Supervisor Eric Mar
October Newsletter
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 | Supervisor Mar and members of the District 1 Team pause for a picture with the Community Youth Center Team after winning the first elimination round at the 3rd Annual Chinatown Ping Pong Tournament and Festival. The District 1 Team came in first place for the beginners.
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STAY CONNECTED!  
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In this newsletter:
Community Updates
- Coffee With Eric, October 10
- Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival Returns
- Bike to Halloween
- Walk and Roll to School Day - October 9
- Our First District Parklet is Here!
- Upcoming Events in District 1
City Hall Updates
- Improving Our Chain Store Controls
- City College Economic Impact Hearing
- 5 Fulton Limited is Coming!
- Sunday Streets Comes to the Richmond
- Community Voices - District 1 Youth Commissioner Nicholas Persky
Contact My Office
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Coffee With Eric, October 10
Please join me at Angelina's Café, 6000 California St. (between 22nd Ave. and 23rd Ave.) on Thursday, October 10 from 10 A.M. to 11 A.M. for a cup of coffee and the chance to discuss neighborhood and Citywide issues. I look forward to seeing you!
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Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival Returns!
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (HSB) returns to Golden Gate Park this weekend, starting Friday, October 4, for 3 days of great music and fun.
Since 2001, HSB has brought incredible musical acts to San Francisco and provided one of the greatest
completely free events in the City. This year features great country and rock artists like Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, Steve Martin, Los Lobos, Calexico, Steve Earle, Dave Alvin, Nick Lowe, Emmylou Harris, Gogol Bordello, Billy Bragg and even a fabulous Tibetan singer, Yunchen Lhamo, joining the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band.
If you park on the street, please respect the neighborhood and DO NOT block driveways! Parking in the neighborhoods surrounding Golden Gate Park is EXTREMELY limited. I highly encourage taking public transport, biking or walking instead of driving. Please do not block driveways, clean up after yourselves, and keep noise levels down. Remember that people live here and do not use yards as toilets or trash cans.
Extra MUNI service will run from 10 AM to 8 PM on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
On the north side of the Park , people going to HSB should look for the buses with the 5L on the signage as this will be a limited stop bus and will be a much faster trip out to the Park.
The SFMTA will be running the 5L which will leave from Grove and Larkin (outside of the Civic Center BART/MUNI Station) where it will drop off passengers at 30th & Fulton.
Returning, people can pick up the 5L on Fulton between 25th and 30th Avenues and be dropped off at Hyde & Fulton, just a short block away from the Civic Center Station. On the south side of the Park, the SFMTA will be running extra N Judah LRV service which will go from Caltrain at King & Second Streets to the end of the line at the Beach and return.
Paid parking will be available on a first come first serve basis at a few lots that include:
George Washington High School - 600 32nd Ave. [enter at 30th Ave. between Geary & Anza]
Argonne Elementary School - 680 18th Ave. [enter at Cabrillo between 17th Ave. and 18th Ave.]
Lafayette Elementary School - 4545 Anza Street @ 36th Avenue [enter on 36th between Anza and Balboa]
Presidio Middle School - (Sat & Sun ONLY) - 450 30th Ave. [enter on 29th Ave. between Geary and Clement]
Jefferson Elementary School - (Sat & Sun ONLY) - 1725 Irving St. [Enter on 18th Ave. between Irving and Judah]
Below is a complete schedule of street closures:
Tuesday 10/1 - 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
JFK at Transverse to JFK at 30th,
JFK at Spreckels lake turnaround
Wednesday 10/2 - 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
JFK at Transverse to JFK at 30th,
JFK at Spreckels Lake turnaround
Thursday 10/3 - 8 p.m. - Monday 10/8 6 p.m.
JFK at Transverse drive, JFK at 30th, 30th at Fulton,
JFK at Spreckels Lake, JFK at Stow Lake
Friday 10/4 6 a.m. - Monday 10/8 1 p.m.
Polo Fields south side parking area
Stables parking area
Friday 10/4 6 a.m. - Sunday 10/7 11:55 p.m.
