We live in a spectacular city. Many of the gifts we enjoy come naturally: topography that creates fantastic coastal views; mild weather; diverse geographies. Others are human made: dynamic, delicious, and abundant food, music, art, theater and cultural scenes. We’re sufficiently wealthy to support more than $10 billion in annual municipal expenditures without much trouble,…
Three years ago, the View reported on the health risks nail products pose to salon workers in the United States, in “Nail Salon Industry Slow to Clip Health Hazards,” July, 2015. Since then, hundreds of salons throughout California have improved their health and safety standards. Known as the “toxic trio,” three chemicals commonly found in…
A controversial State Senate bill, which called for circumventing local land use controls as a means to accelerate housing development, failed to make it through the State Transportation and Housing Committee last month. The legislation is dead this year. Its author, Senator Scott Wiener (D), indicated he’ll introduce a revised proposal in 2019. Senate Bill…
District 5 Supervisor, London Breed, is hoping to complete a narrative in which she rises from a childhood in public housing to Room 200 of City Hall as San Francisco’s next mayor. The 43-year old Breed is one of eight candidates vying to win the June 5 mayoral election. At an editorial board meeting held…
With San Francisco’s special mayoral election to be held June 5, candidates have been running campaigns that focus on differences that set them apart from their rivals. Angela Alioto, a civil rights attorney, former member and president of the Board of Supervisors, distinguishes her candidacy by highlighting her deep City roots. “People know my words…
Whether related to demands for affordable housing, better aesthetics, or wider sidewalks, citizen input is an integral part of San Francisco’s building process. While participation slows the pace of development, civic advocates insist that community-molded modifications improves projects. The argument over whether community input is critical to a better built environment or a blunt expression…
In his recent “State of the City” speech, Los Angeles mayor, Eric Garrett, stated that “homelessness isn’t an issue, homelessness is the issue.” Candidates to become San Francisco’s next mayor appear to agree. Frontrunners London Breed and Mark Leno have each offered comprehensive plans to end homelessness. Jane Kim has identified a framework with which…
Last month, District 10 residents cast votes to decide how to spend $250,000 to improve their neighborhoods. Proposals were compiled by residents at three brainstorming sessions held in 2017 and submitted online as part of a Participatory Budgeting initiative. Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process in which locals identify and vote on community projects for…
This month, concrete pours and site deliveries will limit street parking near the 1601 Mariposa Street development site. Related California’s construction contractor, Nibbi Brothers, is in the process of installing foundation elements and underground plumbing, as well as concrete floors, walls, columns, and elevated decks. In addition, demolition of the existing concrete wall on 18th…
Over the past three years, the View has reported on The Good Life Grocery’s efforts to comply with the State’s “Bottle Bill,” the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act, or CalRecycle, passed in 1986. Kayren Hudiburgh, co-owner of the store, which has locations on 20th Street and in Bernal Heights, thought the state…
Jackson Playground would be radically altered under a proposed redesign plan. The historic clubhouse would be moved from Mariposa to 17th Street, adjacent to a new community center featuring rooftop tennis courts. The athletic fields would be modified to create a variety of subdivided space, including picnic areas and a batting cage. Friends of Jackson…
Its members are sharp, insistent, and affiliated with one of the City and County of San Francisco’s oldest and most powerful citizens’ advocacy groups: the Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association. Founded in 1926, the organization had its genesis in an entity created at least two decades earlier: the Potrero Commercial and Manufacturers’ Association (PCMA). According to an article…
In January, the California College of the Arts submitted a revised Institutional Master Plan to the Planning Commission under which its Oakland and San Francisco properties would be consolidated into a unified campus located in Showplace Square, on Eighth Street. According to Gina Simi, Planning Department communications manager, the Plan’s environmental review, Transportation Impact Study…
Born in the quiet rural area of the Sutter Buttes, raised on a farm with a plethora of animals, Jami the cat was destined for bigger things. He lost his way one day – perhaps he jumped in the back of a hay bale delivery truck – and ended up at my parent’s ranch, looking…
This May marks the 60th annual Potrero Hill Artists’ Exhibition, at the Potrero Branch Library. This non-juried show features 78 artists who live, work or study on the Hill and in Dogpatch. The exhibition is purportedly San Francisco’s oldest annual art show. It began in 1955, and has been held every year since, with…
About fifteen years ago, parishioner Betsy Porter began teaching an iconography class at St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church, located on De Haro Street. Iconographers create Christian art based on an ancient Byzantine style, sometimes referred to as the “Gospel in color.” Porter had been a congregant for a couple of years and wanted to…
Forty-eight years ago, a group of Potrero Hill residents – artists, labor union activists, peaceniks – published Hills and Dales, a fledgling newsletter to inform neighbors about goings-on, and possibly even influence local politics. The mimeographed missive soon morphed into The Potrero View, the newspaper you’re holding in your hand or reading on a screen.…
In the wake of Mayor Ed Lee’s unexpected passing in December, a special mayoral election will be held on June 5, with the winner occupying the post until 2020. One of the frontrunners, Mark Leno, served two terms in the State Senate, from 2008 until 2016, representing the 3rd and 11th Districts, was a State…
Green Benefit District is a quasi-government organization directed by a board of elected Dogpatch and Northwest Potrero Hill residents to help maintain and expand the area’s parks and greenery. The organization was formed in 2015, after securing 76 percent of property owner votes in the district. GBD’s 15 directors – including a president, vice president,…
Last fall, the late Mayor Ed Lee announced that this winter San Francisco would help an additional 1,000 homeless people secure shelter. However, according to Jeff Kositsky, head of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, as of last month only about one-fifth of the hoped-for extra spots in the City had been created. Kositsky…
Last month, the San Francisco Planning Department released a final version of the Central Waterfront Public Realm Plan, reflecting an 18-month effort to synthesize municipal and neighborhood land use aspirations into one guiding document. The plan takes a comprehensive look at the waterfront and Dogpatch east of Pennsylvania Street and north to south from Mariposa…
In January, Bauman Landscape and Construction, Inc., a contractor for the Department of Public Works (DPW), began work on the “22nd Street Green Connection” project, a collection of improvements intended to enhance pedestrian traffic in the area. The undertaking is expected to be completed by the end of this summer. The work currently focuses on…
Enlarging Islais Creek by 300 acres, moving the Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant to the waterfront, and turning Interstate-280 into a pedestrian sky park are among the ideas being considered by a team of urban planners, architects and ecologists studying ways to adjust to potentially rising sea levels. Islais Creek is one of 10 Bay Area…
A showroom and retail building located at 300 Kansas Street, on Potrero Hill’s northern end, may be transformed into a modern structure, if a preliminary proposal moves forward. Developer Group i recently submitted an application to the Planning Department that proposes to demolish the existing production, design, and repair building and construct a new six-story…
Potrero Hill Coin Laundry went out of business last fall, ending 18 years of laundromat service. Its departure from a central location in the neighborhood, at 1310 18th Street, leaves a void for community members who lack access to machines at home, and don’t have the funds to pay for more expensive services. Although the…