Reply from Supervisor Melgar’s Office regarding Havelock Bridge issue

On By Sunnyside Neighborhood AssociationIn Balboa Park, city government, Havelock Bridge, Myrna Melgar, Pedestrian SafetyLeave a comment

In a recent post on this website, Bridge over troubled waters: Addressing pedestrian safety and the Havelock Bridge, Sunnyside resident and past SNA board member Estelle Smith detailed the outstanding issues with safety, the promised crosswalk, and graffiti on this important pedestrian link for the neighborhood.

Lila Carrillo, Legislative Aide to D7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar, gave this reply:

“Rest assured that Havelock Pedestrian Bridge and landing is a priority space for us to help improve, and the complexity of it will not deter us. Very shortly after Supervisor Melgar took office, Christine [Weibel, author of The Havelock Street Bridge Beautification and Safety Project] reached out to us to put this on our radar. Since then, we’ve been actively engaged with understanding the nuances of this space and connecting with agencies (especially CalTrans, who’s the most difficult to reach) to solve for: 1) who has jurisdiction over what, 2) who would “own” what project, 3) true costs and implications for every action item, etc. Although we are not yet where we’d like to be, we are firm in our advocacy for resources and improvements needed for the Havelock Bridge and pedestrian area.

“As we work with DPW to fulfill the vision and scope of the PB project, we are working simultaneously with SFMTA to prioritize the crosswalk. The most recent update we received is that funds transfer was initiated early this month to Public Works, they should have the funding in-hand in approximately three weeks. MTA has also asked DPW to provide us with info on how soon they can schedule the work and how long it will take them to complete. I will keep SNA updated on that timeline, once we receive it.”

District 7 Public Safety Virtual Town Hall on Nov 18

On By Sunnyside Neighborhood AssociationIn Crime, District 7, Ingleside Police Station, Myrna Melgar, SafetyLeave a comment

Supervisor Myrna Melgar invites you to a

PUBLIC SAFETY VIRTUAL TOWN HALL

WHEN: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021 at 6:00 pm 

WHERE: VIRTUAL – Register/login at https://bit.ly/d7publicsafetypanel 

WATCH LIVE ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/myrnamelgard7 

If you’d like to submit your question ahead of time, please e-mail to lila.carrillo@sfgov.org, subject line “11/18 Public Safety Question” 

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES LOGGING IN?  Please call 415.554.6521  

SPEAKERS:

  • Chief William “Bill” Scott, San Francisco Police Department (SFPD)
  • Captain Christopher “Chris” Pedrini, SFPD – Park Station 
  • Captain Nicholas Rainsford, SFPD – Taraval Station 
  • Acting Captain Kevin Knoble, SFPD – Ingleside Station 
  • Furlishous Wyatt, Security Services Manager, SF SAFE 
  • Kasie Lee, Interim Chief, Victim Services Division, SF District Attorney’s Office (SFDA)
  • Evanthia “Thia” Pappas ADA, Community Liaison,  SFDA
  • Sheila Johnson, Community Liaison, SFDA

Bridge over troubled waters: Addressing pedestrian safety and the Havelock Bridge

On By Sunnyside Neighborhood AssociationIn Balboa Park, city government, Havelock Bridge, Mayor's Office, Myrna Melgar, Parks, Pedestrian Safety, Vision ZeroLeave a comment

By Estelle Smith

[Read a response to this post from D7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar’s office here.]

Let’s take a walk through the Sunnyside neighborhood in San Francisco. Head south on Edna Street where it meets Havelock. Straight ahead you’ll see the lush green bushes and the fence for the City College tennis courts. Now look left, and there it is—the Havelock Street Bridge—the main pathway over the freeway, connecting Sunnyside to the wide green lawns, playgrounds, off-leash dog park, swimming pool, and other facilities at Balboa Park in District 11.

What comes to mind is, how does one safely cross? There is no crosswalk to access the bridge and no sidewalk on the south side of Havelock Street. Peering even farther left, at the corner of Circular Avenue, cars and bicycles treat this intersection as a quick yield. With no other traffic entering from the east, cars typically roll through the intersection, even though there is a stop sign.

  • Intersection of Havelock and Circular, entrance to Havelock Bridge. Approved location for crosswalk. Google Streetview 2017.
  • Intersection of Havelock and Circular, entrance to Havelock Bridge. Approved location for crosswalk. Google Streetview 2019.
Intersection of Havelock and Circular, entrance to the Havelock Street Bridge.