Transverse at Crossover, Transverse at MLK,
Middle Drive West, Metson Road,
Overlook drive, 36th Ave. at Fulton,
JFK at Chain of Lakes
My office will be working with DPW, SFPD, MTA and Rec Park to ensure that any issues that arise are effectively and quickly resolved. You can call or email my aide Nick Pagoulatos at (415) 554-7412 or nickolas.pagoulatos@sfgov.org if you have questions or concerns.
I look forward to seeing you out there!
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Bike to Halloween
On Thursday October 31, don't just bike to work -- bike to Halloween with me! We will be meeting at the new Parklet at Cumacia Coffee on the northwest corner of Clement and 3rd Ave. Come in costume if you wish, and we'll roll to work through Golden Gate Park and along The Wiggle to our work days. You can also RSVP on Facebook!
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Walk and Roll to School!
Walking and biking to school gives you quality time together as a family and helps kids to arrive at school energized and ready to learn. Currently, only half of San Francisco children who live close enough to walk to school actually do. I will be joining Peabody Elementary School  , and Alamo will also be participating in "Walk and Roll to School Day." Both events start at 8:40.
Want to when and where to join?
2) Contact Safe Routes to School directly at 431-2453, ext. 314
San Francisco's Safe Routes to School program is changing that by promoting walking and biking, focusing on 15 public elementary schools with lessons, events and activities, and traffic enforcement around schools. Events like Walk to School Day and Bike to School Week are open to all San Francisco schools.
Visit SFSafeRoutes.org to learn more. You may also contact Peter Lauterborn from my staff at Peter.Lauterborn@sfgov.org or 415.554.7411
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Our First District Parklet Is Here!
If you have passed by 3rd and Clement Streets recently, you may have noticed something new: the Richmond District's first parklet.
Parklets were inspired by Parking Day -- the celebration of using public space for more human needs. In time, parklets have evolved as a way citizens can reclaim public space and add greenery to urban environments.
For more information on Parking Day and the history of parklets, visit: http://sfpavementtoparks.sfplanning.org/parklets.html.
For more information on parklets in and around the Richmond -- including how to get one started -- please contact my aide Nick Pagoulatos at (415) 554-7412 or nickolas.pagoulatos@sfgov.org.
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Upcoming Events in District 1
10/12: 30th Annual Leap Sandcastle Contest at Ocean Beach near Balboa (more info here)
10/12-14: Neighborhood Free Days at the California Academy of Sciences (more info here)
10/23-24: SF Open Studios at different locations (more info here)
10/25: Park Life opening show (more info here)
Halloween on Clement Street 10/27: Kids Costume Parade at 2 P.M. -- Meet at Mysterious Rack for a 1 hour sing along, then kids will parade over to Toy Boat for complimentary ice cream. This will be a great photo opportunity for parents and the community. Sunday Streets in the Richmond will be taking place, so part of Clement Street to Park Presidio will be closed. Looking forward to lots of participation!
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Improving Our Chain Store Controls
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With members of the Clement Merchants Association, excellent guardians of the Richmond's unique culture and small businesses.
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I recently introduced legislation, with the support of a broad coalition of small business and neighborhood groups, that will strengthen the regulations that currently exist around chain stores, or as they are defined in our planning code, "formula retail" businesses. The goal of the ordinance is to enhance the vitality of San Francisco's commercial corridors by protecting our existing, locally owned small businesses and by giving local residents a greater say in the economic development of their own neighborhoods.
Small, locally owned businesses create economic diversity and are an attraction for tourists that want to have a unique "San Francisco" experience and locals who appreciate the special character of our neighborhood business corridors. According to a 2008 formula retail study by Ridley and Associates, independent businesses generate a higher investment return, and overall economic growth, for the local economy in comparison to formula retailers. Local stores generate more economic growth because they tend to pay higher wages; purchase goods and services from local businesses at twice the rate as chain stores; and employees and owners tend to live in the local area, therefore returning their earnings back to the local community.
