Planning Association for the Richmond, SF

Department of Public Works Walks

SPRUCE UP by SUN UP   2011 Corridors Program Newsletter                   Spring Edition   Get Daily Updates through DPW's Social Media      Get involved in your community with these volunteer opportunities!                       Dear Community Corridor Partners,   For 22 weeks, the Department of Public Works staff, along with Recology staff, has been walking the streets of San Francisco during the pre-dawn hours.  These walks are part the Community Corridors Partnership Program inspection campaign called "Spruce Up by Sun Up".  The purpose of these early morning inspections has been to monitor the contributing factors to the city's visual blight as well as compare the changes that have occured since the Community Corridors Partnership Program began in 2007.  I would like to share the discoveries made during these walks.  Many deficiencies were noted and then sent to the rightful owners  who are responsible for correcting the defects.  This includes city agencies, private agencies and private property owners.    DPW is committed to doing its part for the betterment of San Francisco and its citizens.  Thank you for your  continued partnership and support.    Mohammed Nuru Deputy Director for Operations Department of Public Works Spruce Up by Sun Up - A Community Corridors Program   The campaign to help improve the look and cleanliness of San Francisco and safety for its residents has concluded.  "Spruce Up by Sun Up"  is a 22 week inspection campaign lead by the Department of Public Works (DPW).  From September 7, 2010 through February 24, 2011, staff walked the Corridors before the break of dawn to report deficiencies such as missing or inadequate refuse service, sidewalk cleanliness issues such as gum stains, grime and litter; trees that require attention; and graffiti and blight issues on both public and private properties.       DPW reported over 9,000 deficiencies in five months. These deficiencies include broken or sunken curbs; public furniture that need paint; bent, faded or defaced signs, clogged catch basins, and tree basins.  Information is sent to the correct property owner including public and private agencies.     SPRUCE UP INSPECTION SUMMARY REPORT     Graffiti remains the number one issue in the Corridors. Percentage from the chart on the right includes graffiti both on public and private properties. Private property owners are notified to abate the graffiti. DPW removes graffiti on public furniture.     The 24% of tree issues reported include mandatory pruning, over pruning, missing, or dead trees.   17% of business owners and residential properties do not have garbage service or have insufficient or inadequate service. Refuse service in the city of San Francisco is mandatory.         Sidewalk issues include dirty, grimy or unsafe pedestrian walkway. It also includes litter on the sidewalk such as trash, debris, cigarette butts, or missing vent covers.          Top 5 Deficiencies Reported Instances of graffiti (both on public and private properties) No-garbage service Trees with clearance issues Grime, litter or cigarette butts on the sidewalk Mandatory recycling compliance   Top 5 Areas in Corridor with Most Deficiencies Potrero Avenue, Glen Park area, Mission Street (18th to 22nd Streets) 24th Street, Mission Street (22nd Street to Cesar Chavez), South Van Ness (18th to 22nd Streets) Larkin, Polk and Otis Streets West Portal Avenue, Ocean Avenue (Phelan to Capitol Streets), Noriega Street (19th to 25th Avenues) Van Ness Avenue (Bush to Greenwich Streets), South Van Ness Avenue (14th to Mission Streets)   Top 5 Areas in Corridor with Least Number of Deficiencies 3rd Street (23rd Street to Galvez Avenue), Mission Street (Foote to Lawrence Streets Broadway (Powell to Kearny Streets), Van ness Avenue (Greenwich to North Point) Noriega Street (30th to 33rd Avenues) 3rd Street (Galvez to Oakdale Avenues), 3rd Street (Williams to key Avenues) Polk Street (California to Vallejo Streets), Grant Avenue (Broadway to California), Columbus Avenue (Powell to Pacific Streets)      The Dirt on Garbage Service   Education about the need for garbage service was one of the main focuses of the "Spruce Up by Sun Up" campaign.  Garbage service is mandatory in San Francisco.  Refusal to establish service can lead to $100 minimum fine per incident.  The concern for no-garbage service goes beyond just the property.  No-garbage service leads to illegal dumping which costs the city millions of dollars to clean up.  Additionally, illegal dumping can be a burden on the neighborhood, adds to the visual blight, and attracts vermins which can lead to some health concerns.    Over 800 business and residential properties received a citation for no-garbage service during the Spruce Up campaign.  The good news is, once property owners were made aware, 89% of those cited started service.    If you'd like more information about what illegal dumping can do to you and your neighborhood, please check out this presentation.     Community Corridors Partnership Program Quick Facts    The Corridors Program began in October 2007. The goal of the program is to build a partnership among all stakeholders including public and private agencies, business owners and property owners. There have been three scheduled inspections in the Corridors. There are now 78 Corridors which equals to over 300 city blocks. Most Corridors are in a merchant block.            Don't Leave it on the Sidewalk!  DPW recently began a campaign to end illegal sidewalk dumping: a practice that costs taxpayers millions of dollars every year and increases blight in your neighborhood.     It is illegal to leave furniture, appliances, garbage bags or any thing on the sidewalk at any time unless you have a scheduled pick up from a licensed hauler or donation facility.   Find out more about DPW's campaign as well as the many options available for you to properly give away or get rid of your junk.   You can help!  Please print out this flyer and distribute and post throughout your community. Thank you!

