UPDATED: What Are the City’s Plans for the 101/Cesar Chavez Encampment?

/ Todd_Lappin / 45 Comments

101encampment

As you might have heard, the tent city encampment on Division Street in the Mission under the freeway was removed yesterday. Mayor Ed Lee belatedly approved the action in response to neighborhood complaints, and over the objections of D9 Supervisor David Campos.

Meanwhile, in northeast Bernal Heights, a neighbor from Holladay Street at Brewster writes to ask if there’s a plan for the encampment along Cesar Chavez under US101:

I’m wondering why the encampment under the freeways over here wasn’t a part of [the encampment removal], and whether/how it will be affected. Do you have any scoop?

I’m sick to death of repeated vehicle break-ins and scared for my kids. I most recently ducked under our living room couch at 4 am with my two-month-old and called 911 after two guys breaking into cars spotted me looking out the window … and that’s not the only recent incident.

I don’t know what has to do with the homeless encampment and what doesn’t, and I’m certainly sympathetic. But I’m at a point where I feel like everything’s got to be addressed, and that seems like a huge piece of the puzzle to me.

UPDATE: Hoodline reports that advocates are meeting with Supervisor Campos on Friday to discuss the possibility of turning the area under the Cesar Chavez/101 overpass into San Francisco’s first city-sanctioned homeless camp:

These camps, or “St. Francis Villages,” would provide the homeless with space to camp as well as essential services, including the ability to sleep in a monitored location, 24/7 access to restrooms, and transitional services, [Amy Farah Weiss] says.

The idea of providing monitored and serviced campgrounds for the homeless is nothing new, Weiss says. The Right To Dream Too nonprofit offers a refuge for unhoused residents in Portland; the city of Eugene, Ore. offers rest-stops for homeless individuals and couples to sleep safely at night; and Seattle opened its first sanctioned homeless camps last fall.

Weiss and her partners in the St. Francis Homelessness Challenge have identified Cesar Chavez below the 101 overpass — where roughly 50 to 100 homeless residents are camping — as a potential first site for a city-sanctioned camp and are meeting with District 9 Supervisor David Campos about the possibility this Friday.

However, that land is owned by Caltrans and under the jurisdiction of the California Highway Patrol, which has been directed to “crack down” on camping on state lands, Weiss said. At this point, it’s unclear whether a collaboration to use those lands will be feasible.

UPDATE: Friday, Feb 26: Neighbor Margo attended the “walk around” in the encampment under the Chavez/101 overpass today, and reports:

My neighbor Keith and I went to the walk-around today with Supervisor Campos, folks from DPW and Caltrans, Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) from the city, Coalition for the Homeless people, and a guy who seemed to be one of the “St Francis Village” folks. Making the under-the-freeway camping area into permanent, sanctioned homeless encampment DID NOT appear to even be in the discussion. The discussion was around ways to improve services, figure out how (long-term) to get these folks inside and (short-term) how to make the situation under the freeway less dangerous, unsanitary, divisive, inhumane, etc.

To repeat: Making this area a permanent, sanctioned homeless encampment WAS NOT discussed as a serious solution.

That said, there was talk of trying to establish one of perhaps 5 (citywide) “navigation centers” for the homeless somewhere near here, perhaps in the parking lot near the storage area on the east side of the freeway.

PHOTO: Portion of encampment under US101 at Cesar Chavez, February 24, 2016. Photo by Telstar Logistics

Thursday: Community Safety Meeting at BHNC (and a Hot Spot Survey You Can Complete Now)

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

mcfaddenbhnc

There’s a community safety meeting happening tomorrow evening, Thursday, February 25, at 6 pm at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center. Neighbor Barbara Bagot-Lopez has the details:

Many neighbors participated in the community safety meeting hosted by the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center on January 28th. This week’s meeting will include follow-up reports on the property crimes and assaults that have occurred in Bernal, “Hot Spot” walk update, and progress on the Holladay Avenue Caltrans property. Captain McFadden from the Ingleside Police Station and Supervisor Campos and staff will be there. In addition, DPW and PUC will be on hand to shed some light on how to improve lighting in the neighborhood.

These Bernal community meetings will be held monthly on the last Thursday of each month. Be there or be square!

