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Committee advances ordinances to enable Central Waterfront navigation center; Dogpatch neighborhood endorses plan
Summary
The committee voted to forward two ordinances — a zoning amendment allowing temporary shelters in specified industrial/mixed-use districts and a street vacation to site a temporary navigation center — after DHSH presented results from prior centers and Dogpatch neighborhood leaders endorsed the project.
The Land Use and Transportation Committee voted to send two connected ordinances to the full Board with a positive recommendation that would allow the city to establish a Central Waterfront Navigation Center.
Sam Dodge of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing presented the proposal, saying the legislation would temporarily vacate a port-owned dead-end street and allow temporary navigation-center uses in specified zoning districts subject to conditional-use authorization. Dodge characterized the need in the city and cited program outcomes at existing navigation centers: "we know there's approximately 3,500 people living unsheltered in our streets each night" and "over 5,700 people have been served so far and 80% of the exits have been to stable housing," he said.
Dodge described the proposed site near a Muni yard and port operations, explained the project would use trailer-based, accessible units with interior courtyards, and said the street vacation would be for 42 months (36 months of operation plus construction and demobilization). He said the city aimed to open in early 2017, possibly February, and that the proposal had received unanimous support from the Port Commission, advisory bodies, the Dogpatch Neighborhood Association and the Planning Commission.
Mac Allen, representing the Dogpatch Neighborhood Association, told the committee the association had met frequently with city staff and endorsed the navigation center by a 24–6 vote: "When it came time for us to actually vote on the question of endorsing the navigation center, we approved it 24 to 6, which is a 4 to 1 margin." He commended outreach efforts and said neighbors were prepared to assist with implementation.
Supervisors who spoke praised the interagency work (DHSH, Port, SFPD, Public Works), emphasized geographic equity in siting navigation centers, and noted operational accountability measures such as encampment response times and performance measures discussed with the community.
Supervisor Aaron Peskin moved to send both items to the full Board with a positive recommendation; the motion passed "without objection." The two ordinances will now proceed to the Board for final consideration.
