Topics:
Crime in the Castro, Formula Retail
Formula Retail Guidelines for Upper Market Street
Chipotle

Attendees: 42

Officers and Board Members attending: Alan Beach-Nelson, President; Rob Cox, Secretary; Gary Weiss, Treasurer; Judy Hoyem; Patrick Crogan; Mary Edna Harrell; Tim Eicher; Aaron Seivertson; Mark McHale

7:05 Welcome and Introductions

Panel Discussion on Crime in the Castro
Moderated by Tim Eicher and Patrick Crogan

Panel Participants: Sister Eve Olution, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence; John Fitzinger, patrol Special; Sgt Scott Edwards, SFPD; Brian Hill, CCOP
• The panel discussion was proposed because of a perceived increase in property and violent crime in the neighborhood over the past year or so.
• After introductions Tim began by asking about the increasing crime in the neighborhood and asking the panel what the safety organizations (SFPD, CCOP, etc.) were doing to respond and what we as neighbors can do to help make the neighborhood safe.
• There followed a 50-minute discussion and Q & A. Topics discussed and advice given by the pane
o Get involved in the neighborhood and know your neighbors
o Report all crimes all the time
o Use the 911, 311 and SFPD non emergency number, 415-553-0123 and always ask for a CAD number
o John gave a profile of Patrol Special and its role helping the businesses in the neighborhood, how they patrol
o Citizens arrest processes
o Sgt Edwards talked about the increase in plain clothes patrols
o Sister Eve profiled the Stop the Violence campaign. SPI are running a Personal Safety Seminar (check sisters.org for details), Be Safe for Pride campaign
• The best deterrent to the burglaries and muggings in the neighborhood is a community that is involved and informed. Get involved in your neighborhood even at the block level. Know your neighbors and look out for each other.

Formula Retail Guidelines for Upper Market Street
• Pat Tura, DTNA, spoke about the Planning Department guidelines for formula retail development. Formula Retail is defined as retail that has ten (11) or more stores.
• The new guidelines have been adapted from DTNA’s research and development of measuring commercial real estate saturations.
• With the new developments along the Market/Octavia corridor there will be an additional 60,000 square feet of commercial space from Octavia to Castro
• Using DTNA’s measurements Planning has established a guideline of 20% of available commercial space is allowed to be formula retail.
• Some discussion followed and it was clear that this is an issue that the community cares passionately about. Who should be supported and why? Is the guideline fair?
• It was decided that this topic will be the focus at a future EVNA Public Meeting

Chipotle
• Representatives form Chipotle presented their project proposing to move into the former space of Home restaurant on Market at Church.
• Wendy Mog from San Francisco Locally Owned Merchants Alliance (SFLOMA) spoke in opposition of Chipotle moving into this space.
• Although Chipotle is a large formula retail they try to hire locally and source locally. Chipotle claims to be e benevolent corporation that gives back charitably to the communities where they are located.
• SFLOMA discussed formula vs. Mom & Pop. With the improving economy more local retails are now moving into vacant spaces. Mom & Pop retail cannot compete with large corporate retail and formula retail drives up the rents which forces smaller retail out.
• Discussion followed
o DTNA has opposed the Chipotle move claiming they will bring the formula retail to 30% in that area
o Chipotle will be paying the same rent as was Home and will sign a the (10) year lease
o Chipotle’s Berkeley location has coexisted with local taquerias and not put anyone out of business
o Since 2006 Chipotle has not been affiliated with McDonalds
o Chipotle should present to the EVNA Planning Committee before 6/20

Discussion
• Agreed that at the July EVNA Public Meeting we would focus on the formula retail policy and guidelines

Meeting adjourned 9:00

Executive Board Meeting minutes for May 16, 2012 are here!

Present –Alan, Rob, Gary, Judy, Tim, Diane, Mary Edna, Dan, Patrick, Aaron
Absent – Josh

Call to order @ 7:10PM

1) Welcome

2) Treasurer’s Report
Gary was finally able to get into the Google account and view the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet needs a lot of clean up. Gary will begin to sort it out for the next meeting.

3) Membership Meeting Prep
Pink Saturday Presentation and Preparation

Proposal for a Castro LGBT Veterans Memorial near Harvey Milk Plaza will be discussed.