Thursday, Feb. 25th at 6:00 pm
at the BHNC, 515 Cortland

On a related note, the valiant Neighbor Sarah encourages Bernal residents to take this Hot Spot Survey to identify incident-prone areas in Bernal Heights that require attention. She explains:

At the last community meeting at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, we are once again collecting tips on crime/safety “hot spots” in the neighborhood. These will be reported back to the police, and they will be included on upcoming “hot spot walks” with SFPD, Supervisor Campos’s office, and DPW, where we look at the problem areas and collaborate to solve the problems.

Paper forms can be picked up at the BHNC, but here is an online survey to fill out.

Note: Please submit your responses by Monday, Feb. 29.

PHOTO: Capt. Joseph McFadden at BHNC, Oct. 20, 2015 by Telstar Logistics

Smash-and-Grab Thefts Plague Good Life Parking Lot

/ Todd_Lappin / 16 Comments

goodlifesmash

Memo to the wise: If you park your car in the Good Life parking lot on the corner of Cortland and Andover, don’t leave anything — anything! — in the car when you dash into the grocery.  The Good Life parking lot has been the site of many smash-and-grab thefts lately, and many a sad Bernalese have returned to their cars to find a window shattered and valuables missing.

There’s reason to believe that many of the break-ins at the Good Life parking lot have been done by a small group of repeat offenders. On Feb. 16, Neighbor Darcy reported:

There were two smash and grab type break ins at in the Good Life parking lot last week. This is the 4th time in two weeks that the same car with the same license plate has broken into cars there. It is often folks that stop at the store to quickly get something for the road and come back to a broken window and their stuff gone.

Because it is so frequent I spoke with the officers on the scene. These break ins have been happening frequently for years. The crimes are targeted to cars with goods in them. Empty cars do not get hit. The car drives up smashes the window, and flees. The car is a white honda with the front bashed in and a sun roof. The license plate is 7CDE452

A few days later, Neighbor Darcy shared this follow-up:

The white Honda returned to the Good Life parking lot, and someone recognized it and took a picture of the driver which made him drive away. And the picture did not turn out. We called the police and reported it. A van was broken into again today by another smash and grab vehicle. The crime vehicle is suspected to be a green BMW that was parked in the lot. … will keep you posted re this recent sweep of car break ins-Capt McFadden has been very proactive and communicative.”

SFPD Ingleside has reviewed security camera footage received from Good Life, and they add this detail:

An investigator’s been assigned, and has the Good Life video and car license plate. The same car’s been involved in break-ins at Mitchell’s Ice Cream and in in the Haight.

Unfortunately, the Good Life break-ins have already created a much sadness for Neighbor Maeve from Ellsworth, a young Bernal resident who was poised to embark on a big adventure with her sister and a friend:

This March, my sister, Sean, best friend, Stephanie, and I will set out for 5 months to hike The Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,650 mile long footpath that crosses California, Oregon, and Washington.

Everything was all set, until last Friday. On February 12th 2016, we left our San Francisco neighborhood, Bernal Heights, for a weekend-long backpacking trip. In the five minutes it took us to grab sandwiches from Good Life Grocery, our car was broken into. We came back to find smashed windows, broken glass, and only two backpacks. Stephanie’s brand new pack, filled with all of her gear, as well as a bulk of Sean’s and my own, was stolen. A few days ago we found out our insurance policies will not cover any of our loss.

Neighbor Maeve has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help replace their lost gear. Please donate if you’re so inclined.

Meanwhile, the SFPD is hopeful that they will make an arrest soon. And most obviously, don’t leave anything in your car when you park in the Good Life parking lot.

PHOTO: The window the van that was carrying Neighbor Maeve’s backpack, Feb. 12, 2016.

Tuesday: Meeting to Consider Undergrounding Electric Lines in Bernal Heights

/ Todd_Lappin / 17 Comments

powerlines

Some Bernal neighbors are spearheading an effort to get rid of all the utility poles in Bernal Heights and relocate our electric and telecommunications wires underground. There’s a meeting to discuss the idea happening tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb 22 at 7 pm at the Bernal Heights Library.

Neighbor Demece from Precita Valley Neighbors brings some backstory:

Please attend this Tuesday!

Neighborhoods are organizing together to propose a city wide utility undergrounding. Utility lines pose a serious danger for short and long term neighborhood safety. When exterior painting is done and scaffolds are necessary; utility power has to be reduced. Utility lines are easily damaged in an earthquake and are causes of rampant fire. So far, those neighborhoods who have utility undergrounding are safer, and we can make all neighborhoods safer by constructing a timely, cost efficient plan for all under grounding.

