[Neighbors] Need info on issue of Silve/Richmond fence

[Robert L Anderson]

Hi Gary,

Thanks for the note on this issue.

I live up the street from Mr. Hoffman and pass by that corner a lot.  Not knowing any of this I found his fence to be a very good improvement in the eyes on the street view of that corner.  I appreciated his efforts to do that.

In my opinion A.R.T. and the turning of Silver by his house into a commercial truck delivery zone was done without real concern for the streetscape of our neighborhood.  That corner has become very dangerous to bicyclists, pedestrians and drivers now.  I dread having to pass by there but it is  on the way to one of the few crossovers for Central now.  

As a result Richmond has become a dangerous speedway.  A number of us tried to address these kind of things when A.R.T. was being brought up but were told there were no impacts of concern.  The streetscape seems to me a dead horse issue with all the other big changes that have been made and the resulting negative quality of life impacts.  I see Mr. Hoffman’s fence as helpful to the neighborhood, not a harm.

I worry too a lot about all the trees that are dying around here.


And I appreciate Mr. Hoffman trying to address the homeless problem on that corner and on Silver.  It has been a problem for all of us who walk by there and I have seen the way it impacted his property.

Sincerely,
Bob Anderson


On Sep 13, 2021, at 1:09 PM, Melodie and Gary Eyster <meyster1 at me.com> wrote:

Good afternoon, Bob. Thanks for your question. I am happy to fill you and
the neighborhood in on it. The KRQE report you saw is not completely
accurate. For starters, the owner of 202 Richmond SE built a vinyl fence 6
ft. high in the front yard and street side yard without a permit.

The issue arose because one or more individuals called 311. Code compliance
checked it. The IDO allows a 3 ft. fence in the front or street side yard
with a permit. A taller fence in that area requires a variance and then a
permit. They said it needed a variance before it could be permitted.

When the zoning hearing examiner heard the request NHNA noted the broad
interest of the community in preserving our streetscape and
eyes-on-the-street. You can see details on the subject in the Fall Nob Hill
Newsletter just distributed and at www.NobHill-NM.com at the Modifying Your
Property tab.

We noted that when an owner applies for a permit before building, the IDO
requires contacting neighborhoods so everyone can explore the various needs
and seek a win-win. We wish we had been given that opportunity. SE Heights
NA overlaps our boundary and also has the address within its limits. It made
similar arguments. Examiner denied the variance.

Owner appealed as is his right. The appeal was heard and remanded to the
examiner. He heard it again and approved the variance.

We felt he got it right the first time and erred in several respects the
second time. We appealed as is our right. We felt a responsibility to those
who initially called 311 and to the broader community as far as standing up
for streetscape, eyes-on-the-street, and asking that the examiner grant
variances only in situations that are truly exceptional and warrant
something different than everyone else gets.

So Council heard the appeal last week. SE Heights NA, Victory Hills NA, and
South Los Altos NA sent Council statements in support. Council did not
decide, continuing the matter until Sept.20.

That's the current status. If you or any neighbor would like to discuss I
would be happy to meet up or talk by phone.

#VivaNobHill
Gary 991-1388

-----Original Message-----
From: Neighbors_nobhill-nm
[mailto:neighbors_nobhill-nm-bounces at mailman.swcp.com] On Behalf Of Robert L
Anderson via Neighbors_nobhill-nm
Sent: Sunday, September 12, 2021 4:43 PM
To: Nob Hill <neighbors at nobhill-nm.com>
Subject: [Neighbors] Need info on issue of Silver/Richmond fence

I saw a news item on KRQE this past week on a controversy about a wall/fence
at the corner of Silver and Richmond.  Maybe I have missed any discussion of
this on the list but if anyone can point me to it I would be thankful.

Thanks,
Bob Anderson
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