Pacifica Tribune/Letters to the Editor, 6/9/15. "Responding" by Therese M. Dyer
| Finding solutions within civic function and progress |
| Rather than wasting time, and ripping off our City |
Regarding Frank Vella's letter about people who approve the Highway 1 widening vs. the group that keeps suing and losing, I'd like to have that answered in the next column report "City Hall Listens" of why isn't the city asking for legal fees?
I would also like to have Mr. (John) Keener respond to my question: When you ran for Pacifica City Council, you mentioned that you did not want the Highway 1 widened. When you won the election, in your interview by the Pacifica Tribune, one of your first goals was to widen HIGHWAY 1. Did you change your mind or were you misquoted? If so, why didn't you have them retract it?
My answer to Fr. Lahey is Mazzetti's vs. Starbuck's: Mazzetti's does not have to worry about the competition, Mazzetti's business is not only historical but a political pad and Starbuck's offers free Wi-Fi, so I believe there is room for both. At least it's better than a vacant building. By the way, have you noticed they painted the boarded up Spanky's?
Now I'd like Fr. Lahey to contact the code enforcement officer and maybe, just maybe, we can get rid of all the dead wood near the Chapel by the Sea across from Good Shepherd Church. It's a real fire hazard as well as other areas in Pacifica especially the Petrified Forest near the old lumber yard."
----------
Related, Fix Pacifica reprint. Pacifica Tribune/Letter to the Editor, 6/2/15, "Gang of No Sues Again" by Frank Vella. ...."... they lost 100% of their county lawsuit when the trial judge ruled all environmental protections have been honored. So they will continue to sue and complain, increase taxpayer costs, keep us stuck in traffic by going to the Federal Level to sue Pacifica. ...."..."the No Group who should look for ways to work with the city to solve problems instead of constantly suing."
Note graphic and photograph. Maze from Creative business culture. Man from Easter Day Construction/garden court progress. Framing the article reflects the personal opinion bias of the poster.
Posted by Kathy Meeh
23 comments:
Hi guys, anyone can file a code enforcement complaint, they need not be an adjacent neighbor.
This is a poor copy, but it is the official City of Pacifica copy of the form, right click and save or host a copy for yourself:
http://www.pacifica.city/forms/ppc_complaint.pdf
Mail it to Pacifica Planning Commission, 1800 Francisco Blvd, Pacifica, CA 94044
There is one code enforcement officer, a very nice gentleman named Lawrence Ngai (also an Ocean High School alumnus), so in periods of overage, some complaints may be prioritized.
Don't send it to the Planning Commission send it to Code enforcement.
He isn't that nice. He was the guy hassling merchants about the sandwich board signs. Just trying to make a name for him self. Will never make it as a police officer. Mall Cop possibly.He was in Fairmont Shopping Center taking photos of the shopping carts harassing Lucky Supermarket. Chances are high now that they merged with Safeway that store will close soon.
It's a hassling kind of job. He just lacks the insulation his bosses enjoy.
First Priority......
Clean it up or the city will do it for you and send a big bill for the service.
Driveways, front yards and side yards full of junk hurt everyone. If people want to live third world that's where they should move. Have some civic pride for God's sake.
I think the new Starbucks will snuff out one or two of the competitors in near Manor Shopping Center....probly not Mazzettis...but Bay Coffee or maybe even Chit Chat. To locate near an existing coffee purveyor is classic Starbucks strategy. All they have to do is siphon off as little as 10% of a competitor's business, that competitor is dust, and Starbucks will reap much of the benefit of their closure. Instead of lamenting to the pastor, with a misplaced sense of entitlement "for all they do", the Mazzettis should try to sell pastries to the Starbucks. Mazzettis' simply does not offer the selection of coffees Starbucks does, maybe they should be working on that. This attractive new spacious Starbucks coffee place warmly decorated is one I want to check out. Mazzetti's needs to remodel, both inside and out IMHO. It's good enough for the old guys that gather there, and Sue Digre, but the young upwardly mobile high tech 20 somethings who are moving here in droves prefer Starbucks. I forsee crowds which will gather and linger inside the former Straw Hat.
Mazzetti's is so over priced and over rated. Starbucks coffee is crap. Perfect Pour rules, Not only are they the nicest girls in town, but they are also damn good lookin'!!
Bay Coffee just sold and is going down the drain.
Make way for a new and better Pacifica!
403 Is that glee you're barely concealing? Even by your own description, Mazzetti's coffee customer is not the Starbuck's coffee customer. Mazzetti's bakery customers belong to Mazzetti's. The Chit Chat crowd are not into "chain" anything. It'll be nice to fill that empty building and have more people out and about there after 7PM but this is hardly a changing of the guard. You're right. It'll be a younger crowd with all those "upwardly mobile high tech 20 somethings" and also the high-school crowd off the buses in the afternoon. Sigh, another place where you can feel like a dinosaur.
Not glee but realism 1:04. I agree with many of your points. I add that I enjoy one pastry offering at Mazzetti's, and have been going there for 20 years for it... and I have a relative who works there.
Starbucks has been, in some locations, a vanguard for gentrification. Burlingame Avenue comes to mind, it was once a sleepy downtown. It's sort of like a lighthouse or way station for new money to find a home nearby. Look what happens in the Mission District in San Francisco now. There is big displacement happening. It could happen here in the Manor neighborhood. "Changes of the guard" happen overnight. Overnight could be a few months or a few years. Even venerable "institutions" such as Joes of Westlake in Daly City have shut their doors or have been forced to. It could happen here. And Super Starbucks on Oceana will be remembered as having been how it all began.
Mazzetti's makes great pastries.
