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San Francisco planning hearing on Park Merced draws hundreds; residents warn of displacement as supporters tout transit funding
Summary
At a December 9, 2010 informational hearing, hundreds of Park Merced residents and stakeholders urged the Planning Commission to reject or substantially modify the redevelopment plan, citing loss of rent‑controlled homes, 20–30 year construction impacts, seismic and traffic risks; supporters emphasized $100M‑plus Tier‑5 transportation investment and green design.
The San Francisco Planning Commission heard more than three hours of public testimony on Thursday about the proposed Park Merced mixed‑use redevelopment, with long‑term residents warning that the plan would bulldoze thousands of rent‑controlled garden apartments and displace families, while other neighbors and community groups highlighted substantial transportation and environmental investments.
Joshua Switsky of the Planning Department framed the session as the third of four informational hearings on the Park Merced project and said staff planned future briefings on transportation and housing; commissioners subsequently agreed to hear detailed transportation and housing presentations at the next meeting and to keep initiation on the calendar but likely continued pending those presentations.
Residents and tenant advocates said the scale and pace of the proposal threatens established households. "I lived there for 30 years. I'm not gonna be evicted from it because landlords wanna make some more money," said Robert Pender, president of the…
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