Vision Zero enforcement on Monterey Blvd this month

At the last SNA meeting, Captain Joseph McFadden of the Ingleside Police Station told attendees that his officers would be out during August on Monterey Blvd (as they often are) enforcing moving violations of the type identified by the City’s Vision Zero program–those that endanger vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists. Last year we had collisions resulting in severe injuries and one death on Monterey, triggering the new designation as a “high-injury corridor.” Yesterday a resident saw several citations taking place on Monterey.

Related news: a skateboarder sustained life-threatening injuries in a collision at the corner of Joost and Foerster last night. More on Hoodline: http://hoodline.com/2017/08/skateboarder-critically-injured-after-sunnyside-collision and SFist: http://sfist.com/2017/08/18/skateboarder_left_with_life-threate.php

Officer handing out a citation on Monterey Blvd near Congo St, a two-block stretch prone of automobile speeding.

Source: http://usa.streetsblog.org/2016/12/22/cities-want-to-save-lives-with-lower-speed-limits-but-states-stand-in-the-way/

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Sun Aug 13: Back to School Fest at Unity Plaza

From Ocean Ave Association — Second Sundays on Ocean Ave event happening this Sunday, Aug 13th:

Back to School Fest at Unity Plaza

Ocean Avenue Association is thrilled to partner with Livable City and City College of San Francisco to bring you an extra special Second Sundays event: Back to School Fest at Unity Plaza.

The event will take place this Sunday, August 13th from 12:00pm – 5:00pm. Unity Plaza is located on Ocean Ave near Phelan.

There will be live music, a pop-up arts and crafts fair, and lots of City College staff to help residents registered FOR FREE for City College’s fall semester. RSVP on Facebook!

Unity Plaza, during opening event, Oct 2016. Photo SFMTA.com.

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Balboa Reservoir Project Update

From Jennifer Heggie of SNA’s Balboa Reservoir Committee (presented at recent SNA Quarterly Meeting). More about this important local housing development at tab at top of this page.

Update on the Balboa Reservoir Development and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Study

A brief history
This Spring, the Balboa Reservoir Community Advisory Committee (BRCAC) approved a set of Principles and Parameters that were pulled together after two years of public meetings. The Principles and Parameters were folded into a Request for Proposal for developers. Three developer teams out of a pool nine were selected by a cross-City department group which also includes one representative from the BRCAC, Lisa Spinali, and one representative from City College, the Associate Vice President of Facilities Management.

In June of this year, the public was invited on two occasions to listen and provide comments on the three developer team proposals. The proposals were also posted online. These are initial proposals, and as one of the developers said, the end product will probably look very different from the first version.

Going forward
The next step in this process is the selection of the winning developer. The same group that chose the three finalists have interviewed the developers again and are currently reviewing more detailed proposals. They will choose one developer based on three criteria:

• How responsive the developer is to community concerns;
• The financial viability of the developer; and
• How well the proposals address the Principles and Parameters submitted by the Balboa Reservoir Community Advisory Committee.

Their selection is then approved by the SFPUC General Manager, and they hope to announce an approved developer team in early September.    

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Sat Aug 19: Circular Ribbon Garden Clean-up Day

With sponsorship from SF Parks Alliance, there will be a clean-up day for the ‘ribbon garden’* that runs along Circular Avenue next to the I-280 freeway.

When: Saturday August 19th, from 9:00am to 12:30pm

Where: Meet at the Congo Street triangle, Circular Ave and Congo St. at 9:00 am.

What: Drop in anytime to help weed, pick-up trash and beautify Circular!

The 2011 opening ceremony for the Circular Ribbon Garden, with Mayor Ed Lee and Supervisor Scott Wiener in attendance, along with local residents who helped make it happen, including Pat Moore, Ming Louie, Bob Abra, and many others.

• So called because the garden is very long and narrow, running along Circular Ave from Monterey Blvd to Havelock Street.

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SNA Quarterly Meeting

You are invited: Come to the quarterly meeting of the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association on Monday August 7th. Find out what is happening in Sunnyside — hear from city officials and ask your questions — meet your neighbors in person — become a member of your neighborhood association.

Time and place: Monday August 7th, 2017, 7-8:30 pm, at St Finn Barr Auditorium (415 Edna Street at Hearst Ave).

What’s on the agenda:

• James Shahamiri from SFMTA will speak about the implications of Monterey’s designation as a high injury corridor and answer your questions
• Latest news about the Balboa Reservoir Project.
• Captain McFadden from Ingleside Police Station on safety/crime and to answer your questions.
• Erica Maybaum from Supervisor Norman Yee’s office with update on local issues and to answer your questions.
• “Greenstorming” session with our members: how can we plan and work to improve Sunnyside’s outdoor spaces? Bring your ideas.
• Also in the works are updates on Safeway renovation and Sunnyside Park.

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On GPA: Remembrance of Charlie Liteky

Read a remembrance of activist and Sunnyside resident Charlie Liteky, who passed away in January, on the blog of Glen Park Association:

https://glenparkassociation.org/2017/08/06/noted-peace-activist-and-sunnyside-resident-charles-litanys-life-remembered/

Related on SNA website:

• Sunnysider Charlie Liteky, 85, Dies; Returned Medal of Honor in Protest https://sunnysideassociation.wordpress.com/2017/01/27/sunnysider-charlie-liteky-85-dies-returned-medal-of-honor-in-protest
• Sunnysider Judith Liteky, SF organizer for Latino war refugees, dies at 74 https://sunnysideassociation.wordpress.com/2016/09/03/sunnysider-judith-liteky-sf-organizer-for-latino-war-refugees-dies-at-74

Charlie Liteky, right, announcing the end of a hunger strike in protest of United States policies in Central America in 1986. Photo:New York Times

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Pergola is go! Sunnyside Park to have new feature

Coming soon to Sunnyside Park — the long-awaited pergola, an elegant arcing structure of redwood over the picnic tables near the playground area. The new name for the spot is ‘Group Picnic Landing.’ The materials for this structure are due to be delivered, then SF Recreation and Parks Dept will need to construct it, which may cause some disruption for park users for a while.

It will be a lovely addition to the many improvements that have graced our park over the last ten years.

An artist’s rendering of the pergola to be constructed in the picnic-table area of Sunnyside Park.

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