Tender Construction
Robert sat in his chair as the chaos roared all around him. The line of speakers had snaked through the room, and the meeting had not even started. He took a deep breath and let out a huge yawn.
“First speaker,” the clerk annonuced.
“Good evening Mr. Robert and the rest of the supervisors. I want to express my concern for this redevelopment plan. It would close down the shortcut I use every morning to take my children to school. You’d be forcing me to longer rides and I’ll have to get up earlier and then my health will deteriorate. My driving will get worse and if I hit a pedestrian it won’t be my fault.”
“Thank you sir. Next speaker.”
“I think the apartments would just be an eyesore. I’ve gotten used to driving through the wide open space without having to worry about traffic. Honestly I feel safer too.”
“Thank you madam. Next speaker.”
“Hi everyone,” this speaker spoke nervously, almost whispering into the microphone. “I had lived in this neighborhood for a decade before the big one. My home was destroyed, as were many others. I want to thank the brave volunteers who pulled my neighbors from the wreckage. I am grateful to those who expedited the work of clearing away the old dilapidated structure. I think it’s important to rebuild and ensure that the people who once lived here get a second chance.”
“Thank you madam. Next speaker.”
“Hold on,” Robert spoke into his microphone. He leaned in, nearly brushing his lips against the mesh. “Madam, if your home was destroyed, which district do you live in now?”
“I don’t live in the city now. My sister in Gilroy has kindly taken me in.”
“Thank you for clarifying. Everyone, please respect the community here. If you aren’t a resident of San Francisco then you shouldn’t be in line.”
“But I was!”
“Madam, please take your seat. We have many more speakers to get through.”
Another speaker snatched the microphone away from her.
“I am a member of the San Francisco community,” the fourth speaker stated proudly. “I bought a house on the west side three years ago. When the big one hit I stayed in my home. And I want to state my displeasure for this redevelopment plan. It would attract a bad element. Besides, we should conduct a study to see if the city really needs this and if it would be good for the environment. Without the new thruway and with more people, there’ll just be more polluting cars on the road.”
“Thank you sir. Next speaker.”
“I’ve taken a look at the zoning codes and they prevent new residential units from being here. They also prevent anything taller than two stories. I know that older apartment complex was grandfathered in, but that does not mean we need to cut corners today.”
“Thank you sir. Next speaker.”
Robert took another yawn as the night finally ended. He looked down at his sleep tracker, which had been screeching for hours that he should be in bed right now. He didn’t disagree.
“Motion to adjourn?” someone spoke next to him.
“Seconded,” he quickly interjected.
Finally he stood up. His legs had fallen asleep, and he couldn’t help but feel jealous. His secretary walked with him down the hall on the way to the parking lot.
“This meeting seemed rather hostile,” she noted.
“It went about the way I expected. These meetings always go this way.”
“So what’s going to become of the housing project? Are you going to vote for it?”
“And lose my voters? Of course not.”
“But they rejected the housing plan on Mission Street too.”
“And they had their own reasons for that too.”
“So the reconstruction…”
“Everyone who wants to live in the city doesn’t, so they can’t vote. Those who can do not want anyone else living here. That’s just the way it is.”
“So San Francisco is dead then? You’ve just given up?”
“It wasn’t my choice that a quarter of the city was destroyed. I have given my deepest condolences for those tenants. But rebuilding is something we simply cannot do.”
The “big one” has been a topic of speculation on the west coast since the last earthquake over a century ago. It seems like disaster could strike any time with very little warning. But given how myopic San Francisco is currently towards dealing with its housing woes, is there any chance that a post-earthquake SF could ever rebuild?