The main criticism leveled at District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston by his opponents in and out of politics was his obstruction of housing.

Candidates hoping to unseat him in next week’s election are a prime example of this at 400 Divisadero St., the location of the long-closed Contactless Car Wash. It points to sites like.

A billboard in Divisadero, paid for by public pressure group GrowSF, reads: “That car wash needs to be affordable homes: Bilal Mahmood will fix it.” Mahmood and management candidate Scotty Jacobs doubled down on Preston this weekend by staging a mock Halloween-themed “funeral” at the car wash, complete with cardboard tombstones lamenting the “death” of prospective homes at different addresses in the city.

But the reality is more complicated: A developer bought 400 Divisadero St. in June, and it’s expected to total more than 200 residential units. So why is it still an important issue this election cycle?

“The idea that I’m preventing housing from being built there is 100 percent fabricated,” Preston said. Although Preston has cited disappointment with the low level of affordable units in the new project, he says he does not oppose the latest project proposal, which includes more than 200 market-rate units and 20 affordable units.

While Preston had pushed for a higher percentage of affordable units in previous proposals before becoming supervisor, he said the nearly 10-year agonizing process can be blamed on developers leaving the project, market conditions and failed bids with the mayor. .

Site timeline:

• Later 2015 Following the zoning of the Divisadero corridor by then-Supervisor London Breed, applications began coming in to demolish the long-serving gas station and car wash to build housing.
  • preston fought Change in favor of higher affordability requirements.
• Pre-application has been made filed in june 2015 152 units plus for retail sale.
  • Preston, then a community organizer, in the name For more affordable housing.
• a follow up 2017 offer 177 units and was again for residents in the name for more affordable units on-site – but there was little opposition to the development itself.
• Controller Vallie Brown 2018 changed Breed’s legislation to increase affordability in the Divisadero Corridor.
• With 2019city’s Planning Commission approved Of the 186 units, 37 (20 percent) would be affordable.

Preston, who ran for director in 2019, unsuccessfully sought 33 per cent affordability and was granted approval. Preston said his requests did not hinder or delay anything.

“These people characterize any effort to achieve affordable housing as housing obstruction, and that’s a really dishonest argument,” he said.

The deal ultimately fell through. developer fell Site owners last year described the project as “fiscally practical” because the cost of new construction in San Francisco was “the highest in the world.” Still, the owners said they will continue to search for a developer.