January 2011
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Serving the Potrero Hill, Dogpatch, Mission Bay and SOMA Neighborhoods Since 1970
New District Starr King Openspace Land Dispute 10 Supervisor Remains Unresolved Faces Complex Challenges By Bill Slatkin Recently elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors District 10 seat, Malia Cohen is a fourth generation San Franciscan who began her political journey when she served on Mayor Frank Jordan’s youth forum while a Lowell High School student. “That really inspired me. I had a chance to do information interviews with supervisors; District 10 people like Carol Migden, Barbara Analysis Kaufman, Kevin p.6 Shelly and Leland Yee,” Cohen said. “I wanted to know why they were serving and what they hoped to do.” Cohen, who has l ived much of her life in District 10, is learning about the job first hand, having won a highly competitive race last November through the ranked choice voting (RCV) process. Cohen came in third after the count of first choice votes, behind Lynette Sweet and Tony Kelly. Only when the RCV computation was completed – it took until Thanksgiving until the results were officially determined – was Cohen designated as supervisorelect. Cohen believes that RCV provided a reasonable way for District 10 voters to choose a representative who reflects a balance among the 21 candidates who ran in the race, and the various interests they reflected. “I want people to feel we elected the right representative, the right advocate,” she said. “I plan to make connections with people everywhere [in the district], educating them – and them educating me – about what needs to be done.” As the representative of the City’s geographically largest, most ethnically diverse, district, Cohen may have the most challenging assignment of any of the eleven San Francisco supervisors. Her job description includes managing the see cohen page 9
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Starr King Openspace Board president Carroline Bird speaking at the 11/13 Board of Appeals hearing (SFGOV.TV screenshot) : Side elevation of the existing structure superimposed upon the proposed building (Dale Scott) : The two trees would be cut down in order to build the new structrure (Emmanuel Schnetzler).
By Sasha Lekach The Starr King Openspace (SKO) board of directors’ and the Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association’s request for a rehearing of a proposed development was denied last month by the San Francisco Board of Appeals, a quasi-judicial board. SKO’s board and the Boosters believe that
the proposed construction of a threestory building on an adjacent property, at 1321 De Haro Street, would encroach on and impact views from the Openspace. The SKO board is also concerned that plans for the development – some of which included parking spaces, others of which featured a garage – have changed so often that the permitting process should restart, providing the San Francisco Plan-
Kids Tell Their Stories at Dogpatch Media Center By Terry Guthrie
tering community change through art and entrepreneurship – BAYCAT was Last month 200 people gathered at founded in 2005 by Potrero Hill resia suite in the American Industrial dent Villy Wang, who directs the orCenter, on Third ganization. Wang Street, to celgrew up in New ebrate the fifth York City public anniversary of housing, where BAYCAT, a littleher mother taught known Dogpatch her the value of jewel. BAYCAT, art, education, enan acronym for trepreneurship, t h e B ay v ie wand storytelling. Hu nter s Poi nt Stints as a banker, Center for Arts lawyer and a creand Technology, dentialed teacher offers education prepared Wang a nd employfor her BAYCAT ment to underrole. “I started s e r ve d yout h , B AYC A T w it h particularly in the idea that the Southeast San power of media Bayview-Hunters Point Center for Arts and Francisco. But is something that Technology BAYCAT is no needs to be harordinary trainnessed…especialing program. The nonprofit blends ly to help underserved teens,” Wang free, digital media classes for at- said. risk youth with socially conscious In its first semester BAYCAT entrepreneurship. taught three students in an undevelInspired by the work of Bill oped space on Third Street. Today, Strickland – who serves as president it’s nearly outgrowing its stunning of Manchester Bidwell Corporation, a see bAYCAT page 9 pioneering enterprise dedicated to fos-
ning Department an opportunity to look at the most up-to-date plans for the proposed development. The SKO board has been fighting to keep the development project from invading the Starr King Openspace – which encompasses 3.5 acres of grassy hillside between 23rd and Carolina and 24th and De Haro streets – since 2009. Under the proposed project an existing 1,100 square foot structure on the property would be replaced with a much larger building. With its added bulk “the proposed project is grossly out of scale for the site and would block vistas from the top of the Openspace and shade the slope of the Openspace to the north of the site,” according to Starr King Openspace board president Caroline Bird, who is also concerned the added residents would draw more cars and associated congestion to the green space. Bird believes that one of the planning commissioners misunderstood the area’s topography, which may have misguided her vote. According to Boosters president Audrey Cole, “You can’t get a sense of the plans unless you actually go there and look. The idea of adding stories will really impact the Openspace. [The new building] will be sticking up in the middle of everything.” The SKO board and the Boosters intend to pursue additional appeals, including at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. According to Cole, the Boosters will be “going to the supervisors in asking for their help in toning [the plans] down. We don’t want to stop it, it’s a nice development.” Bird added, “At the moment we are just going though each step as it comes along. Right now there is no guarantee that there won’t be cars see OPENSPACE page 8
Tennessee St. firehouse
Dago Mary’s
Charlie Friel 1922 — 2010
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