GLEN PARK ASSOCIATION MEETING FEATURES NEW FACES
It was an evening of the changing of the guard at the Glen Park Association meeting on Wednesday, January 19.
It was election night and Carolyn Deacy was elected vice president of the Association. Mic Ames, former VP, is now corresponding secretary and hopes to breathe new life into that antiquated title. Other officers were re-elected, including our FDR equivalent, Michael Rice, elected president for the fifth time.
Scott Wiener, newly installed District 8 Supervisor, received a warm welcome from Glen Park residents. Wiener said he was deeply honored to represent Glen Park and the other amazing neighborhoods in the area.
One week in, Wiener is already getting going on significant issues. In Glen Park he is observing the Glen Park Plan as it moves forward, addressing zoning issues, and meeting with Municipal Transportation Agency on traffic improvements at the Diamond and Bosworth intersection.
Citywide, one of Wiener’s top priorities is transportation in all its multiplicities. He wants to get more cabs on city streets, reform MUNI to get costs under control, and improve service. Graffiti abatement is another problem that will come under his microscope.
He explained some of the complexity of funding for transit projects, citing sources such as the county transportation authority, the ¼ percent sales tax (Prop. K), $3 million in federal money through the late Congressman Lantos, and Caltrans grants — all of which ultimately flow through MTA, which has a budget process that covers two years.
When asked about the slow pace of improvements in problems in our transit hub, Wiener simply said, “Nothing happens quickly.”
Taking note of the numerous bicycle routes and paths that have sprung up in the neighborhood, a resident raised the issue of lost parking. Wiener said the bicycle plan has been fully implemented in Glen Park with no net loss of parking. Replacement spaces have been found or created, which is the trend in our district.
Contact information for Sup. Wiener:
554-6968
His legislative aide is Gillian Gillett: Gillian.gillett@sfgov.org.
Bevan Dufty, now former District 8 supervisor, stopped by to bid farewell and thank you. He put in strong words of support for our new mayor, Ed Lee, incidentally a Glen Park resident; and new District Attorney George Gascon, whom he called a “transformative” leader.
Another relatively new face is our new Ingleside precinct police captain, Louis Cassanego. He reviewed statistics comparing crime in 2010 vs. 2009, which showed an 11% decrease in violent crime, but a 2% increase in property crimes.
SFPD website for crime statistics, internal reports and more: www.sfgov.org/police.
Capt. Cassanego had some interesting observations about the modus operandi of the criminals who operate in our area. For example, just because everyone seems to walk around plugged into an iPod, doesn’t mean it’s safe. Even if you stow it in a purse, you are being watched and can be accosted and robbed when you reach an isolated place.
He showed a picture of a key ring with sixteen “shaved keys”, which are kind of generics for breaking into cars, especially old model Hondas, Toyotas and Nissans.
Contact information: louis.cassanego@sfgov.org. Ingleside precinct desk: 404-4030.
Guest speaker Jana Clark, Deputy City Attorney for the Office of Code Enforcement, told of her fascinating and challenging (and maybe impossible) job, which is to respond to complaints of code violations which impact the health and safety of San Franciscans. A 17-year resident of Glen Park, Clark’s territory spans the Ingleside and Taraval districts.
With a staff of only eight, where it could really use a battalion, her Code Enforcement Resident Protection Team tackles everything from unsafe or illegal construction, fire safety violations, drug houses, blight, infestation, overrun vegetation, prostitution activity, gang injunctions — and people who are incapable of caring for themselves and presenting danger to themselves or others.
Complaints may come from citizens or city departments, Clark’s office does an investigation and the responsible party either fixes the problem or the City Attorney files a lawsuit.
Clark gave a blow-your-mind example of a problem in our area, of stalled construction due to bankruptcy on 90 Monterey Blvd — for 22 years! Such eyesores can become filthy, insecure, and unsafe.
She recommends calling 311 as the first step in reporting any problems such as the above. 311 will refer it to the correct city agency. Make sure to get a tracking number for future follow-up.
Other contacts: Code Enforcement Hotline: 554-3977
Along the same line, we got an update from Leslie Ren Terry, Milton Street resident, on the stalled condo development at Rousseau and Bosworth Sts. Encore Housing has purchased the foreclosed unfinished homes that were formerly developed by Hamrol Properties. Encore plans to complete the houses on Bosworth St. and have them on the market in March. They also intend to tear down the construction on Rousseau, clean up the site, and resume building, which might take around eight months.
Lastly, those attending the meeting approved the concept of having a farmers’ market in the BART parking lot on Sundays from 10 AM till 2 PM, from spring to fall. Michael Rice will be drafting a letter of support to the farmers’ market association, BART, and the MTA on behalf of the Glen Park Association.