(Port of SF, 1979). Firstly, the Port Commission must maintain maritime activities, such as fisheries

Transcription

1 Chapte 3 DEVELOPMENT OF THE PORT OF SAN FRANCISCO: THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PORT COMMISSION Nancy Kum I Intoduction The gold ush of 1849 bought woldwide attention to the pot of San Fancisco. The existence of the unique natual habo of the San Fancisco Bay, augmented by the facilities of the pot, was an impotant facto in the ealy gowth of the State of Califonia and the development of the West (Pot Commission of the City &County of San Fancisco, 1984). With the gowing economic impotance of the Pacific coast and the inceasing tade with the Fa East pio to the Fist Wold Wa, a pogam of intensive development put the Pot of San Fancisco in a position as one of the leading shipping centes in the wold (PCCCSF, 1984). Howeve, following the Second Wold Wa, the pot was supassed in volume, vaiety and value of cago by such habo aeas as the Pot of Los Angeles and the Pot of Oakland, which had available new and competitive shipping facilities to accommodate innovative tends in cago handling (PCCCSF, 1984). To help maintain the pot duing this peiod of stagnation, the high levels of evenues needed wee povided by the non-maitime use of pot popety such as those at Pie 39 and Fisheman's Whaf (PCCCSF, ). The Pot of San Fancisco extends 7.5 miles along the westen shoe of the Bay fom Aquatic Pak in the noth to the San Fancisco containe teminal in the south (see Figue 1). In 1968, the state tans feed owneship of the pot to the City and County of San Fancisco (PCCCSF, 1984). As pat of the tansfe ageement, the Pot Commission of the City and County of San Fancisco (Pot Commission) took ove the administative duties of the state-established San Fancisco Pot Authoity (PCCCSF, 1984). These duties include the enfocement of the following thee objectives guiding the usage of pot popety (Pot of SF, 1979). Fistly, the Pot Commission must maintain maitime activities, such as fisheies and ship epai, at the pot. Secondly, it must povide a continuous system of public access, open space and wate-oiented eceational activities along the pot. Finally, the Pot Commission may authoize commecial uses on potions of the pot declaed suplus to geneate evenue fo maitime functions and maintenance. The Pot of San Fancisco encompasses commecially valuable popety. At pesent, some of the pies along the pot ae "inactive": they ae no longe used fo thei oiginal maitime puposes o ae seving inteim functions. Close to both the city's financial distict and majo feeways, the pot I

2 Figue 1: Pot of San Fancisco Souce: Pot Commission of the City 4 County of San Fancisco, 1984

3 popety also povides a spectacula view of the Bay. Thus, it offes a unique combination of convenience and aesthetic value. This combination attacts developes who would like to capitalize on the pot " popety. Although many development poposals fo the pot ae offeed by developes, the Pot Commission can adopt only plans which enhance the pot's function as a maitime cente. This epot seeks to show how the Pot Commission fulfills its commitment to the objectives outlined above. If, in fact, the Pot Commission's intentions ae consistent with its stated objectives, the plans and poposals fo the develop ment of the pot will clealy exemplify those objectives. " i Past Studies Most of the poposals and guidelines fo the development plans evaluated in this pape wee supplied by vaious official epots of the Pot Commission. The geneal plans fo the nothenmost potion of the pot wee outlined in Pot of San Fancisco (1981). Pot of San Fancisco (1979) povided an oveview of the types of plans in stoe fo the aea encompassed by Pie 7 and the China Basin the Notheasten Watefont. Pot of San Fancisco (1983) pesents the poposed design and land use pogam fo Pie 7. The histoical backgound of the pot and of the Pot Commission was funished by PCCCSF (1984) and Rossi (1985). Methodology Although the Pot Commission is the pincipal agency managing development, thee ae othe agencies which also help limit the kinds of development pogams authoized fo pot popety. Each has its own policies and each seeks to ensue the policies ae followed. How these agencies inteact to guide the planning and the development of the Pot of San Fancisco is discussed in the next section. Thee cuent development plans, each based on one of the objectives of the Pot Commission (see Intoduction) ae then pesented. Technical tems used in these objectives ae defined and the stated goals of the poposals ae examined. The conclusion will assess the plans' potential to implement the Pot Commission's objectives successfully. Pot Planning Pocess The oveall planning pocess fo pot development involves seveal diffeent agencies. Recommendations fo land usage elating to maitime puposes ae suggested by Pot Commission-appointed committees (Pot of SF, 1981). The Citizens Advisoy Committee poposes land use pogams appopiate fo aeas designated fo commecial puposes (Rossi, pes. comm., 1986). If these ecommendations ae consistent with the policies of the vaious agencies with juisdiction ove pot lands and with the objectives of the Pot Commission, they will be appoved by the thee main authoizing agencies: the Pot Commission, the city Planning Depatment and the Bay Consevation and Development Commission. Based on these ecommendations.

