This is an excerpt from the monthly newsletter published by the offices of Supervisor Carmen Chu, which was originally posted at her website on November 30.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TARAVAL PARKSIDE MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION!

Each year, the Neighborhood Empowerment Network (NEN) honors neighborhood organizations and individuals for their outstanding contributions in the community. NEN is a collaboration of community and non-profit organizations, city agencies and academic institutions that work to empower neighborhoods to become cleaner, greener, and a better place to live. On November 17, the Taraval Parkside Merchants Association (TPMA) received a NEN award for “Best Merchant Association” of the year.

The TPMA has been working for years to improve the Taraval corridor with regular clean-up activities, events such as “Tastes of Taraval” to support local businesses, and with the Taraval Police Station to keep our neighborhood safe. TPMA also recently hosted the fourth annual Taraval Street Fair on October 30, where hundreds of families came out to enjoy music and food from local merchants. If you are interested in joining the TPMA, please contact our office at 415-554-7460 or chustaff@sfgov.org for more information.

PROPOSED MEDICAL CANNABIS DISPENSARY PERMIT OVERTURNED

After the Planning Commission approved the permit for the Medical Cannabis Dispensary (MCD) proposed for 2139 Taraval Street in May, several community organizations filed appeals with the city’s Board of Permit Appeals in opposition to the cannabis dispensary’s opening. The appeal hearing took place on November 17 at City Hall, where the Board of Permit Appeals voted 4-0 to overturn the MCD’s permit. The unanimous vote came after two hours of testimony from Sunset District residents, representatives of the San Francisco Unified School District, Edgewood Center for Children and Families, the Taraval Parkside Merchants Association, neighborhood associations, tutoring centers, churches and other nearby facilities. Based on the decision by the Board of Permit Appeals, the MCD is not allowed to operate at this time. There is an opportunity for the project sponsor to request a re-hearing. Please contact our office at (415) 554-7460 for more information.

PARKSIDE BRANCH LIBRARY REOPENS!

Dozens of community members joined the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) for the grand reopening of Parkside Branch Library on November 6. Parkside Branch underwent renovations to bring the library up to date in terms of seismic safety, energy conservation, accessibility for all users, and library service. Parkside Branch is also the first public library renovated to meet Silver standards in Leadership in Energy and Design (LEED). The improved library includes an additional 1,000 square feet of floor space, new accessible restrooms and entry ramps, a large new teen area, an updated children’s section, a refreshed books and materials collection, and a beautifully landscaped outdoor patio. We are excited to welcome Parkside Library back into operation.

MOBILITY, ACCESS AND PRICING STUDY

Many Sunset District residents have been calling our office about a new proposal from the County Transportation Authority that would charge a toll to drive through certain parts of San Francisco. The Mobility, Access and Pricing study, or MAPS, was conducted by the San Francisco Transportation Authority (SFCTA) to examine the feasibility of a congestion pricing program as a way to increase funds for public transportation projects, reduce greenhouse gases citywide, improve transit speed and pedestrian safety, by charging a fee or toll to enter certain parts of the City during peak travel times. Similar programs exist in Rome, Stockholm and London. The MAPS study was recently completed and the SFCTA will present their findings and recommendations to the SFCTA Board on December 14. Several more steps must happen before this program would go into effect, including a local ordinance, state legislative clearance, an environmental report and other hurdles. The earliest that a pilot project could be put into place is 2015. For more detailed information about the study, visit: http://www.sfcta.org/content/view/302/148/

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