CASTRO PLANNER                                    March, 2005
Gay/Lesbian Planners and Historians’ Reception

The GLBT Historical Society invites you to join Gays and Lesbians in Planning (GALIP) to a reception at the GLBT Historical Society on Saturday, March 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. GALIP is an affiliate group of the American Planning Association (APA), which is holding their annual conference in San Francisco March 19-23.

This event is GALIP’s kick-off event for the APA conference, and also a chance to get a sneak preview of the Historic Society’s new exhibit “Sporting Life: GLBT Athletics and Cultural Change from the 1960s to Today”.

The GLBT Historical Society is located at 657 Mission Street, Suite 300 near 3rd Street. You can visit their website at www.glbthistory.org, and you can visit GALIP’s website at /www.planning.org/divisions/intro/GALIP.htm.

Divergent Visions Emerge for UC Extension Campus

Planning continues for new uses at the UC Berkeley Extension campus, a two block site on the edge of the Castro at Laguna and Hermann Streets. UC’s developers Mercy Housing and A.F. Evans have presented their vision to CAPA which is predominately high density/low rise housing facing interior streets, preserving many campus buildings and the existing dental school. Their plan also includes a parking ratio of about 0.6 off-street spaces per apartment unit.

AS the plan develops, several alternate concepts for the site are starting to emerge. Although the site is within the Better Neighborhoods area, it was not rezoned since it was assumed that the public uses would remain. Since the UC plan was announced, the Planning Dep’t. has issued a “policy guide” (available at www.betterneighborhoods.org) for the site that includes more public open space as well as housing, while encouraging zoning similar to the surrounding area.

Meanwhile, a coalition of neighborhood groups (including CAPA) are advocating for even less off-street parking, so that the development better meets one of the Better Neighborhoods’ goal of encouraging less dependence on cars among new residents. Another issue that has emerged is public use of the site, as it was granted to the UC system by the city for higher education. Several people are hoping to preserve the higher education uses, possibly with the New College of California as a tenant in some of the renovated historic buildings. CAPA will continue our involvement in monitoring this major project.

Octavia Boulevard Design Competition Announced

The sponsors of the next San Francisco Prize design competition (sponsors of the Harvey Milk Plaza Design Competition in 2000) are seeking innovative designs for urban housing on several of the former freeway parcels that now front the new Octavia Boulevard. To learn more about the competition, go to www.sfprize.org.

 

 

 


HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE GENERAL MEETING

Thursday, February 10, 2005

The February meeting was devoted to a review of CAPA’s activities since the organization’s inception, including planning workshops, advocacy, and participation in related planning activities, as a prelude to updating the work.

In the first part of the meeting, members compiled a list of workshops, legislation and other activities, and evaluated those activities’ success or lack thereof. These included CAPA initiated projects such as the effort to create a pedestrian plaza at 17th and Market, involvement in city sponsored programs like the Better Neighborhood plan, advocacy for changes to zoning and approvals process ( e.g. restrictions on commercial conversions in the Castro), and providing a forum for the community on issues like the recent Café Flore permits or Trader Joes’ proposal.

In the second part, members listed issues and activities that CAPA could focus on in the coming year. The issues generally fall into the categories of land use, housing, open space and parks, community institutions, transit and parking, and commercial development.

Additional activities to support the organization include recruitment of more members, developing the website as a source of information for non-members and as a resource for members, establishing better contacts with the many bother neighborhood organizations, and sponsoring more public events that should improve our visibility.

With so many ideas and proposals and activities facing the group at the end of the meeting, the next step in the Castro Plan Update is to select a few of them to focus on. This will be the main topic of discussion at the March meeting.

CAPA members are working to update the site and keep it current. Including putting copies of past CAPA planning reports (both drafts and completed plans) on the site for members and others to view and comment on. The CAPA site is at www.capasf.org. If we have your email address, you should be receiving notices of when these documents are available online. (Send your email address to curtin_joe@hotmail.com to get on our list.)

 

AGENDA FOR THE GENERAL MEETING

Thursday, March 10, 2005, 7:30 p.m.

1.    Call to Order/Introductions         7:30 p.m.

2.           Approval of Agenda and previous meeting’s Minutes

3.           Better Neighborhoods Update                                      Joe Curtin

4.           Planning for Community Institutions             Michael Mullin

5.           Castro Plan Update

6.           Finance Report and Membership Update

7.           New Business

8.           Adjournment              9:00 p.m.