10 Day Look Ahead: Transbay Demolition and Construction Activities

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Weekend Work: This weekend, the contractor will work to complete the demolition of the Fremont Street over crossing, including the overhead steel beams. This work will require the weekend closure of Fremont Street between Howard and Mission Streets from 6:00 AM Saturday to 5:00 AM Monday morning. Additional work will be performed on two of the remaining bridge footings on the East and West sides of Beale Street between Howard and Mission Streets.

Weekend work will be conducted from 6:00 AM on Saturday morning until 6:00 AM Monday morning with a moratorium on jack hammering and other excessive noise producing activities between the hours of 11:00 PM and 6:00 AM.

The large wrecking ball crane, “Big Red,” has arrived and is being assembled on-site in front of 425 Mission Street (the old Terminal building). The wrecking ball will not be utilized until the second half of next week. An email update will be distributed prior to the first ball drop on the Terminal building itself.

Please Note: As previously noticed, Natoma Street, between First and Fremont Streets, has been reduced to one single west bound lane. The contractor will work with neighboring tenants to accommodate all deliveries.

Weekday Work: Weekday work between Monday, November 1, 2010, and Friday, November 5, 2010, will focus on the continued demolition of the East Terminal structure along with the Main Terminal roof and upper walls adjacent to Natoma Street. Some of this work will require the use of a wrecking ball, which will be dropped on top of the Terminal facility mid to late week. Additional work will be performed to remove remaining bridge footings along Beale Street between Howard and Mission Streets.

The Temporary Terminal construction will proceed with the form and concrete pours of necessary signage footing and drive aisle space. Contractors will be employing double shifts and will be working from 6 AM to 11 PM.

Street and Sidewalk Closure: This weekend, Fremont Street, between Howard and Mission Streets will be closed due to demolition of the Terminal bridge steel at the Fremont over crossing from 6:00 AM on Saturday to 5:00 AM Monday morning.

What to Expect Next Weekend (11/5-11/7): 

Next weekend, the contractor will begin demolition of the First Street over crossing which will require the first of three consecutive weekend closures of First Street. These closures will begin late Friday night in order to remove the overhead electrical systems prior to demolition. The contractor will work all three shifts, including 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM, with a moratorium on jack hammering and other excessive noise producing activities between the hours of 11:00 PM and 6:00 AM.

Community Meetings: Thank you to all of those who attended our community meetings on Wednesday, October 20, 2010. We appreciate your participation during these exciting times and look forward to seeing you all again at our next community meeting in late November.

NOTICE: The demolition of the Terminal has begun and, in order to safely bring down the facility, the demolition contractor will be working, at a minimum, double shifts. It is highly likely that weekend and weekday 24-hour work will need to occur between now and November 23rd. The TJPA has instructed its demolition contractors to make every effort to minimize the impact to the community and to progress through this phase of work as quickly as possible. However, due to the nature of this portion of demolition, safety will require 24-hour work to be conducted regularly. Although it is the Transbay Transit Center Project's (TJPA) intention to maintain the moratorium, safety may require limited lifting of the noise restriction.

Should you have any general questions about the TJPA, please call Courtney Lodato or Adam Alberti, Transbay Outreach Team, at: (415) 227-9700 or via e-mail at: info@transbaycenter.org

If you have any urgent questions regarding site-specific demolition or construction activities, please call the TJPA construction activity number: (415) 409-TJPA (8572).

Please continue to check the TJPA website for the most up to date schedule of activities at: www.transbaycenter.org/demolition

The News Links - October 25-29, 2010

San Francisco

• Bay Area transit agencies turn to voters to finance road repairs
• If Newsom wins, S.F. supervisors face quandary
• San Francisco supervisors rated in poll
• BAR Political Notebook: Election could have Leno, Ammiano on the move
• Left wing shudders as its presumed leader endures a string of setbacks
• Advocates hope transgender identity is not a defining one
• Money pours in to sway S.F. supervisors' races
• Progressives like soft money, too: SEIU dumps $100K into third-party account "for (D8 Supe Candidate) Mandelman"
• BOMA San Francisco supports Scott Wiener for District 8 Supervisor
• Candidates compete with World Series in D6 race
• District 2 supervisors' race - parking, traffic
• Willie Brown's latest column in the San Francisco Chronicle can be found here
• Matier & Ross' latest column can be found here

