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Displaying 1 - 10 of 15 |
Next »Landmarks
Gavin Newsom wants to close city parks late night
Any 2:30 a.m. park joggers out there might want to get ready to switch to midnight.
Mayor Gavin Newsom has introduced legislation that would set hours of operation for Golden Gate Park and McLaren Park, restricting access to the two largest city-owned parks after 1 a.m.
Mike Kepka / The Chronicle
Vandals tore up three holes at Golden Gate Park's golf course in October.
The mayor's administration says the effort targets crime and vandalism in city parks and is not a move to crack down on homeless campers.
"Camping is already illegal. This actually aims to address those people who are not camping but are up to no good," Newsom spokesman Tony Winnicker said. "If you're lurking in a park at 3 a.m., the chances are you're up to no good. If you want to take a stroll, wait a few hours. There's much more to see in the daylight."
If passed by the Board of Supervisors, the proposed ordinance would close those two city parks from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. and authorize the Recreation and Park Commission to set hours for other properties it oversees. Some other smaller city parks already have operating hours. Parks in other major cities, including Central Park in New York and Griffith Park in Los Angeles, close at night.
Under the proposed ordinance, if Recreation and Park Department staff or police find someone in the two parks after hours, the legislation calls for them to first direct the person to leave immediately and accompany them out of the park.
If the person refuses to leave, they are guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, six months in the county jail or both.
The move comes after vandals killed or badly damaged 32 rosebushes and 44 trees in Golden Gate and Lincoln parks between May and July. In October, someone turned three holes of the Golden Gate Park golf course into their personal off-road track, using some kind of vehicle to cause an estimated $100,000 in damage.
"Right now, if you have a trailer with two ATVs parked on it in Golden Gate Park at night, there's no prohibition on them being there," Winnicker said. "With these rules, those ATVs wouldn't be allowed to be in the park, and if they had been seen, that vandalism might have been prevented because the police could have used this tool."
The mayor's office says the proposal would not prevent vehicles, including bicycles, from traversing Golden Gate Park or McLaren Park during the restricted hours, although the text of the legislation is silent on that topic. It's also unclear whether enforcement would sap rangers from other city parks.
Winnicker said the legislation is a work in progress designed to further discussions on late-night park closures.
"We expect there to be amendments and debate about the best approach," he said.
The legislation currently allows the Recreation and Park Department to grant exceptions through permits, contracts or leases.
| December 16 2010 at 09:00 AM
Hallowed ground: Human Right's Campaign moves to Milk's old camera shop
The building that once housed Harvey Milk's famous Castro Camera shop will have a new tenant -- the Human Right's Campaign, a national gay rights organization.
The organization currently has a local office at Castro and 19th streets. That will close and the new office will open in the old camera shop -- which is just down the block -- early next year, said Fred Sainz, spokesman for the campaign.
The office's store will offer items emblazoned with words and images of Harvey Milk, he said.
Milk operated the camera shop from 1972 to his assassination in 1978. During that time, the shop served as a political center for San Francisco's growing gay community.
"It is Harvey Milk's vision of hope that continues to inspire the work that we do at the Human Rights Campaign," said Joe Solmonese, the campaign's president, in a statement. "We are the beneficiaries of his groundbreaking activism and are honored to be a part of the future that he envisioned."
Steve Adams, president of the Merchants of Upper Market and Castro, said he thought the move was a natural fit for a space with such history, especially one that is currently vacant.
"Let's face it, before that is was a skin care store and a furniture store before that," he said. "This makes way more sense."
| December 06 2010 at 04:31 PM
Look up: Historic Hallidie Building crumbling
Courtesy/ SF Historic Preservation Commission
The Hallidie Building at 130 Sutter St. features a 7-story glass wall that was remarkable when the building was constructed in 1918.
Courtesy/ SF Historic Preservation Commission
The Hallidie Building shows its age. The city's Department of Building Inspection declared in August that the building was unsafe.
San Francisco's historic Hallidie Building is falling apart.
That shouldn't be a surprise, considering the building was built in 1918. But it's worth noting because the building is one of the most historically significant in the city, at least that's what the architects tell us.