Recycled Water Project Meeting

Good afternoon,

Thank you for your continued interest in the SFPUC Proposed Westside Recycled Water Project.

On Dec. 9th, 2010 a workshop was held where participants developed 26 project alternatives. Kennedy Jencks, our consulting engineers, evaluated those alternatives and produced a report of their findings.

The San Franciso Westside Recycled Water Project Project Alternatives Workshop Series Evaluation of Alternatives Report  has been completed and is now available at the link below:


https://infrastructure.sfwater.org/fds/fds.aspx?lib=SFPUC&doc=639561&ver=1&data=246230985

The next Project Alternatives Workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011.  The workshop will be held at 1155 Market, 4th Floor Conference Room and will begin at 5:30pm. The workshop will include a presentation on the analyses and a discussion of the report.  

We hope to see you then.

SF Energy Watch

San Francisco Energy Watch Neighborhood Campaign  Helping Businesses Save Energy, Money and the Environment! San Francisco Energy Watch, a partnership between the City of San Francisco and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), delivers energy efficiency services and incentives to local San Francisco businesses.  Benefits include:  A free, on-site energy efficiency assessment to identify potential energy savings Expert consultation and installation services Incentives for high-quality energy efficient equipment Lower utility bills from using less energy Turnkey professional services Be on the lookout! Representatives from SF Environment, in collaboration with PG&E, will be visiting the neighborhoods of Cathedral Hill, Cow Hollow, Golden Gate Valley, Jordan Park, the Marina, Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, Russian Hill, and part of the Richmond to help businesses cut energy costs through the San Francisco Energy Watch Program. Thousands of local businesses are already saving money and the environment by installing energy-savings equipment.  Please help support this effort! You can:    Tell your members about the San Francisco Energy Watch Program. Announce it on your newsletter and include our contact information below. Announce it on your social network channels like Facebook and Twitter. Invite San Francisco Energy Watch to present at one of your meetings. Provide San Francisco Energy Watch marketing materials to your members. Refer interested businesses to us at the website or phone number below. For more information about San Francisco Energy Watch, or to schedule an appointment for a free on-site assessment to identify energy savings, call 415.355.3769 or visit www.sfenergywatch.org.

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Lauren Weiner

Energy Efficiency Program 
Department of the Environment - CCSF ● 11 Grove St., San Francisco, CA 94102 
www.sfenvironment.org ● www.sfenergywatch.org  ● 

Lauren.Weiner@sfenvironment.org

 

Smart meters are coming!

 

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

 

On behalf of the [INSERT NAME OF ORGANIZATION], I would like to let you know about PG&E’s upcoming plans to upgrade customers’ electric and gas meters with SmartMeter™ technology in our neighborhood.

 

SmartMeter™ technology means greater control over energy usage. For the first time, San Francisco customers will be able to see how they use energy, by the day or by the hour, rather than seeing energy usage on a monthly basis with their bill. With this information, customers will better understand how energy usage impacts their monthly bill and how they can make decisions that reduce their energy costs. 

