The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) handed eviction notices to several businesses in the San Francisco Dogpatch neighborhood, even though the owners haven’t seem to have done anything wrong.
Caltran’s general inspector published a report that outlines concerns about the management practices of leased properties close to highway structures.
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Leases were reviewed based on new safety policies. Either non-renewal or eviction notices were handed out if the buildings didn’t meet the new policy changes.
“At my age, if I have to move, it’s finished,” Kevin Barry, who claimed he was informed his steel-fabrication business will most likely have to shut down, told CBS News Bay Area reporters.
So what happened?
Caltrans had been reviewing their Airspace Lease program in response to a November 2023 fire under Interstate 10 in Los Angeles.
The program leases space to businesses under bridge structures and viaducts, within a state highway right of way (owned by Caltrans).
The internal review has led to changes that limit which businesses can operate in affected areas. Caltrans has also imposed additional safety standards for existing businesses.
Many businesses have been affected by these changes, hence the eviction or non-renewal notices.
Barry said he was told that the materials he uses, as well as other operational processes, pose huge safety risks.
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It does appear that Caltrans is willing to work with tenants, stating in the notice that it “has developed a process to permit exceptions to the policy that continue to maintain the safety/operational standards to support the state highway system.”
Barry’s original moving deadline was March 31, but Caltrans has given him an extension, though he said it’s unclear how long.
He told CBS News he’s hopeful there will be a solution whereby his business can stay.
Potential effects on the wider community
When a local business is forced to move or close, it could have rippling effects on the area around it. For one, businesses may be an important part of how a community gets resources.
Julie Christensen, the former executive director of the Dogpath and Northwest Potrero Hill Green Benefit District, told CBS News that Barry is the neighborhood’s “pride and joy” when it comes to helping keep his business and community safe.
She claims that Barry watches out for the block where his business is located and the park across the street to ensure community spaces are clean.
Christensen also believes that Barry’s and other businesses should be able to stay in the area because they’re integral to preventing graffiti, trash and illegal dumping.
If businesses have to relocate, many owners, like Barry, may not have the means to do so and will be forced to shut down. Jobs could be lost as a result.
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