Marin/Sonoma/San Mateo

• Study: Marin pensions $2 billion in debt
• Marin hotel tax to double

California

• Gray Davis: Expect another special election next year
• Yet another daunting problem for California’s next governor
• Feds give California nearly $1 billion for high-speed rail and related train projects
• Newsom, Maldonado battle hard for 'lite gov' post
• BOMA San Francisco supports Gavin Newsom for Lt. Governor.
• Curious about the makeup of California's first Citizens Redistricting Commission? Click here for more information

The Economy

• US economy to grow at slower pace: survey

Energy & Environment

• Largest-ever solar project approved in California

General

• Warning: That poll you're reading about may be fatally flawed. Here's why..
• Pension reform holdouts wait for next governor

Energy Efficiency Finance Workshops at the CPUC: November 16 and 17

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please take note of the following workshops on the topic of financing strategies for energy efficiency measures  from the California Public Utilities Commission:

Energy Efficiency Finance for Commercial, Industrial and Institutional Customers

9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

and 

Energy Efficiency Finance for Residential Customers

9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

California Public Utilities Commission

505 Van Ness Avenue, Courtyard Room

(Corner of Van Ness Avenue and McAllister Street)

San Francisco, California 94102

Call in number: 866-812-4996; participant code: 6404767

SCOPE OF WORKSHOPS:

The Energy Division of the California Public Utilities Commission is tasked with preparing an assessment and plan that ensures that effective financing instruments for energy efficiency are available to facilitate the achievement of California’s aggressive energy efficiency goals. As part of this effort, the Energy Division is hosting workshops on November 16 and 17 to identify new financing strategies or define how best to adapt existing strategies that will most effectively support California’s aggressive energy efficiency goals.

The Energy Efficiency Finance workshops will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on November 16 and 17, 2010, in the Courtyard Room at the California Public Utilities Commission’s offices in San Francisco.  The workshop on November 16 will focus on commercial, industrial, and institutional customers, and the workshop on November 17 will focus on residential customers.

Space is limited, so please RSVP by November 9th to Jennifer Finnigan with “EE Finance Workshops” in the subject line. An agenda and pre-workshop materials will be available on the CPUC web site and emailed to RSVP respondents in advance of the workshop.  For additional questions, please contact Jennifer Finnigan at jf5@cpuc.ca.gov or (415) 703-2292.

BOMA SF-PAC VOTER GUIDE FOR THE NOVEMBER 2, 2010 GENERAL ELECTION

The BOMA San Francisco Political Action Committee (BOMA SF-PAC) has taken positions on the following November 2, 2010 local ballot measures, and supports the following candidates for elected office, below.

CLICK HERE or on the image above for a printable version of our voter guide!

Vote for these candidates for elected office in San Francisco/California:

District 2: Mark Farrell / Janet Reilly

District 4: Carmen Chu

District 6: Theresa Sparks

District 8: Scott Wiener

District 10: Steve Moss

Superior Court Judge: Richard Ulmer

Lt. Governor: Gavin Newsom

LOCAL MEASURES

SUPPORT = Vote YES

OPPOSE = Vote NO

County Transportation Authority

• Prop. AA: Vehicle Registration Fee - NO POSITION
• This measure would institute an additional $10 annual registration fee on vehicles registered in San Francisco. The money collected from the fee must be spent only on programs and projects that benefit owners of motor vehicles paying the fee and are consistent with a regional transpiration plan.

Bond

• Prop. A: Earthquake Safety Retrofit Loan Program General Obligation Bond ($46,150,000) - SUPPORT
• General Obligation Bond to provide funding for an Earthquake Safety Retrofit Loan Program to provide funding for seismic retrofits for affordable housing buildings(estimated to be 156).