4) Newsletter Discussion
Size, advertising ratio, costs:
(i) Advertising income - $5,650 for 3.362 pages
(ii) 2,000 of 10 pages (2 tabloid plus one 8.5 x 11 inserted) $ 1040.00 - $7,644 annually
(iii) 2,000 of 12 pages (3 tabloid all double sided print) $ 1150.00 - $8,304 annually

Discussion revolved around ad ratio to newsletter content. Everyone felt we are still okay and could support a few more ads as long as the content stayed robust. The Directors all agreed to help source content for the newsletter.

Keeping some rotating content such as Captain’s Corner, Neighbors Faves and some “history” articles will help this out. Also the ability to share with DTNA and Corbett Heights Association will help keep the content robust.

Directors agreed to solicit more advertising to help support the expanded newsletter and will ask local merchants to place ads. Emphasis should be made regarding space availability, ie; we have room for about four more advertisers and we are soliciting thirteen. Our distribution is over 2,000 newsletters.

Asks to be made:
Diane - Hand Job; 5 Star Truffles
Aaron - 17th & Noe Market; Cervesaria; Jeffery’s Pets
Gary – his plummer; State Farm; Turnbull Construction
Patrick – Victorian Painting
Rob – Dancing Pig; Castro Coffee
Alan – CertaPro Painters
Dan – Gold’s Gym

5) •PTPM
There was a request to build a step/ramp and fence at the point of the Pink Triangle to allow passage of pedestrians. It would be cost prohibitive and quite complicated to take this project on. The Board decided to not act on the request and leave the PTPM as is.

6) Castro Street Fair
A reminder to all EVNA Board members to participate in staffing the entrance gate to the Street Fair on October 6, 2012 and to recruit friends and neighbors to commit to a minimum of 2 hour shifts during the day. We receive a donation for our efforts equal to approximately $25/volunteer Hour. This donation helps offset the costs of our newsletter and keeps us financially viable.

Also a request from Rob for someone else on the Board to be the coordinator for this.

7) 376 Update
A proposed change from the project sponsor wants to change the community space agreement to a $1/year lease agreement rather than deeding the space to the coalition. Alan commented that either agreement was fine and that a 99 year “donation” lease was not uncommon.

8) Committee Reports and Board Assignments
a) Planning
Gold’s Gym: not renewing their lease due to protest form the neighborhood that the new owners were unfriendly to the community. Their expansion project is still in discussion. A formula retail was proposed to enter the space where the vitamin store was. EVNA as a rule still opposes formula retail and will consider exceptions on a case by case basis.

Church Pit: still looking for a retail tenant. Great Western Bank wanted the entire space but may agree to take just some, the larger 3,000 square foot space and leave some for another retail.

There is a process taking place in the district to complete a Context Statement for creating an Historical District in the Castro/Eureka Valley and another one for Corbett Heights.

Patrick seems to fell there is an increase in flyers and bulletins in the neighborhood. It was recommended that CBD be contacted to remove excess flyers.

Rob needs to follow up on his email to DPW regarding Squat & Gobble.

b) Community Awareness
Moving forward on the Castro parking lot, the “gate crasher’s” insurance will cove $4025 of the replacement cost and SFMTA has the check in hand. We will approach Castro After Dark to ask for the balance. Tim is very certain that CAD will contribute and we will begin moving forward to have the gate replaced.

Trigger continues to have problems. The nightclub, however is up for sale.

c) Technology
Tabled

d) Upper Market Alliance
Nothing to report

9) New Business
Nothing

Adjournment @ 8:24PM

Respectfully submitted,
Rob Cox
Recording Secretary

SFMTA to Host Budget Town Halls Meetings

Upcoming Two-year Budget Cycle Starts July 1

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all transportation in the city, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), will host a series of town hall meetings in March to discuss its upcoming two-year budget.

This series of citywide public meetings, the first of which is March 3, will provide San Francisco residents an opportunity to hear what is being proposed in the two-year budget, including potential increases to fares, fees and fines, and to meet directly with SFMTA staff to discuss specific programs and projects. These meetings will also be an opportunity to discuss the Agency’s long-standing structural operating and capital budget deficits and their impact on services.

A presentation of the FY 2013 and FY 2014 preliminary budget can be found at: http://www.sfmta.com/cms/cmta/d! ocuments/2-21-12Item11FY2013-2014OperatingBudget.pdf.