Nimble-spirited neighbor Melissa has called for a community meeting on Undergrounding Utilites this Tuesday, 2/23 from 7pm – 8:30pm at the Bernal Library at 500 Cortland.

San Francisco Coalition to Underground Utilities will present a brief informational presentation on the city-wide momentum to push for timely and efficient undergrounding. Precita Valley Neighbors’ dashing duo veteran undergrounding activists Steve and Dennis will facilitate the discussion.

On Saturday, March 12th, Neighbor Steve will lead the Precita Valley Neighbors Meeting from 9:30-10:30am at Charlie’s Café at 3202 Folsom to consider PVN affiliation to join SFCUU.

So what? No issue is more dastardly than an earthquake damaged neighborhood on fire. We can move on this issue now and bury the wires for good.

So attend.

Wires Flyer for PVN

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics

People Are Talking About 3rd Cousin Restaurant on Cortland

/ Todd_Lappin / 40 Comments

3rdCOusinfacade

Recently, during a stroll on Cortland Avenue, your Bernalwood editor ran into Neighbor David. It was a sunny day, and Neighbor David was in grand spirits, because, he said, he was still high from the amazing dinner he’d had the night before at 3rd Cousin.

As you may recall, 3rd Cousin is the new restaurant at 919 Cortland, that used to be a popup called Kinfolk. 3rd Cousin is owned and run by Chef Greg Lutes, and as with every culinary entrepreneur, his effort to open 3rd Cousin in a permanent location has been an arduous labor of love and obsession. 919 Cortland used to be home to the somewhat less stylish Pizza Express, but now Chef Greg has transformed it into a casual venue for his elegant food with Michelin star aspirations. Crazy, right?

Anyway, when I bumped into him, Neighbor David gushed about the food at 3rd Cousin, which he described as being thoughtful and well-prepared but not too fussy. He said the prices at 3d Cousin are a on the higher side, but the quality of experience made it a worthy indulgence every once in a while.  And he said the desserts were mind-blowing.

3rdCousinmenu

Hmmmmmmm! I thought.

Then, just a few days later, San Francisco Magazine published an article about “Four Restaurants We’re Crazy For.” 3rd Cousin was at the top of the list:

3rd Cousin
Bernal Heights
At the brick-and-mortar incarnation of his erstwhile Kinfolk pop-up, Greg Lutes serves cozy seasonal fare in an austere charcoal-gray dining room. A robust salad of baby mustard greens comes garnished with persimmon, garrotxa cheese, and dehydrated batons of purple yam, while grilled swordfish is rendered addictive by a shower of dukka, an Egyptian spice blend. Lutes’s strengths are best showcased in his savory uni crème brûlée: The caviar-topped number proves that you can teach an old dessert new, and impressive, tricks.

Frankly, I only understood about half of that.

But the point is, when both the critics and an actual man-on-the-street are talking about 3rd Cousin, that’s a strong indication something special is going on there. I’m looking forward to trying it out.

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics

What Will It Take to Reduce Street Crime in Bernal?

/ Todd_Lappin / 26 Comments

brokenglasscortland

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Buck Bagot is a Bernal Heights treasure. Since 1971, Buck has been involved as a activist, advocate, and community organizer in Bernal Heights. He helped co-found the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, and over the decades he’s participated in dozens of crime-reduction efforts here — including program that cut crime at public housing developments like Holly Courts.

Bernalwood asked Buck to share some wisdom on what we need to do if we want to put an end to costly car break-ins, scary home burglaries, and dangerous assaults in Bernal Heights. So over to you, Neighbor Buck:

STOPPING STREET CRIME IN BERNAL HEIGHTS IS AN ATTAINABLE GOAL

While the recent crime wave in SF neighborhoods is certainly exacerbated by the increasing divide between the haves and have-nots, our criminal justice system is clearly not doing enough. Any assault is one too many. And I’ve lost count of the number of times street criminals have broken into cars on my block. I leave my car unlocked with nothing in it. A few weeks ago, someone entered it and stole my nail clippers.

Ending street crime may appear to be an impossible goal. But it’s not – at least not in Bernal Heights, where we have success stories of effective community policing. The two public housing developments in Bernal– Holly Courts and Alemany – were once plagued by ongoing open drug dealing, assaults, shootings and murders. I assisted the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center (BHNC) in organizing the residents of Holly and Alemany and their neighbors. We worked with the SF Police Department (SFPD) and District Attorney’s Office (DA), and held them accountable for stopping the street crime.

