Barbary Coast Neighborhood Association

Minutes of Board of Directors Meeting

April 19, 2007

Pier 3, Santa Rosa, San Francisco

“DRAFT”

The meeting was called to order at 6:05 pm by President Fred Allardyce.

Board members in attendance in addition to President Allardyce were Joe Wyman, Debra Bleemer, Carol Parlette, Lee Radner, Bill Sauro, Bill Benkavitch, and Diana Taylor.  Committee for a Livable and Safe Community Chair Maria Matson, was also in attendance.

Board members who were absent:  Morton Beebe.

1. The meeting began with a presentation by Lamar Johnson, President of the Golden Gateway Tenants Association (GGTA) regarding the relationship between renters in the GGTA who reside at the Golden Gateway Apartments, and neighborhood associations. Upon conclusion of Mr. Johnson’s brief presentation it was agreed that all would work closely to align interests between tenants at GGTA and the BCNA.

2. The Minutes of the March 15, 2007 Barbary Coast Association Board Meeting were approved.

3. Treasurer Parlette then gave the Treasurer’s Report. 

A. Financial statements were distributed showing current assets, monthly income and expenses and year-to-date figures. 

B. Eight new members were added to the association since the last meeting and the total number of members now stands at 116.

C. The treasurer’s report was approved by the Board.

4. Annual Meeting - It was agreed that the Annual Meeting of the BCNA would be held on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at 7 pm at Pier 3 aboard the Santa Rosa ferry boat, or another vessel if that ship is engaged. (Venue donated by Hornblower Yachts.) After considerable discussion, it was agreed that the first Annual Meeting would be a Meet and Greet event with Board members discussing what has been transpiring and what the future might hold, as opposed to an event featuring a guest speaker. Secretary Sauro would be mailing a postcard notice reminder to all members shortly that would announce the meeting and the slate of Board members up for re-election.

5. The Waterfront Action Committee presented detailed information on a proposed May 2, 2007 Sea Wall lot forum (date changed to May 14, 2007). The committee report follows:

The Waterfront Action Committee met on March 21, 2007 and formed an initial committee structure and process.

Committee Members: Diana Taylor, Chair; Lee Radner, Jo Wyman, Jan Holloway, Sheila Ruprecht, Jonathan Middlebrook, Sue Lee; waiting to confirm Don Gieb (GG Tenant’s Association), Linda Frank (Telegraph Landing), Bud or Caren Zisson (Stop 55).

WAG Committee Purpose

The mission and purpose of the Waterfront Action Committee follow the Bylaws of the Barbary Coast Neighborhood Association (especially #1, 4, 5, 7 and 8):

• To bring about information exchange, cooperation, and united action among the residents, property owners, and businesses in the Barbary Coast Neighborhood.

• To protect the basic character, building scale, and open space of the Neighborhood.

• To maintain the quality of life in the Neighborhood.

• To monitor the actions of city government and other public agencies that affect the Neighborhood.

• To take stands on critical public issues and to make clear to elected and appointed officials the concerns of the Neighborhood.

WAG Committee Objectives:

• Participate proactively in community issues, especially development at an early stage.

• Stimulate dialog between neighborhood interests and neighborhood development or projects that impact neighborhood quality of life.

• Promote a positive, community engagement approach to neighborhood issues that includes all stakeholders.

• Develop ad hoc or subcommittees related to special issues such as parking and transportation issues, Port-related projects, or with nearby community organizations such as the Telegraph Hill Dwellers.

WAG Committee Activities

The WAG committee functions as the eyes and ears for the BCNA on key issues and agencies that affect our neighborhood and quality of life. We propose that the WAG Committee will monitor, analyze and report on these issues and prioritize activities and action. Of course, we need any and all BCNA members to help us to attend meetings and report to WAG and the BCNA via our website and newsletter.

1. Development projects that will impact our neighborhood require monitoring, analysis and reporting. WAG Committee will develop guidelines for these reports and a process for recommending BCNA positions. The following developments need monitoring

a. Washington Street (Snellgrove) development (FOGG/Lee Radner)

b. Piers 27-31 (THD is already monitoring; need a rep from the north side of BCNA)

c. Exploratorium (Jan Holloway)

d. 55 Francisco (STOP 55, Bud and Caren Zisson)

e. Del Monte Building (Sue Lee)

f. Musto Building (Jonathan Middlebrook)

g. 703 Front condominiums

2. Port actions and policies related to the NE Waterfront, Embarcadero and Barbary Coast Neighborhood. The SF Port is our neighbor and many of the Port Commission projects and policies directly and indirectly affect our neighborhood. We need people to attend and report back on various Port meetings as well as to serve on regular and ad hoc committees of the Port. Here are a few of the possible Port entities that require neighborhood monitoring and/or analysis:

a. Port Commission meeting monitoring (1-2 Tuesdays, 3-5 pm at the Ferry Building)

b. NE Waterfront Advisory Group is one of several citizen’s advisory groups established by the Port. Currently, Monica St. Geme and Carol Parlette represent the Golden Gateway and Joe Wyman also serves on NEWAG. However, even with these dedicated volunteers, the BCNA should provide additional monitoring.