Charter Amendments

• Prop. B: City Retirement and Health Plans - NO POSITION
• Would ensure that theCity's retirement and health service systems are properly funded and that the City's annual costs are balanced with reasonable City employee contributions to their retirement and health plans.
• Prop. C: Mayoral Appearances at Board Meetings - OPPOSE
• Requires the Mayor toattend one regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Supervisors todiscuss policy matters and allows the Board to set the rules andguidelines of how the meetings will be conducted.
• Prop. D: Non-Citizen Voting in School Board Elections - OPPOSE
• Charter amendment would extend the right to vote in school board elections to any resident who is a parent, legal guardian or caregiver of a child residing in the City who is at least 18 years of age and not in prison or on parole for a felony.
• Prop. E: Election Day Voter Registration - OPPOSE
• Would permit San Francisco citizens to register to vote in exclusively municipal elections on any day up to and including election day.
• Prop. F: Health Service Board Elections - NO POSITION
• The Health Service Board is responsible for conducting and annual review of health benefit costs, application of benefits and administering the Health Service System. This technical Charter amendment will allow the Board to save money on a number of elections required to elect members.
• Prop. G: Transit Operator Wages (Fix Muni Now) - SUPPORT
• Successfully placed on the November ballot by Supervisor Sean Elsbernd. Click here to read the measure and here for our blog posts on the Fix Muni Now campaign.

Ordinances

• Prop. H: Local Elected Official on Political Party Committees - SUPPORT
• If adopted, thismeasure will prohibit any person holding city elective office from serving on a political party central committee.
• Prop. I: Saturday Voting - NO POSITION
• Creates the Saturday Voting Fund to pay for the cost of operating polling places on the Saturday before the November 8, 2011 election. If there is enough money in the Fund to cover the costs of operating the polling places on Saturday, then the measure would require the City to open all polling places twice during the election - on Saturday, November 5 and on Tuesday, November 8.
• Prop. J: Hotel Tax Clarification and Temporary Increase (NO NEW TAXES! Visit Economic Recovery SF for more information) - OPPOSE
• This tax increase proposal would raise the tax rate on San Francisco’s local hotels by 2%, bringing the total tax rate to 16%, plus a 1.5% tourism marketing fee added to most hotel bills bringing the total to 17.5%--the highest in the nation.
• Prop. K: Hotel Tax Clarification and Definitions - NO POSITION
• Mayor Newsom's countermeasure to Prop. J that doesn't increase the tax rate, and clarifies who pays the tax.
• Prop. L: Sitting or Lying on Sidewalks (Civil Sidewalks) - SUPPORT
• Click here to visit the CivilSidewalks website for more information.
• Prop. M: Community Policing and Foot Patrols (Board of Supervisors' response to Prop. N) - OPPOSE
• This measure would require the Police Commission to adopt a comprehensive written policy on community policing, which would politicize this issue and take away authority from the Police Chief. It also includes a provision negating Prop. L (above) if this proposition receives more votes.
• Prop. N: Real Property Transfer Tax (NO NEW TAXES! Visit Economic Recovery SF for more information) - OPPOSE
• This tax increase proposal would boost the tax on the sale of properties over $5 million in San Francisco. The current rate is 1.5% doubled from .75% in 2008. See the chart below for more information. If passed, this rate would be the highest transfer tax rate in California.

BOMA CALIFORNIA POSITIONS ON STATE MEASURES

SUPPORT = Vote YES

OPPOSE = Vote NO

• Prop. 19 – Legalize Marijuana - NO POSITION
• Prop. 20 – Redistricting of Congress - NO POSITION
• Prop. 21 – Vehicle Fee to Support Park - NO POSITION
• Prop. 22 – Bars the state from taking/borrowing money dedicated forlocal government, redevelopment or transit agencies - SUPPORT
• Prop. 23 – Suspends AB 32 Until Jobless Rate is 5.5% for a year -NO POSITION
• Prop. 24 – Repeals recent legislation that allows businesses tocarry-back losses, share tax credits, and use other formulas to lower taxableincome in the state - OPPOSE
• Prop. 25 – Change vote requirement to pass the state budget from two-thirds to a simple majority - OPPOSE
• Prop. 26 – Increases legislative vote requirement from majority to two-thirds for approving state fees, levies and surcharges - SUPPORT
• Prop. 27 – Eliminates Redistricting Commission - NO POSITION

Please click here to read more information on these state propositions.

Meeting Notice: California DIR Division of Occupational Safety and Health

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The Division of Occupational Safety and Health will hold a meeting to discuss work covered by CLC Section 7311.1 and 7311.2 that defines work on conveyances that requires certification.

