San Francisco Chronicle on one owner's attempt to add four units to his property (including two affordable):
To some of his neighbors, the garden already is a paradise, an open space that gives the surrounding homes more sunlight, air and a view. [The] proposal, in their minds, is hellish. Building too big and destroying the character of the block.
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“Our association will always opt for trees, grass and shrubs because that’s what makes San Francisco San Francisco,” he said. “We consider backyards to be sacrosanct.
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“You could sit all day at the Planning Commission, and it’s all stories like this,” she said. “It’s all rich people yelling at each other