| ABOUT THE PAC | |
History of the BVHP-PAC, cont. Laying the Groundwork for Revitalization The South Bayshore Community Development Corporation (SBCDC) While the Bayview Hunters Point Area Plan was being completed and the Third Street Corridor Study examined by interested individuals, a group of community leaders formed a non-profit corporation to synthesize and guide revitalization efforts. Founding members of the SBCDC decided to proactively work with the City and SFRA to understand the development tools and financing powers associated with new forms of redevelopment. In August 1994, the SBCDC and SFRA entered into a partnership to reach out to the community to discuss and document ideas for plans, programs and projects. The SBCDC worked to create the Preliminary Plan for Redevelopment in conjunction with community members and SFRA staff through four committees: 1) Economic Development, Environmental, Transportation and Infrastructure; 2) Housing and Personal Services; 3) Industrial Revitalization and Planning; and 4) the Third Street Task Force. The work these committees performed was an important step in identifying community revitalization concepts. Another milestone was establishing an important ground rule that spoke directly to some community members' fears: SFRA would not allow the use of eminent domain on residential properties during the course of any future redevelopment projects in Bayview Hunters Point. The SBCDC can be credited with 4 major accomplishments:
The SBCDC also worked with students from UC Berkeley's Department of City and Regional Planning, who completed a study entitled Connecting South Bayshore. This project explored ideas and programs for housing rehabilitation, the revitalization of Third Street and Innes Avenue, redevelopment of the Northern Industrial area, and creation of a community activity and resource center. The Formation of the Bayview Hunters Point Project Area Committee (PAC) As required by California Community Redevelopment Law, the next step in redevelopment planning for Bayview Hunters Point was the formation of a Project Area Committee (PAC). It is important to note that redevelopment laws have undergone great reform to make certain the abuses of Urban Renewal never happen again. These reforms include strict requirements for citizen oversight and participation, open meetings, and community outreach. The law requires representatives from four major categories of local citizens, with the ultimate number of PAC members determined by population. The 21 seats for Bayview Hunters Point require: four (4) tenant residents, seven (7) owner residents, four (4) business owners, six (6) community organizations, and property owners. Two of the tenant seats are reserved for students. The six community organization seats focus on those working in health care, senior services, religious institutions, and the environment. SFRA's outreach efforts prior to the election of PAC members were coordinated by citizens and staff including area-wide mailings, advertisements in City, local, Spanish and Chinese language newspapers, billboards and posters, informational meetings, and flyers posted on the days leading up to the election. Candidates also ran their own campaigns and participated in a "Candidates Night" event for the public to hear their views on relevant issues. In all, 69 persons ran as candidates for the 21 seats: 19 community organization workers, 13 local business representatives, 23 tenant owners, 4 college student tenants, and 10 other residential tenants. On January 16, 1997, over 750 community members came out to elect their community representatives. The Board of Supervisors approved and certified the election of the Bayview Hunters Point PAC on February 10, 1997.
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