Lurie warns Sunset: rezone or 'there could be towers everywhere'

""If it does not pass, let's just be clear, the state comes in and does this work for us," Lurie told a room filled with about 100 Sunset residents and business owners at an upzoning forum at the Sunset Recreation Center. After all, the mayor said, the city is increasing the heights that housing developers can build to because of a state requirement. The city must rezone so that housing production goals can be met, or risk losing its power to approve - or reject - all new housing, the state has told the city."

""Our neighborhood businesses are a crossroads of people, culture, language. Those folks do not move and go somewhere else," one attendee said, asking the mayor to provide "a little more granularity about my corner grocery store, where I bring my grandson to meet the owner, and Joe's Ice Cream, and other places like that, that will be gone." "That's what scares folks in the neighborhood," he added."

Mayor Daniel Lurie said the upzoning plan must pass to prevent the state from taking over local housing approvals and imposing increased building heights. The city must rezone to meet state housing production goals or risk losing authority to approve or reject new housing. Lurie warned that failure could lead to towers and uncontrolled development. Sunset residents voiced skepticism and fear about displacement of neighborhood businesses and the loss of local culture. Attendees sought specific information on impacts to corner stores and small businesses. Lurie acknowledged fears, noted he has been labeled a bulldozer, and addressed questions during the forum.

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