Once across the street and on the bridge, something else becomes visibly apparent. This bridge is ugly. It is riddled in graffiti and discarded litter ranging from broken glass to dirty diapers. This concrete jungle pathway, connecting two oases, is an eye sore and doesn’t reflect the warmth and beauty of the Sunnyside and Mission Terrace neighborhoods, or the wonderful park on the other side.

  • Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
    Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
  • Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
    Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
  • Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
    Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
  • Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
    Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
  • Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
    Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
  • Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
    Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
  • Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith
    Havelock Bridge. Photo: Estelle Smith

Why? Why is there no crosswalk? Why is the bridge repeatedly vandalized? This is the crux of this article. All bureaucratic roads lead back to here. So, let’s start with how we got here and how we can move forward.

Continue reading “Bridge over troubled waters: Addressing pedestrian safety and the Havelock Bridge” →

Balboa Reservoir update: Revised park plans

On By Sunnyside Neighborhood AssociationIn Balboa Reservoir Project, children, development, Families, Housing, Parks, SF Planning DeptLeave a comment

By Amy O’Hair, SNA Secretary and past member of the Balboa Reservoir Community Advisory Committee

Last month, the Balboa Reservoir Project development team presented revised plans for the central park at an open house at Unity Plaza. The presentation demonstrates that concerns and preferences of Sunnyside residents have been addressed by some of the revisions–items which were previously identified in a survey conducted by Sunnyside Neighborhood Association (SNA) as well as issues raised at the Nov 2020 meeting of the Balboa Reservoir Community Advisory Committee (BRCAC).

When initial plans were presented at the November 2020 meeting of the BRCAC, objections were made from several attendees and committee members to the compartmentalized nature of the park space as presented. The community garden had high fences that visually cut up the open space; an orchard was included, which would also need high fencing to prevent theft. It was suggested that the proposed pavilion could accommodate events or small-scale performance programs.

Following that, in Nov-Dec 2020, SNA conducted a survey of local residents about the uses they made of existing parks, as well as things they would like to see included in the Balboa Reservoir Project central park. Half of respondents lived in families with children. Basic activities like walking, sitting, and doing things with children were most important for respondents. Features that respondents said they valued in parks included playgrounds, benches, and picnic tables. Top landscaping desires included trees and open grassy lawns, with native plants, flowers, and shady areas coming next. The full results of that survey can be found here (PDF).

The revised plans presented in October show changes that address some of the issues raised over the last year by Sunnyside residents. The open grassy lawn area has been enlarged by 28%; the community garden fences shown in the presentation are more transparent to the eye, being an open mesh topped with wood. There are numerous places where benches, picnic tables, and other public park ‘furniture’ have been included, providing spaces for families or friends to gather or share meals. The plans show many trees for the open spaces, creating shaded areas. The Pavilion now includes some space around it that could be used to accommodate events.

The Balboa Reservoir Project has been controversial for some local residents; no one can deny that looming traffic and transit issues remain unresolved to date. Nonetheless, the developer team at AvalonBay/BRIDGE working on the open space portion of the project is to be congratulated for their responsiveness to the stated needs of the current local residents who plan to use the planned Reservoir Park. If all goes well, Sunnysiders can look forward to enjoying a unique and lovely new park nearby.

Below are the ten slides for the presentation boards from the Balboa Reservoir Open House on Oct 16, 2021. Give your feedback regarding these park plans by email: balboareservoir@gmail.com . Get updates from the developer by signing up here.

Presentation board from Open House on Balboa Reservoir park design, Oct 16, 2021. https://sfplanning.org/sites/default/files/documents/cac/balboareservoirCAC_community_boards-101621.pdf
Continue reading “Balboa Reservoir update: Revised park plans” →

Nov 1: SNA Quarterly Meeting

On By Sunnyside Neighborhood AssociationIn Balboa Reservoir Project, Detroit Steps, Neighborhood Watch, Slow HearstLeave a comment

You are invited to Sunnyside Neighborhood Association’s November 2021 Quarterly Meeting.

Monday November 1st, 2021, 6:30 – 8:00 PM via Zoom.

On the agenda: News from President Ken Hollenbeck about an opportunity to increase Sunnyside’s urban forest. Members Jim McCormick and Brian Marabello, two local Neighborhood Watch leads, will talk about how they got their blocks organized, and how to do it on your own block. Sara Barz, Slow Hearst lead, will give an update on this new neighborhood feature. Rosaura Valle and Joy Durighello from the Detroit Steps Project team will report the latest exciting news on the Steps. Also, a brief update about the Balboa Reservoir Project from Amy O’Hair. Raffle prizes include hand-made flowers from Andrea O’Leary.

Continue reading “Nov 1: SNA Quarterly Meeting” →