c. Cruise ship Terminal Advisory Board of the Port Commission (ad hoc: Fred Allardyce, Morton Beebe, Monica St. Geme)

d. Episodic meetings and workshops

i. Seawall planning workshop related to the state legislation introduced by Senator Migden on behalf of the Port to release selected properties of the Port to be sold or treated outside the current regulations.

ii. Work with THD to require a review of the Port’s Waterfront Land Use Plan (now overdue) to include meaningful community participation.

3. City government committees and actions related to our neighborhood require monitoring

a. Planning and Zoning Depts/Commissions (Jonathan Middlebrook)

b. Board of Supervisor committees—Land Use, Neighborhoods

4. Parking, traffic and transportation

a. Parking, traffic and transportation issues directly or indirectly related to some of the development projects listed in the above section will require some thoughtful discussion about what our role should be.

b. WAG Committee currently monitors and review reports of the Interagency Embarcadero Transportation Committee (initiated by Aaron Peskin, chaired jointly by Port/City staff, neighborhood represented by Diana Taylor and Carol Parlette). This is an important committee with the focus on the Port properties along the Embarcadero. However, there has not been an opportunity to discuss the neighborhood issues.

c. Map parking, traffic hot spots, and/or transit gaps across the Barbary Coast Neighborhood—putting a human face on some of the existing maps prepared by various transportation agencies.

5. Historic and/or Neighborhood Preservation. The BCNA is situated adjacent to the newly designated Embarcadero Historic District and surrounds the NE Historic Waterfront District. Is there a role for the WAG Committee or the BCNA in the preservation of our neighborhood’s historic resources?

a. NE Historic Waterfront District—Mapping the district

6. Neighborhood communications and forums—how will WAG communicate with and inform members and the community about these issues and committee activities?

a. BCNA Newsletter and website

b. Forums

WAG Committee Reports

Report on Musto Building Project (Battery St. & Pacific Ave)

Jonathan Middlebrook (j_middlebrook@comcast.net)

This Musto Building is something of a first for BCNA and the developer, Douglas Rosenberg, in that he has been discussing his plans, pretty much from the start, with WAG (now BCNA’s WAG committee), and has made at least two significant changes because of our input. First, he has added more off-street parking, increasing the number of spaces from fewer than 50% of the units having spaces, to 90%. That percentage may not be final, if BCNA wants to take the lead in pushing for conversion of 2 disabled parking spaces into 4 unit-dedicated spaces. Second, Rosenberg has increased the setback of the 2 stories he’s adding to the Musto Building proper, from 7’ to 15’. The change greatly improves the visuals from pedestrian level, and originated—somewhat circuitously—with us.

One aspect of BCNA’s working with a developer is our group’s support of the plan that emerges from good-faith discussion. Our own group process will be effective in proportion to group participation. Please volunteer to be on the project review committee!—JM 03/30/07

Taylor Also indicated that she was going to meet with Telegraph Hill Dwellers and San Francisco Tomorrow representatives to determine an approach to the Seawall Lot issue.

Addendum: Based on collaborations with other neighborhood organizations, BCNA will co-host two community forums (May 7 and May 14) on the future of the waterfront and the proposed Port legislation to remove public trust restrictions from selected seawall lots (7 triangle properties in the NE Waterfront across the Embarcadero between Pier 1 and Pier 35).

6. Lee Radner then presented a 3-page photo rendering of current, proposed and prior proposed construction at 8 Washington Street. The photo renderings were created by a local interested citizen and donated to FOGG. Radner indicated that the photos had been quite effective and had been presented to various city representatives.

7. Committee Reports.

Membership: Sauro stated that commercial membership were the focus of his committee’s efforts and the business mailing list originally created by Connie Hazel was being updated through telephone calls to determine the names of current decision-makers.

Newsletter: Chair Joe Wyman stated that his report was presented at last month’s meeting.

Committee for a Livable and Safe Community: Chair Maria Matson stated that efforts were continuing in the realm of traffic safety and emergency preparedness.

Waterfront Action: Presented above.

Program and Social Event: Chair Allardyce indicated that he would be donating refreshments for the Annual Meeting in exchange for a Sotheby’s Real Estate credit.

7. The next board meeting was scheduled for after the annual meeting on May 16, 2007.

8. The meeting was adjourned at 7:28 pm

Respectfully submitted,

William H. Sauro

Secretary