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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Alex Westhoff says that the Q&A is out of time. He says he's available to answer further questions and thanks everyone for attending. That's it from me. Thanks for reading.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Smith says the survey looks at identifying historic resource, and the landmark process highlights a subset of them that are representative of San Francisco, going through a separate review process.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Smith responds to a question about if there's scrutiny over historic properties with regards to environmental review. She says Planning isn't looking at every building and looking for X, Y, Z, and says every building needs to go through Certificate of Appropriateness process.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Smith says Planning is grateful for the support of the LGBTQ Castro Cultural District and "has been working very closely with them." Smith says Planning is trying to empower communities and keep culture in San Francisco.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Alex Westhoff shows the QR code again for the survey. Maggie Smith responds to a few more questions/comments around fear of displacement. She says that "we hear you" and that the economic climate is really tough. Planning wants to keep the Castro accessible to everyone, even if people don't think it

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

LaValley answers a question about the method of determining historic significances and says there's a process of talking to the community and property owners to see if they've missed information to add into the overall assessment. New information will be considered as the project progresses forward.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Torres says the new historic district will not preempt new housing, and that these complaints are a pretext to stop historic designations.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Torres wants to say a few words, saying that the historic district is a new construct that allows for new housing. It's important not to look at this issue as a binary, saying that multiple things can exist at the same time.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Westhoff revisits the Walgreens, saying it was the Star Pharmacy, and that two apartments upstairs were queer households, with one being a MacArthur Genius Grant recipient.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Westhoff answers a question about historic preservation being misused by opponents of housing projects says people can give comment at commission meetings. And there are many examples of new housing projects successfully approved on historic properties, recognizing cities are dynamic and changeable.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

LaValley says indivudal properties and landmark districts have features that are regulated in terms of how they change. There's not a good alternative to recognizing significance and allowing maximum amount of alteration.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Pilar LaValley reads another question: Are there alternative methods of recognizing significance, and are there methods that do not restrict changes to the properties? She says Article 10 landmarking is narrow in its regulatory application, and many property types fall under its umbrella.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Smith also says Planning is not trying to freeze the neighborhood in amber and is trying to keep people in place. Historic preservation efforts do not want to push anyone out. It's a tool to keep people in place. Housing development can still happen on these properties.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Smith also says it's "not at all the case" that this proposal would limit housing, because the zoning would stay the same. With the Family Zoning Plan, that rezoning removed some landmark districts. (Not sure what she's referring to?)

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Maggie Smith with SF Planning is responding to the Mills Act question, would application occur at the same time as the landmarking? She says that it would be a separate process.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Pilar LaValley says she has a few other questions. She asks if any properties will be required to have below market rate units as part of the landmark district?

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Pilar Valley responds to another question about the shape of the district, e.g. why isn't the neighborhood bigger, why is there a disconnected square? Westhoff says that the district's history as a streetcar suburb includes some, and it's important for the district to be concentrated.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Westhoff says that because of that, the Walgreens has a strong association with LGBTQ history.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Q5 is how the Walgreens on the corner is a contributor to the culutral district when it has a minimal association with LGBTQ+ history. How is the department assessing the level of significance? Westhoff says that he'd have to check, but thinks that's where the first cases of AIDS were documented.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Westhoff also says that legacy businesses can be keeper of intangible cultural heritage. That's a program that's worth exploring.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Q4 is how will the department assess the cultural integrity of properties in addition to architecture. Westhoff says that Planning is working on a cultural integrity methodology, along with historic preservation staff, and he doesn't want to speak on their behalf. He also mentions the SF Survey.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Alex says there's an optional questionnaire and he wants to allow time for attendees to answer them. He says the survey is anonymous but people can provide their contact information.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Q3 is a question about what the Mills Act is. Westhoff (from Planning) says he's happy to set up a 1-on-1 conversation on that because Maggie Smith from SF Planning is having trouble being heard.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

LaValley says Q2 is a question about how the examples of adding housing to landmarks mistakes the scale of sites in the Castro. Alex Westhoff answers that there are many examples throughout the city.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

LaValley says that historic designation is another layer over the zoning code but it changes use district or height district in terms of "how each property shows up."

