CASTRO PLANNER                                   April, 2007

Upper Market Workshop (aka Castro Charrette) Starts; Planning Staff to Attend CAPA Meeting

As the city’s Planning Department issued a request for proposals (RFP) from design firms to provide public planning process services, the Upper Market Workshop is officially underway. RFPs were sent out March 19, and proposals are due April 18. A series of public workshops should start at the end of May or early June, and will give the Castro community a chance to contribute to a plan for the Castro that will address issues like new proposed Market Street developments, public space and neighborhood character.

Sarah Dennis, one of the Planning Department’s project managers for the Workshops, will attend CAPA’s April meeting to talk about the workshop, how it will affect the Castro and how CAPA members can take part. Please plan on attending.

Better Streets Workshop on the Castro

Starting this month, San Francisco will embark on a new public works project that will potentially affect every street in the city with a new approach toward streetscape design. The city’s goal is to build streets that is not just transportation routes, but become places for public life and that contribute to the natural environment. As part of the mayor's Livable City Initiative, the Better Streets Plan will involve an extensive community process for residents to share their ideas and priorities for improving the design of San Francisco's streets.

One of the first meeting swill take place in the Castro on Thursday, April 19 at the Eureka Valley Rec. Center at 100 Collingwood Street, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Streets are an important part of the public space in the Castro, so this is a great opportunity for CAPA members to share their ideas on how to improve the Castro’s streets, making them safer and more inviting gathering spaces, provide more efficient transportation network and become a part of the natural environment.

At CAPA’s April meeting, there will be a discussion of how CAPA can take part in the process and what streetscape design elements should be included in the city’s vision. To learn more about the Better Streets Plan, visit the website at www.sfbetterstreets.org. 

Planning Commission Adopts Market Octavia Plan

On April 5, the Planning Commission voted to adopt the Market & Octavia Neighborhood Plan, CEQA findings and certified the Environmental Impact Report. The Plan will now be referred to the Board of Supervisors for an up or down vote.

The adopted plan includes some modifications to the original plan, including some density caps for residential zoning, and additional scrutiny of large projects until a historic resources survey is complete. However, most of the plans goals which CAPA supported are included in the adopted plan.

To review the entire plan including amendments, go to www.betterneighborhoods.org.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE GENERAL MEETING

Thursday, March 8, 2007

CAPA Activities Planning: Demian Quesnel will organize a meeting to plan a public planning forum on the concept of the Castro as LGBT village/capital/destination. Joe Curtin will plan another walking tour. A community survey was also proposed.

Website Planning: The website will be transferred to a new web host by Steve Hall, and go public in March. Additional material will be added, including more photos of the Castro for use in page design, archives of CAPA documents and newsletters, and possibly additional maps, and possibly a calendar.

The new web host will include a new email address for the organization, info@capasf.org, to be managed by Joe Curtin, with help from Steve Hall.

AGENDA FOR THE GENERAL MEETING

Thursday, April 12, 2007, 7:30 p.m.

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

2.       Upper Market Street Workshop Update:

Sarah Dennis, SF Planning Dept.

3.       Better Streets Project

4.       Coalition Report: Joe Curtin, Tito Vandermeyden

Castro Coalition

Upper Market Alliance

5.       Finance Report and Membership Update

6.       New Business

7.       Adjournment               9:00 p.m.

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS

Market/Octavia Plan Historic Resources Survey Overview. Wednesday April 11, 5:00-6:30 pm. CPMC Davies Auditorium, Castro & Duboce. Streets, North Tower, Lower Level B.

The Planning Department hosts a public meeting to discuss the progress of the Market and Octavia Area Plan Historic Resources Survey.

Better Streets Workshop. Thursday, April 19, 6:00-8:00 pm. Eureka Valley Rec. Center, 100 Collingwood Street at 18th Street. See information at left.

CAPA Officers in the News about the Castro

In the past few weeks, CAPA’s leadership has been featured in several articles about the Castro. CAPA president Joe Curtin was quoted in an AP story published nation-wide about the loss of gay identity in “Gayborhoods” around the country. Vice-president Tito Vandermeyden was interviewed in a Bay Area Reporter story on March 29, about proposal to highlight the LGBT identity of the Castro with streetscape projects that could include a “Wizard of Oz” theme, and board member Demian Quesnel was featured in an April 5 BAR article on that highlighted the economic problems of commercial vacancies in the Castro. Visit CAPA’s website www.capasf.org for links to the articles.