Petition drive launched to block Bayview Redevelopment

From today's SFGate,

Opponents of a plan to bring 1,300 acres of San Francisco's Bayview district under the jurisdiction of the city's Redevelopment Agency announced Monday a drive to collect signatures to call for a referendum on the matter.

To place a measure on the November ballot, opponents would need to collect at least 21,000 signatures and submit them to the city's Department of Elections by June 30.

The Bayview redevelopment plan is nearly a decade in the making and was approved by the Board of Supervisors in May and signed into law by Mayor Gavin Newsom on June 1.

The petition drive is backed by community activists who oppose redevelopment, saying it could force out poor families through eminent domain and gentrification.

Supporters denounce the allegations as fear-mongering and say the Redevelopment Agency will use property taxes to help finance neighborhood improvements, create new housing and increase business.

Activists Launch Referendum to Overturn Bayview Redevelopment [BeyondChron]
One Bayview/Hunters Point resident's argument FOR the redevelopment [BeyondChron via SFHomeBlog]