Potrero Hill Neighborhood House
953 De Haro St. (at Southern Heights)
6:45 PM Social
7:00 PM Business Meeting
7:40 PM Election of Officers for 2004-2005
7:45 PM Emergency action: Intervention in Combustion Turbine Siting
8:00 PM Break
8:10 PM Build, Inc. Esprit Building development
9:00 PM Adjourn
by Tony Kelly
Our thoughts and prayers this month go to the family of SFPD Officer Isaac Espinoza, and the families of all those affected by the violence in the Bayview in the past weeks. Captain Rick Bruce of Bayview Station writes:
“I want to thank the community for all of the support you have shown in the past few days for our Bayview officers. I have shared your thoughts with them. At times like these, the younger officers often feel abandoned by the community, and I have been forwarding your messages of support to them.
“A trust fund for Isaac's daughter Isabella has been established at the San Francisco Police Credit Union, 2550 Irving Street, SF, 94122. The account number is1360436S5.
“The SFPD is already being criticized for solving this murder, since we have not solved any of the other 2004 homicides. This case was solved (as most are) by community tips. It was also solved because the suspect panicked after the shooting, knowing that he had left one victim alive, and knowing also, that the victim (officer) would testify against him. This is the difference between this murder, and every other murder which has occurred in this district this year. A witness is willing to testify in open court against the murderer. We have got to get to the point where other witnesses are willing to make that same commitment.”
The Annual Booster Dinner May 25
The annual Booster Dinner, the most social Booster meeting of the year, is all set! Tuesday night, May 25 at 6 pm, is the date and time, and we’ll be sharing a great meal with our neighbors and friends at the Sunset Scavenger banquet room, at their headquarters on Seventh Street near King Street. This is always a fun event, where we install the new year’s Executive Committee quickly and efficiently, and recognize some of the hardest working among us for what they do in our community; it’s a great chance to bring a neighbor and show them what the Boosters are all about! For tickets, mail your check today to Potrero Boosters Annual Dinner, 1459 18th St. #133, San Francisco, CA 94107, or visit our website: potreroboosters.org. Write the number of reservations requested on your check and include a note with dinner choice (beef or vegetarian pasta). This is a full catered dinner with wine. Tickets are $35 per person in advance. Your ticket will be held at the door.
An Important Membership Note
You may (or may not) have noticed that your membership expiration date (noted on your address label) says December 04, whether you sent in your dues renewal in November or February. Why is that? Because it's MUCH easier for us to keep track of all of our members with one annual membership, from January to December. Trying to maintain separate anniversary dates for every member was simply a growing nightmare in terms of database management and membership renewals. So, as part of last year's revision of the Booster bylaws, we established ALL memberships on a calendar year basis. Under the new system, all members have the same anniversary date of January 1, with renewals and new-membership drives happening in the fall of each year for the following year.
So, what does this mean for current and renewing members?
If you haven't renewed yet, renewing will establish your membership through December 2004. If you have renewed anytime after October 1 of 2003, your membership is good through December 2004, with 2005 dues payable at the end of this year. No member should have to write more than one dues check to the Boosters per year if you feel you're being double-billed or mistreated in any way, contact me or anyone on the Executive Committee and we'll make sure your membership is taken care of.
Doing Public Power Right
At this month's meeting, the Executive Committee of the Boosters voted unanimously to intervene in the City's process of siting its four new combustion turbines three of which the City plans to install at the Potrero Power Station at 23rd and Illinois Streets. The siting of the fourth combustion turbine is crucially important in terms of immediately shutting down the dirty Hunters Point power plant and eventually mothballing the dirty Potrero Unit 7 plant, and so we wish to support the Potrero Power Plant Task Force and our previous actions as interveners on this issue. For a full update on the combustion turbines and a discussion and vote on the emergency action taken this month, come to our meeting next Tuesday night!
Support Maxwell Middle School!
Enola D. Maxwell Middle School of the Arts is marking National Dance Week with a major fundraiser to support their dance program on Thursday, April 29. The Spring Dance Festival features performances by Huckabay McAllister Dance, the Passion Flower Project, other community dance companies, the Metronome Ballroom, and students from School of the Arts and Maxwell Middle School; and there's an open house in conjunction with National Dance Week. It all starts at 6 pm, with the performance at 7 pm, and at $10, it's a cheap and easy way to support the school! For questions, more information or to purchase tickets, call Jeanne Bott at 695-5905, or go back to middle school on Thursday the 29th!
Check Out the Trees of Potrero Hill
Author Mike Sullivan writes to let us know about his recently published book:
“It's called 'Trees of San Francisco,' and there were so many great Potrero Hill trees that I mentioned and photographed in the book, that I actually created a neighborhood tour for Potrero that is in the book.” The book is available at Christopher's and other places around the City, and if you'd like more information about it, there's a website to visit: store.yahoo.com/pomegranate/a709.htm.”
And, Executive Committee Nominations
The following folks are candidates for the Boosters Executive Committee for 2004-2005:
We'll have a brief election as part of our business meeting on Tuesday April 27.
Thanks for helping us continue to make the Hill a better place to live!
Compiled by Dick Millet
BLDG PERMIT APPLICATION #2003.12242987: 228 CONNECTICUT / Mariposa Sts. Proposed rear and 3rd floor addition to existing single family home in an RH-3, 40-X zone. Contact: Winslow Hastie, Planner, ph: 5558-6381.
BLDG PERMIT APPLICATION #2004.02206888: 670 PENNSYLVANIA / 20th Sts. Proposed to add a 2nd basement level unit without a parking spaces to an existing single family house in an RH-2, 40-X zone. Parking subject o granted variance. Contact: Ben Fu, Planner, ph: 558-6613.
BLDG PERMIT APPLICATION #2004.02106006: 341 ARKANSAS/18th Sts. Proposed alteration and 3rd & 4th floor addition and add 2nd parking space and 2nd unit to an existing single family house in an RH-2, 40X zone. Building height to be 40 feet. Contact: Kate McGee, Planner, ph: 558-6367.
DISCRETIONARY REVIEW HEARING: Case #2003.1267D 952 DEHARO / Southern Heights Sts. Propose to construct a 2nd 33ft high unit on the front 33ft of a 58ft front yard w/2 parking spaces below the unit. 25 ft of open space will remain btwn front & rear units. Converts lot use to 2 units in an RH-2, 40-X zone. Hearing date is Th, 22 Apr at Rm 400 City Hall. Contact: Mat Snyder, Planner, ph: 575-6891.
APPEAL of NEGATIVE DECLARATION of the HOUSING ELEMENT: The controversy is that the H.E. proposes a half-mile wide density increase along transit corridors and will reduce to nil the required parking for these added units. Appellants claim that an Environmental Impact should be required. A Planning Commission public hearing is rescheduled for 1:30pm, Thurs. April 13th at City Hall, Rm 400. Call: 558-6422 for last minute agenda updates.
ADDENDUM TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (EIR): Case #1998.714# 350 RHODE ISLAND / Kansas Sts. (SKS Investments). The certified EIR (Dec ‘99) was for a 4-story office bldg with 3,000 sq ft ground floor commercial space and parking. Proposed REVISIONS converts a portion of office to institutional for use by the CALIFORNIA CULINARY ACADEMY (cooking school) expansion of the Polk St use. Contact: Paul Lord. Ph: 558-5977.