This meeting will take place at the following time, date, and location:

Place: Elihu Harris State Building
1515 Clay Street, Suite 1304
Oakland, CA 94612
Date: Wednesday November 10, 2010
Time: 1:00 P.M.

The agenda will include discussion of the clarification of work to be performed by certified mechanics in elevator machine rooms, hoistways, pits, cartops and car enclosures. In addition, the dismantling and/or removal of conveyances and testing requirements will be addressed.

The Division of Occupational Safety and Health cordially invites all interested parties to attend this meeting. We look forward to your participation in this discussion.

City of San Francisco Implements New Rapid Entry Lock Box Program

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) has implemented a new upgraded lock box system for San Francisco building owners.  The TRACcess lock box solution will provide the San Francisco Fire Department with a more effective and secure way to gain access to local businesses during unattended business hours.  This greatly enhances Fire Department response for false alarm, and/or actual fire, reducing potential building damage and waiting for building keys to arrive.  After a thorough search for a specific lock box solution that provides the greatest security, access control and access tracking, SFFD selected the TRACcess system from UTC Fire & Security Corp.

TRACcess system benefits

• UL Listed lock box – TRAC-Vault
• Only the Fire Department has the keys used to access the lock box (TRACkey), which are PIN coded, and can be deactivated to prevent any issue of a lost or misplaced key
• TRACkeys record the time/date of access, allowing building owners to know when their lock box was accessed.
• Variety of mounting/security options for building owner preference
• When responding to alarms, the SFFD dispatch center alerts responding apparatus where a lock box is installed for quick access.

Additional Information:

• Lock box program details
• To order, click here
• Guidelines for New & Replacement lock boxes

Grubb & Ellis Q3 Market Outlook Underscores Need for Jobs

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Grubb & Ellis recently released a report on the office outlook for the third quarter of 2010, which suggests that while the nationwide office leasing market is no longer shrinking, recovery is still reticent. The report indicates that vacancy, absorption, rents and construction will languish until employers begin hiring more aggressively and the inventory of shadow space is filled. Other market indicators such as the average lease term and average lease size, both sitting at decade lows, confirm that tenants remain cautious despite the fire-sale bargains being offered by many landlords.

Other highlights include:

• Tenants absorbed 3.9 million square feet in the third quarter, the second consecutive quarter of low but positive net absorption. 
• Developers delivered less than 1 million square feet of new space, making this the first quarter in three years that more space was absorbed than completed. 
• The average Class A asking rental rate for space available at the end of the third quarter was $30.81 per square foot per year, full service – about flat compared with the second quarter and down by 1.0 percent from the third quarter of 2009. 

UPDATE: SFDPH Secondhand Smoke Prevention and Enforcement Program

UPDATE - October 19, 2010

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please click here for a fact sheet outlining the general requirements of the San Francisco Department of Public Health Secondhand Smoke Prevention and Enforcement Program.  

If you have any questions or concerns about meeting the requirements of the program, please contact Janine Young at smoke_free.DPH@sfdph.org or call her at (415) 252-3903.

UPDATE - August 4, 2010

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The BOMA San Francisco Government and Public Affairs Committee (GAPAC) welcomed Janine Young, San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) Program Coordinator to discuss the Secondhand Smoke Prevention and Enforcement Program.  

Please click here to view her presentation.  

If you have any questions or concerns about meeting the new requirements of the code, please contact Ms. Young at smoke_free.DPH@sfdph.org or call her at (415) 252-3903.  

-------------------

UPDATE - July 26, 2010

We've been informed by the San Francisco Department of Public Health that BOMA San Francisco members are to start implementing all requirements of the Smoking Ordinance (San Francisco Health Code, Article 19F).  Click here for more detailed information on the new code.

The requirements are summarized as follows:

• Post clear and prominent signs at each entrance to the premises no higher than 8 feet and no lower than 5 feet; and within 10 feet of the door or most appropriate place for visibility from outside.
• Building entrances sign must include all of the following:
• Read "Smoking only 1) at the curb, or 2) if no curb, at least 15ft. from exits, entrances, operable windows, and vents” in letters no less than 0.5 inch high.
• The international "No Smoking" symbol, consisting of a pictorial representation of a burning cigarette enclosed in a circle, with a diameter of at least 3 inches with a bar across it 15 feet--language may be substituted for greater distances.
• Post clear and prominent “no smoking” signs in any area on the premise where smoking is prohibited.
• Request any patron to refrain from smoking in prohibited areas when appropriate. 
• Remove any ashtray or ash receptacles from inside the premises.