Just as critically, formula retail tends to kill small businesses. A City Budget and Legislative Analyst report I commissioned in 2012 shows the consequences should a large fresh food chain open in San Francisco. Within two years, the cumulative impact would be the closure of an estimated 321 small non-formula retail food establishments, representing an estimated reduction of between 321 and 1,284 jobs. If you want to prevent commercial vacancies you should encourage small businesses and strongly regulate chains.
Some argue that formula retail is needed to fill vacant storefronts in our neighborhoods. If chain stores were the solution to vacant storefronts we should already have many more storefronts filled under our existing regulations. Unfortunately, the issue of commercial storefronts is complicated. We have commissioned a study and will be holding a hearing on this very topic in October. In the meantime I am working with OEWD and the owners of CitiKids, the Alexandria Theater and other businesses to find tenants for those sites.
My legislation will clarify the definition of formula retail, provide more data to the planning commission regarding concentration of formula retail in our neighborhoods, quantify the economic impact of a proposed chain store on surrounding businesses and improve notification requirements to residents so that they can have the ability to voice their support or opposition to a proposed business at a public hearing. These are all common sense improvements that will make these hearings more rational, more fair, and more likely to reflect the desire of community members.
I expect my ordinance to come before the Board's Land Use and Economic Development Committee sometime in the next two months. I look forward to discussing it with you.
For more information, contact my aide Nick Pagoulatos at (415) 554-7412 or nickolas.pagoulatos@sfgov.org.
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City College Economic Impact Hearing
Last week, I chaired a hearing where an economic impact report I commissioned was presented. The facts were clear: at least $300 million in economic activity would be lost if we were to lose their cherished institution.
To those who know City College, this report confirmed what we already knew. City College has not only been an engine of economic activity, it has also been one of opportunity as well. As I wrote in last Sunday's Examiner, City College provides critical education to seniors and non-English speakers, offering employment opportunities that would have otherwise been out of reach.
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Richmond District resident and long time teacher and
labor activist Hene Kelly speaks on City College's importance:
"When you talk about the first person in a family to get a college degree, many of my students were the first. You want to know what City College did? It made their parents the second and the third. They went through and they got a better job."
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Of course, CCSF closing would also doom the vocational training of workers that all San Franciscans depend on every day, including
cooks, engineers, and nurses.
Moreover, many students have no second option should City College no longer exist. First, CCSF's student population would completely overwhelm other local community colleges. Second, other alternatives are too expensive; similar two year programs at San Francisco State University would cost students $10,000 more, while for-profit colleges -- already predatory -- can cost up to 17 times more. It is in part City College's affordability that makes it so accessible.
What can you do to help? Here are three steps:
1) Enroll in City College! Take a course, improve your skills, and help the school earn much needed state funding.
2) Sign up here and "like" Save City College Coalition and the faculty union AFT2121 on Facebook.
3) Attend rallies and public meetings to speak out in favor of CCSF and express what the College means to you.
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The 5 Fulton Limited is Coming!
 | | At a Fulton Limited community outreach meeting last year with MTA staffers Julie Kirschbaum (left) and Dustin White. |
After a year of advocacy and planning, the Richmond District is poised for its single greatest expansion in Muni's service in years.
Starting October 28, the 5 Fulton will run limited service from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.
The 5 Fulton's service will work like this:
- Starting westbound, the 5 Fulton Limited will begin service at Ocean Beach and will make all local stops until 8th Ave. From there, it will only make limited stops until Market St., where it will again make local stops.
- Meanwhile, the 5 Fulton "short line" will start at 8th Ave. and make all local stops through Market St.
The 5 Fulton Limited (5L), a pilot program under the Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP), is expected to increase capacity by 30% and
reduce transit times by 20%.
 | Residents listen and participate in a community meeting on the 5 Fulton Limited
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The start of service will mark a year of advocacy from my office, including multiple community meetings, stop-by-stop outreach, and advancing the procurement of new vehicles to the Muni fleet to help provide the additional service
This pilot project is a significant step for Muni as it plans other system changes to improve service and customer demands.
For more information, please contact my aide: Peter Lauterborn at peter.lauterborn@sfgov.org or at 415-554-7411.