SFMTA FY 2013-2014 Budget Town Hall Meetings

Saturday, March 3 – 10 a.m. to noon
SFMTA Headquarters
1 South Van Ness Avenue
2nd Floor, Atrium
Nearby Muni Routes: 6, 9, 14, 47, 49, 71, F Market, Metro—Van Ness Station

Thursday, March 8 – 6 to 8 p.m.
San Francisco City College
50 Phelan Avenue
New Multi-use Building, Room 140, 1st Floor
Nearby Muni Routes: 8X, 29, 49, K Ingleside, Metro—Balboa Park Station

Wednesday, March 14 – 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
Koret Auditorium
Nearby Muni Routes: 5, 6, 9/9L, 19, 21, 71/71L, F Market, Metro—Civic Center Station

Thursday, March 15 – 6 to 8 p.m.
SFMTA Presidio Division
2640 Geary Boulevard
Training Rooms C, D and E
Nearby Muni Routes: 2, 38/38L, 43

Wednesday, March 21 – 6 to 8 p.m.
San Francisco Waldorf High School
470 West Portal Avenue
Herbst Hall
Nearby Muni Routes: 17, 23, K Ingleside, M Ocean View

Additional Public Meetings on the Budget
SFMTA Board of Directors Meetings (Room 400, City Hall)

Tuesday, March 6 – 1 p.m. (Includes a Public Hearing on Changes to Fees, Fines and Fares)

Tuesday, April 3 – 1 p.m. (possible Board action)

Tuesday, April 17 – 1 p.m. (possible Board action)

EVNA is partnering with Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association (DTNA) to host a mayoral candidates forum. This is sure to be a popular and crowded event, doors open at 6:30. EVNA/DTNA has obtained commitments from nine mayoral candidates to participate. This is a great opportunity for you to question and hear what the candidates intend to bring to their administrations.

The Forum will be moderated by Liam Mayclem, Host, KPIX Eye on the Bay. As of press time, the nine candidates are: Former Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, Supervisor John Avalos, Board President David Chiu, Former Supervisor Bevan Dufty, Former Supervisor Tony Hall, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Joanna Rees, Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting and Senator Leland Yee. Each candidate will answer at least 6 questions on various major topics impacting The City.

We want your questions! Each association will select 6 questions. Please email your questions to Alan.Beach@evna.org by Monday, August 1 at noon. EVNA reserves the right to modify questions for clarity and specificity.

We also need volunteers to help with event logistics. If you are interested, please e-mail me.

Present – Alan, Rob, Judy, Gary, Tim
Absent – Aaron, Steve, Dennis

Call to order @ 7:04PM

Financial Report:
$5,586.21 US Bank Balance
$3,850.89 Pay Pal Balance
-$250.00 Outstanding Checks
$270.00 Undeposited Checks (Posia)
-$20.00 Unpaid Debit (CA SI)
$9,437.10 Net

Mayors Forum, Monday August 8, 2011, 7 to 9:30pm
On August 8 EVNA and DTNA will host a Mayoral Candidates Forum at the Castro Theater. Discussion was held with representatives from DTNA to organize the event. DTNA provided an outline and overview of the structure for the Forum.

EVNA and DTNA representatives then made minor alterations and edits to the Forum format. Assignments were then made for the organization of the Forum. Three main committees were formed: Questions; Logistics; Publicity. Assignments were made.

July Meeting Topics
1. Pink Saturday – review and critique, 7:05
2. Neighborhood Courts – Rebecca Prozan, 7:25
3. Big Changes at Golden Gate Park – Guest from Rec & park and SF Ocean to speak, 7:45
4. SF Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee, 8:10

Newsletter
Advertising Update - $4,600 in advertising, 11 advertisers. Thanks to everyone for their hard work on this. A great source of income!

Membership
We have122 dues paying members representing $2,055 in membership dues. The Board should continue its outreach to lapsed members. EVNA will archive lapsed members and subscribers

Committee Reports
Planning
376 Castro updates: The design sub-committee has met and reviewed the project against the Upper market Planning Guidelines under which this project falls. It was an incredibly helpful process as many have said this project needs to be iconic but that is hard to define. The review enabled the committee to make specific recommendations. The comments have been sent to Mitchell Benjamin, project architect. Judy will send the committee’s formal letter and response to the Board.
The Leadership committee will be meeting with Mitchell and the project sponsor on Friday, July 22 to discuss overall issues as outlined in our June 2 letter.

