SF Judges Denies Neighbors' Attempt To Stop Construction On Waterfront Homeless Navigation Center
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) -- With two Quonset huts nearly complete, construction on the Embarcadero Homeless Navigation Center can continue after a San Francisco judge, on Monday, denied a temporary restraining order on the project brought by neighbors.
"He got it wrong and there's really no question about it," said Peter Prows, attorney for Safe Embarcadero for All.
The group argued the city was in violation of the State Lands Commission in re-purposing SeaWall Lot 330 from a parking lot into a navigation center.
Safe Embarcadero also said the Port of San Francisco and the city did not arrange a lease of fair market value for the land.
"Our appraiser valued it at $90 million, the city's appraiser said $30-60 million -- in tax revenue alone to the state of California and the citizens of San Francisco -- it's $2 million a year. Right now it's getting basically a pittance," Prows said.
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman disagreed.
"Nor does the court accept the petitioner's argument that it has shown irreparable harm here from the potential that the opening of this Navigation Center may subject it's members or the public generally," said Judge Ethan Schulman.
Wallace Lee, who has been leading the charge against the center said he and his family won't move. He is not optimistic about the future of the neighborhood during the potentially four year long tenure of the center.
"Looking at the way the city has run other Navigation Centers we don't have any confidence that the city will be able to run this one without negative consequences for the neighborhood," Lee told reporters.
In a statement on Twitter, San Francisco Mayor London Breed responded after the ruling:
"We're moving forward because we need more Nav Centers to help people off the streets and connect them with services. We need more Nav Centers, more treatment beds, more permanent supportive housing, and more affordable housing if we're going to address the homelessness crisis."
