February 2009 Next Meeting February 24 Potrero Hill Neighborhood House 953 DeHaro Street (at Southern Heights)

6:45 pm 7:00 pm Social Business Meeting Introductions / Welcome to New Members Discretionary Review Changes brief discussion and vote Open Space Community Workshop with the Neighborhood Parks Council
Open Space Task Force, a two-year process begun in November 2007, to delve into the issues and opportunities that will shape San Franciscos open space system in the 21st century. Three key outcomes from the twoyear effort will be the development of a long-range Vision Plan, an updated Open Space Element in the General Plan (ROSE- Recreation and Open Space Element), and an Action Plan for the decade with specific strategies and ideas that can be implemented in the short-term. This package of vision, policy, and specific plans is being called the Open Space Framework.

7:15 pm

Thursday, February 26, 4.00 pm, City Hall room 408

later that week: Potrero Power Plant Task Force

Blues, Beer, and Bar-B-Que Fundraiser at the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House
Saturday, February 28, starting at 4.00 pm, 953 DeHaro Street at Southern Heights

Presidents Message
Over the past few months, the Citys Planning Department has been looking to reform their Discretionary Review process meaning, taking the power to decide Discretionary Reviews away from the Planning Commission, and giving that power to a single administrative hearing officer. Their decisions would be appealed at the Board of Appeals, a much harder route for the community than the current route, the Board of Supervisors. The Department claims that this proposal would enable the Planning Commission to focus on higher-level policy issues. Neighborhoods all over the city disagree, claiming that if there is a strong and enforced Pre-Application process, and if the citys Residential Design Guidelines were actually enforced, the need for further DR reform wouldnt be needed.
Changes in Discretionary Review? Well have a brief discussion and vote on this issue at next Tuesdays Boosters meeting.

To RSVP for Tuesdays Potrero Hill Open Space Workshop or to find out more, please contact Mike Kritzman, Open Space Program Assistant, mkritzman@ sfnpc.org, 415-621-3260. More information and the complete meeting schedule can also be found at openspacesf.org/meetingpacket. Executive Committee Nominations are Due

Results from all public feedback will be incorporated into the Action Plan for Open Space. In addition, a collective, ranked priority list on open space issues will be created and presented to the Mayor, Board of Supervisors, and relevant Departments and their Commissions.

A Meeting in a Box is available for all those who chose to conduct their own meeting, providing a guide for the host to easily lead a conversation with friends and colleagues, and to garner important feedback about open space needs, challenges and ideas.

Input gathered at the neighborhood workshops will help to inform the Open Space Framework, to be managed by the Mayors Office of Greening. Those unable to attend a scheduled meeting are also encouraged to participate by either hosting their own meeting with neighbors at their convenience, or by completing a brief survey at http://www.openspacesf.org.

The workshop series is the second phase of the Mayors

The Neighborhood Parks Council writes: The City wants to hear from you about open space. Do you have ideas for improving your local parks? Can you imagine creative ways to build new open space in your neighborhood? In the upcoming months, more than a dozen meetings will take place throughout San Francisco, hosted by the Neighborhood Parks Council (NPC) as the community partner for the Mayors Office of Greening, the Planning Department, and the Recreation and Park Department. The Council is working with neighborhood groups across the city to solicit the publics vision and priorities about the future of public open space through a series of community workshops in January, February, and March.

Well be spending almost all of Februarys Boosters meeting in a community open space workshop with the Neighborhood Parks Council.
The Open Space Community Workshop

Thanks for helping us continue to make the Hill a better place to live!

I bring this up because its time for Executive Committee nominations for the coming year. We may have a couple of folks leaving the Committee, and we are always looking for new active members to join the Booster leadership. Candidates for Executive Committee positions must be announced by the end of the March 31 Booster meeting. If you have been a Booster for more than a year, and you are interested in becoming a member of the Executive Committee, please contact me or Dick Millet our contact information is right next to this article.

We've learned the hard way that when it comes to city planning and environmental issues, no one looks out for us like we can. That's why we need the Boosters, and why the Boosters needs active members and leaders.

In the past year, the Executive Committee of the Boosters has stepped up to make the Boosters more visible in the neighborhood, and to make the neighborhood more visible in the City. There's much more to come in the future, as the membership of the Boosters grows, and as the City looks to its southeast neighborhoods to solve more and more of its problems.