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Sunday Streets Comes to the Richmond 
I am pleased to announce that the Richmond District will be hosting its first ever Sunday Streets on October 27, 2013.
The route will run along Arguello between Fulton and Clement, then along Clement to Park Presidio. The Farmer's Market will not be interrupted, though it will move to only the south side of the street from Arguello to 5th Ave.
Sunday Streets provides a safe, family friendly environment for people from all over town to enjoy what the Richmond has to offer. While improving the livability for Richmond residents, it provides exposure to our beloved and unique merchants and restaurants.Before the inaugural launch, Sunday Streets will be hosting a series of Community Meetings to share ideas and concerns about the event every Tuesday evening in October (1, 8, 15, 22) at 6 p.m. at Toy Boat Dessert Cafe located at 401 Clement Street (at 5th Avenue).
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Community Voices - District 1 Youth Commissioner Nicholas Persky
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Commissioner Perksy (center) and other youth leaders from the Student Advisory Council and the SF Youth Commission discussing issues.
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Nicolas Persky was appointed to serve District 1 on the San Francisco Youth Commission for the 2013-2014 term. He has
previously served two terms as a mayoral appointee. A Richmond District native, Commissioner Persky attends Lick Wilmerding High School and was elected by his peers to serve as the Youth Commission's Chairperson.
Most people would agree when I say that San Francisco is an indisputably spectacular place. From the sunny Embarcadero to the slightly less sunny depths of the Outer Richmond, San Francisco is a city that embraces innovation, celebrates diversity, and strives to stand out.
Yet often forgotten by many San Franciscans is our youth population. Only 13.4 percent of San Francisco's residents are younger than 18 - less than any major city in the United States. That said, there are still over 100,000 youth under 18 in San Francisco and we are just as impacted by the decisions of policy makers as any other demographic.
Youth have been perennially underrepresented in the decisions of governmental institutions that often make these operate without any youth input.
Youth are unable to vote and directly engage in the democratic process of choosing our leaders. Moreover, youth are often unable to attend government meetings and provide public testimony as they are in school until the later part of the afternoon. And of the 70+ Commissions and Boards in San Francisco, youth serve on only one: the Youth Commission.
Entering my third term on the Youth Commission, I am proud to have been elected its chair. From here, I hope to improve youth's stature in the City's policy-making practices.
There's the truth: young people are the only experts of their own experience and needs. A high school student knows more about the experiences of young people than even the most seasoned City employee, however many degrees they may hold. Ageism is omnipresent, and it is the responsibility of both youth and adults to make sure that youth voice is heard to the greatest extent, especially when an issue directly impacts youth.
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Commissioner Persky (right) with Richmond parent and School Board Vice President Sandra Fewer at the 2013 Chinese New Year Parade.
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Just about every successful social change movement in history has been driven by the efforts of young people. From the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama and Mississippi to the advocacy for a Free Muni for Youth program in San Francisco, youth have been and will always be agents of social change. Over my past two terms, I have seen through the Free Muni for Youth campaign the importance of youth input on governmental decisions. What started as a spontaneous idea of young people became a campaign organized by youth from all of our communities throughout the city. Hundreds of youth in total came to SFMTA and Board of Supervisors hearings to provide public testimony on why they needed affordable access to public transportation. The program, which now provides free Muni passes to over 30,000 low to moderate income youth, absolutely would not be as successful as it is today without the advocacy and efforts of young people.
I look forward to working with community members from the Richmond District and everywhere in the City to make sure the needs of youth and the most vulnerable in our communities are met in an equitable and responsible way. Let's get to work!
To learn more about the San Francisco Youth Commission, visit their website or call 415.554.6446. To discuss youth issues with my staff, please contact Peter Lauterborn at 415.554.7411 or Peter.Lauterborn@sfgov.org
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I really want to hear from you about what we can do to make the Richmond District more liveable for everyone. Please contact me at any time, and we will get back to you very shortly.
City Hall Office:1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 284San Francisco, Ca 94102-4689E-mail: eric.l.mar@sfgov.org (or just reply to this e-mail!) Phone: (415) 554-7410Fax: (415) 554-7415
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