Our streets, sidewalks, plazas, and parks are under increasing assault from private interests. San Francisco Beautiful is taking immediate steps to control these blighting influences.

AT&T proposed to install 726 private utility boxes on our sidewalks, parks, and neighborhoods in the Spring of 2011. After months of meetings at City Hall, the Board of Supervisors upheld the Planning Department’s negative declaration that AT&T’s project did not have any cumulative impact on the public right of way, and did not require an Environmental Impact Report. In August 2011 we filed a lawsuit to ensure an adequate environmental review of AT&T&s plan to construct more than 700 private utility boxes. More than 25 neighborhood organizations joined our efforts to protect San Francisco’s public right-of-way.

We have already secured one victory for the public realm, when the San Francisco Superior Court issued a “stay” motion on further approval and construction of AT&T’s utility boxes until the final ruling on the requirement for an environmental review on AT&T’s utility box plan. Our case was heard by the San Francisco Superior Court on May 31, 2012, and we are currently awaiting the final decision from Judge Teri Jackson.

We will continue to fight to prevent AT&T from bypassing the public process and installing new eyesores on San Francisco’s streets.