Homeless on the Range: Landlords Yank SOMA Tepee

In what could be considered the latest outrage of Manifest Destiny -- or, perhaps, the predictable outcome of erecting an eye-catching, eight-foot-tall tepee on private property 100 feet from AT&T Park -- SOMA's most unique dwelling is no more.

This afternoon, a crew employed by Catellus Properties made quick work of the SOMA tepee and tossed it in the back of a red pickup truck. The workers noted the police had already been on-site and they were simply removing the tepee from private property. Still, they admired the workmanship -- "It's not even wet on the inside," one said.

A parking lot employee who asked that his name not be used said the resident of the tepee -- who he could only describe as a thirtysomething man of indeterminate race -- had spent a good week building the structure in a weedy vacant lot on private property. The gate to the area, normally locked, appeared to be forced open.

"At one point I went over and let him know he was on private property, though I had no authority to enforce anything," the lot employee said. "He just nodded and smiled. He was really friendly and polite."

At this point, the workmen's boss showed up, demanded a business card, and refused to return the courtesy. He said he didn't appreciate that SF Weekly had photographed his crew -- even though we'd asked their permission and the men chided each other for not smiling in the picture.

"I don't want to get involved in politics," the boss barked. "We're just here to clean everything up. We're just trying to earn a living."