New CarShare Pod in the Castro
On November 3, City CarShare opened its third “pod” in the Castro district at the Chevron Station on 17th and Market. Members of the community based car-rental service will now be able to rent a brand-new Scion xB at 17th and Market. The car will be located at the Chevron Station at the intersection of 17th, Market and Castro streets.
The Chevron Pod joins the pod at 18th and Castro behind Walgreen’s, and the Davies pod at the CPMC Davies Campus, all a short walk from Castro and Market. To join or make reservations go to www.citycarshare.org.
Thanks to supervisor Bevan Dufty and the Chevron Station for making this location a reality.
Transit and Pedestrian
Project Funding Workshop
The Transportation
Authority is holding a workshop to get citizen input on traffic calming,
pedestrian and bicycle projects and transit improvements to be funded through
tax revenue from last year’s Proposition K, which passed overwhelmingly in the
city. The workshop will be on Wednesday, November 17 from 4-7 pm at 100 Van
Ness, 3rd Floor. You can attend to find out what kinds of projects
are eligible for funding, and the TA wants to hear about the kinds of projects
you would like to see built. Some projects discussed during Supervisor Dufty’s
Traffic Calming Workshops earlier this year may be considered. The workshop is
an open house format so participants can arrive at any time and meet with TA
planners. For more info go the TA’s website at www.sfcta.org, or contact
Melissa Pelkey at (415) 522-4820.
CAPA
Wants YOU!
CAPA is a small organization but it is widely respected and influential in both the neighborhood and the city. In the past year CAPA has been active in Supervisor Dufty’s Traffic Calming workshops (see above), and collaborated with other groups like the Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association and Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association. CAPA took the lead in questioning the appropriateness of the Trader Joe’s plan for a Market St. site and advocated for a more urban model with mixed uses including housing, and fewer cars. Our position on the store was reported widely in the city’s media including the Chronicle, Guardian and Examiner.
In the next year CAPA needs to improve our outreach to the community and the city in order to accomplish our goals. We especially want to focus on community outreach, with liaisons with other neighborhood groups and city agencies; and communications through the newsletters, publishing plans and the website. I invite you to join us and take an active role in the organization, and to help keep the Castro a great neighborhood.
If you want to help out, please contact me at curtin_joe@hotmail.com or call (415) 621-0120.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE GENERAL MEETING
Thursday, October 14, 2004
CPMC Davies Plans: Bob Passmore, of
the Marquesa Company (representing the California Pacific Medical Center)
presented an update on the CPMC’s plans
for the Davies Campus, including
seismic upgrades to the current buildings, and addition of a four story
neuroscience facility on the corner of Noe and Duboce. There will also be
improvements to the site and perimeter to make it more accessible to pedestrians.
The Emergency Room will remain in operation at least through the completion of
the project in 2013. All work is to bring the complex in compliance with new,
more stringent state building code for hospitals.
Planning Department Reform Proposal: Alan Martinez presented the SPUR/AIASF plan for improving
and reforming the city’s Planning department and Department of Building
Inspection. Both departments have suffered from a lack of consistent funding,
most of which comes from project fees. The reform plan advocates for more
funding from the General Fund to reduce the influence of project fees on the
review processes. The Planning Department needs to do more planning like the
Better Neighborhoods program, and must also enact the plans when they are
complete. DBI must also enforce the plans in individual building review.
The mayor
will appoint a new director of the Planning Department soon. Martinez urged
CAPA to stay involved in the process and urge the mayor to appoint a director
who can be more effective in implementing these goals.
The plan is
available online from www.spur.org.
UC Berkeley Extension Campus Development
Plans: Alan Martinez made a presentation
about the proposed development of the UC Berkeley Extension campus at Laguna
and Market, which is planned to include about 500 units of housing, with an
on-site parking ratio of at three spaces for every four units. The tallest
buildings on site would be eight stories, near the corner of Laguna and Market.
While some of the historic buildings on site would be preserved, Martinez
expressed concerned that significant buildings on site would be lost. Overall,
he thought there are both good and bad points to the project but asked that
CAPA monitor the design process as the site is in District 8.
AGENDA FOR THE GENERAL MEETING
Thursday,
October 14, 2004, 7:30 p.m.
1. Call to Order/Introductions 7:30 p.m.
2. Approval of Agenda and previous meeting’s Minutes
3. Prop K Traffic Calming Workshops
4. Safeway Perimeter Planning: Larry Maxwell
5. Trader Joe’s Proposal Update: Joe Curtin
6. Finance Report and Membership Update
7. New Business
8. Adjournment 9:00 p.m.
584 Castro Street,
PMB 169
San Francisco, CA
94114-2588
PRESIDENT
Joseph Curtin
VICE-PRESIDENT Aaron Starr
SECRETARY
Steven Hall
BOARD
OF DIRECTORS Lawrence Maxwell
Michael Mullin
James Morse
CAPA GENERAL MEETING
Thurs.,
November 11, 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Castro Meeting
Room, 501 Castro Street at 18th.
Second Floor,
above the Bank of America
See the full
agenda inside
