“The proposal is to convert the existing church into a single family residence.”
Well, that’s direct, huh, right there in black and white.
[RACIAL SUBTEXT MODE = ON] Uh, so the Western Addition is losing yet another African-American church so yet another millionaire white family can move in, except realtors* call it the North of Panhandle Area now because it doesn’t have the baggage associated with the Western A? That’s my guess, but tell if I’m way off on this one, Gentle Reader. [RACIAL SUBTEXT MODE = OFF]
Via Redfin.com: “601 Broderick is a charming old church … in the heart of NOPA. Not for the faint of heart or faithless, this property needs a revival. … make them believers. Heaven only knows what the possibilities could be!” Receiving multiple offers on first showing, the sale closed before the For Sale sign was hammered in the ground. Highland Ferndale Partners, a luxury home developer purchased the church for restoration and resale. David Papale, partner and realtor, prefers not to disclose the sale price, but redfin.com notes the price clearly at $1,401,000, 40% over asking, a sizable investment in the future of the community. One might speculate, since this is real estate, that the sale price is more than adequate to cover the losses the bank faced in foreclosure on their faulty loan, a profit unrealized by the church. Mr. Papale claims, while the possibilities for the property include six units, it will be restored as a single family home and to its original Victorian appearance without “that horrible addition.”
Since I oppose Rose Pak-style corruption, I suppose that makes me an “opponent of 8 Washington.” Learn about me here, from a very-well financed “grass-roots” campaign:
All right, in answer to the first graf:
Uh no, not actually, I just oppose Rose Pak-style corruption in San Francisco, that’s all. Isn’t she behind this or something? Isn’t she the worst person in San Francisco, a cancer on Chinatown?
In answer to the second graf:
Uh, no, I don’t care about swim and fitness. Maybe your anonymous campaign needs to broaden its scope? I mean, lots of people oppose corruption in San Francisco – they don’t have to live near 8 Washington to oppose 8 Washington, right?
In answer to the third graf:
Uh, how can a parking lot be “blight?” Actually, it probably looks like Heaven to our hassled tourists. And arent’ the people closely connected enough to SFGov to have a shot at this deal “elites.” by definition? #potkettleblack
Hey, how about this, why not change “opponents” to “some opponents?” Then you’d have a chance of being correct.
Is this like preaching to the converted or something? I mean, why on Earth would we want more historic districts in San Francisco? Aren’t they, and their boosters, part of the problem?
Anyway, here’s the spiel, choose or lose:
“SPEAK UP NOW FOR PRESERVATION IN SAN FRANCISCO!
On Thursday, December 8, the Planning Commission will consider comprehensive revisions to Articles 10 and 11 of the Planning Code recommended by the Historic Preservation Commission, in addition to a series of controversial amendments introduced by Supervisor Scott Wiener.
Attend the Planning Commission hearing:
When: Thursday, December 8, 12:00 p.m. (Agenda Item #9) Where: City Hall, Commission Chambers, Room 400 Why: To voice concern over Supervisor Wiener’s proposed amendments that would roll back protections for historic resources in San Francisco.
Email the Planning Commission: If you are unable to attend the hearing, please email the Commissioners (with a copy to Desiree Smith at dsmith@sfheritage.org):
Christina Olague c_olague@yahoo.com Ron Miguel rm@well.com Michael J. Antonini Wordweaver21@aol.com Gwyneth Borden plangsf@gmail.com Kathrin Moore mooreurban@aol.com Hisashi Sugaya hs.commish@yahoo.com Rodney Fong rodney@waxmuseum.com
KEY POINTS
OPPOSE Supervisor Wiener’s amendments that would impose unique procedural hurdles on the designation of historic districts:
Although only 11 local historic districts have been created in 45 years, Supervisor Wiener would require 66% owner support before community groups can nominate a historic district.
The intent of Proposition J was to update Articles 10 and 11 to reflect best practices nationwide; the 66% owner consent threshold is a relic of the original ordinance adopted in 1967 and is out of step with widely-recognized preservation practice today.
Other procedural hoops proposed by Supervisor Wiener, including a mandatory written vote or survey of all property owners, would make the process more costly and time-consuming.
No other zoning changes in San Francisco are subject to similar owner consent requirements; historic districts should be treated the same as other neighborhood planning initiatives. OPPOSE Supervisor Wiener’s amendment to make compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards optional:
The proposed language would effectively eliminate any minimum standards for the treatment of historic buildings in San Francisco. OPPOSE Supervisor Wiener’s amendment to exempt large classes of projects from historic review altogether, including downtown housing development projects:
The proposed language is a misguided attempt to exempt an entire class of projects from historic review, clearing the path for demolition, insensitive alterations and new construction regardless of the significance of the structure or the surrounding historic district.
For further backgroud and to read Heritage’s past comment letters, go to sfheritage.org”
I’ll give you this, the Powers That Be are doing a better job with the Japantown BNP this go-around owing, to me not seeing stuff about “no more highrises.”
(If that’s too cryptic that’s all right. Basically, this whole process is a focus group for the City to get reactions about what it already wants to do. If you want to participate, well then be my guest.)
All the deets:
I mean, is it necessarily a good thing to “expand the Special Use District?”
I don’t know. (Last year, a couple Angry Young Men were pretty p.o.’ed about one meeting being “dominated” by aging white hakujin who live south of Geary. These AYM wondered why those residing on the wrong side of the Expressway were even included in a Japantown meeting…)
Preserve, restore and enhance Japantown as a vital, prosperous, and livable community that authentically reflects, embodies and continues its cultural heritage and history into the future.
The Japantown Organizing Committee invites you to attend a series of community meetings. We need your input and guidance on their recommended changes to the 2009 draft neighborhood plan.
