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ELECTION OF OFFICERS: The Sunset Heights Association (SHARP) will elect officers and board members on November 16 at 7 PM at Jeremy Friedlander’s home at 1600 8th Avenue. We will also have a presentation, perhaps on the topic of earthquake preparedness or the history of the Sunset. Please put it in your calendar and come participate!

CITY ELECTIONS NEXT TUESDAY: City elections will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 3rd for City Attorney and Treasurer. Five measures are also on the ballot, including reform of the City’s budget process; Candlestick naming rights and funds for recreational programs and parks; flexible funding and staffing for the Board of Supervisors aides; funding for the arts from a special Mid-Market sign district; and bans on rain shelters and kiosks funded by outdoor advertising. You can either vote or let someone else make the decisions!

MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER MEETING. The meeting was held at Jeremy Friedlander’s home. We had an outstanding presentation on two pending roadway construction projects in or near our area by Ha Tham-Nguyen of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and some of her staff on two projects that will greatly affect traffic movements. The first four are Muni track rebuilding projects on 19th Avenue at Judah and Taraval, and Sunset Boulevard at Judah and Taraval. The extent of the work at all four intersections will require temporary closure of one direction of 19th Avenue and Sunset Boulevard for several weekends. During these closures, traffic will be detoured to parallel streets such as 18th Avenue and 20th Avenue in a “jug-handle” movement with police officers at all intersections.

The second project is reconstruction of that bone-rattling intersection at St. Francis Circle. This project requires several stages of traffic control, each of which will make you drive with care. But the finished product will make you feel the inconvenience was worth while.

I assume that the times for the start of the projects and the detours will be announced in local newspapers. My personal recommendation is to avoid traveling on 19th Avenue for the duration of the project, especially on days when the detours are being used. The same goes for St. Francis Circle with the detours being a bit more complicated.

As I reported previously, all major street renovation is on hold. That bond issue to pay for a lot of it was removed from the ballot by among other legislators our Supervisor Elsbernd. He stated that street repair should not be paid for out of the General Fund.

There was also a presentation by a representative of SPUR, San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Organization. SPUR is a sort of watchdog for the citizens of SF, keeping watch on new issues. To date SPUR has been involved in virtually every major planning decision in the City, in effect representing its citizens. SPUR is especially proud of its new Urban Center, located at 654 Mission Street. The speaker invited us to visit the Center and see first-hand what SPUR is doing to make San Francisco better. While you’re there I suggest you pick up a copy of the Special Edition of SPUR’s publication Urbanist titled “Secrets of San Francisco.” This issue lists, locates and briefly describes the 68 “POPOS”
(Privately Owned Public Open Spaces) in downtown San Francisco. Some of these are garden gems; some have eating facilities.

U.S. SENATOR BOXER. In her October 9 Newsletter Senator Boxer writes that our District Attorney’s Office will receive federal funding of over $1 million to create a program to prosecute and reduce mortgage and investment fraud, and improve local housing conditions. It seems that long after major improvements were to take place in the home finance market, the rascals are still at work and foreclosures continue on one hand while other rascals make false promises to get money from distressed homeowners and make them more distressed.

ASSEMBLYWOMAN MA. In her September 28th newsletter, Assemblywoman Ma addresses the continuing problem of the State’s water supply and its effect on one of the State’s primary industries: agriculture. In a tour of three Central California counties she saw many acres of untilled land, representing a loss of both employment and tax revenue. She makes the observation that our water supply system was built for a population of 18 million people but our population is approaching 40 million. A recent article in the Chronicle warned that water rationing may come to San Francisco sooner than we think. Meanwhile, have you heard anything of proposals to ban personal swimming pools, especially in Southern California?

STATE SENATOR LELAND YEE. In his October 2009 newsletter Senator Yee outlines the 14 bills that he moved through the Legislature. He continues his efforts to improve transparency and accountability of the actions of the University of California and California State University systems. Recent demonstrations at the Berkeley campus of UC clearly indicate the need for legislation to control these two educational systems.

SUPERVISOR ELSBERND. In his October 16th report the supervisor expresses his support of saving the Sharp Park Golf Course. Environmentalists desire to return the course to open space.

LOCAL HAPPENINGS. Our new building is coming along nicely. As of October 23 interior sheet rocking was well under way and exterior stucco and painting was also under way. For a dated record of progress of the building go to http://www.sharpsf.com and click on SHARP building. Our building committee has taken a series of both great exterior and interior photographs. Building completion is expected in early 2010 and soon we’ll have a new meeting place!

For those who live in it's vicinity like me, you may wonder what happened to the published demolition of the grocery building at 9th and Moraga. I checked with the Planning Department and discovered that the planned demolition is on hold due to some protests. Why protest the demolition of that eyesore? It seems that some of our neighbors, led by Micky Powell, operator of the Star Dance Studio, decided to mount a movement to protest the replacement of the vacant grocery building with an apartment building on the basis of claims that (a) the new building would too tall and (b) the existing angled parking, which exists now because of the grocery store, would be removed. The action to be taken is a discretionary review of the project, with emphasis on the above two items.

In the event you wish to get involved, here is a copy of the letter sent out to certain of our neighbors by the lady most involved in the movement, Micky Powell of Star Dance Studio:

From: Micky Powell <micky@stardancestudio.net>
Subject: We have a hearing date, plus....
To: "Sunset Neighbors" <micky@stardancestudio.net>, "Micky Powell" <micky@stardancestudio.net>
Date: Monday, October 26, 2009, 1:44 PM
Dear Sunset neighbors,

Good news! Our application has been accepted, and a hearing date is set for Thursday, December 3, 1:30 PM at City Hall. You should be receiving, in the mail, a formal notice about the hearing along with an invitation to attend.

Our original application has been amended to include more about parking and the impact of losing 14-23 parking spaces in our neighborhood – along with suggestions for alternative parking. I’ve attached the complete amended application, except for the neighborhood photos.…. Thanks again to Elisa B for her expertise and talent in writing this up for us.

The meeting at City Hall is to discuss the discretionary review. SHARP has taken no position on this matter, and we do not guarantee the accuracy of any claims by Star Dance Studio. For more information, contact the Planning Department at jim.mccormick@sfgov.org or call 558-6377.

Editor’s Note: If you have any information or thoughts you would like included in the newsletter please mail or e-mail it to me at this address:

Vern Waight, Editor, Phone: (415) 564-7760,
Email: vernatsf@aol.com
Address: 1711 10th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94122-4625

The Sunset Heights Association of Responsible People (SHARP) is a 100+ year old neighborhood organization open to anyone who lives or works in the area bounded by Lincoln Blvd, 7th Ave-Laguna Honda, Dewey-Taraval, and 19th Avenue. We are a member-supported organization devoted to neighborhood improvement, with dues set at $10 per person annually. Please renew your membership for 2009 and 2010 or join us by filling out and returning the coupon below.

Mail Coupon to: SHARP, 1661 7th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94122
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October 2009

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