We’ve had great success: Holly Courts is now virtually crime free. Alemany is getting there, but there is clearly more to be done. Bernal has many formal and informal anti-crime block organizations that are part of its community policing operation. When we organize, we make a difference. BHNC – specifically Ailed Paningbatan-Swan, Director of Community Engagement – and I have worked for a long time with neighbors like Sarah Rogers, Edie Williams, Deb MacDonald and Bobbie Cochran to organize our community policing.

The Hillwide community policing meeting organized by BHNC and Supervisor David Campos on January 28, 2016 was a good start, with about 100 neighbors attending. Make sure to attend the next one on Thursday February 25 at 6:00 pm at 515 Cortland Ave. And kudos to neighbors in the northeast side of Bernal for their well-attended meeting earlier in January!

I was deeply moved to hear our neighbor courageously tell her personal story of being assaulted at knifepoint the day before the meeting. BHNC-organized “hot spot walks” are a good example of one thing we can do together to make our neighborhood safer. These walks scout out an area where assaults have happened or could happen, and change some of the physical conditions that encourage street crime: overgrown bushes get pruned, street lights get fixed/ installed, etc. The walks have included the active participation of SFPD, Supervisor Campos, and the SF Department of Public Works (DPW), and are organized by Ailed at BHNC.

The “HOW TO” list:

The Problem:  Property crimes (especially car break-ins) and personal crimes (assaults/robbery).

Here’s what SHOULD happen:

  1. SFPD, with help from neighbors if possible, identify criminals and arrest them.
  2. DA prosecutes them aggressively and effectively
  3. Superior Court judges/juries find them guilty, and judges sentence them so they are off the street.

Here’s what  ACTUALLY happens:

  1. SFPD arrests criminals some of the time.
  2. The DA either doesn’t prosecute them, or doesn’t achieve a conviction with sentencing that keeps them off of the streets.
  3. Judge/jury do not convict them; judge fails to give sentence that keeps them off the street.
  4. Criminals return to Bernal Heights and continue their street crime:

Here’s The Solution: 

Bernal neighbors must hold the SF criminal justice system accountable for ending crime on Bernal.   We must report, pressure, track, pressure, and follow up.  Here’s what we can do:

  1. Report: If you see someone “casing” cars, call 911 from landline or 415-553-8090 from cell phone. If you experience even a minor or attempted crime, call 415-553-0123 (non-emergency SFPD number) to report it. In either case, always get a Police report number.
  2. Track and pressure the SFPD to find and arrest the criminals
  3. Track and pressure the DA–Make sure that the DA prosecutes them aggressively and effectively.
  4. Track and pressure the Judges–Make sure that they sentence them and get them off the street.
  5. Hold them all accountable at regular meetings (such as BHNC monthly community policing meetings).

BHNC used this approach successfully in the past at Holly Courts public housing development, and with mixed results at Alemany.  We formed a work group with representatives from BHNC, resident organizations, neighbors, the Police, and the DA’s Office. The Police provided us with a list of persons arrested for drug dealing or violent crimes. We worked with SFPD, DA’s office, and the SF Housing Authority to get them out of the developments. We never had to meet with the Judges.

SFPD: IDENTIFY/ARREST

We need to make sure the SFPD arrests all persons committing crimes in Bernal. As SFPD Ingleside Station Captain Joseph McFadden said at recent community meetings, he believes that there are 3-4 people doing all of the car break-ins.  When I met with him recently, he agreed to give us the police reports for anyone arrested for car break-ins on Bernal (this is public information).  If the police aren’t arresting all of the people committing car break-ins, we keep pushing until they do.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY: PROSECUTE

We must ensure that the DA’s Office aggressively and effectively prosecutes anyone arrested for personal or property crimes in Bernal.  (For car creak-ins, there are two key DA representatives: the person who decides on prosecution of car break-ins and the Assistant DA who prosecutes. I believe that both were in attendance at the recent Hill-wide meeting.) We need to get the DA office’s commitment to make personal and property crimes in Bernal a priority.  If they don’t do this, we pressure DA George Gascón.

TRACK THE CASES IN THE SYSTEM

We should ensure that the SFPD and DA’s office keep us apprised of the progress of the prosecution of anyone arrested in Bernal for auto break in.