The city's Historic Preservation Commission -- the final arbiter of all buildings historic -- will discuss the state of the building at their meeting Wednesday. They'll likely approve a plan to mend the building early next year.
The building was the first American building to feature glass curtain walls. Instead of a heavy stone facade common at the time, seven-stories of glass walls allowed plenty of light into the seven-building. The design was borrowed and repeated by countless architects of modern skyscrapers.
Once an architectural harbinger, it is now showing its age.
Metal outriggers supporting the building's balconies and fire escapes "have deteriorated to the point where they are no longer functional," notes a report that will be presented to the commission.
"Portions of the steel members have disintegrated," states a letter by an engineering firm that analyzed the building. "It is our opinion that it is just a matter of time before portions of the facade supported by these brackets will fall off the building."
The building was deemed unsafe by the city's Department of Building Inspection in August.
It is unlikely the plan will face any resistance at the commission.
Charles Edwin Chase, the commission's president said in a July interview that he thought the Hallidie Building was one of the most "remarkable buildings where an architect took a design challenge and created the first curtain-walled building in the United States. I just think that that's an extraordinary building to maintain."
| November 29 2010 at 06:00 PM
North Beach library is not a landmark
Clapping and cheering sounded at the Board of Supervisors Land Use and Economic Development Committee Monday following the unanimous vote against designating the North Beach library a land mark.
The existing building is the "least representative and most lacking of architectural characteristics" of the seven libraries designed by the firm Appleton & Wolfard between 1951 and 1969, said Supervisor David Chiu, who represents North Beach.
To designate North Beach library as a landmark "cheapens" the architectural merits of other mid-century-style branches, Chiu said.
The San Francisco Public Library has proposed a new, 8,500-square-foot, two-story structure to be constructed on a triangle lot bound by Columbus Avenue and Lombard and Mason streets, to replace the existing building that many have called dark and dingy.
The new structure would better serve the needs of families and the handicapped, new library supporters said.
But some North Beach residents including Howard Wong, an architect and member of the Friends of Appleton & Wolfard Libraries, favor preserving the 51-year-old building and the adjacent Joe DiMaggio Playground, which would be downsized with the proposed design.
"We think there are much better designs not only for the library but for the playground and we will continue to demonstrate that to people," he said, adding that the draft environmental impact report for the new design is still in progress.
Like about two-thirds of the speakers during public comment, City Librarian Luis Herrera said he was "absolutely thrilled" that the committee did not designate North Beach as a landmark.
"It really puts people who need a new library at the priority," Herrera said.
The issue will now move on to the full Board of Supervisors.
| November 01 2010 at 06:23 PM
Ferry Building named one of country's greatest places
Kirsten Aguilar/The Chronicle
Great place
In a "Well, duh" move akin to giving the Best Actress Oscar to Meryl Streep, the Ferry Building has been named a Great Place. And specifically, a Great Public Space.
As heirloom tomato lovers and artisan cheese afficionados have long known, the Ferry Building is a "truly magnificent place." So says the American Planning Association which named the building one of 10 Great Public Spaces for 2010, meaning along with those on the group's Great Neighborhoods and Great Streets lists, it's an overall Great Place.
"San Francisco is such a great city and boasts many landmarks, but the Ferry Building is the one that stands out to us," said Paul Farmer, the APA's CEO. "It blends history and aesthetics with function that is inviting and convenient. City officials, planners and residents are to be commended for everything they've done to bring this building back to life."
In the 1930s, the Ferry Building saw 50,000 ferry commuters pass through its halls daily. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake prompted the removal of the Embarcadero Freeway in front of the Ferry Building, and the latter became the centerpiece of a major waterfront revitalization project.
The APA's other Great Public Spaces include Bryant Park in New York City and the Charles W. Ireland Sculpture Garden in Birmingham, Alabama.
| October 13 2010 at 09:15 AM
How do you like orange and black, Atlanta?
So the friendly mayoral wagers on the Giants-Braves series are in, and it's all about marking territory.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and his Atlanta counterpart, Kasim Reed, have agreed to fly the winning team's flag over the losing team's City Hall.
Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle
This is what Atlanta has in store for it if the Giants win.
"Making the playoffs is a big win for the economies and civic pride of both our cities, but I'm looking forward to seeing the Giants' flag wave over Atlanta City Hall next week," Newsom said. "Here's to a great series against Atlanta and go Giants!"
The loser also has to fork over the customary box of local foodstuffs -- San Francisco's will include sourdough bread, Dungeness crab and chocolate; still awaiting word on Atlanta's -- and the defeated mayor commits to giving a personal tour of his city.
Details on that are still being hashed out, but San Francisco's tentative offer is looking mighty enticing compared to Atlanta's.
If the Braves win, Newsom is planning to give Reed a Golden Gate Bridge tour -- including possibly climbing to the top -- among other stops in the city.
We're hearing Atlanta's tour is to include the Georgia Aquarium. We're sure it's a marvel. (It's currently the world's largest aquarium with over eight million gallons of water. They've even got whale sharks.) But we're talking about an aquarium in downtown Atlanta, a landlocked city.
This is San Francisco. We have water on three sides, plus the California Academy of Sciences and the Monterey Bay Aquarium within easy reach. You've also got to consider that anybody can access the Georgia Aquarium. Just buy a ticket. Now try to hike up the Golden Gate Bridge supports on your own and see what happens, even if you are the head of a major U.S. city.
That being said, we'll take a Giants series win any day.
Oh, as just a little added incentive, city officials are lighting up Coit Tower in Giants orange starting tonight.
| October 07 2010 at 10:53 AM
Supervisors OK wheelchair ramp for historic legislative chamber
After years of debate, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a design to make the historic legislative chamber in City Hall wheelchair accessible.
The plan calls for removing three of the five stairs leading to the president's raised dais and adding a ramp to reach it. In addition, the desk used by the clerk of the board would be lowered to floor level.
The design -- backed by the city's Historic Preservation Commission -- was one of 18 considered since 2004. The accessibility problem emerged after Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, a paraplegic who uses a wheelchair, joined the board.
In 2008, the supervisors voted against a $1.1 million proposal to build a wheelchair ramp to the dais. The proposal approved Tuesday would cost an estimated $450,000, said San Francisco public works chief Ed Reiskin.
The president's dais hasn't been used since 2005, when then-Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin started presiding from a seat closer to the main floor. The temporary dais is now one step up from the floor and is accessible by a short ramp. The supervisors backed the plan 9-1, with Supervisor Chris Daly opposed and Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi absent.
Daly and Supervisor John Avalos said they don't like the idea of placing the board president above his or her colleagues. ''I'd prefer the president of the Board of Supervisors on the same level as the other supervisors,'' Daly said. He suggested that all the steps to the historic dais be removed to make it inaccessible to everyone, and writing into city law a provision saying it can't be used.
But Susan Mizner, director of the Mayor's Office on Disability, said the preferred design to use the original dais best meets the concerns of historic preservationists and the disabled community. To change course now would cost more time and money, she said.
Reiskin said he hopes to be before the supervisors in another month or so seeking the funds to pay for the modifications. If all goes according to plan, the bulk of construction would take place next summer when the supervisors are on break.
| September 28 2010 at 04:45 PM
North Beach library a landmark, commission says -- again
Stop us if you've heard this already.
What will likely be the first of many chapters in a fight to preserve a North Beach library came to a close Wednesday when the city's Historic Preservation Commission voted -- again -- to call the building a city landmark.
The 4-3 vote shouldn't come as any surprise: this is the third time the commission has tried to complete the vote. Earlier votes had to be repeated because of procedural error and vacation absences.
The committee's recommendation will be heard by the Board of Supervisors in the coming weeks and both sides pledged to put up a fight there.
"It is a very happy (moment)," said Howard Wong, an architect who supports the old building. "But it is just one step towards the Board of Supervisors hearing."
"I pretty much expected the vote the way it came out," said Lee Goodin, a supporter of the plan for a modern library. "I think we've got the support ... to overturn this ruling."
