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Rasputin Records closed its Haight Street store in November.  Within less than a month, Flamingo Vintage, a by-the-pound vintage clothing retailer, had moved in and was ready to open.  But Flamingo Vintage operates nearly two dozen stores in Europe, is expanding into Asia, and also operates stores in New York, Austin, Los Angeles, Houston, and Miami.  San Francisco planning laws consider a chain with 11 or more locations globally to be formula retail, with a requirement to apply for and obtain a conditional use permit before opening.

Flamingo Vintage failed to apply for a conditional use permit, and thus could not open in December, as planned.  During its December 19 meeting, the HANC Board voted to insist that all formula retail businesses in the Haight Ashbury must go through the conditional use process, and that HANC will not oppose Flamingo Vintage’s conditional use.

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By Karen Fishkin, HANC Board Member

“The San Francisco Public Library recently made major changes in its core borrowing procedures that adversely affects the most vulnerable patron population:  seniors, low-income and disabled library users.  In mid-September, without any prior notice, the S.F. Library eliminated mailed notices, which let borrowers know when library materials they have requested are available for pickup at branches.  These notices greatly facilitate and encourage borrowing of library materials.  Without them it is all but impossible for thousands of library users who do not have internet access to use to library’s vast collection.”

The paragraph above is a quote from the letter that was sent to the SF Library Commission (and to the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors) by the California Alliance for Retired Americans in November.  (Editor’s note:  the full letter was published in the Richmond Review and can be found at https://sfrichmondreview.com/2019/12/02/12382/)

It is estimated that in San Francisco 138,000 residents do not have Internet access.  The Library should be serving all San Franciscans.

The HANC Board finds both the process and outcome of this new process to be problematic, and so the Board voted unanimously to support the following motion. 

            “Library card holders without computers and/or Internet access must be physically contacted with mailed notices.”

The March, 2020 election will soon be upon us.  Early voting begins February 3.  In addition to the Presidential primary, there will be contests for U.S. Representative, State Senate, State Assembly, County Central Committee, one State proposition, and five local propositions.  HANC will discuss the election in our February meeting.

HANC supports San Francisco Proposition E and has written an argument in support of it, which will appear in the Voter Information Guide.  Proposition E  would tie the limit on the  construction of new large office projects in San Francisco to the City’s affordable housing production.  If the City falls short in meeting its Affordable Housing goals, then the limit on large office projects would go down by the same percentage.

Here is the argument HANC submitted:

The Board of the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council strongly urges a Yes vote on E.

The unprecedented growth of the commercial office sector has overwhelmed the City's housing stock even though some 77,000 units have been approved in recent years. Investment in commercial real-estate yields more profit than investment in residential real estate, especially after the Trump tax cuts for office developers.  This "market reality" demands local regulation which links commercial office development to the production of truly affordable housing  Preposition E is that needed  linkage. 

By Calvin Welch, HANC Board Member

Jen Snyder, Dean Preston’s campaign manager (and now Legislative Aide), and Jim Stearns, Chesa Boudin's campaign consultant, joined HANC’s Anniversary general membership meeting in presenting an "inside look" into both campaigns.  Calvin Welch also presented "How the Haight Voted".

One of the interesting insights of the evening was presented by Stearns who pointed out that Preston actually finished the voting day AHEAD of Brown by some 31 votes (11,239 to 11,208) before the ranked choice count due to the fact that some 200 D5 voters cast no first place votes but cast votes only for second place. Preston out polled Brown in those Election Day "second votes” 120 to 37.  Stearns also stated that "Chesa did not win the ranked choice votes, he SURVIVED it" in that the majority of second place votes went to Loftus, once again showing how ranked choice voting tends to favor "moderate" candidates for the simple reason that there are usually more such candidates than left/progressives candidates.

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