Saturday, May 15, 2004
Questions from a reporter and my responses:
writing an article on the affects of chain stores on small businesses in San Francisco. I am including information on th recent legislation preventing chain stores from opening in Hayes Valley and making it tougher to open in Cole Valley and I was hoping to ask you a few questions about the ordinace. Was your organization supportive of this initiative? Now that the supervisors voted the law through, what do you expect its effects to be? What about the jobs that chain stores create? Do you think banning chains from Hayes Valley will hinder the job opportunities in that neighborhood? I appreciate all of your and hope to hear from you soon.
Was your organization supportive of this initiative?
North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA) doesn't generally endorse or support specific legislation, since we represent a very diverse community, we don't all speak as one voice... Even with our representative board.
Still, one would have thought that our Supervisor would have been interested in what the community thought about this legislation, but we weren't asked.
As an individual, and someone who's involved in these sorts of issues (and a candidate for Supervisor in District 5) I personally have some opinions about the legislation, and will answer the other questions not speaking directly as representing NOPNA, but myself.
The intent of the legislation, which really is nothing more than notification on change of use, isn't a bad one. The more the neighborhoods know about what's going on the better. The problems arise in the definitions. Not in the definition of 'chain store', which they spent so much time fiddling with, but with everything else:
- who monitors the notification?
- how far away do the notices get sent? 150 ft, like bars, or 300 yards, or one block, or just to neighborhood leaders, or what?
- how do you define neighborhood leaders? Or Neighborhoods, for that matter? Is Hayes Valley really just those 4 blocks on Hayes St? Where does the Haight start and Cole Valley end?
- who speaks for the neighborhood? The neighborhood associations? The merchant groups? Individuals? How do you determine their opinion? Vote? A public meeting? How is that run? Who's in charge of the notification for that meeting?
- what happens if the notification doesn't happen? Who monitors that?
There's more, but that's a start...
Now that the supervisors voted the law through, what do you expect its effects to be?
Nothing really. Since so many questions are still on the table, it won't really change anything. So what if you get notification that something you don't like is coming to the neighborhood? What can you do? The same as always... trudge down to planning commission meetings and wait 3 hours to speak for 2 minutes... gather petitions that all your friends sign... This new law doesn't really help one way or the other.. just creates more work for the property owner and the planning department.
What about the jobs that chain stores create?
You seem to ask this question with the idea that we (or I) would be supporting the legislation. That's ok, but still, a bit leading. Personally, I agree with those that point out 'the Starbucks catch-22'... that on one hand we want employers to pay a living wage, give benefits, pay domestic partner benefits, purchase sustainable products, etc. etc. yet we don't want any business that might be too successful or actually have the corporate buying power to do these things.
Do you think banning chains from Hayes Valley will hinder the job opportunities in that neighborhood?
If businesses have a harder time starting in a community, jobs are lost because of it, yes. But those that wave the banner of jobs as the solution to all things, are they really striving for more part time barista or stock clerk positions? Doubtful.
Anyway, I hope my rantings aren't too off the mark for what you were looking for. Again, please consider my answers my own opinion as an experienced community leader, not as representing NOPNA's official stance.
Cheers,
Tys
writing an article on the affects of chain stores on small businesses in San Francisco. I am including information on th recent legislation preventing chain stores from opening in Hayes Valley and making it tougher to open in Cole Valley and I was hoping to ask you a few questions about the ordinace. Was your organization supportive of this initiative? Now that the supervisors voted the law through, what do you expect its effects to be? What about the jobs that chain stores create? Do you think banning chains from Hayes Valley will hinder the job opportunities in that neighborhood? I appreciate all of your and hope to hear from you soon.
Was your organization supportive of this initiative?
North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA) doesn't generally endorse or support specific legislation, since we represent a very diverse community, we don't all speak as one voice... Even with our representative board.
Still, one would have thought that our Supervisor would have been interested in what the community thought about this legislation, but we weren't asked.
As an individual, and someone who's involved in these sorts of issues (and a candidate for Supervisor in District 5) I personally have some opinions about the legislation, and will answer the other questions not speaking directly as representing NOPNA, but myself.
The intent of the legislation, which really is nothing more than notification on change of use, isn't a bad one. The more the neighborhoods know about what's going on the better. The problems arise in the definitions. Not in the definition of 'chain store', which they spent so much time fiddling with, but with everything else:
- who monitors the notification?
- how far away do the notices get sent? 150 ft, like bars, or 300 yards, or one block, or just to neighborhood leaders, or what?
- how do you define neighborhood leaders? Or Neighborhoods, for that matter? Is Hayes Valley really just those 4 blocks on Hayes St? Where does the Haight start and Cole Valley end?
- who speaks for the neighborhood? The neighborhood associations? The merchant groups? Individuals? How do you determine their opinion? Vote? A public meeting? How is that run? Who's in charge of the notification for that meeting?
- what happens if the notification doesn't happen? Who monitors that?
There's more, but that's a start...
Now that the supervisors voted the law through, what do you expect its effects to be?
Nothing really. Since so many questions are still on the table, it won't really change anything. So what if you get notification that something you don't like is coming to the neighborhood? What can you do? The same as always... trudge down to planning commission meetings and wait 3 hours to speak for 2 minutes... gather petitions that all your friends sign... This new law doesn't really help one way or the other.. just creates more work for the property owner and the planning department.
What about the jobs that chain stores create?
You seem to ask this question with the idea that we (or I) would be supporting the legislation. That's ok, but still, a bit leading. Personally, I agree with those that point out 'the Starbucks catch-22'... that on one hand we want employers to pay a living wage, give benefits, pay domestic partner benefits, purchase sustainable products, etc. etc. yet we don't want any business that might be too successful or actually have the corporate buying power to do these things.
Do you think banning chains from Hayes Valley will hinder the job opportunities in that neighborhood?
If businesses have a harder time starting in a community, jobs are lost because of it, yes. But those that wave the banner of jobs as the solution to all things, are they really striving for more part time barista or stock clerk positions? Doubtful.
Anyway, I hope my rantings aren't too off the mark for what you were looking for. Again, please consider my answers my own opinion as an experienced community leader, not as representing NOPNA's official stance.
Cheers,
Tys
