Board committee advances resolution to add "Polytechnic Way" to Frederick Street

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ Land Use and Transportation Committee voted to send a resolution forward that would add the honorary street name "Polytechnic Way" to the 700 block of Frederick Street in recognition of Polytechnic High School, the city's first public high school.

Supervisor Dean Preston introduced the measure and traced the school's history from its opening in 1884 (originally the Commercial School) through its renaming as Polytechnic High in 1900 and closure in 1972, calling the school "a foundation of the city's industrial and vocational education for decades." He urged the committee's support for the honorary designation.

The resolution drew brief public comment. Estella Becerra, a Frederick Street resident, said her family has lived at 635 Frederick Street for decades and asked whether there is in fact a discrete "700 block" as stated in the resolution, and whether the designation would apply to the whole numerical block or only the 700-numbered addresses. "To my knowledge there is no 700 block of Frederick Street," she said when the committee took callers.

David Pilpel, another caller, said he supported commemorating the city's history and suggested the committee consider an accompanying plaque at Parkview Commons, which now sits on part of the former school site.

After closing public comment, Chair Supervisor Mirna Melgar moved to forward the measure with a positive recommendation. Supervisors Aaron Peskin and Dean Preston joined Melgar in voting "aye," recorded as three ayes by the clerk. The item is expected to appear on the full Board of Supervisors agenda unless otherwise noted.

The committee did not change the text of the resolution at today's meeting; callers' questions about the geographic scope and implementation costs were not answered in detail on the record and may be addressed before the Board hearing.