San Francisco supervisors debate telecom site, mobile food rules, health-care planning and mayoral succession; key votes recorded

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Nov. 16 debated and voted on several high-profile items, including appeals over alterations to the telecommunications installation at Bernal Heights Park, changes to mobile food and nuisance enforcement rules, the city’s draft health-care planning procedure and the start of a public process to select a successor (interim) mayor after Gavin Newsom’s expected resignation. Supervisors also continued a public hearing on a proposed Ocean Avenue Community Benefits District and recorded a series of votes on ordinances and appointments.

Why it matters: Several items could affect citywide services — how wireless infrastructure is sited and reviewed, how mobile food businesses are regulated near schools and parks, how the city evaluates major health-care facility changes, and who will lead San Francisco at the start of 2011. The Bernal Heights appeals in particular drew sustained public comment and split votes on whether state environmental review was required.

Bernal Heights telecommunications tower appeals The board considered appeals of Planning Commission actions allowing five point‑to‑point microwave dishes to be attached to the existing tower at Bernal Heights Park. Appellants argued the installation was part of a larger Clearwire citywide backhaul network and therefore improperly "piecemealed," and they raised concerns about cumulative and unusual‑circumstance impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), including radio‑frequency exposures if dishes were misaligned by earthquake or vandalism.

Terry Milne, identified as an appellant and Bernal Heights resident, told the board, "We believe the Planning Commission erred in categorically exempting this project from CEQA review." Planning staff, led by Tara Sullivan (Planning Department project manager), told the board the Department of Public Health had reviewed the project and measured cumulative field levels at the site and that the Planning Commission found the proposal met categorical‑exemption criteria in this case.

The board voted to affirm the Planning Commission’s categorical CEQA exemption (motion to affirm the exemption passed by roll call) but then voted to reverse the Planning Commission’s conditional‑use decision allowing the site modifications absent fuller compliance with the earlier 2008/2009 conditional‑use conditions. In debate, supervisors said they wanted to ensure American Tower (the property owner) complied with prior permit conditions (landscaping, fencing, building permits and other site remediation) before additional permissions were implemented.

Mobile food facilities and proximity to schools Supervisors considered two linked ordinances to create a new…