A new variance request was submitted by Mahya Salehi Studio for the proposed remodel of the building at 42-50 Allen Street in San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood. The proposal, which would involve the conversion of the lower-story garages into two ADU units, coincides with construction to seismically retrofit the building.
The project requires a variance from the San Francisco Zoning Administrator because the garage location lacks the proper street or open area frontage for a new ADU dwelling under the current zoning codes. Allen Street is a small intra-block street or alleyway, and it does not have the required 20 feet of open area in front of the window-facing side of the development. However, it comes close to the benchmark, and with the current housing shortage, applicants are hoping the Zoning Administrator will be lenient.
Current and Proposed front Elevation, plans by Mahya Salehi Studio
Current and Proposed Sectional Drawings, plans by Mahya Salehi Studio
Located in the already dense Russian Hill neighborhood, the new units will benefit from the existing transportation infrastructure including the nearby Hyde Powell cable car and the recently completed Van Ness BRT line.
The case will be heard at 9:30 on April 23rd and can be streamed live online. If approved the new property addresses will split from 42, becoming 42A, 42B, and 42C.
42-50 Allen Current Site Image, picture from Mahya Salehi Studio
42-50 Allen Street Site Location, image via Google Earth
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
The building is being changed from housing for cars to housing for people. It would seem a benefit for everyone to make the appropriate changes.
Nope. You clearly don’t understand that this is just the owners attempt to externalize the costs of eliminating parking.
It will only be a net benefit if the residents of the building at 42-50 Allen St don’t own cars. Last time I looked at the statistics, about eighty (80) percent of San Francisco households own at least one car. In an upscale residential neighborhood like Russian Hill, that likelihood is probably higher than the city-wide figure.
If the residents of the building do own cars and were using the lower-story garages before this cynical cash-grab from the owners, then losing access to off-street parking represents a very real loss of utility to the residents and to everyone else who parks on the street! The above-described elimination of parking and adding to population pressure will increase the competition for street parking and the residents who lose parking will be exposed to increased risk of having their car towed any given night or early morning as legal parking becomes more scarce.
The owner/developer is going to benefit from this change in order to increase their property-derived income, but this change will negatively affect almost everyone else in the neighborhood, including those who don’t own cars as decreased air quality and increased noise pollution result from the marginal increase in cars circling the block looking for on-street parking everyday after this conversion is completed.
This is a very cynical look at this issue. Anecdotally, the majority of older ground floor garages in the bay area are used for storage or nothing at all. I often see people using their garages as home gyms, bike storage, or just piled with crap. Garages are not utilized efficiently for parking, probably because many of them are not large enough for modern SUVs that most people own. Converting these to housing will activate the street, having front doors and windows on the sidewalk will be much more pleasant for neighbors than imposing garage doors and driveways, and this will be a couple more units to help ease the housing shortage in California. As a car owner, I understand peoples stress about parking, but I also understand that my choice to have a car in a big city comes second to people’s right to find affordable, dignified housing close to job centers.
Won’t somebody think of the plight of the poor, unhoused cars?
Also, are you no longer an incensed renter? Are congratulations in order?