CA Presidential Primary Election 6/7/16 results

State of California election results, Secretary of State (S.O.S.).

San Mateo County election results (local):  Primary, page 1, County summaries 2-4.  Racetracker.

Note the graphic is identified as from elections.ucr.edu, which seems not to connect.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Proposed Rockaway Quarry development, a NIMBY special

Apparently some of us missed those preliminary "community" conversations, but from the proposed land use plan (#4 below) we have some idea who may have been queried. 

Pacifica Tribune/My Turn/Paul Heule, 5/12/16.  "Rockaway Quarry owner shares his vision," (Graphic from the article).

Note graphic color guide:  Yellow residential, red commercial, green open space.

"The management of Preserve @ Pacifica, LLC, as the new owner of the Rockaway Quarry site in Pacifica, is very aware of the significance that this property has in the community. .... We spent over a year meeting with small groups, community leaders, elected officials, resource and regulatory agencies, and various stakeholders after we purchased the property. We conducted focus groups with voters and surveys to try to ascertain how the community views the Quarry and any potential development there. Now, we are moving forward with a public planning process for the site. We invite the entire Pacifica community to a conversation about how we can achieve a positive, responsible development on the site while minimizing or eliminating any impacts that come with it. ....  Our plan consists of:  a minimum of 75% of the property preserved as permanent open space."  Read article.  

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Proposed affordable housing, Moss Beach

Half Moon Bay Review/Opinion/Don Horsley, 6/1/16. "Keep an open mind about Moss Beach property."

"For the last few months I have been asked to comment on the proposed sale of a Moss Beach parcel, owned by the California School Employees Association, to MidPen Housing, and any subsequent potential development by MidPen of that site.  ....  ... there are 1,364 jobs on the Midcoast, with 964 of the jobs paying low wages of $40,000 or less.

Affordable housing with lots of open space-- yet,
NIMBIES reject such projects. Sounds familiar? 

The reality of the housing crisis that we face shows up in the headlines throughout the Bay Area, in San Mateo County, and on our Coastside. Homeowners who bought their houses years ago are considered lucky.  .... Regular folks are finding it harder to make ends meet, homeownership is out of reach, affordable rentals are rare, and rents are skyrocketing and unpredictable. ...

....  So what do we do to address this very real problem? There is no single action that will solve this problem, but one thing we have to do is build more housing — at all levels of affordability, in all the communities in the county."  Read article.

Reference, opinion author.  Don Horsley, Board of Supervisors, District 3, San Mateo County, and campaign website.  Proposed Mid-Pen 11-acre affordable housing site location Midcoast Community Council/Lisa Ketcham, 3/17/16,  ".... The site would be developed at the same medium density as the surrounding neighborhood, ... ... MidPen proposes no more than 80 units, with all rental units affordable to families earning 30-60% of county median income (currently $103,000 for family of four). The one- and two-story duplexes and triplexes would be clustered so that a significant portion of the site could be dedicated to permanent open space." 

Related, the opposition (a Fix Pacifica reprint). Half Moon Bay Review/Opinion/John Maybury, 4/6/16,"Resist density, put housing where it belongs."  Riptide article, 3/22/16.  John Maybury Pacifica Tribune (NIMBY) opinion column, and "Wandering and Wondering", and Editor & Publisher Pacifica Riptide blog.  Midcoast NIMBY organization, "Resist Density" includes the mapped location off Highway 1 in Moss Beach.
 

Note:  The aerial photograph/graphic image is from the Reference Mid-coast Community Council website above.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

CA Primary Election Day, Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Alert:  Don't forget to vote in person tomorrow Tuesday June 7, 2016; or mail-in your completed ballot (today would be good), or tomorrow.

Need more information, here it is:  Shape the Future Vote!, official election site for San Mateo County.   

Note graphics.  Check mark in box from Voter Registration USA.gov. Trump from a Whisper App on Pinterest. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Reminder Planning Commission meeting tonight, June 6, 2016

Meet the neighbors across the
street from 2105 Beach Blvd.

