Supervisor Candidate Forum on September 13^th
By John Millar, Marina Community Association

The Consolidated General Election will be held Tuesday, November 2^nd, 2010. One local issue which is sure to have an impact on our neighborhood is the selection of a Supervisor to represent District 2. At the time of this writing the San Francisco Department of Elections lists seven qualified candidates who are vying for the role. In alphabetical order by last name, the candidates are: Michela Alioto-Pier, Kat Anderson, Barbara Berwick, Mark Farrell, Vilma B. Guinto Peoro, Janet Reilly, and Abraham Simmons. However, the candidacy of incumbent District 2 Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier has been appealed by the City Attorney. (Supervisor Alito-Pier was appointed to her first tem as Supervisor to replace Gavin Newsom, who was elected to the Mayor’s office. Thus she has not served two complete terms as Supervisor – there is a 2-term limit.)

There are numerous challenges facing our neighborhood, and San Francisco in general, and the Board of Supervisors plays a pivotal role in how those challenges are met. To give our neighbors an opportunity to meet the candidates, and learn where they stand on the issues, the Marina Community Association (MCA) is partnering with other neighborhood groups to host a Candidate’s Forum, an event where Supervisor candidates will have a chance to establish their position on issues and answer questions from the community. In addition to the MCA, other participating groups are: Cow Hollow Association, Marina and Cow Hollow Neighbors and Merchants, Golden Gate Valley Association, Marina Merchant Association, and Union Street Merchants Association. The event will be held at the Palace of Fine Arts Auditorium on Monday, September 13^th from 6:00 – 8:30 PM. The event is free and all residents of District 2 are invited to attend.

One topic that’s been at the forefront of local interest lately is the King Edward II Inn and the plan to convert it to housing for at-risk young adults. But this particular project is only one aspect of a much larger concern about the Lombard Street corridor. Even before the King Edward II project was proposed, the Bridge Hotel was being sued by the City Attorney as a public nuisance, and other hotels are struggling with the difficult economic times. Clearly this is an area of the City in need of comprehensive master plan. But many residents feel that their concerns are lost in the Planning Department, a department that is ultimately overseen by the Board of Supervisors.

If you’re a resident of the Marina or Cow Hollow, or a regular reader of the Marina Times, you’re well aware that parking, traffic, and transportation are another ongoing area of concern in District 2. A recent plan by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to extend parking meter hours until 10:00 PM, and enforce meters on Sundays, met with strong objections from neighbors and businesses alike. But the portion of the plan that creates variable meter pricing – parking meters that charge different rates based on the time of day – is still going forward as planned. Residents also frequently express concerns about traffic through the neighborhood, cutbacks in Muni service, corporate busses on residential streets, and a broad variety of parking issues. Clearly there will be some interesting questions posed to the Supervisor candidates.

Other issues that are likely come up are in the areas of Crime and Safety, Neighborhood Commercial Districts, Zoning Compliance, the Presidio and Doyle Drive, the Yacht Harbor Renovation, the San Francisco School System, and issues surrounding Open Space and Playgrounds. In addition to these topics, members of the public will be invited to submit their questions for consideration. While it will be difficult to have every candidate elaborate in detail on every issue, our goal is to create an open forum where each candidate will have an equal chance to express their ideas on how to meet the challenges of the District. We hope to see you there.