Category: Uncategorized

SFMTA: Further upgrades for pedestrian safety on Sunnyside streets

On By Sunnyside Neighborhood AssociationIn Norman Yee, Pedestrian Safety, Safety, SFMTA, Streets, Traffic, UncategorizedLeave a comment

From SFMTA, an update about the work they are doing regarding pedestrian safety upgrades on Sunnyside streets. Read the previous update from SFMTA here.

From SFMTA Engineer Philip Louie:

We have been working on the list of Sunnyside area traffic and safety improvements that were listed in the participatory budget application. As part of the safety improvements, we recommend “daylighting” the intersections which pulls back parked vehicles from the intersection by installing a short red zone between the stop line and parked car. This increases the visibility of pedestrians for drivers as they approach the intersection. This can affect parking in the area, and the streets you requested increased safety on are no different.

We are now presenting you with our recommended places where additional daylighting would be beneficial to increasing safety. Most of the red zones will be pushing the cars back from the intersection to increase visibility. For example, on Monterey, we recommend extending the red zones between the yield triangles and the crosswalk at Colon, Valdez and Hazelwood in the westbound direction. This will be an additional 15 feet of red zone which is less than the length of a parking space. However, there are several parking spaces that we recommend removing: three on Hearst, two on Congo, five on Monterey.    Continue reading “SFMTA: Further upgrades for pedestrian safety on Sunnyside streets” →

SF Examiner: ‘Phelan Avenue poised to lose name over racist legacy’

On By Sunnyside Neighborhood AssociationIn CCSF, city government, Norman Yee, SF Board of Supervisors, Streets, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Phelan Avenue is home to several Sunnyside and Westwood Park houses, as well as SF City College.

Phelan_Ave_2018_02
Phelan Avenue viewed from Flood Ave in Sunnyside. Photo: Sunnyside Neighborhood Association

Source for article below: SF Examiner http://www.sfexaminer.com/phelan-avenue-poised-lose-name-racist-legacy/  Related article on SFWeekly: http://www.sfweekly.com/news/racist-legacy-revisited-frida-kahlo-could-oust-phelan-way/

Phelan Avenue poised to lose name over racist legacy

By Laura Waxmann on February 25, 2018 1:00 am

The name of former San Francisco Mayor James Duval Phelan could soon be erased from street signs near City College of San Francisco as part of a movement to remove monuments to historic figures now considered racist.

Over the next two weeks, community members and stakeholders including City College will get a chance to vote on potential new names for Phelan Avenue as part of an effort spearheaded by Supervisor Norman Yee.

Yee said that he learned about the Phelan family legacy a few years ago, including the “anti-immigrant policies” of the younger Phelan. A patron of the arts and music and a former U.S. Senator, Phelan is also remembered for opposing Asian immigration and for using the slogan “Keep California White” during his senatorial re-election campaign.    Continue reading “SF Examiner: ‘Phelan Avenue poised to lose name over racist legacy’” →

Message from District Attorney about SF’s Auto Burglary Challenge

On By Sunnyside Neighborhood AssociationIn Crime, Police, Safety, SF District Attorney, UncategorizedLeave a comment

From San Francisco District Attorney, George Gascón <districtattorney@sfgov.org> Related article on SF Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/gascon-calls-task-force-end-car-break-epidemic/

How We Address SF’s Auto Burglary Challenge

Dear fellow San Franciscans,

I write today in regards to auto break-ins.  I’ve received emails from many of you, and I wanted to take a moment to communicate directly about what my office is doing to reduce break-ins in San Francisco.  I recognize that these crimes are a stain on our quality of life and the charm of our amazing city, and my hope is that this email will provide some answers about where we are and where we go from here.

As you may know, my office prosecuted 82% of the 490 auto break-ins last year that resulted in an arrest, and our average disposition included county jail time and felony probation.

The vast majority of these crimes are committed by a small number of people.  Accordingly, this week, my office announced a plan to target the most prolific offenders which can have an outsized impact on the overall number of incidents in San Francisco.  This multi-disciplinary approach out of my office successfully resulted in major cases such as Operation Cold Day, which netted the most arrests in one day in ATF history.  It also led to dozens of defendants indicted in an organized retail theft conspiracy that spanned the United States.  In fact, through this process my office identified Carlos Paz, the “main fence” in an international multimillion-dollar fencing operation.    Continue reading “Message from District Attorney about SF’s Auto Burglary Challenge” →

SB827: State housing legislation currently under consideration

On By Sunnyside Neighborhood AssociationIn development, Housing, real estate, state government, Transit, UncategorizedLeave a comment

UPDATE Apr 18, 2018: This bill has been voted down in the CA Senate at committee level. http://www.sfexaminer.com/wiener-bill-allowing-taller-buildings-near-transit-dies-committee/

This post is to provide information to residents of our neighborhood; SNA does not take positions on government legislation. [UPDATE Mar 01: Bill has been amended. More: https://hoodline.com/2018/02/bill-to-promote-housing-near-transit-amended-to-address-local-concerns

California State Senator Scott Wiener has introduced legislation, SB827, which proposes to change how housing is built, according to proximity to transit, and provides for exemptions from local building codes. Read the bill here. Text from the bill:

This bill would authorize a transit-rich housing project to receive a transit-rich housing bonus. The bill would define a transit-rich housing project as a residential development project the parcels of which are all within a 1/2 mile radius of a major transit stop or a 1/4 mile radius of a high-quality transit corridor, as those terms are further defined. The bill would exempt a project awarded a housing opportunity bonus from various requirements, including maximum controls on residential density or floor area ratio, minimum automobile parking requirements, design standards that restrict the applicant’s ability to construct the maximum number of units consistent with any applicable building code, and maximum height limitations, as provided.

A recent 48Hills.org article reports on an analysis of this bill recently issued by the San Francisco Planning Dept. Read that here, including a map showing how it applies in SF. Read the Planning Dept document here.

Here is a recent SF Examiner piece: http://www.sfexaminer.com/senate-bill-827-raise-height-limits-throughout-sf-transform-city/ . From that:

“Senate Bill 827, authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, could allow five- and eight-story buildings to sprout in neighborhoods that traditionally have seen mostly single-family homes and two-unit duplexes.”

Other articles available online by searching on ‘SB 827 housing’.   Continue reading “SB827: State housing legislation currently under consideration” →