--------------------

Original Post - July 19, 2010

We have recently posted information on the blog in regard to new law that has amended the San Francisco Health Code to prohibit smoking in certain enclosed areas, certain unenclosed areas and sports stadiums.

The San Francsico Board of Supervisors have passed a 'clean-up' measure that finalized necessary language changes to the the original ordinance.  Please click here to read the Smoking Prohibition Signage Requirement Ordinance and here for the Legislative Digest.  The changes affect the signage language that will now require posted signs at the entrances of all buildings to read:

• "Smoking only 1) at the curb or 2) if no curb, at least 15 ft. from entrances, exits, operable windows, and vents."

 If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ken Cleaveland, Director of Government and Public Affairs for BOMA San Francisco at kenc@boma.com and John Bozeman, Legislative Assistant for BOMA San Francisco at johnb@boma.com with your comments.

REMINDER: Community Meetings on Transbay Demolition Activities - October 20th

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Demolition of the Transbay Terminal bus ramps is well underway and demolition of the eastern portion of the Transbay Terminal has begun. Join the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) tomorrow, Wednesday, October 20, 2010, to learn more about upcoming demolition activities, street closures and hours of activity. The first community meeting will be held from 12:00 noon until 1:00 PM. The second community meeting will be held from 6:00 PM until 7:00 PM. Both meetings will feature the same content and will be held at the TJPA’s offices located at 201 Mission Street, Suite 2100.  

What: 

Community Meetings: Transbay Demolition Update

When: 

Wednesday, October 20, 2010 

Time: 

Meeting I: 12:00 Noon; Meeting II: 6:00 PM

Where:

 Transbay Joint Powers Authority

  201 Mission Street, Suite 2100

  San Francisco, CA 94105

The TJPA looks forward to your participation and input during this exciting time. For more information about the Transbay Transit Center Project or to sign up to receive construction updates, visit www.transbaycenter.org. 

Citywide Sirens To Sound As Part Of Great California ShakeOut Earthquake Drill - October 21st at 10:21 a.m.

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The City’s Outdoor Public Warning System Sirens will be activated as part of the Great California ShakeOut – the statewide Drop, Cover and Hold On earthquake drill – on October 21 at 10:21 am.  The sirens will be sounded, followed by a voice message indicating that it is a test.  This is the second year the City is utilizing the system for the ShakeOut drill. San Francisco residents and visitors should not be alarmed by the fact that the sirens are sounding at a time other than the regular Tuesday noon weekly test.

The City is participating in the third annual Great California ShakeOut, the statewide earthquake drill.  To date, more than 341,000 people in San Francisco have registered to participate in the drill, and more than 7.2 million have registered statewide.  Schools, businesses, non-profit organizations, government agencies and individuals are encouraged to increase their level of emergency preparedness by registering for the drill.  Click here for more information.

Citywide Sirens to Sound as Part of Great California Shakeout Earthquake Drill

Thursday, October 21, 10:21 a.m.

104 locations citywide

A Look Ahead: Transbay Demolition and Construction Activities

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Weekday Work: Weekday work between Monday, October 18, 2010, and Friday, October 22, 2010, will focus on the continued demolition of the East Terminal roof and upper walls and shift to the demolition of the Main Terminal roof and upper walls adjacent to Natoma Street.  The contractor will be employing double shifts and will be working 6 AM to 11 PM.  On Thursday, October 21, 2010 and Friday, October 22, 2010, two lanes will be closed on the east side of Beale Street, between Howard and Mission Streets, between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM to complete work associated with the column supports of the old ramps.

Street and Sidewalk Closure: This weekend, Fremont Street, between Howard and Mission Streets will be closed due to demolition of the Terminal roof and upper walls at the Fremont over crossing. On Wednesday, October 21, 2010 and Thursday, October 22, 2010, two lanes will be closed on the east side of Beale Street, between Howard and Mission Streets, between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM.

