Art Agnos, San Francisco’s 39th Mayor, and Tim Redmond, former editor of the San Francisco Bay Guardian, came to HANC’s October general meeting to explain why they oppose Propositions B and C.

Proposition B would create a special use district comprised of solely the proposed 8 Washington project, based on the developer’s plans for the project. Proposition C is a referendum, asking the voters whether they approve an ordinance passed by the Board of Supervisors which raised the height limits in the project area from 84 feet to 92 feet for part of the project, and to 136 feet for another part of the project.

Former Mayor Agnos was a proponent of demolishing the 50-foot Embarcadero Freeway, to open up the Waterfront to public access and views. He believes that he lost his re-election bid because the freeway was torn down with his advocacy while he was Mayor. The 8 Washington project would add more than 50 feet (the height of the Embarcadero Freeway) to the current height limit, and would be just the first step in building a “Wall on the Waterfront.” If Proposition B or C passes, it would be a signal to our developer-friendly Planning Commission that it is acceptable to grant exemptions to voter-approved height limits for more projects along the Embarcadero and elsewhere in the City. There are additional reasons for opposing the project. Two-thirds of the open space promised by the developers would be private and not open to the general public. The promised payment to the affordable housing fund (paid after the units are sold) is a pittance compared to the more than half a billion dollars in revenue the project will generate. Former Mayor Agnos invited the audience discuss the proposed Warriors development with him after the election.

bette mosias-2Bette Mosias, owner of Mendel's, HANC member, friend, and neighborhood icon, passed away on Monday, October 7.  She was surrounded by family and very close friends.  We are saddened by her death but thankful that she is no longer in pain.  There will be a celebration of her life on Sunday October 13, from noon to 5 p.m. at her house in San Francisco.  Stop in at Mendel's (1556 Haight Street) by Saturday for the address (Mendel's will be closed on Sunday so the employees can attend).

Bette was never a fan of cut flowers, preferring instead that they lived on so all could enjoy their beauty. Donations to support research toward finding a cure and for supporting women who have breast cancer would be appreciated. There will be a canister for donations that will be forwarded after the celebration.

                                                           bette mosias

                                                                    

By Calvin Welch, HANC Housing and Land Use Chair

HANC's October meeting, Thursday, October 10, beginning at 7:00 pm in the Community Room, downstairs at the Park Branch Library, 1833 Page Street, will feature a discussion with Art Agnos and Tim Redmond about Propositions B and C on the November ballot.

The proposed 8 Washington development on the waterfront would build some 134 luxury condo’s (costing an average of $5m each) in a 136 foot high building on a 3.2 acre site on the northern waterfront. The project would require a 62% increase in the current 84 foot height limit. A portion of the project would be built on port land.  The development would pay some $11 m in affordable housing exactions, $4.8 m in transit “improvements” and pay the Port $3m for the land. In addition the project would receive additional public funds through a tax increment bond payment, the amount of which is unclear but is in the range of several millions of dollars. No estimate has been made as to the additional costs the project will require of various City departments but a major potential cost impact is the development's 20 million gallon a day sewer line, should it be effected by earthquake or bay level rise over time noted by a recent engineering report.

By Colleen Rivecca, HANC Board member

This is just a quick follow up to the article from September’s Voice about District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener’s proposed ordinance to establish uniform park closure hours for all of San Francisco’s 220 parks. The proposed ordinance, which is co-sponsored by District 2 Supervisor Mark Farrell, would close all parks from 12:00 midnight until 5:00 am.  Exceptions to the law are made for Balboa, Golden Gate, Lincoln, and McClaren parks, where people are allowed to use a vehicle on park roadways or to walk on paved sidewalks adjacent to those roadways for purposes of crossing the park.

The Children's Halloween Hootenanny is a free event scheduled for Saturday, October 26, 2013, 11AM until 3PM. It will take place at the Waller Street cul-de-sac at Stanyan and Waller Streets. There will be games, activities, a jumpy house, art, costume contest, a raffle, music and performances. This year’s theme is “DAY OF THE DEAD.” This is a really fun time for everyone and it is completely free. HANC is proud to be one of the sponsors as we have been in past years.

By Ed Dunn, San Francisco Community Recyclers

The fall of HANC Recycling has lead to a series of recycling center closures across the City. Up until last year, San Franciscans enjoyed access to twenty recycling locations dispersed fairly evenly across town. This was by no means accidental, because the California Bottle Bill requires that recycling centers be located near large supermarkets, which are also dispersed fairly evenly across town.

But after HANC closed, three other recycling locations were illegally shut down, and a fourth is faced with imminent eviction. The Nexcycle operation at the Fulton and Masonic Lucky’s; the Webster and Geary Safeway recycling center which was operated by Replanet; as well as a Nexcycle reverse vending machine at the Marina Safeway have all been closed. Safeway has sent San Francisco Community Recyclers (SFCR), which is the operator of the recycling center at Church and Market, an eviction notice effective October 4th.

By Richard Ivanhoe, HANC Vice President

HANC's September General meeting consisted of presentations on three separate topics: AT&T broadband boxes, MUNI's Transit Effectiveness Project, and the proposed park closure legislation.

Tedi Vriheas from AT&T discussed AT&T's plans to install refrigerator-size boxes to upgrade its broadband from DSL to fiber optics. A list of approximately 40 locations in or near the Haight Ashbury where these boxes are planned to be installed was printed in the September issue of the Voice. AT&T has already obtained approval for these boxes from the Planning Commission. There is a CEQA appeal making its way through the court system, but there has been no stay issued, and AT&T is proceeding with the installations. The boxes cannot be placed underground because 1) the boxes contain air conditioning fans, which need above-ground vents, and 2) the underground space is already used by other utlilities (water, sewer, electricity).

 

 

Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council

Tes Welborn, Treasurer

P.O. Box 170518

San Francisco, CA 94117

 

Dear Tes,

 

It is with tremendous gratitude that I write to you, acknowledging the support that the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council provided to Garden for the Environment during the time it was fiscally sponsored by HANC. We estimate the value of your support at $20,000, and we are tremendously grateful for this donation. HANC truly saved the garden when it brought us on as a fiscally sponsored project, and it gave us the support we needed to grow into a stronger organization. On behalf of our staff, and the thousands of San Francisco residents who visit the garden each year, thank you.

 

With deepest gratitude,

 

 

Blair Randall

Executive Director

Garden for the Environment

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