September 2008Short CutsNew Thinking Thinkers Café on 20th Street may be thinking of leaving the neighborhood. Rumor has it that the café’s owner is negotiating a possible deal with the Chez Papa people that would place a Delfina-style pizzeria in the small storefront… The Wisconsin Street firehouse has new beautiful light globes seven months after Wisconsin Street resident Karrin Kain pointed to their sorry state in a letter to the View… Potrero Hill resident Curt Yagi, who was the subject of a View profile last year that praised his “crooning piano riffs” was voted 2008 Best of the Bay Singer Songwriter by the San Francisco Bay Guardian’s readers’ poll. Congratulations Curt!
New Construction Four roughly 2,000 square foot, three bedrooms, two and a half baths condominiums are being built on Kansas Street across from Whole Foods, with a completion date of next Spring. The units are being constructed by UrbanEvolution, Inc., which is owned by Joseph Bradford, a long-time Hill resident, and husband of local realtor Hallie Bradford. UrbanEvolution previously completed new construction or renovation projects on Carolina, Hampshire, and Mississippi streets…The community conversation about a potential San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) takeover of the old Jamba Juice and Sports Basement buildings on 17th Street continues. Last month the Potrero Hill Merchants Association voted to oppose the project, while the Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association split virtually 50-50 on whether to endorse housing SFPD’s tactical, motorcycle, bomb, and homeland security units at the site, with a new vote taken past press time. Many of those opposed were concerned about parking issues, while those in favor were anxious for a bulked-up police presence in what are now derelict buildings, which have already been subjected to significant vandalism, including the theft of most of the interior’s copper fixtures. While the San Francisco Department of Real Estate has pledged that police parking wouldn’t be allowed along 17th Street, doubts remain about whether a block-long building full of blue would add much to the neighborhood…Development plans for Daggett Place continue to evolve, with the mixed-use project now proposed for upwards of 400 housing units and an array of retail and office spaces, all packed into 65-foot structures. Particularly notable is the healthy slice of green space built into the project. Now is the time to opine about the project’s scope and scale, as well as the best uses for the public space, including whether it should include playgrounds, water features, or public art.
New Deal You know it’s bad when you’re stopped on the corner of 17th and Kansas streets by a teenage boy, accompanied by his mother and younger sister, a small bulging bag at their feet, who wants to know where to sell some copper, which may have been taken from the Jamba Juice/Sports Basement buildings…Much of neighborhood’s most notable public landscape – including Jackson Park, Potrero Hill Playground, Daniel Webster Elementary School’s auditorium, Buena Vista Elementary School, and Starr King Elementary School – was constructed as a result of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, which is celebrating its 75th birthday this year. The Civilian Conservation Corps, Public Works Administration, and Works Progress Administration (WPA) were all New Deal creations which helped lift the country out of the Great Depression. In addition to our local parks and schools, San Francisco General Hospital, the Bay Bridge, Beach Chalet, Cow Palace, and the Coit Tower murals were all WPA projects. Given current hard economic times, maybe it’s time for a new new deal, instead of more bailouts for rich investors who should have known better….
New Muni Lines The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has issued a revised Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP) proposal. The previous proposal was somewhat changed based on public comments; in Potrero Hill the 9 and 9L are now slated to have combined service every five minutes, with the 9L featuring a limited stop service north of 24th and Potrero to Market Street. The 19 will continue to run through Potrero from San Francisco General Hospital to North Point in the Marina, while the 22 will be re-routed. If you’re still not happy tell the SFMTA board about it; they’ll be considering the proposal at their September 16, 2 p.m. meeting. Information about the TEP can be found at www.sftep.com.
No New Power Plants Last month the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 11 to zero to send the controversial plan to build a new City-owned power plant in Dogpatch back to the Government Audits and Oversight Committee. The action likely kills the proposal, though power plants, existing or imagined, often seem to find a way to claw back to life. It’s now up to the powers that be to create an effective energy plan that relies on a diverse set of energy management and small-scale generation and storage programs to get us to the future we want.
Cleaning Up Last month a couple hundred volunteers showed up to help clean the grounds around the San Francisco Housing Authority’s (SFHA) Potrero Hill Annex and Terrace complexes. The event, which takes place roughly twice a year, especially when dry brush presents a fire hazard, was sponsored by the SFPD, Turner Construction, and Walgreen’s, among others. After spending a few hard hours picking up trash among the weeds some volunteers noticed that the area had no public garbage receptacles. Perhaps the SFHA can set up a few industrial-sized containers in the area, so that recyclable waste can be separated from compostables and just plan trash, thereby lowering the burden on future clean-up efforts.
Going to the Dog Last month the social network website for dog lovers Dogster, Inc. – which is located on the second floor of the Pioneer Square building next door to Anchor Steam Brewery – partnered with CBS Corporation to push the network’s new show, Greatest American Dog. CBS placed ads on Dogster.com that state “you’re going to sit, roll over, and beg for more in the search to find the greatest American dog,” and Dogster has created profiles for the show’s contestants. Greatest American Dog is hosted by Jarod Miller, and features 12 competitors. The winner will receive roughly $250,000. That’s a lot of bones!
Blowing Smoke The campaign season has barely begun, but the Stop the Blank Check coalition, a.k.a. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), is already blanketing mail boxes with flyers opposing yet another ballot initiative that contemplates a takeover of the utility’s San Francisco electric distribution system. The flyer – does anyone trust what’s printed in a campaign flyer sent by a faceless corporation – asserts that the initiative, which doesn’t actually require municipalization, would cost $4 billion, without providing any supporting evidence to back-up that claim. One thing’s clear: PG&E is going to fight like a cornered raccoon to stop this one.
Official Nonsense News that airlines may soon allow their passengers to use cell phones in flight illuminates the lies we’ve been told over the past few decades. It turns out that the devices don’t interfere with the plane’s electronics (but then again, we knew that). Place this bit of news along side information about where your flotation device is; has a floaty ever been actually used in a water crash? It might be better if they stowed parachutes under the seat, or bottles of Xanax. That said, do know where the emergency exits are, and keep those seat belts fastened; they’re an effective prophylactic against being thrown around as a result of turbulence. |
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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