What to Expect Next Weekend (10/22 – 10/25): The contractor will continue the demolition of the Fremont Street over crossing which will require the weekend closure of Fremont Street, between Mission and Howard Streets.

Please Note: beginning Saturday, October 23, 2010, Natoma Street, between First and Fremont Streets, will be reduced to one single west bound lane. The contractor will work closely with neighboring tenants to accommodate deliveries.

Weekend work may continue to be conducted 24-hours a day with a moratorium on jack hammering and other excessive noise producing activities between the hours of 11:00 PM and 6:00 AM.

Community Meetings: Please join us for our upcoming community meetings this week on Wednesday, October 20, 2010. The first community meeting will be held from 12:00 noon until 1:00 PM. The second community meeting will be held from 6:00 PM until 7:00 PM. Both meetings will feature the same content and will be held at the Transbay Joint Powers Authority's (TJPA) offices located at 201 Mission Street, Suite 2100.

NOTICE: The demolition of the Terminal has begun and, in order to safely bring down the facility, the demolition contractor will be working, at a minimum, double shifts.  It is highly likely that weekend and weekday 24-hour work will need to occur between October 18th and November 8th.  The TJPA has instructed its demolition contractors to make every effort to minimize the impact to the community and to progress through this phase of work as quickly as possible.  However, due to the nature of this portion of demolition, safety will require 24-hour work to be conducted regularly over the 21-day span. Although it is the TJPA’s intention to maintain the moratorium, safety may require limited lifting of the noise restriction.

Should you have any general questions about the Transbay Transit Center Project, please call Courtney Lodato or Adam Alberti, Transbay Outreach Team, at: (415) 227-9700 or via e-mail at: info@transbaycenter.org.

If you have any urgent questions regarding site-specific demolition activities, please call the TJPA construction activity number: (415) 409-TJPA (8572).

Please continue to check the TJPA website for the most up to date schedule of activities at www.transbaycenter.org/demolition

Theresa Sparks For District 6 Supervisor - We Need Your Help!

Theresa Sparks with BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Public Affairs, Ken Cleaveland

BOMA San Francisco Members:

As you may know, the BOMA San Francisco Political Action Committee (BOMA SF-PAC) has endorsed Theresa Sparks for District 6 Supervisor.  Ms. Sparks is currently the Executive Director with the San Francisco Human Rights Commission (HRC) and was previously the president of the San Francisco Police Commission.

Theresa Sparks' campaign continues to gain momentum across District 6, picking up key endorsements from THREE of the major newspapers in San Francisco - the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Examiner and the Bay Area Reporter.  And, with help from her volunteers, Theresa is walking the District's neighborhoods from South Beach to the Inner Mission talking to voters and merchants about her campaign.  

WE NEED YOUR HELP!  THERE ARE JUST FOUR DAYS TO GO BEFORE AN IMPORTANT FUNDRAISING DEADLINE!

Your donation of $50, $100, $250 or $500 will help elect Theresa and bring new ideas and energy that will return economic prosperity, job creation and civility back to City Hall.  Click here to donate today!

BOMA San Francisco's Government and Public Affairs Committee had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Sparks in February.  We posted information on the blog from that meeting regarding Ms. Sparks background, her work on the HRC and Police Commission, her candidacy and much more,  Click here to read our blog post on why Theresa Sparks is the right candidate for District 6 Supervisor and here to access her campaign website.

Adopting the San Francisco Better Streets Plan

BOMA San Francisco Members:

On September 21, 2010, Mayor Gavin Newsom introduced legislation to adopt the Better Streets Plan into the City's official plans and codes. Click here to read the ordinances.
 
The proposed Better Streets legislation will be the subject of upcoming public hearings. Click here to see the schedule.

The Better Streets Plan will create a unified set of standards, guidelines, and implementation strategies to govern how the City designs, builds, and maintains its pedestrian environment.

View the Final Better Streets Plan Draft

The Better Streets Plan process brings together staff of multiple City agencies to comprehensively plan for streets. The Plan will seek to balance the needs of all street users, with a particular focus on the pedestrian environment and how streets can be used as public space. The Plan will reflect the understanding that the pedestrian environment is about much more than just transportation – that streets serve a multitude of social, recreational and ecological needs that must be considered when deciding on the most appropriate design.

