Great comments and information. I wanted to clarify my email from yesterday - I might have failed to get my point across. One resident thought I meant that the City should build a parking garage, another thought I was asking for more restrictions. Neither is accurate. 

Nob Hill’s parking has undergone many rules changes over the years. These hard won changes were to relax these minimum requirements and promote the growth of neighborhood businesses. Back in those days, businesses were a healthy mix of retail, services, food and drink establish

ments. Today, food and drink are much heavier mix of new establishments. Many buildings over the years have been converted to food and drink - which need parking. 

I’ll say it again - with higher quality, locally involved owners, this is a GOOD thing. We love to travel to other US cities and seek out exciting restaurant/bar/retail NON-mall districts - invariably embedded into densely packed neighborhoods. We’ve walked 20 blocks through residential neighborhoods because we could not find any parking closer to the action. The main point of my first email, maybe not made well enough, is to get residents thinking about the benefits and challenges of being a part of this kind of success! 

In the past, some residents were very unhappy and sought parking restrictions. This was not a solution and only suppressed business. In closing, I hope to communicate that the mutual success of the businesses and residential neighborhood depends on each other! Neighbors are looking forward to enjoying these new businesses. The businesses are looking forward to becoming successful and productive members of the neighborhood. But, they will need the cooperation of the neighborhood residents when it comes to parking. 

Jean



Hello Everyone, 

 I work as a transportation planner and have been living in Nob Hill for a few years now. Just wanted to add this perspective to the discussion on parking requirements: 

https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/7/2/3-major-problems-with-parking-minimums 

We often think that obvious problems have obvious solutions, but digging a little deeper we find that the obvious does not always touch the root of the issue. I hope this linked article helps add to the discussion in a productive way. 

Best,

Channing Hofman

On Tue, Apr 12, 2022 at 6:56 PM Jean Bernstein via Neighbors_nobhill-nm <neighbors_nobhill-nm@mailman.swcp.com> wrote:

From: Jean Bernstein <JBernstein@flyingstarcafe.com>
Date: April 12, 2022 at 5:05:17 PM MST
To: neighbors_nobhill-nm@mailman.swcp.com
Subject: New liquor establishments

All,
As owner of Flying Star I have not weighed in on these licenses for new establishments because I believe Nob Hill needs new and fresh businesses to restart itself. But this restart will come at a price.

I have mentioned before and will do so again - the real upcoming issue is NOT the alcohol served from these kinds of establishments - it is the parking.
You all might remember that in advance of ART being built, the City reduced parking along our stretch of Central by about 30%. Even the long wished for crosswalk cost 4 parking spaces.
In addition to the Social House on Bryn Mawr, the new Hi/Dry on Copper, the Bodega, there is M’Tuccis.  These places will be wildly popular and will draw from all over the city - at least on the weekends. None of these businesses are required to provide near enough of the parking they need - so, have you asked yourselves - where will patrons visiting the neighborhood park?
Yes, there are about 15 - 20 spaces along Silver south of the shopping center, but other than that cars must fill up Silver and Copper (which they do already)and then spill into the side streets where you live.
This was an hot issue long ago - back when Nob Hill was VERY popular (it’s been a long time) Back then residents became angry at the increased volume of parkers and were working on having all the streets converted to restricted zones, or issue permit parking only.
Doing this might solve the residents’ problems some, but without enough parking, the businesses will not thrive. And, even if everyone from the ‘hood strolls down to patronize these establishments, I can tell you from my own years of experience that all businesses in Nob Hill must have broader patronage and support from far beyond the neighborhood. And that takes cars.
So, in the near future, getting some kind of parking project from the City to add spaces is, and has always been, a far off dream. In all my years, so little has been done to benefit the residents and the businesses.
This parking shortage will absolutely find your streets. Please consider working together with the businesses and your neighbors to create livable solutions so that everyone wins. Otherwise, we might see a repeat of past ill will and contention which also impeded the district’s (meaning residents and businesses) health and well being. 

Jean Bernstein
Sent from my iPhone

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