute. I’m not sure what you’d like any district supervisor to do about it since local ordinances cannot override it
******
If you are a long time SF resident, you will know that this has never STOPPED Jake McGoldrick, Eric Marr and all the other clowns on the board from telling the federal and state government what to do (see: proclamations denouncing the war – that was the recent one and all other issues). The “it’s a federal law” is such a cop out because Eric Mar recently as last year put something up for discussion in the board meeting about making the Grammy’s reinstall several categories.
Looks like someone doesn’t have anything better to do if he keeps putting up inane resolutions.
Skid “Mar”K really hasn’t done anything. Two deficient supervisors in the last 10 years have made Richmond a rapidly growing wasteland of homeless, taggers and thugs.
Totally agree with small business owner and Adriana. The second to last time the median strips had any attention was when Pope John Paul I visited last century. Geary had some attention when we had citywide supervisors and that vaporized with the arrival of McGoldrick and has continued ever since. There was a Gap in the old Herman’s Salad place which corporate closed. Herman’s potato salad recipe was until recently served at Mel’s. Mar does what the DCCC orders him to do.
Duh, it’s all part of the big strategy. Our Grand Leader is blocking chains to depress the local economy and housing values. By arguing that he’s fighting for the little guy, he gains the support of all the little guys and people with big hearts. (Walmart started off as a mom n’ pop, sheeple!)
Then, with the influx of crime (robberies, thefts, bank heists, etc.), this neighborhood will turn to shit. Property values will plummet, and homeowners will sell off their devalued properties before prices bleed out.
Enter the investors in allegiance with Mar.
Step 3: PROFIT.
Totally agreed with Adriana and I lease retail and Small business owner. It makes no sense. Mar is so, so bad.
The growing blight on Geary is really getting me down. Supervisor Mar, isn’t there something you can do to stop this downward spiral? I hate to sound like a paranoid conspiracy theorist, but AL’s notioon that this is an effort to drive down property values has a ring of truth. There’s gotta be some way to turn this around. And BTW where is Planning Association for the Richmond when we need them?
@ Rob and Al
Eric Mar said he was for small business and that David Lee was getting corporate money. Well Mar didn’t have any problem accepting money from Rose Pak. That’s how they paid people from Chinatown to stand on corners holding up Mar’s campaign signs.
I’d go even further than others and sat that Geary Blvd. is disgustingly dirty – those black blobs all over the sidewalks, the trash at the curbs and stuck in the updated medians – it all looks as though no one cares. In other cities I’ve seen store owners or workers wash the sidewalks and pick up the trash, or sweep it up and put it in a trash can, not sweep it into the street. There has even been someone living under the fir tree in the median between 22nd and 23rd Ave.! The buildings are drab and look dirty, and combined with the wind and damp make Geary Blvd. not at all enticing for shopping. It looks blighted. Also, I wonder if there is enough local population to actually support more businesses?
On another note, something interesting looks like it’s happening at Three Bees on Clement.
Sue, you’re right about the messiness and litter on Geary. Please call 311 as often as necessary to report dumping, graffiti, and litter. Shopkeepers are responsible for keeping their sidewalks and tree basins litter-free. And call and complain about the filthy medians, too. DPW is short-handed, but the squeaky wheel will get the grease.
If you can’t lease it, pay off Phil Ginsbiurg to let you make GGPark an industrial site. The law says that no edifices can be built in GGPark…yet, last year, there were 3 multi-story broadcasting towers (and they are LOUD) erected by AT&T in GGPark. Totally illegal. And — they were not just up for O.L, they went up way before O.L., stayed up between O.L and HSBG, and only came down when neighbors started asking questions. How much do you reckon the sites for THREE huge broadcasting towers, right in the heart of S.F. is worth to AT&T? And — how much did we (the City — meaning we, as taxpayers, who own GGPark) get paid for that? Anything? Was it a fair price — or a sweetheart deal between AT&T and Phil Ginsburg? Where did the money go, if it was paid? Outside audit, anyone?
Get our supe to do anything — what has he done in 8 years? Look at the Sunset. looks great. much better than 8 years ago. new restarant and stores, lots going on. the Richmond which looks like trash and hooker stores on every block and dirty and sad and dead. Yes they have ucsf but no excuse. Mar wins and disappears. has done nothing at all to help us. Happy Meals moron. if u vote for a total fool, don’t complane.