Rules Committee Meeting: January 29, 2024 – Library Site Ordinance for OMI Neighborhoods
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Rules Committee Meeting: January 29, 2024 – Library Site Ordinance for OMI Neighborhoods
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee, chaired by Supervisor Hillary Ronin with Vice Chair Supervisor Walton and Supervisor Safai, met on January 29, 2024, to consider an ordinance requiring the new public library branch serving the Ocean View, Merced Heights, Ingleside, and Lakeview (OMI) neighborhoods to be built on city-owned land at 100 Orizaba Avenue. The ordinance also prohibits city funds from being used to explore alternative sites except as required by environmental review or other laws. After extensive discussion and public comment, the committee voted unanimously to recommend the ordinance to the full Board of Supervisors.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Liz Rodriguez (Catholic Charities, OMI Community Collaborative) expressed support for a larger library to host intergenerational activities and prevent isolation for seniors.
- Ann Marie Nowak (San Francisco resident) supported the new library, noting the current branch is overcrowded and that the community is growing and diverse.
- Renard Monroe (Executive Director of Youth First, community resident) strongly supported the site, stating his youth programs must take shifts to use the current library and that the neighborhood deserves equity.
- Mary Harris (President, All My Neighbors in Action) urged support, citing the library as a resource for children, families, and seniors and noting that the community does not want a church-nonprofit combination.
- Eric (Rosetta Extension Triangle Neighborhood Association) voiced concerns about traffic safety at the proposed site (intersection of Brotherhood Way) and suggested a more pedestrian-friendly location near the M line.
- Glenn Rogers opposed the greenbelt site, citing earthquake faults, organic soils, traffic dangers, and supported an alternative site at Randolph Street near the IT Bookman Center.
- Andy Rice (Ocean View resident) opposed the site, arguing it would remove green space and is not accessible to many residents due to hills.
- Two additional speakers opposed the project: one called the library "superfluous" and criticized spending on a green belt while the city faces a fentanyl crisis and poverty; another questioned the decision to place a library on an expressway and noted pedestrian safety hazards.
Discussion Items
- Supervisor Safai introduced the ordinance, providing extensive background. He stated that the current Ocean View library (9,000 sq ft) is the smallest in the city, and the community has outgrown it. He refuted Mayor Breed's December 2023 claims about lack of budget, traffic issues, and lack of consensus, citing a 2019 feasibility study that identified 100 Orizaba Avenue as the best site. He noted that $35 million from the library fund and a renewed preservation fund (passed in 2022) provide sufficient funding, with the library CFO previously calling the project "fully funded." He also referenced ongoing SFMTA traffic studies and a letter from SFMTA Director Tumlin stating that traffic improvements can proceed independently.
- Andy Sohn (San Francisco Public Works architect) presented the site selection process, which evaluated five city-owned parcels on Brotherhood Way in 2019 using criteria such as neighborhood connectivity, proximity to transit (M train), and synergy with existing amenities (dog park, Tai Chi area). Option D at 100 Orizaba was the preferred site.
- Supervisor Walton expressed strong support, emphasizing that libraries are essential for communities without means, providing access to technology and education. He noted that land is scarce and that resources have already been committed.
- Supervisor Ronin echoed the need to move forward after five years of community process, calling libraries "neighborhood infrastructure."
Key Outcomes
- Motion to recommend the ordinance (File No. 240017) as a committee report to the full Board of Supervisors.
- Vote: All three committee members voted aye (Vice Chair Walton, Supervisor Safai, Chair Ronin). Passed unanimously with no objections.
- The ordinance is expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors' agenda on February 6, 2024.
- No other items were on the agenda; the meeting was adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
He didn't make it. Good morning. The meeting will come to order. This is the January 29th, 2024 Rules Committee meeting. I'm Supervisor Hillary Ronin, Chair of the Committee. I'm joined by Committee Vice Chair, Supervisor Walton and Supervisor Safai. Our clerk is Victor Young, and I would like to thank Corey Corwin of SFGov TV for broadcasting this meeting. Mr. Clerk, do you have any announcements? Uh yes, public comment will be taken on each item on this agenda. When your item of interest comes up and public comment is called, please line up to speak on your right. Alternatively, you may submit public comment in writing, either of the following ways. Email them to myself, the rules committee clerk at VICTOR dot Y O U N G at SFgov.org. If you submit public comment via email, it'll be forwarded to the supervisors and included as part of the file. You may also send written comment via U.S. mail to our office in City Hall. One Dr. Carlton Bigo, room 244 San Francisco, California 94102. Please make sure to silence all cell phones and other electronic devices. Documents to be included as part of the file should be submitted to the clerk. Items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors' agenda on February 6, 2024, unless otherwise stated. That completes my initial announcements. Thank you. Can you please read item number one? Yes, item number one is an ordinance requiring the new public library branch serving the Ocean View, Merced Heights, Ingleside, and Lakeview neighborhoods to be built on city owned parcel of land at 100 Orizaba Avenue, subject to environmental review, required approval and other applicable laws and prohibit the expenditure of city funds to explore pursuit or plan construction of a new public library branch serving those neighborhoods at any alternate location except as required by the environmental review process, required approvals or other applicable laws. Thank you, Chair. Thank you for getting this on the agenda so quickly because uh a lot of time has been wasted on this particular issue. I'm sorry about my voice, but uh lost our voice yesterday at the game. Um watching the Niners. So let's just say go Niners to begin the game. I mean that's what I'm calling this the game. Okay. So as you may recall, I asked Mayor Breed in question time on December the 12th uh if she would support the library at 100 or Zaba in District 11, um, which her administration had identified nearly five years ago as the best option in the neighborhood. And to be honest, I wasn't sure how she would respond, but I was actually taken aback when I did hear her response. In a blizzard of misinformation and half-truths, the mayor said she wouldn't commit to any new site in the neighborhood in the near future and made reference to funds available to renovate the existing library. Uh she claimed we don't have the budget for a new library, and that the site had traffic and pedestrian safety issues, and there wasn't consensus in the district eleven community. All of which is not true. Um so colleagues, if you'll indulge me, indulge me for a moment since we don't have a long presentation and some public commenters. I want to set the record straight uh for those that are listening at home and for the future. The current library at 345 Randolph was spearheaded by Mayor Willie Brown. Community members at the time came together uh with Mayor Brown and his administration and asked for help to add some positive investment to the Randolph Corridor in Lakeview. The community was dealing with a rash of shootings, and young people were dying in the streets in the Ocean View neighborhood. And I see members in the audience that live there that live through that time, nodding their head. And they identified this site as one that was of particular concern. Uh, where the library actually stands today, the current library. The community wanted to replace something negative and negative energy in the community with something positive. And that what's more positive than a library in a neighborhood that's underserved. Uh, Mayor Brown listened and helped spearhead the construction of the Ocean View Library, which opens its doors in the year 2000. Because that's what mayors do. They listen to their constituents, they find a way to get things done for them.
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