CITY PLANNING
BLDG PERMIT APPLICATION #2008.02296011: 685 ARKANSAS/ 20th Sts: Proposed expansion of an existing single family home horizontally, attach to the existing carport and add a 3rd floor that is set back in the front & rear in an RH-2, 40-X zone. This is a re-notice due to a height increase from 27 ft. to 28-6. Contact: Corey Teague, Planner, ph: 575-9081. ZONING VARIANCE APPLICATION: Case #2008.1355V: 700 VERMONT /19th Sts. The proposal is to expand the 2nd floor of an front existing buildinginto the 2nd floor rear deck and encroaching into the required 25 ft. rear yard reducing it to 9-0 requiring a variance. A Public Hearing will be held at 9:30am on Weds., 25 Feb. 09 in Rm 408, City Hall. Contact: Ben Fu, Planner, ph: 558-6613. PROJECT RECEIVING ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, Case #2004.0946E: 1717 17th/De Haro Sts. Proposal to build a residential/commercial mixed use project: on a lot currently zoned M-1 that is within the Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning & Area Plan (Showplace Square/Potrero Hill Area Plan). The project site consists of 2 triangular shaped lots that in agreement with the two owners will be reconfigured into 2 rectagular lots, 200 ft, along 17th St. x 127+ ft along De Haro St. The developer proposes demolition of the existing bldgs and construction of 2 mixed use mirror-image, 4-story, 48 ft. high bldgs with 41 units, 58 parking spaces and 17,832 sq. ft. ground floor of PDR.use. The EIR will review the project both under the current M-1 zoning and the proposed zoning under the Eaastern Neighborhood Plan. Contact: Jessica Range, Planner, ph: 575-9018. AVAILABILITY OF NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF EIR, Case #2005.0408E: 2290-2298 3rd/20th Sts: Propose to demolish an existing commercial building and and parking lot and construct a 6story, 68 ft. tall over a basement with 62 units, over 13,00 sq. ft. commercial and 60 car basement garage in an UMU, 68-X zone per Central Waterfront Plan, Eastern Neighborhoods Plan. Contact: Carol Roos, Planner, ph 575-9043. City Hall Web site:

COMMUNITY RESOURCES
1 Goodlett Place Rm 200 SF Ca 94102 www.sfgov.org ph: 554-6141 fax 554-6160 gavin.newsom@sfgov.org

Mayor Gavin Newsom

Supervisor Sophie Maxwell / District 10 (which includes Potrero Hill): ph: 554-7670 fax 554-7674 Sophie.Maxwell@sfgov.org Bayview Police Station SFPD Web site: Capt. John Loftus Anonymous Tips Community Liaison Quality of Life Liaison Abandoned autos Potrero Terrace/Annex 201 Williams St, SF 94124 www.sfgov.org/police/ ph: 671-2300 fax 671-2345 john.loftus@sfgov.org 822-8147 voicemail, 575-4444 live 671-2302 (Sergeant Garrick) 671-2333 (Officer McConico) 850-9737 (Officer Rodriguez) 509-1408 (Officers Rodatos & Sanders) 987-6389 (Officers Fowlie & Ferraez)

Potrero Boosters Executive Committee President Tony Kelly 341-8040 president@potreroboosters.org First Vice President Dick Millet 861-0345 1stvp@potreroboosters.org Second Vice President Audrey Cole 648-1926 2ndvp@potreroboosters.org Recording Secretary Hilary Cohen 341-8441 recordingsecretary@potreroboosters.org Corresponding Sec. Joe Boss 826-2515 correspondingsecretary@potreroboosters.org Treasurer Robin Talmadge 863-8925 Sergeant-at-Arms Ellen Kernaghan 824-5065 Auditors Jean Neblett 550-2613 Kuzuri Jackson 826-8080 Webmaster: webmaster@potreroboosters.org

MEMBERSHIP
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The Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association is devoted to issues of importance to the communities of Potrero Hill. Our goals are to act as a forum for concerned Potrero residents and to participate in policy and development decisions that affect the quality of life here on the Hill. Meetings are the last Tuesday of the month (7:00 p.m. at the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House) and are open to everyone, members and non-members. Dues: Individual $25, Household (couple) $30, Senior $20. (Make checks out to: Potrero Boosters.) Mail check to Potrero Boosters, 1459 18th St., #133, San Francisco, CA 94107, or sign up online (coming soon).
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