by Jerry Feitelberg

The politics of Proposition B in San Francisco is full of catch 22s, for one Mayor Ed Lee will not come out with a public endorsement for the measure that restricts height development along the waterfront because if he does he could offend such organizations like the San Francisco Giants who want to develop a urban village in Lot A of their parking lot which is situated next to the AT&T Park. We should mention the Giants have not endorsed the proposition one way or the other too.

If Lee comes out against the measure he would offend valuable voters who could use that against him in his next re-election bid for going in favor of waterfront development and going against protecting height development. The Giants have said they have not taken a postion on Prop B. Prop B, the Warriors never admitted specifically that Lee’s indecision on the measure was the reason to end their bid on trying to build at Piers 30-32.

Residents of the waterfront have made it clear that they don’t want to lose the bay views and the environment of what the waterfront now presents and they’ve got a good bead on things as voters signed ballots during the Warriors effort of getting an arena at Piers 30-32 and the minimum amount of ballots were met by almost double.

A victory of Prop B the city said would cost the city losses up to $1.6 billion in repairs to housing, transit and for a seawall that’s needs repair to hold back the bay. The Giants wanted to build on Lot A parking lot next to AT&T Park also with Pier 70 owned by Forest City a developer who wants to build condos and retail on that large location.

The Sierra Club who supports Prop B wants to see prop B contol growth at waterfront and Embarcadero to preserve the neighborhood for it’s future generations and that such growth on heights would Manhattonize the neighborhood with towering condos, retail, and luxury hotels. The waterfront neighbors do not oppose the Warriors new arena site development at Mission Bay.

Opponents against the measure say such projects would not only benefit the neighborhood but would provide more jobs and that private developers would spend $322 million to fix infrastruture.

The opponents of Prop B say the city would receive $93.6 million out of the $322 million that would fix the sea wall, transit and affordable housing and the Giants and Pier 70 would be able to move ahead with their development plans.

For Prop B to lose at this point those are long odds after the grass roots ballots that went to City Hall that showed the proponents of the measure have the support to get Prop B passed by a convincing proportion.

Former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos who was opposed to constructing a new Warriors arena at Pier 30-32 and other height unlimited projects proposed for the waterfront. A condo measure for the waterfront back in November Propositions B and C called the 8 Washington lost, that made the odds for the Warriors arena or any other future developments dim and that San Francisco voters would more than likely vote down any development idea at the waterfront.

There’s little doubt in June voters will come out big for Prop B and that San Francisco voters will resoundly support Prop B for various reasons, to keep the views of the bay or that the voter just doesn’t trust the politicians and developers who some say plan to help the rich rather than the working people in the waterfront neighborhood, “I sleep better at night knowing the voters, rather than politicians and beuraucrats, have a final say on height limit waviers on port waterfront property,” said Agnos.

Jerry Feitelberg is covering the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings arena developments for http://www.sportsradioservice.com