Attend in person, 2212 Beach Boulevard, 2nd floor.  Or, view on local television or live feed Pacificcoast.TV, (formerly pct26.com).  If you miss civic meetings, view on PCT 26 You Tube!  The planning commission meeting begins at 7 p.m., or shortly there following.  Planning Commission updates, archives are available on the City website/Planning Commission.

Planning Commission meeting, 6/6/16, pdf pages 111.

Continued Public Hearing. 
1.  Licensed massage establishments use in certain commercial districts. Continue to 6/20/16.

New Public Hearings.
2.  3-story, 2,700 sq. ft. single family residence, 400 sq. ft. garage; 5,000 sq. ft. vacant lot, 1375 Livingston Avenue, Pedro Point.
3.  3-story, 2 unit condominium duplex, 4,726 sq. ft. vacant lot, 2105 Beach Blvd, West Sharp Park.

Note photograph by Donna from her Vista de Nada blog/Pacifica Pier.   

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Fish are more than reactive, they think and feel

New York Times/Opinion/Jonathan Balcome, 5/14/16. "Fishes have feelings, too."

Fish are "people" too, be kind.

"Washington — In March, two marine biologists published a study of giant manta rays responding to their reflections in a large mirror installed in their aquarium in the Bahamas. The two captive rays circled in front of the mirror, blew bubbles and performed unusual body movements as if checking their reflection. They made no obvious attempt to interact socially with their reflections, suggesting that they did not mistake what they saw as other rays. The scientists concluded that the mantas seemed to be recognizing their reflections as themselves.

Mirror self-recognition is a big deal. It indicates self-awareness, a mental attribute previously known only among creatures of noted intelligence like great apes, dolphins, elephants and magpies.  ...

....  As a biologist who specializes in animal behavior and emotions, I’ve spent the past four years exploring the science on the inner lives of fishes. What I’ve uncovered indicates that we grossly underestimate these fabulously diverse marine vertebrates. The accumulating evidence leads to an inescapable conclusion: Fishes think and feel.

 ....  They are not instinct-driven or machinelike. Their minds respond flexibly to different situations. They are not just things; they are sentient beings with lives that matter to them. A fish has a biography, not just a biology.

A series of captive experiments dating from the 1940s found something remarkable. They memorize the tide pool layout while swimming over it at high tide. They can do it in one try, and remember it 40 days later. So much for a fish’s mythic three-second memory. ....  Tool use was once thought the sole province of humans, but the behavior has now been discovered in a wide range of animals, including fishes."  Read article. 

Reference, author's opinion. Jonathan Balcombe is the director of animal sentience with the Humane Society Institute for Science and Policy and the author, most recently, of “What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins.”

Note photograph from Complete Goldfish care.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Will local NIMBYS try this if a hotel is approved on Beach Boulevard?

Ballot measure rejection results in lawsuit against San Bruno over hotel

By (Pacifica's own)  Brendan P. Bartholomew on June 5, 2016 1:00 am

Opponents of a planned hotel in San Bruno are suing the city after a ballot measure seeking to block the hotel was rejected from the November ballot.

Late last month, city officials told the hotel’s opponents that approval by the City Council to sell the 1.5-acre parcel to the hotel developer was not a legislative action, and therefore not subject to the referendum process.

But backers of the referendum, which would reverse the City Council’s decision to sell a parcel of city-owned land to hotel builder OTO Development, believe San Bruno doesn’t have the authority to decide whether a referendum is valid and have filed a lawsuit against the city in San Mateo County Superior Court.

The hotel is opposed in part because the developer reportedly refuses to offer any guarantee the future hotel workers would be allowed to unionize. Opponents also claim city officials aren’t getting a good deal for San Bruno residents, because the 1.5-acre parcel’s $3.97 million selling price is too low.

The City Council voted March 29 to approve the land sale. That prompted the hotel project’s opponents to launch a petition drive to gather signatures in support of their referendum to reverse the council’s decision.

