Monday, May 20, 2013
Alamo Square General Meeting

7 p.m. Doors Open

Is the grass really greener on the other side?  Join Recreation and Parks Department representatives as we walk through Alamo Square Park on Thursday May 9, 6 p.m. to identify park and community needs.

This is in preparation for the upcoming irrigation system overhaul, part of Rec and Parks’ water conservation project planned for Alamo Square.

Meet at the center of the park.

Thursday, May 9, 6 p.m.
Alamo Square
Community Input Walk-Through

http://neighborhoodambassadors.eventbrite.com/

The meeting is scheduled as follows:

DATE: May 2, 2013 (Thursday)
TIME: 6:30 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.
PLACE: Hayes Valley Clubhouse
Located at the corner of Hayes and Buchanan Streets

For more information or to request translation services for the meeting, please call: Marvin Yee at (415) 581-2541, Recreation and Park Department

We’d like to thank you for your patience, and apologize for being uncommunicative in our initial rush to open.  Please allow us to re-introduce ourselves — and become the good neighbors we want to be.  We’ll make some pizza, serve a little wine, and open ears.  We’d love to hear your questions and concerns about our proposed parklet in a friendly and convivial atmosphere.

Tuesday, April 23, from 7-9pm at The Mill

Let’s break bread together.

xo The Mill

We are looking for volunteers to help us staff the event.  If you are interested, email us at volunteers@alamosq.org and let us know you want to help at the Flea Market!

Vendor applications are not being accepted at this time.  Stay tuned!

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please contact fleamarket@alamosq.org.

Donations are now being accepted!  Email donations@alamosq.org to contribute to this year’s Donation Booth.

Join us for our next Park Volunteer Day this Saturday, April 6!

9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Coffee provided

Monday, March 18, 2013
Oasis Cafe, McAllister at Divisadero
Welcome 7 p.m.  Meeting starts 7:30 p.m.

On the agenda:

Also, our monthly Alamo Square Playgroups returns on Sunday, February 3, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.  Meet other parents and their kids ages 0-3.  We hope you can join us!  Our weekly Alamo Square Playgroups meets every Tuesday, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

OPINION — Parking is a city-wide problem. It’s why I sold my car back in 2006 (after a few parking tickets, a fender bender and an unfair tow-away).

But when I hear people say, “I pay San Francisco rent, the least I can get is a parking spot nearby,” I cringe. We can all agree the City is expensive. Neighbors who can afford car payments, insurance and vehicle license fees may think, “$104 for a yearly parking permit, what’s the big deal?”

Yet neighbors who can barely afford these things, yet still need a car, may wonder, “Where am I going to get $104?”

Then there’s those of us without a car.  If I rent a car to run errands or to take a trip, I have to either pay a larger per-day fee for a short-term pass, or suffer the wrath of SFDPT. I’m being penalized for not having my own automobile.

Of the 22,600 households in District 5, 10,000 have no vehicles; some by choice, others by necessity. Of the residents with employment, 32% drive their car to work, and 41% take transit instead.

Parking is free in our neighborhood. It makes it possible to have long-term visitors without worrying about running over the RPP time limit. I support finding alternate solutions to our parking problem, including the addition of angled parking, and I encourage those of us who can manage without a car to consider that solution as well.

Arguments against RPP

• Increased parking enforcement in the neighborhood for those without a permit
• A revenue generator for the City and an excuse to tax residents $104 per year
• More difficult for friends to visit and stay longer than the allowed RPP time limit
• May not resolve lack of parking during the evening hours
• Parking spaces are currently available during the daytime, when RPP is enforced
• Visitors permits require a trip to the SFMTA office and cost more than the yearly fee, per day
• Employees at local businesses aren’t eligible for a permit
• Residents who choose not to pay the fee will be forced to move their cars every few hours

Arguments for RPP

• Alamo Square is surrounded by RPP zones in all directions, so residents in those zones who do not want to pay for RPP park in our neighborhood
• Others outside the neighborhood park here for free and use employee shuttle buses, Muni, etc.
• $104 yearly fee is much less than renting a garage/parking space in the neighborhood
• Only 34% of vehicles in the neighborhood are registered in 94117
• 44% of vehicles are registered outside of SF or have no registration record

*P.S.  $104 is the maximum fee allowed by the state; Also contrary to the North Panhandle Newsletter, ASNA has not taken a position for or against RPP.