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Public protests as board declares multiple properties surplus; Seventh & Lawton draws significant opposition
Summary
The board accepted a surplus-space committee report and declared ten district properties surplus, but residents and advocates urged the board not to declare the Seventh & Lawton open space surplus, citing deed restrictions, neighborhood open-space use, and ecological/educational value.
The San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education accepted a report from the district advisory committee on surplus space and real property and declared a list of properties to be deemed surplus. The committee recommended that 20 percent of district property be considered surplus, and it identified 10 specific properties for initial action, including 20 Cook Street (former children’s center), 1155 Page Street (former Florence Martin Child Center), vacant land at 1101 Connecticut Street, parking lots at 1350 Seventh Avenue, the former Louise Lombard School (700 Font Street), the former Phoenix High School site (1950 Mission), the former Newcomer High School site (2340 Jackson Street), vacant land at Seventh & Lawton, and the Golden Gate Annex (1512 Golden Gate Avenue).
Chief Facilities Officer David Golden read the resolution and stressed that declaring surplus does not obligate the board to lease or sell individual properties without further board action. Amy Brown (committee chair) and staff said the 20 percent figure includes parts of sites and will be reevaluated every three years or after a 5 percent enrollment change.
Members of the public strongly objected to listing the Seventh & Lawton site as surplus. Julianne Grosso presented a minority dissent, noting that the site was transferred to the district with a condition that it be used as public open space and that changing that designation would require additional general-plan referrals. Carolyn Asbury, Greg Garr (Nature in the City), Jeremy Friedlander, and Charles Head all urged the board to retain the site for open-space and educational uses, warning that neighborhoods use the parcel for community gardens, pumpkin patches and outdoor education.
Staff acknowledged a deed restriction tied to the parcel that requires educational use and said removing that restriction or selling the site would require additional legal steps. David Golden and Philip Smith explained the property’s history: it was deeded to the district by the city as part of transactions in the late 1990s and was formerly part of city-owned utility lands.
Board members acknowledged concerns and discussed options, including parcel swaps with the city and prioritizing teacher- or affordable-housing goals on some surplus parcels. Several commissioners asked staff to add explicit language about teacher housing and affordable housing to the report, and staff agreed to canvass committee members and amend the report accordingly.
After public comment and board discussion, the board voted to accept the committee report and declare the listed properties surplus. The roll call recorded six ayes.
Next steps: staff will refine the committee report language as requested by board members, pursue required legal reviews for deed-restricted parcels, and develop marketing and RFP strategies for surplus properties. Any lease or sale of an individual parcel will return to the board for separate approval.