AT&T Utility Box Update
There is a meeting on 7/19

Squat and Gobble
Alan reported a frustrating/aggravating conversation with Gillian from Scott’s office regarding S&G. Apparently the City has decided to ignore its own rules regarding the Park-lets. Scott has promised to follow up with Alan by this Friday.

Planning and Land Use Process refinement
A draft has been prepared by Susan Detwiler.

Community Awareness
Castro parking Lot: Things still seem under control. Rob will check in on the progress of the permanent gate.

Trigger: the Board is asked to be a presence on August 10th at 5:00 at the Board of Appeals for Triggers hearing and request to reduce the fines.

Upper Market Alliance:
Alan and Dennis have suggested that UMA lead an effort to create a vision of needs for the Castro and Upper Market in terms of the retail mix. They will reach out to Scott Wiener about this.

New Business

Alan noted that both he and Rob have reached their term limit per our bylaws. The Board needs to begin succession planning discussion.

Pink Saturday organizers need to be informed about the mess on Hartford Street following the event and a review of how security was patrolling is recommended.

The October Board meeting date may change due to travel schedule.

CVS moving into the neighborhood has asked about selling alcohol. A motion was made by Judy, seconded by Rob to support DTNA’s position of saying “no” to CVS selling alcohol. The motion passed unanimously.

2011 Entertainment Industry Summit on Tuesday, August 9th, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00
p.m. at the Koret Auditorium, SF Main, Library, 100 Larkin Street.

Castro Street Fair, Sunday, October 2:
EVNA has been selected as a beneficiary of the Castro Street Fair on Sunday, October 2. Rob will lead the volunteer effort this year. As with last year, each Board Member is expected to volunteer for at least 2 hours AND each Board Member is expected to recruit two volunteers who each will work for 2 hours. This is an important source of income for EVNA. Last year we have over 30 volunteers contribute 60 hours which netted us about $1,400. We need to have an equal or better showing for 2011.

Meeting ended at 8:25

Present Alan, Rob, Judy, Gary, Dennis, Tim
Absent Aaron, Steve

Call to order @ 7:06PM

Financial Report:

There is approximately $8k in the account.

July Meeting Topics

The board agreed to four (4) topic to cover in the July General Meeting:

1. Golden Gate Park. Two major projects that will be effecting Golden Gate Park in the future: The first is a water treatment project and the second is the athletic field development. We will be inviting both spokespeople concerned about the development and a Parks Commissioner to present. 30 Minutes.

Gary will contact Parks & Rec to schedule and request a short 200 – 300 word article.
Judy will coordinate the spokespeople and their article

2. Invite Rebecca Prozan to present and speak about the Community Courts. 15 Minutes

Dennis will contact Rebecca to schedule and request a brief 200 – 300 word article.

3. Park-lets and Squat & Gobble. 15 Minutes

Alan will contact Parklet Staff (DPW) and Scott Wiener to attend.
Alan will write an Op-ed piece.

4. Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee. 15Minutes.
Alan will talk to Jay Lee about presenting and a 200 – 300 word article.

Newsletter
Items for the July newsletter include the Golden Gate Park project; Park-lets and Squat & Gobble; announcement for the August Mayoral debate; listing of major planning projects affecting the neighborhood. If we secure enough advertisers to expand the newsletter, we’ll run Judy’s 2008 (2009?) article on a “Brief History of Eureka Valley” along with the Eureka Valley Map Gary provided, and possibly an article on PTPM. Gary will also ask Rich Brandi to contribute a serial article profiling Eureka Valley history to run each or every other issues.

Ad reservations are due by the end of the month, June 30; actual ad due by July 8. The following are commitments made by board members to ask for advertisers:

1. Judy – Levis and the Farmers Market
2. Rob – Cliff’s, Poesia, Castro Coffee, Wells Fargo and Chase Banks
3. Gary – La Med
4. Tim – Castro Theater, others
5. Aaron - several restaurants in the neighborhood

Membership
Membership list attached to agenda. Currently 114 paying members, up from the 60 or so two years ago. Lapsed members have been notified three times to renew their membership. Those members who do not respond will be archived and dropped from the membership and mailing lists. Board members are asked to follow up with anyone they know who has let their membership lapse.

Alan made a strongly worded request that EVNA board members become more pro-active in picking up Association responsibilities. Alan also asked the board to be more pro-active recruiting and keeping EVNA members and with Advertising. The organization is not just the president.