We need people to meet with the SFPD and DA on a regular basis to make sure that the Police arrest, the DA prosecutes, and the Judges sentence.

JUDGES: TRY AND SENTENCE

We should not allow deals that put guilty offenders right back out on the street.

The judges of SF Superior Court run for office every 6 years, which means we can assert direct political pressure on them to respond to the needs of the people of SF. The judges elect a Presiding Judge of the Superior Court to represent them; currently that is Presiding Judge John K. Stewart.  If the judges don’t get the criminals off the street, we should meet with the Presiding Judge, armed with a list of the individuals arrested and the disposition of their cases and with the SFPD and the DA included.  We may have to send the Presiding Judge a lot of emails/letters to get his attention.

PHOTO: Broken auto glass on Cortland Avenue, February 6, 2016, 11:22 am. By Telstar Logistics

TONIGHT: Learn How Bernal Streets Got Their Names

/ Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

GG BH Blvd to Bradford

Tonight, your friendly neighborhood time-travelers from the Bernal Heights History Project will talk about the origins of Bernal Heights street-names, with a particular focus on glamorous Bradford Street. It happens this evening, Thursday, February 18 at the Bernal Library:

This month’s meeting will feature a presentation on how Bradford Street got its name, and how that ties in with some other street names in Bernal Heights. We’ll have a show-and-tell session as well, so please feel free to bring photos and stories to share.

We will meet on Thursday, February 18, at 6.15 p.m. at the Bernal branch library (500 Cortland at Anderson); please use the side gate on Anderson Street to access the downstairs meeting room. There will NOT be access through the library.  As always, it is free and open to all.

PHOTO: Bernal Heights Boulevard above Bradford Street, February 1931

Big Changes to MUNI Bus Stops Along Mission Street in Bernal Heights

/ Todd_Lappin / 21 Comments

NewMuniStops

If you tried to catch a bus along Bernal’s stretch of Mission Street over the weekend, you might have noticed some changes. As part of SFMTA”s effort to speed up bus transit along Mission Street, several stops along Bernal’s Mission corridor have been removed from the 14 & 49 bus lines, and even bigger changes are in store for Mission Street north of Cesar Chavez.

Specificially, the inbound 14 and 49 bus stops at 29th Street, Fair, and Precita Avenue have been removed, and a new stop has been created at Powers Avenue. Outbound, the same removals are in place, but the stop at Mission/Valencia remains unchanged. The stop at 30th Street remains in place for both directions. (Additional details provided  below.)

The SFMTA website explains:

We’re changing the number of travel lanes to widen the street, rolling out a new transit-only lane, and much, much more. Let’s walk through it.

Transit-only Lanes

These lanes give Muni its own right-of-way to bypass traffic congestion, reducing delays and improving reliability. Transit-only lanes will be installed on Mission Street traveling southbound between 14th and Cesar Chavez, and both southbound and northbound between Cesar Chavez and 30th.

NewMissionbuslanes

Rendering of bus-only lanes on Mission @20th St. (Image by SFMTA)

Stop consolidation

This allows Muni customers to travel the same distance in less time. Heading toward downtown, stops will be removed on Mission at 29th, Fair, Precita, 23rd, 21st, 19th and 15th, and a new stop will be established at Powers. Towards Daly City, stops will be removed at 15th, 19th, 21st, 23rd, Precita, and 29th.

Turn restrictions

These reduce delay for through traffic and keep pedestrians safe as they cross the street. Left turn restrictions will be put in place at every intersection on Mission Street between 14th and Cesar Chavez.

Northbound required right turns

Requiring right turns will divert northbound traffic off Mission Street, easing traffic flow along the street and improving local access to Mission Street destinations. Right turns will be required going northbound at 26th, 24th, 22nd, 20th, and 16th. Transit, emergency vehicles, taxis and bicyclists will be exempt from required right turns.

All of these improvements are hitting the street starting this month!

Timing & What’s Happening

This Saturday, February 13, 2016 – Select bus stops removed for the 14 and 49

February 22 – March 7 – Red lanes painted from 30th St to Cesar Chavez

March 7 – early April – Red lanes painted and road re-striped from 14th St to Cesar Chavez

Rolling basis between March and April – Required right turns and left turn restrictions will be implemented block-by-block as the transit-only lanes are striped

 

  • As the SFMTA paint crew moves through the project area, expect the following during construction hours:
  • Curbside parking and loading will be temporarily unavailable.
  • Muni bus stops may be temporarily re-located to a nearby stop.
  • Through auto traffic will be allowed but alternative routes are encouraged.
  • Signs prior to construction on each block will be posted for all bus stop changes and parking restrictions.