On April 27, opponents submitted about 3,200 signatures at San Bruno City Hall, well in excess of the roughly 2,000 signatures needed to place their measure on the ballot.

The referendum is backed by Unite Here Local 2, a union representing hotel and restaurant workers, and by the San Bruno Committee for Economic Justice, a recently formed coalition of residents.

Read more...

Posted by Steve Sinai
 

Airplane noise, where are the planes to fly?

The Almanac News/Dave Boyce, 6/2/16. "Woodside council calls for 'strong' resolution on aircraft noise problem."

Seriously, doing nothing about
airplane noise is not Mayor
Sue's fault.  She's trying to help.

"Quiet skies are a thing of the past for some communities on the Peninsula, including parts of Woodside, where complaints center on commercial aircraft headed into San Francisco International Airport, allegedly flying too low over a navigation beacon located on the crest of the Santa Cruz mountains.

The Woodside Town Council, which acting Mayor Tom Livermore said heard its first public complaint about aircraft noise just two weeks ago, directed staff on May 24 to draft a "strong" resolution in favor of quiet skies. The council wanted the resolution ready before a June 15 meeting of a recently formed committee of elected officials to address aircraft noise in San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. ... 

In its most recent response to noise complaints in Woodside, Portola Valley and Ladera, a Federal Aviation Administration report called changes to the way traffic is handled over Woodside "not feasible" for reasons of safety and pilot and/or air traffic controller preference.

Residents of these communities may have lost the battle once again, but the war will go on. If community activism is any gauge, cities and towns in the South Bay and up and down the Peninsula have just begun to fight."  Read article.

Related - Aircraft noise, a common World problem, Google search.  Is it possible to build quieter aircraft?

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Quarry housing again on the November 2016 ballot

Proposed Rockaway Quarry development,
housing vote again, November 2016.

Pacifica Tribune/Letters to the Editor, 6/2/16.  "Quarry's future" by Robert Hutchinson

"So, it looks like over 3,200 Pacifica voters signed the petition so we will have a chance to decide what kind of development we want at the quarry.

Quarry good location for people to live?
We who "got ours" still don't think so... passat "traffic".

I just want to caution new residents about believing everything you hear especially from the opposition who has fought any attempt of development for over 30 years.

Remember the 2006 quarry initiative that almost passed with 48.3% of the vote? Then you know that the opposition will say or do anything to convince you to vote no. The award winning developer Don Peebles was even falsely accused of assault and his good name dragged through the quarry mud.

Already during the past few weeks we’ve seen all kinds of false accusations like “they are taking away our right to vote.” Not true. Or the developer is trying to trick us; they are lying, sneaky, out of town carpetbaggers. Ninety-nine percent of our houses were built by out of town builders. Or traffic will be horrible. Nothing can be built unless they mitigate traffic.

This is an important decision for Pacificans. We have a severe housing shortage here and this project would include 200 apartments with 20% being affordable for people like our teachers, seniors and struggling families. Also habitat restoration and 75% of that parcel set aside as permanent open space. Get the facts. Google “Quarry measure L” and see the same people fighting that with the same deceptive tactics. Look on the city and developers website. Do some research. Don’t believe the hate."

----------
Reference, current proposed Rockaway Quarry planning.  The developer, The Pacifica Quarry, "Restore and Connect".  The City,  City of Pacifica/Planning, proposed "Quarry Reclamation Project". News articles, San Francisco Examiner/Brendan Bartholomew, 4/24/16, "Old rock quarry in Pacifica a possible site for housing development." Pacifica Tribune/Jan Northrop, 9/16/15, "Quarry project manager engaged in pre-development site improvements.

Related, prior proposed Rockaway Quarry development, 2006. Smart Voter, Measure L, 11/2006.  The usual opposition to Quarry and other significant development for this City:  NO on L, 2006.    Note photograph/graphic from Gunderson Planning & Design, 5/7/14. NIMBIES questioning the project manager, by Jane Northrop, 11/17/15 from the Pacifica Tribune, 11/17/15 by Jane Northrop. Definition: Urban Dictionary, "passat" (brisk wind).