 

PG&E will be introducing SmartMeter™ technology to San Francisco customers in our area starting in February 2011.  PG&E will be working on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis to keep residents and business owners informed on every step of the installation and upgrade process.

 

Additionally, PG&E will be hosting SmartMeter™ Education Centers throughout the city to allow customers to learn more about PG&E’s SmartMeter™ program and how it enables future pricing plan options, Energy Efficiency programs, and more.

 

UPCOMING EDUCATION CENTERS IN OUR AREA INCLUDE:

 

 

More information about the SmartMeter™ program is available at our web site at  HYPERLINK "http://www.pge.com/smartmeter" www.pge.com/smartmeter or by calling the SmartMeter™ hotline at 1-866-743-0599.

Richmond District

Jackie Chan Activity Center

5757 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94121

 

DATE TIME

February 1, 4pm to 6:30pm

February 2, 4pm to 6:30pm

February 4, 4pm to 6:30pm

February 5, 10am to 1pm* 

(*Feb. 5th location is Adult Day Services, 408 22nd Avenue)

 

 

 

 

 

Westside Recycled Water Treatment Project -- Public Meeting Thursday, Sept 23 at 7pm

Action Alert!

Public Hearing for the Westside Recycled Water Treatment Project

Water Treatment Plant Buildings

Proposed to be built on parkland in

Golden Gate Park

Thursday, September 23, 2010, 7:00 p.m.

Golden Gate Park  Senior Center, 6101 Fulton Street at 37^th Avenue

 

 

THIS IS THE ONLY OFFICIAL EIR SCOPING SESSION TO DETERMINE THE ALTERNATIVES FOR THIS PROJECT.

 

What is the Westside Recycled Water Treatment Plant?

• What:  Water treatment factory buildings, storage, and visitor center
• Footprint:  Approximately 40,000 square feet  of buildings
• Size:  Tallest building to be 30 feet in height
• Other built elements:  New paving for entry road and parking; Night lighting; Gated area
• Purpose:  Water from the aquifer under Golden Gate Park is now used for irrigation of the Park.  This project is part of a plan to take that aquifer water and use it for drinking water.  The  water treatment factory will then process water from the Oceanside Wastewater Plant for irrigation in Golden Gate Park and other parklands, including the Presidio.
• Location:  Western part of Golden Gate Park,  southeast of the soccer fields and northeast of Murphy windmill
• Current area use:  Construction yard
• Golden Gate Park Master Plan designated use for this area:  Remove construction yard and return to parkland, using the  area for recreation and open space.  It further states that if any treatment plant is built, all buildings are to be placed underground with recreational uses on top.

 

How will this project impact our parkland?

Preliminary drawings show buildings above ground, at a height of 30 feet in some places.  Many questions exist:  Why has this location been selected?  Why doesn’t the PUC use PUC land?  Why aren’t the buildings being placed underground?  Why are we giving up open space to paving, buildings, parking, and lighting?  Why isn’t this area being returned to habitat for plants and wildlife? Why are we giving up valuable Recreation and Park land to what is essentially an industrial use?

The SF Public Utilities Commission is starting the Environmental Impact Report process for this project.  Express your concerns about the loss of our precious parkland to more buildings and paving.

 

• Attend the meeting and ask questions.
• Write to the SFPUC and register your concerns:   

1.    Ask that the EIR include an in-depth exploration of alternative locations for the water treatment plant outside of Golden Gate Park.

2.    Ask for an in-depth exploration of alternative designs for the factory building if the plant is located in Golden Gate Park -- including but not limited to a completely below-ground plan, as described in the Golden Gate Park Master Plan.  

 

Your comments are due by October 13, 2010.

 

  Written comments should be sent to:

 Bill Wycko, San Francisco Planning Department, 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA, 94103

(copy us at 1243 42^nd Avenue, SF, CA  94122)

 or

by e‐mail to carrie.dovzak@sfgov.org , copy us at:  ggppa@earthlink.net

 

For more information:  www.goldengateparkpreservation.org