Category Archives: Uncategorized

Although I’ve always supported the Central Subway project, which isn’t really a very popular position among progressives in this town, it does occasionally try my patience.

When we carved out the area known as Western SoMa for our community-based planning process, we avoided the 4th Street corridor where the new rail line will run. The street is already developing all by itself as a neighborhood-serving commercial corridor and the addition of enhanced public transit seemed like a logical extension of reality-based planning.

Then the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development intervened, arguing that “we’re not gonna spend a billon dollars for this boondoggle without getting more bang for our buck.” Thus was born the Central Corridor planning process.  Continue reading →

From Kimberly Ng, South of Market Employment Center: Mission Hiring Hall/South of Market Employment Center is holding a job fair on Thursday, January 26, 2012 in the City View Room at the Westfield Metreon. The job fair will run from 12:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. and will feature employers from the retail, hotel/hospitality, and security industries. This job fair is sponsored by Westfield.  Continue reading →

The organizers announced a date change for next year’s Folsom Street Fair, marking the first time since 1992 that the event will not take place on the last weekend in September. In 2012, the fair will be pushed up one week from its regular date to Sunday, September 23 in order to avoid a scheduling conflict with Oracle Open World.   Continue reading →

“That is not to say there isn’t real and positive potential to expand the City’s emerging technology economy substantially in the Central Corridor. But it is vital that you and the Department keep in mind the reason that the technology industry first located in SOMA during the 1990’s was because it was very different from Downtown. And still is today.”

(excerpt from John Elberling’s letter to Planning Director)

Continue reading →

Senior planner Paul Lord, the Planning Department’s Western SoMa Task Force representative, and the Treasure Island planning team, have been recognized by the American Planning Association for their innovative use of an evaluation metric known as the Healthy Development Measurement Tool, which inserts health considerations into land-use proposals. Continue reading →

The W Hotel shot off a letter to the Department of Public Works opposing the closing of a little SoMa alley as the expansion of the Museum of Modern Art prepares to argue its case before the Land Use Committee of the Board of Supervisors. Recent objections to the relocation of a fire station failed to deter the Planning Commission from supporting the project. The San Francisco Examiner traces the bumpy road traveled by the Yerba Buena Gardens institution in an article titled  “W Hotel gives MOMA expansion a bad review.”

The DNA Lounge will be hosting a pre-application meeting on Tuesday, September 13, 2001 for neighbors any any other interested individuals so that they can describe their plans for a lot merger. They recently purchased the space next door and have rebranded it as DNA Pizza. The pre-app meeting will take place in the pizza parlor at 6:30 p.m. Continue reading →

All the posts from the original SoMa Leadership Council website have been moved to this new site but the readers’ comments did not transfer with them. They are archived below with links to the appropriate posts. This new WordPress site should have fewer quirks and load faster and it has the potential for a lot more features. Post away! Continue reading →