Potrero Hill Neighborhood House
953 De Haro St. (at Southern Heights)
6:45 PM Social
7:00 PM Business Meeting
Introductions and welcome to new members
Police Report
Coalition of SF Neighborhoods Report
Neighborhood concerns
7:45 PM RAM Development - Minnesota Street project
8:20 PM Build, Inc. Esprit Building development
9:00 PM Adjourn
by Tony Kelly, President
The Annual Booster Dinner A Big Success
Many, many Booster thanks to Vice President Dick Millet and to Golden Gate Disposal for organizing and hosting the annual Booster Dinner May 25! The banquet room and the meal got universal raves, and just about everyone there left with a door prize from the generous merchants of Potrero Hill. Many thanks as well to our soon-to-be neighbors at the California Culinary Academy for providing a truly impressive array of chocolate desserts. We look forward to having next year's dinner at the same site, so if you have a 2005 calendar already, mark down May 31 for next year's dinner!
Police Department Cell Phone Numbers for Quality of Life Concerns
For years now, the Boosters and other residents of Potrero Hill and the Bayview have sought a different way to contact the Police Department for non-emergency crime reports; we don't want to tie up 911, but using the department's office lines led to delays, misinformation, and inefficient service.
Captain Rick Bruce of Bayview Station writes to bring us good news:
"The SFPD has obtained a number of cell phones, in order to allow residents (and others) with non-emergency police issues the opportunity to contact their assigned officers directly. The names of the officers, their respective assignments, and their phone numbers are listed below.
For abandoned autos and other vehicle-related issues, phone 254-7185. Officer Maurice Edwards will have this phone from Monday to Thursday, from 6:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
For illegal encampments, trash dumping, graffiti, etc., phone 254-7120. Officer Tim Buelow will have this phone from Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
For drug dealing, prostitution, and other related activities, phone 254-7197. This phone will be in the possession of the on-duty plainclothes unit, which changes from day to day and from watch to watch. Sgt. Carl Fabbri and Lt. Charlie Orkes will have this phone from around noon until around 11:00 p.m.
For the Westbrook Development (top of Hunter's Point Hill),Officers Edie Lewis and Holly Stoumen can be reached at 509-1678. Officers Ramon Reynoso and Brett Bodisco can be reached at 806-8304.
For the Hunter's View Development (Westpoint and Middlepoint Roads), Officers Mike Robinson and Dave Dockery can be reached at 509-2170. Officers Brian Hoo and Alex Rodatos can be reached at 987-6569.
For the Potrero Hill Development, Officers Kelvin Sanders and Luis DeJesus can be reached at 509-1408. Officers Tim Fowlie and Rafael Rockwell can be reached at 987-6389."
Signups for Community Email Information
In the past few months, dozens of neighborhood residents have started receiving daily updates from Captain Rick Bruce of the SFPD's Bayview Station about the Police Department's community work and enforcement activities, and weekly updates from Supervisor Sophie Maxwell's office about her legislative work at City Hall. Do you want to receive their regular updates in your email? Here's where to send a brief request to sign up:
Police updates: Rick_Bruce@ci.sf.ca.us
Supervisor Maxwell updates: greg.asay@sfgov.org
Over the summer, the Boosters will be looking into posting these regular updates on our website, potreroboosters.org, and updating that information regularly. We'll also have more neighborhood information available there, and pretty soon, you might be getting a call or an email from someone on the Boosters' Executive Committee asking if you would prefer to receive this newsletter electronically, or in the mail like you do now. Thanks for helping us continue to make the Hill a better place to live!
by Audrey Cole
(This article was originally published in the Potrero View. Thanks Audrey!)
I joined the Potrero Boosters when I first moved to Potrero Hill almost 20 years ago. The Boosters concern themselves with issues that are important to me as a resident of the Hill. The amount of work some of the members do is PHENOMENAL! I am not willing to put in nearly this much work to keep up to date on issues that effect the neighborhood, so I am very grateful to, and happy to support from the sidelines, those who are willing to do that work. The small yearly membership fee is a pittance compared to the efforts the organization makes on my behalf.