If they want to future proof themselves a little bit how 'bout adding some nice coffees/espressos and would it really hurt some of the counter people to smile a little bit and exhibit some small town warmth.
Sometimes they treat customers like an inconvenience. Not good for business or Pacifica's image.
750 Well, ok, as long as you're not being gleeful. Yeah, you're right, gentrification could happen here. Starbucks might exert some gravitational pull. Anything that adds to that walkable village feel is good for the neighborhood and home values. Coffee, cafes, personal services, etc. But, gentrification without new housing stock is a slow process. Those 20 somethings want apts and condos, nice ones, and we have none. Across the highway sits that decayed shopping center. What an ugly gateway to Pacifica! Slumlords, take the money and run! Perfect spot for new, attractive, high-density housing. Game-changer for this town. Anyhow, I think Starbucks will be great for the neighborhood and that includes Mazetti's. I doubt they're worried or party to the LTE from the crusading pastor. They're not whiners.
1109 Are you smiling? I've never had anything less than a warm, friendly welcome at Mazzeti's whether picking up a big order or just a coffee and danish to go. I've been a customer since the early 80s.
Potties are good.
The Manor Shopping Center could be rebuilt as mixed-use.
the zoning would allow it. The problem is that the individual store fronts each have different owners and they almost never agree on anything, let alone something as major as a complete tear down and rebuild.
That's too bad, Tom. What an eyesore of an entrance to Pacifica. I guess that's the sort of mess that redevelopment was supposed to fix. Too bad we missed that boat. Starbucks, it's all up to you.
You people complaining about Mazzetti's make me laugh. This is a bakery that offers coffee as a convenience for its long time customers. They are known all over the Peninsula as the premier bakery of the area. They have contracts with different hotels to provide wedding cakes for receptions booked in their venues. Over price? They give a discount to seniors who buy coffee there...45 cents a cup! I'm sure Starbuck's will do the same, right? Remodel....why so you can sit in there all day and do your IPAD? If you want to pay $3.50 for coffee go right in to Starbuck's and pay another $3.00 for whatever pastry you want that has probably been frozen and trucked into this spot. Starbuck's and Mazzetti's cater to two different types of customers but when someone needs a wedding cake or a graduation sheet cake no one will be going to Starbucks. Yes, Julie Mazzetti is one of my best friends so of course I will sing her praises but in this case the singing is unnecessary. If someone isn't smiling at you, maybe they have something else on their mind or perhaps you aren't so pleasant yourself. My family has never had a bad experience or a bad cake from Mazzetti's and we have been customers since Julia Mazzetti, Julie's mother-in-law was running the place. The Mazzetti's experience is nothing that can be compared to a Starbuck's run in and out. Again, they serve their purpose but not an apples to apples comparison.
Is there anything Pacifica could do to encourage the following businesses:
1) Baking
2) Chocolatiers
3) Micro/Craft Brewing / Distilling
4) Organic Food
5) Coffee grinding / milling
Perhaps some kind of business incentive (time bound subsidized or free rents? -- There is a lot of available commercial space in Pacifica.)
Perhaps this could attract businesses and thereby customers and commerce from larger bay area. Small steps. The idea being that Pacifica could evolve into some kind of "Foodie Capital of Bay Area" (Yeah, I am fantasizing)
The city loses nothing, business space gets used, the city could stand to gain in form of potential increases in sales tax collections ..
Thoughts?
Disclosure: I own nor have any association with any of the above mentioned businesses. I simply enjoy good food. And being that healthy food is vital, it might attract a good mix of health conscious people who might also want to make our city their home.
My opinion –
I do not really care about tacky dated strip malls as long as they are clean...can we all just do our part. Daily excursions to the market, strolls on the beach and jogs from the dunes to the pier all end in me putting other people’s litter in my pockets I find along the way for proper disposal. Sure the guy working on his race car on Palmetto is annoying...setting off car alarms at every throttle up to 10PM at night – business owners parking storefront in the fire lane is annoying (and illegal) – dumping old unwanted furniture by the side of the road is always an eyesore – unleashed dogs running up to you at Mori Point jumping on you and in some cases snapping at you without so much as a “sorry” from the unconcerned owner...are all things that we should take notice off...BUT...heaven forbid a competitor move in causing local businesses to strengthen their brands to set themselves apart...TO ARMS TO ARMS Starbucks is coming! Funny.
@1:48
Mom & Pop / Family run small businesses have been going the way of dinosaur for almost 30-40 yrs now. I don't understand the indignant attitude towards Starbucks today. Perhaps the reaction is so because it is closer to home.
Also, there is a Starbucks in Linda Mar. And it too (it appears) has fallen victim to the "Pacifica Effect" rather than be the vanguard of gentrification as some have claimed earlier.
local lib,
Please define "Pacifica Effect".
Mazzetti's is a Pacifica treasure. Expensive? Compared to what? Free noshing at Costco? Amazing how often we Pacificans are our own worst enemy. Plenty of room for Mazzetti's and Starbucks in that neighborhood. Both are examples of successful business with their own niche. We need more of those, whether they're the shrewd independent operator or a popular chain. So glad to see something with the resources for long term success occupy that long-empty spot.
305 In terms of impact on the neighborhood, how can you compare the SB in Linda Mar Shopping Center to the Oceana stand alone store? You say the LM store has "fallen victim to the Pacifica effect". What"s that? The SB in LM has been remodeled several times, looks good, always busy, provides jobs, supports local groups, draws foot traffic to that side of the center, and has been contributing to our economy for, what, maybe 20 years? What more would you like them to do for Pacifica? Don't know if they'll be a vanguard for gentrification in dingy Manor, but they'll be a nice addition.
Post a Comment