Fight over waterfront development continues, this time in court

San Francisco waterfront politics hit the courtroom Wednesday when a state judge is to hear arguments about the legality of a 2014 ballot measure that requires developers to seek voter approval for any project on port land that exceeds height limits.

The three-member State Lands Commission, which regulates waterfront development across California, has asked the court to nullify Proposition B, passed by San Francisco voters in June.

B, also known as the Waterfront Height Limit Right to Vote Act, requires voter approval for projects that exceed current height limits, which range from 40 to 90 feet, depending on the area.

The city’s legal team will be joined by Telegraph Hill activist Jon Golinger of the group No Wall on the Waterfront and former City Attorney Louise Renne, whose firm is representing the Sierra Club, and California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton.

Groups backing the agency include the Housing Action Coalition, the Port of San Diego and the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association.

B was “a sleepy little issue” in a low-turnout election.

[...] he said it has had a cooling effect on development, causing Forest City to scale back its plans for Pier 70 and prompting the Golden State Warriors to drop plans to build a stadium on Piers 30-32 and move the project to Mission Bay.

B “ballot box planning at its very worst” that will result in “less housing and less affordable housing.”

B was a follow-up to a ballot initiative on a proposed development at 8 Washington St. that voters rejected.

Last fall Forest City went to voters for approval of a plan to allow 90-foot buildings on the historic pier.

If we did a rap video to introduce youth to their sewer system.

The press release actually says it was done to “introduce youth to their sewer system.”

Anyhow, a press release says that the “world premiere” of the video will be Wednesday afternoon at 4:30 at the San Francisco Main Library.

The chorus, admittedly, is a bit of a toe-tapper, concluding with “We’re SF Sewers so remember our name,” which I believe is the first time those words have ever been put together in a rap or rock song.