MARINA COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
Annual meeting on Oct. 27 will highlight a busy year
The annual meeting provides an excellent opportunity to meet neighbors from the Marina, review events that have influenced our neighborhood over the past year, and discuss plans for the future. It also serves as the venue to elect members of the MCA Board of Directors, the group that will lead the MCA through the coming year. This year, there are five seats on the eleven-member board that will be filled in the annual election. Once elected, each director will serve a two-year term. Qualified candidates are nominated from the MCA general membership, and all active, dues-paying members are eligible to vote via mail, e-mail or at the meeting itself.
In past years, it seems that the MCA has often focused on a single overarching issue that had the potential to change our neighborhood dramatically. Not so in 2010, as there were numerous items that demanded attention and kept the MCA busy throughout the year. Some were ongoing projects while many others appeared on the MCA agenda for the first time.
One ongoing project that involves the MCA and many other neighborhood groups is the finalization of plans for revitalization in the Presidio. Although the proposed contemporary art museum is no longer under consideration, the overall revitalization plan is still in place. In this regard, the MCA is now an active participant in helping to guide the development process to better integrate the Presidio with the surrounding community.
This year the plans to renovate the Marina yacht harbor, another ongoing project that has involved the MCA, were also brought back to the forefront. Last-minute changes to the design of the breakwater raised the ire of many Marina residents while garnering the support of others. As an active participant in the original design process and a commenter on the final EIR, the MCA has worked hard to maintain open lines of communication and address the needs of all interested parties. That process is still underway and will likely demand the continued involvement of our organization.
Other projects appeared on our calendar with little or no warning. The plans to open a Pet Food Express on the corner of Lombard and Divisidero streets raised the concern of many residents and businesses in our community. Proposals by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to add parking meters at the Marina Green, extend parking meter hours and enforcement days along Chestnut Street, implement variable parking fees, and develop a congestion pricing scheme, among others, were all brought to the MCA’s attention. Some of the other issues involved the use of corporate buses on neighborhood streets, traffic congestion caused by Doyle Drive reconstruction, efforts by PG&E to address concerns about manufactured gas plants, a proposal to open a flea market at Marina Middle School, the addition of cell phone towers in our business district, and plans to add an at-risk youth housing facility on Lombard Street. All in all, it was a busy year for the MCA.
The upcoming year looks to be no different as numerous issues are on the horizon and many will affect our neighborhood. Although the MCA is not a political organization, we frequently work with our District 2 supervisor. The November election will bring a new representative into office and will present the challenge of building a new working relationship to resolve neighborhood issues.
Also on the calendar are proposed changes to the California Pacific Medical Center. CPMC has proposed a new, larger location at Cathedral Hill and will be going through the neighborhood outreach and approval process in the upcoming months. Regardless of how the new facility is developed, it seems clear that the existing CPMC hospital will be converted to other uses, impacting how Marina residents are likely to access emergency care. The MCA has invited CPMC to attend our upcoming annual meeting to discuss these changes.
The Mayor’s Office of Housing proposal to convert the King Edward II Inn to housing for at-risk young adults is also an ongoing concern. For now, the proposal is undergoing environmental review but will soon reappear on the planning calendar. As proposed, the original plan met with resistance from most neighborhood groups and our District 2 Supervisor; it remains to be seen if a compromise solution will garner the support of the community.
More then ever, now is an appropriate time to get involved in the issues of your neighborhood. Whether you simply want more information, want to meet your neighbors, or are interested in actively serving on an MCA committee, the MCA annual general meeting is sure to be a valuable event.
The Marina Community Association is dedicated to protecting and improving the distinctive residential quality of San Francisco’s Marina District. The volunteer organization actively participates with government and other civic agencies for the betterment of the community. For more information on the upcoming meeting and ongoing activities of the MCA, please visit www.sfmca.org.
