by Ken Gimblin

SAN FRANCISCO–The supporters for development on the Waterfront particularly the Golden State Warriors and San Francisco Giants didn’t get what the Sacramento Kings got. The Kings won a court ruling preventing an initiative from going on the ballot in Sacramento to strike down a proposition that would ask voters if public money should be spent to build the new downtown Sacramento Kings arena.

Ballots that were submitted to the Sacramento County Clerks office in favor of the initative were ruled not to have legal wording and that the initiative was therefore kept off the ballot. The Warriors who want a brand new arena built at Piers 30-32 and the Giants who want to develop retail and condos at AT&T Park were told that Proposition B a height striction initiative would be allowed on the June ballot that would ask voters if height restrictions should be in play for any new development for the Waterfront.

The Giants who are underwriting a legal challenge to Prop B with three plaintiffs fronting the charge to stop the initiative Tim Colen Executive Director of the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition, Michael Theriault a leader of the building and construction trades, and Corrine Woods a neighbor of the project site.

Intially the Giants wanted the court to hear the appeal which would strike down the initiative but the state appellate court of appeals would not hear the legal challenge and denied the appeal. The Giants group were contending that illegal encroachment on state shoreline laws and that local or city jurisdiction could not prevent the Giants group from development.

The Giants further argued that the San Francisco Port Authority had jurisdiction on waterfront development laws but the judge Marla Miller had denied an earlier request to strike down Prop B from the coming election in June. One reason was that the voters have virtually spoken with more than double the required 9,702 signatures to put Prop B on the ballot. Miller also added that any legal challenge would be heard after the election.

The Warriors want a brand new arena built on Piers 30-32 the intial build on the piers are estimated double the original cost at $180 million. The waterfront neighborhood want the height restrictions enforced and don’t want to lose their views of the Bay Bridge, Treasure Island and the bay. The Warriors by building at Piers 30-32 would get a brand new 12 story arena, a 17 story luxury condo and a ten story hotel which would be built across the street from the arena.

After Thursday’s appeals court decision opponents to the initiative said the denial for development of the projects would have an economic impact on the city for years to come and that it would put 3,690 housing units in jeopardy at the cost of $8.5 billion in port costs.

For proponents of the initiative it was a great victory as neighors said that with the initative they will get their views and neighborhood back, some neighbors said some of the housing units proposed by the Giants and Warriors wouldn’t be for affordable housing but for high profit margin move ins. Jim Stearns who is a political advisor who was supporting Prop B said, “we’re pleased that this issue has been kicked out of the courtrooms and back to the voters where it belongs.”

Ken Gimblin is covering the arena developments of the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings for Sportstalk radio