Do the issues the Boosters champion affect me directly? Not usually. But things like power plants, light pollution from the ball park, density and planning in the Design Center and Central Waterfront affect the neighborhood I love, and because of that it's important to me. Not important enough to spend my own nights researching and trying to understand the issues, but certainly important enough to support wholeheartedly those who are willing to do so.
Do I agree with every position the Boosters takes? No. But in general the decisions they make and the fights they choose to be involved in are based on a sincere love of the neighborhood and desire to keep it what? certainly not the same; they're not that foolish. To keep it a nice neighborhood where I would want to live.
Do the Boosters win their fights? They win some and they lose some. But most of the people I vote for don't win, either. I support the Boosters for the same reason I vote because I can; because I have to. It's one important thing I can do with little cost or effort.
Because of the support of neighbors like me, and the hard work of those most involved in the organization, the Boosters is a known quantity in the halls and courtrooms of the city. It1s important to have at least a little clout so we don1t get completely run over by big developers and others who would profit in our neighborhood at the detriment of those of us who live here. A strong, active neighborhood organization is a force to be reckoned with.
During one of my discussions with a friend who asked what the Boosters do, he interrupted me, asking "Is all they do fight?" He was using my own words. Yes, they do often fight. This usually takes the form of trying to keep development down to a dull roar. They fight big, inappropriate development projects which would seriously degrade the character of the neighborhood we love. They also fight FOR - for the parks, for street parking or signs, etc. They also like to party and are becoming more involved in issues such as support for the local schools and libraries. I truly appreciate the immense efforts of those neighbors and friends who are willing to spend considerable time educating themselves about important issues and showing up over and over when necessary - to voice their opinions about things that are important to all of us neighbors on Potrero Hill. I will continue to support the Boosters in whatever way I can.
Compiled by Dick Millet
DISCRETIONARY REVIEW HEARING: Case #2004.0164D 571-573 MISSOURI/20th Streets. Propose to construct a vertical & horizontal addition to an existing 2 unit bldg. in an RH-2, 40-X zone. Hearing date is Th, 10 June at Room 400 City Hall. Contact: Winslow Hastie, Planner, phone: 558-6381.
DISCRETIONARY REVIEW HEARING: Case #2004.0071D: 406 MISSISSIPPI/20th Streets. Propose to construct a 1-story vertical addition to an existing 1-story over garage building in an RH-2, 40-X zone. Hearing date is Th 10 June at Room 400 City Hall. Contact: Ben Fu, Planner, phone: 558-6613.
BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION #2004.02257151: 878-884 KANSAS/20 Streets. Proposed read projection with stairs and landings and firewalls to an existing 2-unit building in an RH-2, 40-X zone. Project requires approval of Rear Yard variance by Zoning Administrator. Contact: Jon Purvis, Planner, phone: 558-6354.
BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION #2003.11261240: 601-603 MISSISSIPPI/20th Streets. Propose to construct a 1-story addition raising BUILDING ht. to 30'-0" & add a single car garage to an existing 2-unit building in an RH-2, 40-X zone. REAR YARD VARIANCE, Case #2003.1188V is required since the proposal removes existing 2-story enclosed porches rear decks & stairs and replaces them with new bedrooms, solarium, utility room, decks & stairs. Such rear voluntary changes require a variance. Contact: Winslow Hastie, Planner, phone: 558-6381.
CASE No. 2002.1303C: 1275-1301 INDIANA/MINNESOTA/23rd/25th Streets: Propose to build two buildings w/71 units, 153 car garage, 18,000 sq ft PDR, 5,000 sq ft retail 50 ft high in an IPZ, M-2, 50-X zone. Project received a Mitigated Negative EIR De-claration. Public Hearing date: 1 July, Rm 400 City Hall. Contact: Mat Snyder, Planner, phone: 575-6891.