July 2008Short CutsMuni versus Muni A T-Third Street light rail train rear-ended an N-Judah train last month outside AT&T Park on King Street, injuring 16 people, a dozen of whom were sent to the hospital. The crash disrupted light rail service along the lines for roughly two and a half hours. The N-Judah operator had just a years worth of work experience. The T-Third Street operator has been driving since 2004, but may have been speeding and talking on a cell phone when the accident occurred. Both drivers were tested for drugs and alcohol and placed on leave. Hang on to those straps! Cheez it, the Cops! The San Francisco Department of Real Estate is continuing with plans to site the San Francisco Police Department’s tactical, motorcycle, bomb, and homeland security units at the old Jamba Juice and Sports Basement buildings on 17th Street. The units are currently housed in Hunters Point, but are being bounced due to ongoing efforts to detoxify the former shipyard. Some Hill residents and merchants welcome the bulked-up police presence, particularly in the wake of a spike in crimes in the neighborhood over the past three months. Others have long eyed the buildings as possible anchors for a rejuvenated and more pedestrian-friendly commercial strip that would serve the nearby colleges. And at a proposed lease rate of three dollars per square foot the City would be paying one-third more for the space than going commercial rents. With freeways to the east and west and decaying public housing to the south, a block-long, ordinance-laden police fortress would complete the government-constructed wall encircling the community. Still, it’s not a done deal: the proposal will need to be approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Let them know what you think. Power Play Capping a half decade-long effort to site City-owned generation in Dogpatch as way to close the half century-old Potrero Power Plant, last month the California Independent System Operator (Cal-ISO) officially opined that the plant’s biggest unit could be closed once the Trans Bay Cable is operational. Cal-ISO also stated that the City no longer needed to site one of its four combustion turbines (CTs) at the airport, and signaled that the Potrero Power Plant’s three back-up diesel units could be cleaned-up and converted to natural gas in lieu of constructing the other three CTs. Although the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will decide how best to proceed later this month, the missive almost certainly kills the City-owned power plan. It isn’t over yet, though: public power advocates and developers eyeing the Mirant parcel want the entire plant closed and replaced by City-owned generation. And community advocates, such as Dogpatch-based San Francisco Community Power, continue to insist that with energy management programs and existing small-scale generation the City has plenty of power without any large centralized generating stations. Potty Mouth Speaking of San Francisco Community Power, the nonprofit is managing a San Francisco Public Utility Commission-funded program to install high-quality uber-efficient toilets for free. If you’re a small business, nonprofit organization, or low-income resident and have a toilet that’s at least two decades old you may qualify for a complementary high efficiency model. Swapping water wasting toilets with water wise ones can reduce water bills by hundreds of dollars a year, and save precious water during the current drought. Check-out www.sfpower.org. Rats! And while we’re talking toilets, the Potrero Hill Parent’s Association listserv was rattled last month when a Hill family called for assistance with a rat problem. The furry creature crawled up a sewer pipe and into the toilet, where he was found scrambling to get out. Not wanting to risk getting bitten, the family slammed the toilet lid shut, and was subjected to the squeals of scared rat, which was probably slightly less irritating than Kenny Chesney’s music (see below). The next day the rat had disappeared, crawling back from whence he came. How Forever Feels Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney rocked more than AT&T Park at his six hour long concert last month. Inside the park drunken fans and clogged toilets drove concertgoers to abandon the show before it was over. Outside, the vocalist’s sounds reverberated throughout Potrero Hill up until almost midnight. And at a nearby BART station an out-of-town police officer and fire fighter, both concert attendees, got into a brawl. The Entertainment Commission promises to look into the noise situation. What Housing Slump? Earlier this year what may be the most expensive house on the Hill sold for more than $3 million in just eight days. The roughly 3,500 square feet Carolina Street property, which sprawls across three lots, has Golden Gate Bridge and Bay views, and features five bedrooms, and three and a half baths. The rich, it appears, still have money, even while the rest of us limit our luxuries to an expensive cup of joe. PREFund Prevails The San Francisco Board of Education presented the Potrero Residents Education Fund (PREFund) with a formal commendation for the nonprofit’s contributions to Daniel Webster Elementary School. School board members expressed their gratitude for PREFund’s work, and encouraged them to continue to fight the good fight. With a preschool opening on the campus this fall, and a Spanish immersion program scheduled to launch next year, perhaps we’re about to see the re-birth of one of the City’s neediest elementary schools. Checks and Balances In addition to insurance scams (see last month’s “Short Cuts”), banks are holding onto their customers’ money longer. Even well-backed checks – from the State of California, for example – are being held by the likes of Washington Mutual Bank for a week or longer. The freeze on cash provides the banks with an extra few days of interest, which, when you’re talking millions of dollars, adds up. Let our money go! It’s Natural The View is looking for an urban ecologist to help write articles and columns about local flora and fauna. Little pay, but a great opportunity to provide environmental education to a needy community. Contact editor@potreroview.net if you’re interested. |
This Month's StoriesPublic Benefits Delayed in Eastern Neighborhoods New Economy Emerges in Dogpatch Historic District Channel Street Used As Private Parking Lot Attack on Bicyclists Claims Four Victims, Two in Potrero Lack of Transparency Dogs Community Trust Fund Parking Restrictions Coming to Tennessee Street Property Owners Grapple with Rent Control Regulations “Dogpreneur” Becomes Latest Career Trend Steady Flow of Newcomers Call Potrero Hill Home Jewish Film Festival Turns Thirty On-going Features
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