Hundreds voice opposition over plan to develop SF Marina Safeway site into twin tower high-rise

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- It was a packed house in San Francisco Thursday night as Marina District neighbors debated the future of its main grocery store.

A developer wants to tear down the Safeway and build a new store with two residential towers on top. It's a proposal that is turning into a lightning rod for debate about affordability and congestion in the Marina.

The developer wants to build a new Safeway on Marina Boulevard across from Fort Mason, with two towers on top - measuring more than 200 feet tall.

Neighbors have held protests about this plan and tonight they packed a community meeting.

Hundreds of people attended the meeting, concerned about the development of this property and the idea of putting two massive towers here that would be five times of the size of any building nearby.

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"San Francisco needs to step up and do the right thing and stop this so that nobody else goes through this," said one neighbor.

There was anger at the Marina District meeting as developers are inching their way closer to an approval that would allow the Safeway site to be developed.

Two towers would be built at this Marina location with a new Safeway on the ground level.

"The building is ugly, and it's too big," said resident Jan Monaghan.

"This is our neighborhood! We've lived here for 30 years, and to watch this devastation, looking at that building over there you can understand why we're here," said Bill Fuller.

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"We live up on Russian Hill and our view is going to be impacted somewhat by this," said John Molinari of San Francisco.

The lights that you see at nearby Moscone Park are less than half the height of the proposed 18-story and 22-story towers. Views would be impacted with a plan that would bring 848 new units and an estimated 2,000 people to the neighborhood.

"We're having a 12% population increase on this corner, that's huge and we have no infrastructure to support it," said Erin Roach of the Marina Community Association.

Residents and community groups pointed to recent Fourth of July traffic mess in the neighborhood.

Around 400 people packed into a meeting at Fort Mason on Thursday night.

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"I don't think it's an appropriate project. I was a huge fan and a huge proponent and champion of the family zoning plan. I'd love to see a family zoning plan project," said San Francisco District 2 Supervisor Stephen Sherrill.

"It's an irresponsible development. We are totally supportive of having housing in the Marina, and the Marina Community Association supported the Family Zoning Bill. We would really like to see family housing, but this is a building that's aimed at two-year occupants at most," Roach said.

AB2011 streamlines projects like this past community and environmental reviews.

Many are concerned about environmental impacts, since construction would require drilling to bedrock, through landfill and what could be toxic mud from the plant that used to be at the Safeway site.

Community groups say that we could see lawsuits over this issue going forward.

In a previous statement, the developer working this project said that this plan will allow those who have been priced out of the neighborhood to call the Marina home.

A final approval for this project could come within the next four months.