The Better Streets Plan will carry out the intent of San Francisco's Better Streets Policy, adopted by the Board of Supervisors on February 6, 2006.

The News Links - October 11-14, 2010

Commercial Real Estate

• BOMA San Francisco Op-Ed: SF’s new economic engine is found in its ‘vertical factories’
• "Emerging Trends" survey finds investors, CRE execs adjusting to new 'Era of Less'
• U.S. office market enters early recovery as absorption, demand point up, vacancy turns corner
• Planners look at new rules for 'bird-safe' buildings in San Francisco 
• Click here to view our blog post on this topic!

San Francisco

• San Francisco Chronicle: Ballot Endorsements for November 2010
• Click here for BOMA San Francisco's Ballot Endorsements for November 2010
• San Francisco Chronicle: Theresa Sparks for District 6 supervisor 
• Bay Area Reporter Editorial: Scott Wiener for District 8 supervisor
• Examiner Endorsements for Supervisor: The City deserves a reality-based board
• Ken Garcia: Superior Court race should focus on the best jurist
• BOMA San Francisco supports the incumbent, Richard Ulmer
• The Sidewalks of San Francisco - Can the City by the Bay reclaim public space from aggressive vagrants?
• BOMA San Francisco supports Civil Sidewalks!  Yes on L; No on M
• Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier: Keeping our sidewalks safe
• San Francisco approves water taxi service 
• Park dwellers refuse assistance
• Hotel employees strike during busy week
• Street work crosses bumpy road

Marin/Sonoma/San Mateo

• In San Rafael debate, Brown and Whitman duel over public pensions

California

• Calif. Governor candidates meet in heated debate
• Newsom, Maldonado clash on jobs, crime in debate
• Invective rages as vote nears

The Economy

• Tech Buoys San Francisco start-ups drawn to City's design talent, amenities and rents create a boomlet 
• Graphs: Small Business Optimism, Hiring and "Biggest Problem"
• Across the U.S., long recovery looks like recession
• Duration of unemployment January 1969 to September 2010
• Study finds Texas with economic edge on California
• Fed easing no long term fix for structural unemployment

Energy & Environment

• Solar industry shows it is gaining power
• Offshore wind power line wins backing

General

• US cities face half a trillion dollars of pension deficits
• Unemployed find old jobs now require more skills
• The stump's getting crowded as national figures flock to boost California candidates

San Francisco Controller's Monthly Economic Barometer - August 2010

Click on the image to enlarge

August 2010 Economic Barometer highlights:

• The August unemployment rate in San Francisco was 9.7%, essentially unchanged from a year ago.
• Overall employment in the 3-County Metro Division has declined in each of the past three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, with the August job total for the Metro Division the lowest since April 1995.
• Housing price recovery in San Francisco has also been inconsistent, showing signs of improvement for a few months, only to see average prices retreat, as they did in August, with a reported average price virtually unchanged from year-end 2009.
• In contrast to for-sale housing, apartment market conditions have improved steadily in 2010, with average rental rates increasing 16% since the start of the year; however, average rents are still 12% below their peak in September, 2008.
• Domestic and international airport traffic at SFO continues to strengthen with both indicators showing healthy year-over-year increases in August.
• Recovery in the hotel sector has been uneven, but both hotel occupancy and average daily rates were sharply up in August, on a seasonally-adjusted basis. Revenue per available room night was $153 per night, the second highest monthly RevPAR since 2008.
• Retail traffic indicators -- parking garage use and Saturday BART visitors to Powell Street - showed signs of slight improvement compared to earlier this year, but are still ator near their low points of the recession.

Click on the image to englarge

Please click here for the full report.

Upcoming Community Meetings: Transbay Demolition Activities

BOMA San Francisco:

Demolition of the Transbay Terminal bus ramps is well underway and demolition of the eastern portion of the Transbay Terminal has begun. Join the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) on Wednesday, October 20, 2010, to learn more about upcoming demolition activities, street closures and hours of activity. The first community meeting will be held from 12:00 noon until 1:00 PM. The second community meeting will be held from 6:00 PM until 7:00 PM. Both meetings will feature the same content and will be held at the TJPA’s offices located at 201 Mission Street, Suite 2100.