Here’s the Bernal-relevant detail:

Changes to Inbound 14 & 49 service:

Screen Shot 2016-02-15 at 11.50.21 PM

Changes to Outbound 14 & 49 Service:

Screen Shot 2016-02-15 at 11.53.55 PM

Valentine’s Day Brought Vivid Colors to Bernal Hill

/ Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

ValentineRock2

The long weekend coincided with Valentine’s Day, and it took on a romantic vibe when, per local tradition, Cupid transformed the big rock on the north slope of Bernal Heights Boulevard into a giant Valentine. Neighbor Annelise captured this photo to illustrate his handiwork.

But the rock wasn’t the only natural wonder that brought Valentine’s cheer to Bernal Heights. Check out Kat Shreve’s photo of the atmospheric sunset that bathed Bernal Hill in an amorous glow on Sunday evening. Wow:

valentinessunset

Saturday: Community Meeting on Proposed “90+” Units of Senior Housing on Shotwell

/ Todd_Lappin / 19 Comments

1296shotwellrendering

There’s a community meeting scheduled for Saturday morning, Saturday, February 13, from 10 am to noon at St. Anthony’s Church (3215 Cesar Chavez) to discuss the 90+-unit senior citizen housing development proposed for 1296 Shotwell Street near Cesar Chavez.

As Bernalwood previously explained:

Right now, 1296 Shotwell is basically a shed that’s home to a few automotive repair shops. The history of this project is intimately tied to the Vida market-rate development at 2558 Mission Street that also created the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema inside the restored New Mission theater. Vida is a 114-unit, market-rate project in which the developer opted to meet their inclusionary housing requirements by purchasing 1296 Shotwell Street as a land dedication site for use by San Francisco to create affordable housing. This means the City basically received the land at 1296 Shotwell for free. And presumably, since 1296 Shotwell will be senior housing, each of the units in the new building will be relatively small, although the height of the building gives it significant density.

That’s the backstory. The new building will be co-developed by Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA), and Karoleen Feng, MEDA Director of Community Real Estate, explains what Saturday’s meeting is all about:

We are planning to have a community meeting on Saturday, Feb. 13, from 10 a.m. To noon, to develop our vision that will help us to better design and program the building. The affordable housing will be for seniors and be 90+ apartments, as requested by the City. Before we solidify our proposal that was submitted to the City, we are hoping to get our community’s ideas for what could be developed, so that we can incorporate as much as possible ― within the parameters of the City’s requirements.

Bernalwood requested renderings of the proposed building, to see if there had been any updates since the previous proposal was unveiled. We also asked for confirmation that the site plan still calls for a nine-story tower. Christopher Gil, MEDA’s content marketing manager declined to confirm this, and told us no rendering is available, because:

The building design is not determined. That is why there are community meetings being held — to let the neighborhood have a say in making this the best senior affordable housing development possible.

Hmm. So we know that the original proposal for the building was for 96 units in a nine-story tower, and we know that the plan for the building still contains “90+ apartments.” But MEDA won’t confirm that the site plan still contains a nine-story tower, and the organization declined to provide any further detail about what the current plan looks like in advance of Saturday’s meeting.

“Community feedback is an integral part of MEDA’s brand of affordable housing,” says MEDA’s Christopher Gil.

Maybe so, but MEDA is also a slick political operator, and this building with 90+ units is also part of MEDA’s brand of affordable housing. So presumably the building is either going to remain at nine-stories, or it is going to have a whole lot of subterranean living spaces — and the latter scenario seems likely.

As I’ve said before, I have a personal stake in this building, because I live a block away, and it will be highly visible from my home. Indeed, it will likely obstruct part of my glamorous downtown skyline view, which I welcome, because we really need more housing of all types in this area, and more density, and this is a good place for it. I welcome more housing, and I don’t mind a tower, and personally, I don’t care if it obstructs my view. Yes in my front yard! But MEDA is not inspiring much confidence in their candor as a real estate developer or future neighbor.

Hopefully we’ll learn more on Saturday.