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Pilar LaValley is answering a question from the audience about how the dept's fact sheet says that historic designation doesn't prevent housing, but the district would opt properties out of bonus heights, so which is true? She seems tongue-tied.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Torres concludes by saying that the culutral district is supportive of the designation.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Torres cites the ability to "retain" businesses and tenants. He says LGBT people are targeted for erasure in the US and in San Francisco. So it's important to remember "these spaces and what happened here". The loss of thousands of lives to AIDS/COVID has reshaped history.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Torres says the district is supportive and that the district is aligned with their legislative priorities. A lot of vulnerable populations are impacted by changes in the city, including the ability to find affordable housing, but there is no one way to do things, best to do so "holistically".

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Hello San Francisco. I'm attending a virtual meeting about Supervisor Mandelman's proposal for a historic landmark district around the Castro commerical corridor. I just listened to the Planning Department's presentation from yesterday. Stephen Torres from the Castro LGBTQ cultural district is here.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Good question. Theoretically if an apartment is historic because a member of 4 Non Blondes lived there, they also looked through the windows at some point, so yes.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

There's an online open house happening this evening. There's still time to attend.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

The unspoken assumption is that straight transplants would occupy new housing. But he's not referencing a real study. He's probably thinking about the study published about the Mission moratorium, which actually showed that new housing is mostly occupied by existing city residents.

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Reposted by Robert Fruchtman

Mo Zhu @moinmybackyard.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Historic preservation NIMBYs are next level. Some nonsense snippets from tonight: 1. If we don’t do the historic designation, Castro will become like the Fillmore 2. “MAGA YIMBYs” 3. Calling the district a "theme park" is "homophobic"

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

That's it from me. Thanks for reading.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Sucré encourages evening to fill out the survey.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Sucré says he will close the "most animated discussion" on this topic. Planning staff will be on hand to answer questions.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Gerard says not to ask the world's most famous queer neighborhood in the world to build. 25 story tower. He says this neighborhood was visited by international visitors. They didn't come to look at new development. "There are values beyond wealth extraction." He agrees with Tina.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Gerard says the most important industry in SF is tourism. People don't come here to look at towers. And studies from the 2000s show that queer people would not move into new housing built here.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

A commenter from earlier says his arguments are being twisted. Dennis Richards asks "Are we at a MAGA rally?" Gerard says there's no need for 4 blocks in the Castro to absorb all the affordable housing needs of San Francisco.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Gerard says that he recommends everyone read the book he wrote to learn about the deep international importance of this neighborhood. "Abandon archaic and reactionary concepts of what to preserve."

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Tina says that the binary of YIMBY vs NIMBY is in the past. "Erasure is happening right now" including at the local level. She admonishes the audience to read her report

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Tina says it's not real that developers are chomping at the bit to build housing in SF. Sparky's was an important spot to the queer community. Now there's no housing. It's expensive to build here locally. A commenter says that Tina opposed development at that space. She shushes him.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Tina from the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District shares that "we have found there are many needs that need to get addressed" including housing, workforce preservation, etc. in the CHHESS report. She accuses people of "spreading disinformation." She says people are fighting for capitalism/developers.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Another commenter who happens to work at OEWD compares development in the Castro to redevelopment in the Fillmore. "It's the ugliest part of the city you could possibly imagine." It would be bad to build towers.

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Dennis Richards says that sentiment is insulting. "I'm a member of the community. We've been working on historic preservation for decades. . . . It's outrageous that you'd even say that."

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Robert Fruchtman @fruchtose.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Continued: You don't need to recognize the entire district. Places where things happened can be designated with a plaque instead of "enshrining a Disneyland arbitrarily." The stuff about streetcar suburbs is nonsense. There are many like the Mission and Ocean Beach.

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