San Francisco kicking out longtime Bayview greenhouse businesses

[KamaAina]

http://www.sfexaminer.com/san-francisco-kicking-out-longtime-bayview-greenhouse-businesses/

Three Bayview plant nursery businesses dating back to the 1980s have until May to vacate a publicly owned greenhouse after city officials say the facility has fallen into disrepair.

The forced move has made uncertain the future of Decorative Plant Service, San Francisco Foliage, Sunborne Nursery and the fate of more than 100 workers. All of the businesses, which hired half of their workforces from the Bayview, must leave the 1150 Phelps St. greenhouse facility by May 31.

Also unknown is what The City plans to do with the greenhouse site.

Business founders and employees told the San Francisco Examiner they were shocked when the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s decided to give them the boot.

[NBachers]

1. I read the article, but I've got to ask: What's the real underlying reason for giving them the boot?

[KamaAina]

2. Maybe this?

The 113,400-square-foot greenhouse site was built in 1984 to mitigate adverse environmental and social impacts that came with expanding the neighboring Southeast Treatment Plant. Today, 80 percent of San Francisco’s sewage and wastewater is treated at the facility, which has long prompted complaints of foul smells from nearby residents. The greenhouse businesses are required to hire 50 percent of their workforce from the 94124 ZIP code, which is the Bayview neighborhood. The three businesses, which must also provide job training, employed a combined 42 residents from the neighborhood in 2014.

The SFPUC may demolish the only public greenhouse in The City and use the site for a construction staging area for the multibillion dollar overhaul of the Southeast Treatment Plant.

The overhaul, which would modernize the facility and eliminate the plant’s odors, is expected to begin in July 2017 and continue for seven years. The true motivation behind the agency forcing the businesses out may be the need for the construction staging area, some suggest.

“There is a possibility of a conflict of interest there,” Khalsa said.

Or there could be a greedy developer waiting in the wings.