Officials from the city's library system say they want to demolish the 51-year-old library and replace it with a brand new building that will better serve the families who use the library as well as the disabled.
But many North Beach residents who oppose the demolition plan say the building is a unique cultural and architectural icon in the city that is worthy of preservation.
Yeah, we're pretty sure you've already heard all of that. A few times at least.
| September 01 2010 at 06:00 PM
North Beach project destroying the American way of life?
North-Beach naysayers, it seems, have found a new tactic to try and stall the controversial development of the North Beach Branch Library and Joe DiMaggio playground: they claim the new plan will shrink the field to the point where it doesn't meet International Softball Federation standards.
The proposed plan calls for the distance to the left-field wall to be shortened from 214 feet to 173 feet.
The problem, though, is that the current field already doesn't meet the federation's standards, except for 16-and-under boys and girls fastpitch softball. Federation standards suggest at least 250 feet worth of outfield.
Will Kane/The Chronicle
DiMaggio's diamond
Even then, the fact that it is an all-asphalt surface with four-square courts in left field would likely prevent any seriously competitive games from being played.
Many history-buffs and North Beach residents oppose the plan because they fear a redeveloped park and softball fields will tarnish the memory of famed New York Yankees slugger Joe DiMaggio, who grew up playing ball at the park.
"With such a sub-standard ball field, Joe DiMaggio and his brothers might never have developed into great baseball players--and American history and values would have been diminished," wrote Howard Wong, a co-founder of Coalition for a Better North Beach Library and Playground, in a recent e-mail.
In an interview, Wong said moving the right-field wall 41 feet closer to home would prevent future sluggers from having the same experience as DiMaggio.
"It you make the fence 40 feet closer, then every one is going to hit a home run," he said.
The battle over the proposed redevelopment of the park and library branch has raged for years. History-buffs and local residents say the city's plan to tear-down library built in 1959 and close a section of Mason Street to give its replacement a larger footprint, will irrevocably alter the feel of the neighborhood.
The plan is still undergoing an environmental review before it can head to the city’s planning commission.
| June 14 2010 at 10:00 AM
It's never too late for an ol' fashioned art controversy
Mayor Gavin Newsom wanted something big, something "impactful," something controversial to serve as a public art installation marking the 30th anniversary of San Francisco's sister city relationship with Shanghai.
So two out of three ain't bad, right?
Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
Topping off Zhang Huan's "Three Heads Six Arms."
With the official dedication today of "Three Heads Six Arms," 15 tons of sculpted copper by artist Zhang Huan standing almost three stories high in Civic Center Plaza, he certainly got big.
Judging from the 200 or so people and bank of TV cameras that turned up for the dedication, not to mention the cheers of delight from school children there, the thing certainly has made an impact.
But controversial? Newsom, no stranger to squabbles over public art, at first said it didn't seem that way.
"We did want to be audacious. We did want to do something bold. We did want to do something that would get some attention and generate some controversy," Newsom told the crowd. "The only thing missing is I don't think this is particularly (controversial). Everybody seems to love this thing."
But don't worry. It's not too late. While city officials were concerned about the statue crashing through the roof of the underground Civic Center Plaza parking garage (fear not, we're assured it won't), the question of whether the three-headed Buddha is a religious symbol wasn't really on the radar, the mayor said, despite the recent court flap over a cross on public property in the Mojave Desert.
Zhang has said his piece was inspired by his experience hunting through a Tibetan market for remnants of religious sculputures that had been destroyed in China's Cultural Revolution.
When asked by City Insider whether he was concerned about the statue being viewed as a religious symbol, the mayor smiled.
"Now I am," Newsom chuckled. "You can quote me. (But) most folks I've talked to haven't looked at it that way. This is celebrating (our) Shanghai sister city. This is celebrating our cultural diversity. This is celebrating public art in the public realm."
A few moments later, as incense from the dedication wafted over the crowd, he asked a nearby cluster of students from Fairmount Elementary School what they thought of the statue. There was a chorus of: "It's neat! It's awesome! It smells good!"
Then he asked: "What does a Buddha represent?"
The reply: "Buddhism!"
| May 12 2010 at 12:30 PM
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