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Planning Commission meeting, Monday June 6, 2016

Attend in person, 2212 Beach Boulevard, 2nd floor.  Or, view on local television or live feed 
Pacificcoast.TV, (formerly pct26.com).  If you miss civic meetings, view on PCT 26 You Tube!  The planning commission meeting begins at 7 p.m., or shortly there following.  Planning Commission updates, archives are available on the City website/Planning Commission.

 Planning Commission meeting, 6/6/16, pdf pages 111.

Open Session, 7:00 p.m.  Administrative:  Order of the Agenda; Approval of 3/21/16 minutes; designation of Liaison to City Council Meeting (none).

Continued Public Hearing

Proposed 1375 Livingston Avenue residence

1.   Pacifica Municipal Code, amendment TA-104-16:  permitted use allowing licensed massage establishments use in certain commercial districts.  Compliance administered by the Pacifica Police Department.  Continue to June 20, 2016 meeting.

New Public Hearings
2.  CDP-358-15.  1375 Livingston Avenue (APN 023-017-090), Tess Lai, applicant/owner.  Construct a 3-story, 2,700 sq. ft. single family residence, with a 400 sq. ft. attached garage on a 5,000 sq. ft. vacant lot. CEQA status: Class 3.  Approve as conditioned.

3.  PSD-766-07, UP-68-15, CDP-294-07, PE-143-07, PV-517-16, SUB-228-15. 2105 Beach Blvd (APN 016-182-010), Brian O'Flynn, applicant/owner.  Construct a 3-story, 2-unit condominium duplex on a 4,726 sq. ft. vacant nonconforming lot. CEQA status: Class 3. Approved as conditioned.   

Communications: Commission, Staff. Public (oral).  
Adjourn.
----------
Acronyms:  CDP, Coastal Development permit; PSD, Site Development permit; UP, Use permit; PE, Parking exception; PV, Variance; SUB, subdivision. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), class 3:  "Class 3 consists of construction of small structures. (Guidelines §15303) ." 

Note:  graphic of proposed 1375 Livingston Avenue residence by SF Armls, Hill & Co. lot listing, Pedro Point.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

New FAA flight paths bombard Pacifica with noise

By Mike Moffitt

Updated 4:00 am, Thursday, June 2, 2016

It's 1:15 in the morning. You are deep in REM sleep when the roar of turbine engines jolts you awake.

As you lie there trying to fall back to sleep, a rumble rises in the distance, snowballing into another crescendo of sound that overwhelms your earplugs and double-paned windows. A few minutes later, a third jet soars overhead. Then another and another, a total of six in less than 45 minutes.

Pacifica used to be known for two things: fog and quiet. It's still known for fog.

Fifteen years ago, plane fly-overs were common, but infrequent enough that they didn't bother most residents. Today, a virtual conga line of airplanes parades overhead — 200 to 250 per day.

Old flight paths

New flight paths

Nights of sleep deprivation have become the new normal for parts of Pacifica, according to about 30 residents attending a meeting on aircraft noise last month in the city's Council Chambers. Many complained about the racket, some reporting suffering physical and mental problems.

"We've all had problems with sleep," said Park Pacifica resident Janice Weeks, who serves on the city's airport noise advisory board.

Robert Farrow of the city's Fairmont West neighborhood says the planes — as low as 1,200 feet — practically buzz his house every morning at breakfast.

"I could serve coffee to the pilots," he said.

Read more...

Posted by Steve Sinai

STOP THE AIRPLANE NOISE NOW!

Mayor Digre has done a less than stellar job protecting Pacifica from SFO

airplane noise. Time for decisive action and no more meandering meetings with no course of action.

