San Francisco Business Times
From the article:
San Francisco’s building boom is prompting a wave of anti-development tempests reminiscent of the political storms seen during the dot-com boom and the reign of former Mayor Willie Brown.
After a recession in which new development came to a standstill and neighborhood groups seemed to go quiet, no-growth advocates are once again furiously fighting density and tall towers. The fights are fiercest along the waterfront where resident groups are fighting not only the well-publicized 8 Washington St., but also a 350-foot tower Paramount wants to build at 75 Howard St. and the Warriors' plan to build a basketball arena at Pier 30-32, as well as housing and a hotel across the street at Seawall Lot 330. At 706 Mission St., Millennium Partners is facing go-for-broke battle from Four Seasons residents who have vowed to back a ballot initiative that would not only kill the proposed Mexican Museum and condo tower, but also require voter approval for any project over 40 feet that casts a shadow on a public park. And on Cathedral Hill, Adco Group is facing stiff resistance from neighbors opposed to a 400-foot tower at 1801 Post St.
“We are at the point in the cycle where the anti-growth backlash has kicked in,” said Gabriel Metcalf, executive director of the urban think tank SPUR, which supports transit-oriented housing. “What form that will take, we don’t know. I think it’s not always a straight line response. It can be very unpredictable where it shows up. The last time we had a serious anti-growth backlash it resulted in district elections. I wouldn’t even want to guess where it will show up this time. It’s something all thoughtful people should be trying to get ahead of.”