Board adopts letter urging city offices to address dispute over Parcel 36; owners and stakeholders sharply split

The San Francisco Board of Appeals on June 7 unanimously adopted a letter — as amended in public drafting — requesting intervention by the mayor’s office, Supervisor Ronan’s office and several city agencies to help resolve a long‑running dispute over Parcel 36, an irregular former railroad right‑of‑way in the Mission District.

Commissioner Alex Lemberg and Commissioner Lundberg (the letter’s primary drafter) led a public, iterative editing session in which commissioners proposed and accepted several wording changes before a final motion to adopt. Commissioner Lundberg said the letter’s scope was narrow and aimed to present the board’s view of the facts and to "urge the city departments who we felt should be involved, to do this." He moved to adopt the letter as amended; the motion carried 5–0.

Supervisor Ronan’s representative told the board she was disappointed the issue was before the BOA and said the representative believed the letter exceeded the board’s jurisdiction: "It is far beyond jurisdiction of this board, to opine onto what a supervisor has or has not done," she said, and urged commissioners to consult the supervisor’s office directly in the future.

Public testimony showed sharp disagreements over facts and next steps. Mission Greenway supporters and neighbors told the board they favored city intervention and said the parcel’s ambiguous ownership and recent confrontations justify a coordinated response; one Zoom speaker, Jay Martin of Friends of the Mission Greenway, urged the board to "send it, please" and said eminent domain is an option to consider.

By contrast, representatives of Monkey Brains and counsel for owners of a portion of Parcel 36 (identified to the board as "36 B") urged caution. Counsel for the owners, Laura Campbell, said her clients are recognized by the Assessor’s Office as owners and objected that the letter could affect their property rights. Monkey Brains’ representatives and local businesses described harassment and safety incidents near the parcel and urged the board to strike or correct language they said mischaracterized their operations and actions.

Several speakers raised public‑safety concerns. Heather Lubeck of Mission Kids, which operates an early‑childhood facility adjacent to Parcel 36, said the group did not support the letter's current draft because she feared it would "further embolden and legitimize the illegal actions" of Mission Greenway members and stressed safety concerns for children and staff.

The board approved the edited letter and will transmit it to Mayor London Breed, Supervisor Ronan, Board of Supervisors leadership and relevant city departments including the Department of Building Inspection, Planning, Real Estate/General Services, Recreation and Parks and the Assessor–Recorder. Commissioners said the letter is intended as a referral so city agencies with authority can coordinate next steps and address unresolved public‑safety and ownership questions.

Next steps: the letter will be finalized in consultation with board staff and transmitted to the listed recipients; commissioners expect departments to respond or to coordinate as appropriate.