What:        Community Meetings: Transbay Demolition
                  Update

When:       Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Time:         Meeting I: 12:00 Noon
                  Meeting II: 6:00 PM

Where:      Transbay Joint Powers Authority
                  201 Mission Street, Suite 2100
                  San Francisco, CA 94105

We look forward to your participation and input during this exciting time. For more information about the Transbay Transit Center Project or to sign up to receive construction updates, visit www.transbaycenter.org.

UPDATE: Street Resurfacing Financing Working Group Final Report

BOMA San Francisco Members:

UPDATE - October 14, 2010 

Yesterday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisor's Budget and Finance Committee approved a proposal to borrow $48 million to fund critical road repairs in the City.  Please take a moment to read an article published on October 14, 2010 in the San Francisco Examiner on this topic: Street work crosses bumpy road.  

In the article, the reporter notes that "[t]he City needs $751 million during the next decade to improve streets to a score of 70 or 'good' and maintain them at that level."  While BOMA San Francisco understands that the City needs to fix the streets, BOMA members are very concerned about how City Hall intends to fund this venture.

The Street Resurfacing Finance Working Group's Final Report - Between a Pothole and a Hard Place: Funding Options for San Francisco's Street Resurfacing Program (click here to read the report; note: this is a large file and may take a while to load) - details a number of proposed funding options including, for commercial property owners, a parcel tax levied at $0.174 per square foot based on the percentage of daily trips generated by the property.

Your BOMA San Francisco Advocacy Team will be working with the City on this issue and we'll report any new developments on the blog.   Please send your comments to Ken Cleaveland, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Public Affairs at kenc@boma.com and John Bozeman, BOMA San Francisco's Legislative Assistant at johnb@boma.com.

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UPDATE - August 6, 2010

Please find a copy of the Street Resurfacing Financing Working Group's Final Report - Between a Pothole and a Hard Place: Funding Options for San Francisco's Street Resurfacing Program -  by clicking here (note: this is a large file and may take a while to load).

Please take a moment to review the report and send your comments to Ken Cleaveland, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Public Affairs at kenc@boma.com and John Bozeman, BOMA San Francisco's Legislative Assistant at johnb@boma.com.

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Previous Post - May 19, 2010

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The Street Resurfacing Financing Working Group was formed in January 2010 at the request of the Mayor and Board President David Chiu to prepare a specific set of proposals or recommendations to the Mayor, the Board of Supervisors, and the Capital Planning Committee for financing the repaving and/or reconstruction of the City's public streets and rights of way.  As you may recall, BOMA San Francisco members have heard about the issue of street resurfacing before in May 2009, and the cost associated to 'catch up' to maintain and possibly improve the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) score--70 is considered passing; San Francisco is currently at 63.

The City has underfunded its ability properly maintain the streets for two decades, possible more.  BOMA San Francisco members understand the need to maintain San Francisco's streets to promote efficient transpiration, commerce, safety and to reduce escalating costs in the future if the City does not act to maintain the streets now, but were will the money come from?

Please click here to review a DRAFT presentation on the report as of May 12, 2010.  The primary recommendations listed in the presentation (among 20 possible options) to raise the necessary funds are (pp. 28-31):

• A Conditional General Tax 
• Sales, payroll, utility, or a general parcel.
• A Citywide Benefit Assessment District 
• Requires nonresidents to contribute to the costs via a business pass-through
• A Parcel Tax 
• Based on the amount of vehicle trips their property generates 
• Issue bonds (Click here to review our May 2009 blog post on the   Road Repair and Safety Improvements Bond proposed by the City).  

We'd like to call your attention to page 32 of the presentation on what the City would need to charge property owners to meet the Working Group's recommended average yearly budget for a PCI of 70 (over 10 years)--for commercial property owners, the Group recommended a parcel tax levied at $0.174 per square foot based on the percentage of daily trips generated by the property:

Please take a moment to review the report and send your comments to Ken Cleaveland, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Public Affairs at kenc@boma.com and John Bozeman, BOMA San Francisco's Legislative Assistant at johnb@boma.com with your comments.