2004-01252016_CRE-1296 Shotwell Community Planning - Information Meeting Flier_v3

IMAGE: Top, a November 2015 rendering of the nine-story affordable housing project proposed for 1296 Shotwell

Two Arrested in Connection with Esmeralda Stairs Assault

/ Todd_Lappin / 9 Comments

esmeraldaperpbusted

Breaking News: Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the frightening Jan. 27 robbery and assault that took place on the Esmeralda stairs in western Bernal.

Capt. Joseph McFadden of SFPD Ingleside Station reports:

Two suspects were arrested in the robbery/assault of a woman on the Esmerelda steps from January 27th. Nice work by a great witness who came forward from the neighborhood and the Inspector assigned to the case at Ingleside.. Just an FYI to let people know we are on it.

This comes to us via Neighbor Sarah, your valiant liaison to the SFPD, who adds:

I’ll also be asking neighbors to send letters to DA encouraging a robust prosecution.

That’s all we know for now; Bernalwood will share additional details as they become available.  In the meantime, thank you and well done, SFPD Ingleside.

IMAGE: Surveillance camera footage of one suspect in the January 27 Esmeralda stairway assault

 

Bernal Native Carlos Santana Says the Super Bowl Needed More Local Bands

/ Todd_Lappin / 7 Comments

santana2012

One of the best things about the conclusion of Superb Owl 50 is that we no longer have to hear all the complaining about Superb Owl 50. Yet with that said, celebrity Bernal Heights native Carlos Santana took to Facebook yesterday to grumble that there wasn’t enough local flavor at the Super Bowl 50 halftime show:

Dear NFL/CBS….I would like to take this opportunity to thank you both for including me as a part of your Super Bowl entertainment. I do feel compelled to point out to you that the Halftime Show should have included some of the local iconic bands that the World would have loved to see perform. Bands like Metallica, Steve Miller, Journey and yours truly. We would have rocked the Half Time Show and done the SF Bay Area proud. This is just an invitation for you to consider iconic bands as part of your Half Time entertainment. Real live music, real live vocals, and give the audience real live chills.

Carlos Santana

Estimados NFL/CBS….Me gustaría aprovechar esta oportunidad para agradecer a ambos que me incluyeran como parte del entretenimiento de la Super Bowl. Me siento obligado a señalar que el espectáculo del descanso del partido debería haber incluido a algunas de las icónicas bandas locales que a todo el mundo le habría encantado ver actuar. Bandas como Metallica, Steve Miller, Journey y quien les habla. Habríamos hecho estremecer el espectáculo del descanso y habríamos enorgullecido al área de SF Bay. Esto es tan solo una invitación para que consideren a las bandas icónicas como parte de su entretenimiento del descanso del partido. Música real en vivo, voz real en vivo y estremecer realmente a la audiencia en vivo.
Carlos

Preach!

Actually, the Superb Owl 50 halftime show would have been an excellent opportunity to stage the Mullen Reunion Tour, harkening back to the days when Santana and a few early members of Journey all lived under the same roof on Mullen Avenue.

Even better, we could have hosted one hell of a homecoming after-party in Precita Park, with Santana jamming on the little mound just west of the playground until the whole park smelled like cannabis and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Santana is right; that would have been fantastic. Let’s do it next time.

PHOTO: Carlos Santana’s Facebook profile pic

Coyote Becomes Next Door Neighbor in Northeast Bernal Heights

/ Todd_Lappin / 9 Comments

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Neighbor Adrian lives in northeast Bernal, near the eastern side of the Miller-Dogpatch Community Garden. Last week, he was surprised to discover that a coyote had moved in next door.

It’s unclear if this is the same coyote that was spotted in the northeast corner of Bernal Hill last month, but Neighbor Adrian reports:

I saw a couple of articles regarding the coyote sightings on Bernal Hill.  I was hoping to see the wild animal around the hill, since we are up there all the time with our dogs. However, to our surprise, we didn’t have to go to far; It seems a coyote has moved in to an empty lot in front of our home!

Our next door neighbor sent me a text on Thursday to let me know there was a sighting of a coyote near us and to be careful with our dogs. (We have two small dogs) Next thing, on Saturday while on the street with our dogs, we saw the coyote for the first time. He just looked at us and retreated behind the trees and bushes.

On Monday I went check again, and there he was looking back at us, not moving or making any noise — just looking…  which was kind of creepy!

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I’m sharing a couple of pictures of the new neighbor. Although they are not very clear (seeing the coyote is more like finding Waldo), it shows how close he is to home .

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Neighbor Adrian