 |
SUSTAINABLE SAN FRANCISCO A PROJECT OF THE TIDES CENTER Q U A R T E R L Y |
||
| Volume 1, Number 2 |
June 1997 |
||
|
|
|||
| Index
of Newsletters |
Contents Board Of Supervisors To Hear Resolution Endorsing Sustainability Plan Public Outreach Campaign SSF Begins Sustainability Plan Implementation Projects Actions In The Works Adobt An Objective San Francisco Department of the Environment Update Transbay 20-20: Will Sustainable Transportation Prevail? CalTrain Extension in Jeopardy? U.S. Conference of Mayors in SF |
||
|
Board Of Supervisors To Hear Resolution Endorsing Sustainability Plan On May 19 Supervisor Sue Bierman introduced legislation endorsing the plan, which was referred to the Health, Family and Environment Committee (Supervisors Bierman, Katz and Lee). A hearing on the plan is scheduled for July 10, 1997 at 10:00 a.m., 401 Van Ness Ave, Room 410 (the Board Hearing Room). Here is a brief summary of the resolution, which begins by defining a sustainable society: "Whereas, it is in the interest of the residents of San Francisco to plan for their long-term well-being, and to ensure that the environment on which they and future generations rely is maintained in a healthy, productive state, creating a society that provides for the well-being of the present without sacrificing the ability of future generations and the natural world to meet their own needs, such a society being known as a "sustainable" society." It then goes on to acknowledge that Section 4.118 of the City Charter directs the Commission on the Environment to produce a plan for San Francisco's long-term environmental sustainability, and that the commission has accepted The Sustainability Plan for the City of San Francisco as that plan. It recognizes the plan is the result of a community drafting process, including the participation of several city departments. It notes the plan consists of non-binding recommendations in the form of goals, objectives and actions proposed for implementation by the City and the private sector. Finally, the legislation proposes the following resolutions: "Resolved that the Board of Supervisors supports the achievement of a sustainable society as a fundamental goal of the City and County of San Francisco; and Resolved Further, the Sustainability Plan for the City of San Francisco is adopted as a nonbinding guideline for policy and practice in the City and County of San Francisco, and Resolved Further, that all City departments are urged to review the objectives to be achieved by the year 2001 set for the in The Sustainability Plan for the City of San Francisco, and to continue to work in collaboration with the Department of the Environment to facilitate achievement of these objectives as feasible."
|
|
SSF Begins Sustainability Plan Implementation Projects The Sustainability Plan is a large comprehensive vision, reflecting the knowledge and wisdom of the plan drafters: representatives from city government, advocacy organizations and business. In establishing five-year objectives, these folks knew what was feasible. They knew what actions needed to be taken to meet the objectives. Actions In The Works SSF is meeting with plan drafters to learn about current programs which reflect the various actions suggested in the plan. This will give us a baseline of information with which we can measure success in meeting plan objectives. Call us to add to the Actions In The Works file. Adopt An Objective In addition to our Action In the Works project, SSF is embarking on a program to recruit stakeholders from the private sector to "adopt" one or more objectives from the plan. Call Sustainable San Francisco for more information on these and other projects. Let's not let this plan sit on the shelf and collect dust. |
|
San Francisco Department of the Environment Update Department Director Beryl Magilavy is working hard to get the agency settled. The Department has established new digs at 1540 Market Street, #160, SF, 94102. Phone is 554-6390 and fax is 554-6393. Among other things, the Department is currently shepherding the plan through the Board of Supervisors approval process. Presentations will be made to the various city commissions after the plan has cleared the Board. The Department has already begun working on implementing some aspects of the sustainability plan, for instance, overseeing citywide conversion to integrated pest management, and drafting a "green building" ordinance in conjunction with other city agencies and outside experts. The Department will concentrate on environmental areas that cross several topic areas (such as brownfield development, which includes aspects of hazardous waste remediation, economic development, and environmental justice) and act as a clearinghouse of information for the public. Many people get SSF confused with the new Department of the Environment. While we both work to coordinate implementation of the Sustainability Plan, SSF is an independent advocacy organization; (a project of the Tides Center), not affiliated with the City. |
|
Transbay 20-20: Will Sustainable Transportation Prevail? By Dave Massin
SSF has been monitoring the planning process in the Transbay Redevelopment District, 182 acres bounded roughly by Market, Third, Bryant and Spear Streets. The District was established in response to opportunities afforded by demolition of freeway structures following the Loma Prieta earthquake. Interestingly, two of the most important sustainability issues -- both related to transportation -- don't fall under the direct purview of the Redevelopment Agency or City Planning. A more sustainable transportation system involves a substantial switch from private autos to mass transit; thus both the siting of the terminal for transbay bus service and the extension of CalTrain nearer to downtown loom large in the study area. Unfortunately, on May 12, the Board of Supervisors voted 7 to 2 to pursue a site for a new transbay bus terminal at Main/Beale and Howard Streets. SSF and transit activists had favored continued use of the present Transbay Terminal site as more central and providing an immediate link to CalTrain when extended to that location. Only Supervisors Sue Bierman and Tom Ammiano opposed the Main/Beale resolution; Supervisors Barbara Kaufman and Gavin Newsom recused themselves because of conflict of interest. Too bad we lost this one. |
|
CalTrain Extension in Jeopardy? By Dave Massin At their monthly meeting June 5, the CalTrain Joint Powers Board (JPB) will decide whether to continue with planning to extend the CalTrain line from its current terminus at Fourth and Townsend Streets to the Transbay Terminal site, one block from Market Street. This move links CalTrain with BART and Muni on Market, as well as with (though no longer ideally, see above) transbay bus service. As well, the new CalTrain terminal could accommodate high speed trains from Los Angeles. Extending CalTrain to downtown San Francisco is an action item in the Sustainability Plan. A draft EIR/EIS for the extension has been issued, but there is a serious possibility the JPB may scrap the project. Funding has traditionally been seen as problematic, but it really boils down to political will. The study team developed three funding scenarios for the extension, at least one of which should be feasible given public leadership and commitment. There's a window of opportunity now to move ahead, before the surrounding area becomes more developed. The extension is clearly needed in regional transit and will serve as a catalyst for further transit development and use. Higher transit usage is vitally necessary for our future quality of life and will bring substantial economic benefits. What you can do:
|
|
U.S. Conference of Mayors in SF From June 20 - 24 mayors from across the nation will gather in San Francisco to share information and solve problems at the U.S. Conference of Mayors. A Sustainability Roundtable is scheduled for Friday of the conference. Remind Mayor Brown that San Francisco is among a handful of U.S. cities to have produced a Sustainability Plan, and encourage him to show it off at the conference. |
|
|
Sustainable San Francisco |