We will meet to discuss:
Important neighborhood planning
Development issues
Questions about Zoning
Before the end of 2011, the final Japantown community recommendations are scheduled for consideration by the San Francisco Planning Commission. Your help at these meetings is vital to shape the neighborhood recommendations to the Planning Commission.
Now last I heard, a few years ago, the powers that be were going to earthquake safe the Japantown parking garage on Post and then during construction people would be able to park their cars on the northbound lanes of excessively-wide Webster Street. But I suppose that got replaced with this linear park idea.
Today, June 27th, 2011, from exactly 6:30pm – 9:10pm, will see yet another BNP meeting for Japantown.
As with many of these kinds of meetings in the 415, the big decisions have already been made and your input is as a kind of focus group participant, you know, do you like the lighter beige or the darker beige swatch kind-of-thing.
For one thing, Chinese-Americans and Korean-Americans, who are already there in J-Town…
San Francisco’s Japantown at night:
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…have been left out of the process, by design.
Oh well.
Anyway:
Location: JCCCNC – Issei Memorial Hall
Time: June 27, 6:30pm – 9:10pm Topic: PUBLIC REALM/TRANSPORTATION & CIRCULATION
Japantown Landscape Vision:Install professional, well orchestrated Japan-influenced landscape vision to increase canopy, greenery and Japanese botanical species.
Public Open Spaces:Use the Japantown landscape vision to enhance our central core of existing gathering spaces and create transition areas to other public open spaces.
Transportation/Circulation:Leverage all city projects to fund improvements to traffic, pedestrian safety, signage and connections to adjucent neighborhoods and parks.
Community Meeting Issei Memorial Hall @ JCCCNC 1840 Sutter Street, SF (between Buchannan & Webster Streets) Date: June 27, 2011, 6:30-9:10 pm
Topics: Public Realm/Transportation and Circulation
Japantown Landscape Vision: Install professional, well orchestrated Japaninfluenced landscape vision to increase canopy, greenery and Japanese botanical species.
Public Open Spaces: Use Japantown landscape vision to enhance our central core of existing gathering spaces and create transition areas to other public open spaces. Transportation and Circulation
Leverage all city projects to fund improvements to traffic, pedestrian safety, signage and connections to adjacent neighborhoods and parks
Wow, today’s campaign kickoff for the Ed Lee for Mayor campaign, a Rose Pak /Willie Brown joint, went off without a hitch, with yellow-shirted “Ed Heads” heading off in all directions to gather signatures.
See? Hundreds and hundreds there were, it seemed:
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Now, is Edwin Lee into the leather scene, on this day before Pride 2011? Oh hells yes, apparently. Taste the rainbow:
And look who’s outside? It’s the leaders of the Ed Lee for Mayor campaign! See them?
Here’s a peek from the sidewalk of Mission Street through the open door. It was packed, baby:
“‘Pretty good, eh?’ Pak said, pointing to the overflow crowd that spilled out onto the sidewalk.”
Leave us depart – almost seemed as if the volunteers were eager to hit the road. (Truth be told, there was no room inside for them to hear the nobodies who were addressing the crowd.)
Step aside Leland Yee, this race has a new front runner!
*Oops, I meant former San Francisco Chronicle reporter….
Basically, San Francisco Government, the people who brought us Redevelopment, the people who tore down perfectly good houses (or “drafty old Victorians,” in their words, back in the day), the people who still haven’t apologized for that, the people who messed up Japantown big time with the whole concrete and clay and general decay motif, well, they’re back and they have a Plan.
Now, if you want to affect the plan, you need to be part of the leadership element of an area “community group.” It doesn’t matter all that much how many people are in your group, but you’re going to need a title and a group name to matter. If that’s not the case, then the best you can hope for is a chance to voice an out-of-the-box idea that’s slightly novel or crazy enough to work.
But I’ll tell you, the big decisions have already been made.
Here are the final ten minutes of last night’s meeting on Sutter, with three kind-0f focus group leaders offering feedback on what the audience members were saying. (Don’t mind the alarmingly loud iPhone buzzing at the end…)
Anything that the Planning Department has decided that’s not appropriate for this particular part of the Western Addition (like young people from South Korea, or China, or Taiwan opening up businesses on or near Post Street or a taller building (you know, one that could actually pay for itself and Other Things Too) that could block the view of that horrible Peace Pagoda*) is considered contagion. Oh well.
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On It Goes…
*I looked it up once and that Peace Plaza pagoda thing actually is Ur-Japanese, it actually is just like some stuff that was all over part of the southern part of Japan’s biggest island, but it seems more Pan-Asian or Chinese to most Japanese people that see it. They don’t recognize it as anything Japanese at all. This concrete thing is the Vaillancourt Fountain of the West Side.
Anyway, feel free to rubber-stamp what, apparently, has already been decided for you starting tonight.
Here’s the sked:
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The 1st Community Meeting
Wednesday, June 1
6:30 to 9:00
JCCCNC- Issei Memorial Hall
1840 Sutter Street
* Food and Refreshments
* Japanese Interpreters will be at each meeting
Special Guests:
Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi
Planning Director John Rahaim
Agenda:
6:30 to 7:00 Registration and Food
7:00 to 9:00 Program
► Facilitated Breakout Sessions for Public Input
1. Community Land Use:Maintain current building heights and scale with a focus on business and residential mix — No highrises.
2. Cultural Character: Establish architectural standards to maintain the Japanese/Japanese American character of the community core.
3. Japan Center: Retain the malls’ basic scale and rehabilitatestructure; support business that perpetuate Japantown’s cultural authenticity.
