CASTRO

Davies Campus Additions

California Pacific Medical Center’s operated by is planning a number of improvements to their Davies Campus, notably a new four story Neuroscience Building at Noe and Duboce. CPMC has been working closely with the Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Assoc. and Buena Vista Neighborhood Assoc. to create an appropriate and high quality design for the building. Designs presented recently met with much approval from neighbors. The proposed building and site improvements will be a very modern building but will include a varied façade, new and existing street trees. The ground floor is designed to engage pedestrians, and the building will serve as a campus entry from the Muni Metro stop.

Chain Store regulations proposed for lower Divisadero

The Board of Supervisors will vote on requiring new chain stores in the lower Divisadero area to obtain a conditional use permit through a public meeting of the Planning Commission. The measure was passed by the Board’s Land Use Commission last week at the urging of merchants and residents of the area. If passed, lower Divisadero, just north of the Castro, will join Hayes Street, North Beach and Cole Valley as a neighborhood that limits or bans new chain stores. Such businesses have to meet certain criteria such as stores in at least eleven locations. CAPA members are considering ways to add similar restrictions in the Castro and Upper Market area.

Upcoming Events

Housing Action Coalition Housing Hero Award Reception

Friday, July 15, 12:00 – 2:00 pm at 199 New Montgomery St. at Howard.
Interim Planning Director Dean Macris will receive this year’s award on behalf of the Planning Department. Macris is being recognized for guiding the Planning Department after the resignation of Director Gerald Green earlier this year, and his efforts to support neighborhood planning such as Better Neighborhoods. All CAPA members are invited.

CAPA is a long time member of the Housing Action Coalition. We are seeking a member to represent the interests of the Castro in this influential citywide organization. Contact Joe Curtin at curtin_joe@hotmail.com if you are interested, and see www.sfhac.org for more information about the SFHAC.

Laguna Hill Neighborhood Meeting Finish with Proposals

A series of meetings sponsored by the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association has wrapped up recently with neighborhood generated proposals for use of the site formerly occupied by the UC Berkeley Extension campus. UC Berkeley has been working with a developer, A.F. Evans to develop housing on the site. CAPA will invite both the developer and the Hayes Valley group to present their visions for the site abutting Upper Market to future CAPA meetings.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE GENERAL MEETING

Thursday, June 9, 2005

Greg Wilcox, president of Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Assn. (DTNA) reviewed concerns of his organization that might be of concern to CAPA.

(California Pacific Medical Center, Davies Campus. He described plans for a 50,000 sq. ft. office building at Noe and Duboce. [At a public meeting June 13 the architect for Davies outlined plans to make the new building pedestrian friendly, especially the frontage along Noe St., and with better access to the MUNI N-Judah stop.] Seismic strengthening of the existing large hospital will be done mostly from the inside of the building.

Duboce Park. An inclusive group of stakeholders including neighbors, dog owners, Recreation and Parks, Health Dept. and others was assembled to deal with park use conflicts. A one-year trial will give half of the park to a dog play area. A child play area will be marked off by signs, not by a fence.

Trader Joe's proposed store at 15th and Sanchez Sts. There will be a long delay while Trader Joe's prepares for a conditional use permit from the City. Dept. of Parking & Traffic engineers believe the company's traffic survey by a Pasadena firm is overly optimistic. Supervisor Dufty has not taken a position on the project

Cafe Flore. The cafe had received a variance and a liquor license with certain conditions (noise, etc) demanded by neighbors. These conditions were violated, resulting in a warning from the Planning Dept. The owner agreed to comply.

Formula Retail. CAPA should coordinate with DTNA in exploring a plan to limit chain stores in the area, as has been done in North Beach and the Haight.

2140 Market. CAPA generally is not taking positions on changes to individual parcels, but the several-storey housing over retail plan here conforms to what we want to see on Market Street.

AGENDA FOR THE GENERAL MEETING

Thursday, July 14, 2005, 7:30 p.m.

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

2. Approval of Agenda and previous meeting’s Minutes

3. Response to Trader Joe’s Proposal

4. Proposal for Laguna Hill/UC Berkeley Extension Site

5. CAPA Business:

a. Budget for 205-2006

b. Future Meeting Space

c. Website Management

6. Finance Report and Membership Update

7. New Business

8. Adjournment 9:00 p.m.