Octavia Blvd. could look a lot different in a few years!

Some decidedly modern buildings might be sprouting up in Hayes Valley — at the corner of Market & Octavia; on a 16-foot-wide lot on the east side of Octavia between Oak and Fell; and a one-acre plot of land on Oak between Laguna and Octavia. The Chronicle has the full story as well as artist’s renderings of the proposed buildings.

But if will likely be a while — perhaps a long while — before any of these three sites see any progress. In all-too-familiar San Francisco form, the projects are stalled because:

“of a civic jousting match over a plan for 70 blocks of San Francisco between Civic Center and the Castro District.

The plan has been in the works since — wait for it — 2002.

It’s an ambitious vision that tries to look at a complex area in holistic terms. The plan adjusts height limits and parking requirements, maps out how to landscape alleyways, and includes an ongoing survey to identify historic buildings.

While initial reaction to the plan was enthusiastic, environmental reviews stretched an absurd four years — and when the document reached the City Planning Commission last fall, critics starting chipping away.

Every side demands changes, and is happy to see the plan stalled unless. Transit advocates want even less parking, for instance, but some residents say tight parking limits are a bad idea.

It’s a San Francisco ritual. Skip the “community process,” then pile on when it is time to vote.

But while everyone angles for concessions, good projects get stuck. In this case, the Octavia projects could face delays because they’re designed to conform to the proposed zoning.

The original schedule called for a December vote. Instead, the Planning Commission meets today and may — or may not — vote. Even if it approves the plan with tweaks, don’t be surprised to see more posturing and delays at the Board of Supervisors.”

So, stay tuned…