With negotiations to finalize the financial and real estate components of the proposed America’s Cup waterfront development plans underway, KQED public radio’s morning talk show program “Forum” dedicated an enlightening hour-long program on February 17, 2012 to the topic.
Click on the link below to visit the KQED Forum page and listen to a rebroadcast of the show and a detailed discussion of the issues:
The New York Times reports on the controversial 8 Washington Street Waterfront High-Rise Project and how its progress shows “a dramatic shift in political power is playing out on the streets of San Francisco.”
Read the full story here: A High-Rise Condo Project Signals a Change at City Hall
THD has joined together with more than a dozen neighborhood associations and community groups to fight the proposed 8 Washington Project, which would replace a recreation area with a high-rise luxury condo complex on the historic waterfront.
Neighborhood groups are urging the Port of San Francisco to significantly scale down the size of the proposed 8 Washington Project and protect the existing recreation areas and facilities. Learn more by visiting THD’s Waterfront Page
Original Joe’s In North Beach along Washington Square is now open! Read all about it here.
THD is so thrilled to welcome this authentic San Francisco family institution to the heart of our neighborhood. We encourage residents and visitors to eat (and drink) at Original Joe’s and wish the Duggan family much well-deserved success in the years to come.
Take a look at the menu here: Original Joe’s Menu
Download an electronic version of the latest edition of THD’s one and only quarterly magazine, The Semaphore, here: Issue 196, Fall 2011: Pioneer Park At 10 Years
This edition features enlightening interviews with new neighborhood business owners, a special story about Julius’ Castle, a full page photo spread about this year’s fourth annual THD ArtWalk event, a delicious review of the new Basque restaurant on Broadway, information about important issues in the neighborhood, and much more.
THD members receive a mailed copy of the Sempahore four times a year. Become a THD member right now by clicking here: http://www.thd.org/join-now/
On October 23, the S.F. Chronicle’s Sunday “Cityscapes” photoessay shined a warm spotlight on our very own Filbert Steps & Grace Marchant Gardens. Writer John King characterized them as the result of “acts of defiance” by residents over the years to create an immersive and memorable neighborhood and urban space: “This is San Francisco as rain forest, opulent and moist.”
See the photoessay here:
A 55 page report by the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury has concluded that the proposed extension of the Central Subway to Chinatown and North Beach is fraught with funding uncertainties and will lead to reduced MUNI bus service to North Beach, Telegraph Hill, and other neighborhoods.
The Civil Grand Jury report, entitled “Central Subway: Too Much Money For Too Little Benefit” echoes concerns raised by THD and many others over the last several years. Although initial construction for the project is underway, the Chronicle reports that the report comes at a “critical time” when key funding decisions have yet to be made.
The Civil Grand Jury report calls for a major redesign of the project, an independent auditor to investigate spending decisions made to-date, and new funding to first go to improving MUNI bus service on existing underserved routes. Click here to read more.
In late October, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department issued a new “Request for Proposals” outlining plans for expanded commercial operations at Coit Tower under a new concession company. Unfortunately, this document, which you can download here, made several erroneous claims.
First, the Recreation and Park Department stated in the Request for Proposals sent to potential new concessionaires that they had an “exciting business opportunity” to set up shop at Coit Tower because they would be near murals by Diego Rivera. That is not true. As an article in the Bay Citizen on December 5 stated: “In seeking a new vendor to run the San Francisco landmark, the Rec and Park Department issued a request for proposals that crows: ‘Boasting visitorship of over 200,000 annually, Coit Tower is a must‐see for all tourists, both because of its views and because of the extensive WPA‐era murals, including those by Diego Rivera, throughout the interior.’ But in spite of Rec and Park’s apparent art history revelation, which is repeated several times in the document, there are no murals by Rivera at Coit Tower. And there never have been.”
Second, an October 14 staff memorandum presented to the Recreation and Park Commission as it considered whether to approve a new Request for Proposals for a Concessionaire at Coit Tower represented to the Commission that the new RFP is “Supported By” a number of organizations including THD and the Pioneer Park Project. However, that is also not true. Read the December 1 letter from THD and the Pioneer Park Project to the Recreation and Park Commission to correct the record here.
On December 1st, the San Francisco Planning Department released the city’s final environmental study of the proposed America’s Cup race, Pier 27 Cruise Terminal, and related development projects to be built in 2012 and 2013 and beyond.
The SF Planning Commission will be holding a public hearing on these documents and consider whether to approve them on Thursday, December 15th at 12:00 noon in Room 400 at SF City Hall.
Download the Final America’s Cup/Cruise Terminal Environmental Study and read more of the SF Planning Department’s America’s Cup environmental review documents here: http://www.sf-planning.org/index.aspx?page=1828
THD has joined with over two dozen environmental and community groups as part of the America’s Cup Environmental Council to participate in the process and advocate for changes necessary to make the America’s Cup a winning event — for all of us.
Read the Environmental Council’s letter outlining concerns with the Draft Environmental Study here: Cover Letter Comment Letter
THD and a coalition of environmental and neighborhood associations are applauding a decision on November 14, 2011 by SF Superior Court Judge Harold Kahn that halts plans by AT&T to install 726 refrigerator-sized utility boxes on public sidewalks in San Francisco without first conducting a substantive environmental review of the project’s impacts.
A battle at City Hall earlier this year resulted in a narrow approval of the AT&T plan despite overwhelming citizen and expert testimony demonstrating that state environmental laws require a study of the project’s potential impacts on public space, pedestrian safety, and aesthetics.
But San Francisco Beautiful, a nonprofit group fighting to preserve The City’s natural beauty, joined forces with San Francisco Tomorrow, the Dogpatch Neighborhood Association, the Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association and the Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association to file suit arguing that an environmental impact review must be conducted before the boxes could be considered for installation.
Judge Kahn agreed and issued a strongly worded order putting a stop to the AT&T project, subject to further notice. Read the court’s order here.
Telegraph Hill Dwellers Art & Culture Committee Presents: The 4th Annual North Beach ArtWalk
A free annual weekend of art, poetry, music and performance showcased in a wide variety of eclectic North Beach venues. From 11:00 am – 5:00 pm on Saturday, Sept. 24th & Sunday, Sept. 25th, 2011.
Download the 2011 North Beach ArtWalk map here to guide your personal “art walk” around the neighborhood. See you at the ArtWalk!