4 the city Planning Depatment designs the initial development plans (Rossi, pes. comm., 1986). These plans must also confom to the city's Compehensive Plan. The Pot Commission may then choose to act on the Planning Depatment's initial plans o to ecommend othe land use plans. These plans must accommodate all of the agencies' land use policies in ode to gain the final authoization fom the 1 thee agencies. The Pot Commission, the city Planning Depatment and BCDC must each give thei appoval to the plans in ode fo development to poceed. Each of the govening agencies have diffe ent esponsibilities. In conjunction with thei objectives, the Pot Commission must also follow land use policies which addess the povision of both maitime and non-maitime uses. The tem maitime includes "maitime commece, fisheies, wate-dependent uses and eceation" (Rossi, 1985). The maitime uses have pioity ove all othe puposes seved by the pot. Non-maitime uses encompass commecial, etail and office space (PCCCSF, 1984). These uses ae pemitted only when sections of pot land ae declaed suplus to maitime uses by the Pot Commission (Rossi, pes. comm., 1986). Such lands, typically, ae no longe seving thei oiginal maitime functions and have eithe been left vacant o devoted to tempoay uses. Aside fom designing development plans, the city Planning Depatment also govens zoning, heights of buildings and building pemits (Rossi, pes. coim., 1986). The zoning of pot popety is contolled by the Planning Code of the city which designates all uses othe than maitime as "conditional" fo the aea noth of the Fey Building (Pot of SF, 1979). This conditional stipulation equies that those non-maitime uses that ae pemitted be emoved, upon the authoization of the Pot Commission, when pot-elated functions ae in need of a location (Rossi, pes. comm., 1986). Maximum building heights fo the aea included in Pies 45 though 9 is 40 feet, while new stuctues between Pie 9 and the Bay Bidge ae limited to 84 feet (Rossi, pes. comm., 1986). These constaints of the Planning Depatment aid the Pot Commission in ensuing pioity to maitime, pot-elated functions ove nonmaitime usage. The Bay Consevation and Development Commission (BCDC) was fomed in 1965 to potect the Bay fom being filled and to povide public access and wate-dependent uses on the edges of the Bay (Rossi, 1985). Wate-dependent uses authoized by BCDC include maitime, commecial/eceation, maina and open space uses (Pot of SF, 1979). BCDC also contols pot land extending 100 feet upslope fom the oiginal San Fancisco shoeline the "seawall" (Rossi, pes. comm., 1986). Theefoe, any development plans concening this land must also get appoval fom BCDC. BCDC allows the emoval of the filled potion _ of pot land fo development, but equies that 50 pecent of the emoved aea be devoted to public eceation, open space and public access to the Bay (Pot of SF, 1979). The constaints of BCDC ensue that puely commecial development on the pot is discouaged in favo of pot-elated o public-elated ~ activities.

5 Plans and Poposals Maitime Uses: The Pot Commission's objective of continuing as a majo maitime cente defines the pimay pupose of the pot. How the maitime uses of commece, fisheies, wate-dependent uses and eceation ae implemented in the land use poposals depends on the details of individual aeas (Rossi, 1985). The poposal fo a "beakwate" extending fom the oiginal Hyde Steet Pie (see Figue 1, Site A) is based on this fist objective (Pot of SF, 1981). The beakwate is a physical baie which acts to slop o impede the stong and potentially damaging oceanic wave-foce known as the westely suge. The impact of the westely suge is geatest at the nothen end of the pot at the location of the Hyde Steet Pie. The new pie/beakwate will povide bething aeas along its east side to accommodate and to potect fishing vessels, which would othewise be mooed elsewhee (Pot of SF, 1981). With this addition of new facilities to moo fishing vessels, the pot's functions ae enhanced. The planning fo and constuction of the beakwate falls unde the esponsibility of the U.S. Amy Cops of Enginees (Pot of SF, 1981; Rossi, pes. comm., 1986). Although the pojected date of completion is Novembe 1986, only one fouth of the beakwate, at pesent (Mach 1986), stands completed (Rossi, pes. comm., 1986). This pie/beakwate will contain not only off-loading and fish-handling facilities elocated fom Pie 45, it will also ceate a new fishing basin between the Hyde Steet Pie and Pie 45 (Pot of SF, 1981). to the public (Pot of SF, 1981). The west side will povide a safe place fo mooing histoic ships that will be open Funds fo the constuction of the beakwate come fom Pie 45 evenues as well as othe pot funds and available fedeal and state gants (Pot of SF, 1981). Non-Maitime Uses: land use. The othe two objectives of the Pot Commission examined hee deal with non-maitime These objectives may be implemented only on lands declaed suplus to maitime uses by the Pot Commission (Rossi, pes. coini., 1986). The fist of these two objectives is fo the povision of public access, open space and wateoiented eceational uses on pot popety. The tem "public access" efes to public walkways along the pot's edge fo eceational puposes such as jogging, walking, and viewing the Bay (Pot of SF, 1979). "Open space" encompasses a vaiety of the aesthetic values of pot popety such as enhancement and estoation of the pot's histoical chaacte and povision of views of the Bay (Pot of SF, 1979). Included in the categoy of wate-oiented eceational uses is the povision of eceational boating facilities and public fishing aeas. This objective does not allow commecial development unelated to public eceational puposes. Pie 7 (see Figue 1, Site C) at pesent seves as a paking aea (San Fancisco Receation and Pak Depatment, 1983). Howeve, due to its length and its situation elative to the tides and cuents of the Bay, Pie 7 has been highly valued fo eceational fishing (SFRPD, 1983). Fo these easons, the Notheasten Watefont Suvey ecommended that Pie 7 be econstucted fo open space and eceational puposes (SFRPD, 1983). This ecommendation was late adopted in 1979 by BCDC in thei Total Design Plan I

