Monthly Archives: November 2012

November 20, 2012 · 2:21 pm

Western SoMa Plan faces little opposition as it moves towards December 6 adoption hearing

More neighbors – fewer land use attorneys – participated in helping to create the Western SoMa Community Plan at one of three Town Hall meetings held at Bessie Carmichael School

Following two informational hearings before the Planning Commission, the Western SoMa Community Plan moves relatively unscathed towards its December 6 adoption hearing. Following that Planning Commission action, the Plan will still require approval by the Board of Supervisors and the signature of the Mayor. If all goes well, the Plan could go into effect early next year.  Continue reading →

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Filed under meetings, planning, politics

· 1:59 pm

Warriors arena compromise with some positive outcomes for neighbors

Published on November 14, 2012 by jamiewhitaker

The Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance Committee heard the group of CAC members and those neighbors who emailed and asked that the CAC be able to do its job and get a chance to review important details prior to the Board of Supes. Our Supervisor Jane Kim amended today’s resolution to require that the CAC have at least 2 meetings about the final term sheet and provide a written report of advice to the Board of Supervisors before the BOS can approve it this spring. Read more →

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Filed under entertainment, events, planning

November 18, 2012 · 2:09 pm

SF Eagle anticipates reopening before year’s end

New Eagle owners Alex Montiel and Mike Leon discussed their plans for the landmark gay bar at a meeting last Thursday night organized by Folsom Street Events. Despite inheriting a throughly trashed facility and facing the usual difficulties dealing with the city’s building code bureaucracy, they’re hoping to be in business before the New Years holiday weekend.  Continue reading →

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· 1:31 pm

Livable City: With Smarter Land Use, SFCTA Could Avert “Total Gridlock”

by AARON BIALICK
sf.streetsblog.org

San Francisco’s South of Market district will be crippled by gridlock within a generation unless the city makes major improvements to its transit, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure and implements policies that entice commuters to travel by means other than driving. That’s according to planners from the SF County Transportation Authority who aim to avert such a scenario by implementing a long-range transportation blueprint over the next 25 years [PDF]. But the blueprint misses some major opportunities to pursue transit-oriented growth, say advocates. In effect, they argue, planners are making it much harder to avoid a traffic-choked future than it has to be. Read more →

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November 11, 2012 · 9:23 pm

Kim ponders radical realignment of 11th Street neighbor/nightclub zoning

More nightclubs?

To hear tell, business would be booming and we’d all be dancing in the streets if it were not for “the purple building” and “that lady on Norfolk alley who keeps complaining.” Such is the state of denial the California Music and Culture Association (CMAC) lives in as they plot to foment another war between neighbors and nightclubs in South of Market.

The purple building represents the threat of new development adjacent to existing nightclubs and the Norfolk neighbor has been driving the club owners crazy because she keeps asking the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to enforce the law.  Continue reading →

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Filed under entertainment, meetings, planning, politics, quality of life

November 5, 2012 · 11:43 am

Voters guide 2012

It’s a little arrogant to be telling people how to vote but if you haven’t read all the material and you’re running out of time, when you pick up your ballot tomorrow you’re going to find a confusing array of ballot measures and candidates. You probably know my politics by now – essentially, I’m a Minnesota liberal – so if you want to vote a practical progressive slate, here are my recommendations:  Continue reading →

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Filed under politics

November 2, 2012 · 10:50 am

Fair Play for SoMa – Why I Voted No on Prop B

Published on Nov. 1, 2012 by jamiewhitaker

I want to share with SoMa neighbors why I believe Proposition B, the parks bond, is a bad deal for SoMa and perpetuates the exploitation and neglect of SoMa residents. We should ask for a more equitable parks bond in 2013 or 2014 and refuse to accept Prop B in 2012.

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Filed under community services, economics, politics