Our mayor decided to hold an informational council meeting, finally. Well, not really a council meeting. Mayor Digre selected a panel of "handpicked" experts" to sit with her. A couple of our experts  sat and spewed numbers and regurgitated flight paths and flight numbers ad nauseum , until they ran out of handy information to share.  So what did we learn? That we have a noise problem visited upon us by a new navigation system imposed by the FAA? Well Sue Digre has sat on the Airport Round Table Committee for years-- as far back as I can remember. Why are we just hearing about this? Was Mayor Digre asleep at the wheel? This was not sprung on an unsuspecting public without notification to those representing us. Where was that information from Mayor Digre? Council members are on these county committees to advocate for, and to protect, Pacifica and to share new and important information. When an action by a government body (SFO, FAA, etc) impacts thousands of Pacifica residents shouldn't someone be on watch? 

So what kind of solution was decided upon? All I saw was to send a strongly worded statement to the FAA from our city council. I can feel their trepidation at the thought of receiving a strongly worded statement from us. Why not reach out to the numerous other grassroots organizations and other city councils and become part of a larger force. Sue likes to refer to her "Sky Posse" of citizens and experts. Perhaps she isn't aware that is the name of a very effective organization out of Palo Alto. Perhaps the Mayor has reached out to that organization to form a coalition?

There is a simple solution previously presented by many of us and also suggested by Councilman Mike O'Neil at the May 23rd council meeting. Move all flight patterns back to their previous patterns from two years ago. Let's go back to when Pacifica skies were quiet. Once we have quiet then study the problem the FAA created with the new flight patterns. The FAA has all kinds of new data to study (and we know how government entities like to study data) and they can take as long as they need.  This new noisy flight path was a bad experiment set up by bureaucrats who cater to the airlines. Why do we have to continue to suffer airplane noise while they take their time playing with their graphs and radar?! 

Let's join all the other peninsula cities, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, and the upset Pacifica residents and turn off the airplane noise. Mayor Digre, it's time to take action! 

Jim Wagner

5th Annual MacKenzie Benefit for Sharp Park

Welcome to our Online Auction!

This year’s silent auction has gone online!

The legendary Bandon Dunes, Royal Dornoch, Friar’s Head, and Pasatiempo – together with top Bay Area private and public courses – are among the many exciting golf opportunities you have a chance to browse and bid on now! All these are thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and fellow members of the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance.

How the Auction Works:

The online auction is open for bidding and will close on Friday, June 3rd at 7pm. The auction will then continue in-person on June 4th at Sharp Park, at the Fifth Annual Alister MacKenzie Tournament to Save Sharp Park. The highest bid from the online auction will serve as the starting bid at the June 4in-person silent auction at Sharp Park. The winning bidder will be the highest bid - whether online or in person - as of the close of the in-person auction on June 4th at 7:30pm.

All proceeds from the auction will go to our ongoing campaign to Save Sharp Park Golf Course. Thank you in advance for your participation and generous support for the cause.

We will be contacting highest online bidders on June 3rd evening, shortly after the online auction closes at 7pm. Please be sure to include the best phone number and/or email for us to reach you when you sign-up to participate in the auction, and have a credit card handy for pre-authorization over the phone or email.

A Note about Online Bids:

It is important that we communicate with you via phone or email beforenoon on June 4th to confirm your online bid and obtain your credit card information; otherwise, we may not be able to honor your online bid.

You are also welcome to call or email Richard Harris (415-290-5718;rharrisjr1@gmail.com) or to email Sarah Lau (SarahLauSF@gmail.com) during the week to provide them with your credit card information.

If your bid is the winning bid at the in-person auction, then your credit card will be processed for payment; if your bid is not the winning bid, then you will not be charged, and your credit card information will not be saved.

San Francisco Public Golf Alliance

The San Francisco Public Golf Alliance's goal is to nurture and defend affordable, eco-friendly public golf in San Francisco for future generations, by encouraging public golf throughout all segments of the community, and by caring for San Francisco's heritage public golf courses. One of these is Sharp Park.

Sharp Park Golf Course is an historic seaside links, designed by the preeminent architect Alister MacKenzie, who also designed Augusta National (home of the Masters Tournament), Cypress Point, and many of the world’s most esteemed courses. Sharp Park is one of MacKenzie’s rare public links.

View the auction...

Posted by Steve Sinai