6 (SFRPD, 1983). The Total Design Plan specifies that Pie 7 be ebuilt as a public fishing pie and povide public access and open space. The completed pie will allow people to walk along its length o to sit on benches to view the Bay. The final objective examined hee allows fo a limited amount of commecial development, as a souce of evenue fo pot opeations. Examples of the Pot Commission's comnn;cial ventues ae Pie 39's shopping mall and Fisheman's Whaf's shops and estauants. The pot opeations efeed to in the objective include the maintenance of ship epai facilities, cago eceiving aeas, office buildings, and public access aeas. The funding fo these opeating expenses ae patially deived fom the ents of docks, beths and stoage of cago (Rossi, 1985). The emaining amount of needed evenue must come fom commecial uses on pot popety; city, state and fedeal agencies do not povide gants fo pot activities (Rossi, pes. comm., 1986). With this objective as its main concen, the Citizens Advisoy Committee ecommended Pie 45 as the site fo a hotel (Rossi, pes. comm., 1986; see Figue 1, Site B). Because of its location on Fisheman's Whaf, a known touist spot, a hotel on Pie 45 would suelj attact out-of-state people as well as Bay Aea esidents. It is also nea some of San Fancisco's othe majo attactions such as Ghiadelli Squae and Chinatown. Because of these assets, a hotel on Pie 45 would have the potential of geneat ing much evenue fo the pot. In Mach 1986, a competitive bidding pocess begins with the selection of pomising developes and late, submittance of poposals by these developes (Rossi, pes. comm., 1986). Conclusion Although the plans and poposals seem to be-made with the pot's best inteests in mind, they may not necessaily fulfill thei intended puposes. The Hyde Steet Pie/beakwate will cetainly ceate bething aeas fo fishing vessels that would nomally be mooed in Sausalito (Rossi, pes. comm., 1986). As an added asset, some evenue will be supplied by the pie/beakwate. The Hyde Steet Pie/ beakwate clealy pomises to fulfill the objective to maintain maitime opeations at the pot. Pie 7 is poposed to seve as a public fishing pie. In addition it will also povide the space fo activities such as jogging, walking and viewing the Bay. Since othe pot opeations will pay fo Pie 7's maintenance, the question of whethe the public fishing pie is the best option available will be shown by the extent of its use. Lastly, Pie 45 has uncetain pospects. Because of its location of Fisheman's Whaf, the hotel that will be constucted on Pie 45 must compete with the othe hotels in the vicinity. Although the hotel on Pie 45 will have the added attaction of poviding a Bay view, this asset may not guaantee that a lage amount of evenue will be deived. Options that could ensue a sizeable sum of evenue ae few. Extensive suveys ae needed to discove the best use fo Pie 45.

7 These latest development pojects do indeed exemplify the Pot Commission's commitment to maintaining the pot as a maitime cente: thei most successful pojects come fom the maitime uses of the pot. Howeve the Pot Commission still faces the difficult challenge of designing pofitable new land use pojects such as Pie 39. Recommendations fom advisoy committees ae insufficient to guaantee suc cessful and pofitable commecial ventues. Since the difficulty of such a task lies in knowing the wants and the needs of the people who will be coming to the pot, extensive suveys and studies of such people ae equied befoe planning begins. REFERENCES CITED Pot Commission of the City and County of San Fancisco (PCCCSF), Official Statement Relating to $42,500,000; Pot Commission of San Fancisco Revenue Bonds, Seies C, San Fancisco, pp Pot of San Fancisco, 1979., Fisheman's Whaf Action Plan, 57pp. Notheasten Watefont Suvey, Technical Repot, 83pp. Rossi, R.S., Planning, Envionmental and Regulatoy Coodinato, Pot of San Fancisco. communication, Febuay 14, Pesonal The Woking Watefont - The Uban Watefont; ACase Study of the Alliance and the Linkage at the Pot of San Fancisco. Unpublished epot fo the Pot of San Fancisco, 8pp. San Fancisco Receation and Pak Depatment (SFRPD), Pie 7: A Receation and Public Access Design Poject, 33pp.