Mayors Forum
It was agreed to that EVNA will help sponsor and support a Mayoral debate/forum in August. Details to be determined.

Committee Reports:
Planning
376 Castro updates: Design Coalition has met to discuss and provide input on this project. Notes will be made available.
Leadership coalition has sent architect and project sponsor an initial letter of concnerns to begin working from.

AT&T Boxes
Postponed until 6/24

Squat & Gobble
Alan preparing a newsletter article

Planning and Land Use Process Refinement
EVNA is developing a statement of process and guidelines for project sponsors

Newsletter
Seeking more ads. Will include very cool Eureka Valley map.

Community Awareness
The parking lot seems to have settled down ostensibly due to ticketing. Rob will follow up with Supervisor Weiner with that news and to confirm the gate project is still in place.

KPIX will be airing a TV spot on Eureka Valley in September. Details forthcoming.

Technology
There has been some new work on the website.

We are still searching for someone to help Steve with the day to day website activity. Board members are asked to please keep looking and asking members and associates to help.

Adjournment @ 8:35PM

Respectfully submitted,
Rob Cox
Recording Secretary

Board Members attending: Alan Beach-Nelson, Rob Cox, Judy Hoyem

Welcome and Introductions

Guest Speakers and Presenters
Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Sisters Risqué and Serendipity
This is the 20th annual Pink Saturday. When Pink Saturday started there was a wonderful carnival atmosphere for the gay and lesbian community to celebrate the culture/lifestyle. In the last few years has degenerated into an uncontrolled free-for-all that has less and less to do with GLBT and overtaken by people looking for a place and excuse to party, be drunk and worse.

The Sisters would like to reclaim the event for the GLBT community. They are not advertising the event publicly. Invites to community organizations related only to the GLBT population have been extended. They cannot control any press/media coverage but are asking, through Scott Wiener, for cooperation from the press/media to down play the event.

This year more security. Volunteers and professional security have been recruited. Security will patrol inside the footprint and outside. There will be multiple checkpoints at entry gates looking for alcohol and weapons.
•No outside containers will be permitted
•Very visible Police presence
•No “to go” containers from liquor stores
•South exit at Castro station will be barricaded
•92 port-a-potties will be brought in
•20% of the budget is going to security (approx $8K)
•The footprint is 19th/Collingwood, Noe/18th, Noe/Market, Market/Castro
•EVNA is asking neighbors to be vigilant on their streets

CBD
Andrea Aiello, Executive Director presented a new pilot program for the summer of 2011. It is the Castro Ambassador program. CBD is looking for approximately 35 volunteers to give two hours/week for 16 weeks to be friendly neighborhood ambassadors for the Castro. Ambassadors will help tourists and visitors by being a source of information and reference. Contact CBD (castrocbd.org) if you are interested.

376 Castro Project
Mitchell Benjamin, architect for the project, presented the proposed building for the 376 Castro Street site. His focus was to create the “best building for the neighborhood” at a significant and visible location (Market and Castro). The project has been in development since 2005.

The project sponsors have been working with EVNA, DTNA, CAPA & CBD to get neighborhood input.

Mitchell gave an overview of the project with elevations, floor plans and renderings. The project was met with mostly positive responses. Comments/recommendations included:
•Mask the floor to ceiling windows at the prominent corner
•This building is NOT significant
•There should be pedestrian improvements
•Provide community meeting space
•Identify the retail

New business
Katy Cox from SFAF is looking for volunteers to help install the Pink Triangle on June 25. EVNA will contact the membership with Katy’s contact information.

Meeting adjourned 8:35

Executive Board Meeting, Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Present – Alan, Rob, Aaron, Gary, Dennis
Absent – Judy, Steve, Tim

Call to order @ 7:10PM

Financial Report:
There is currently $4,200 in the account. With outstanding advertising in the newsletter we can expect another $2,100.
* MOTION by Gary to not renew EVNA’s membership with UMA. Motion passed unanimously.

May 25 Membership meeting Agenda:
•CBD
•SPI re: Pink Saturday
•Project sponsors for 376 Castro Street

EVNA Board asked to bring questions/ concerns regarding Pink Saturday. Rob stated that the event, much like Halloween in the Castro has grown in scope and that neither the City nor the SPI are capable of containing this event. How does the SPI plan on dealing with this?

Committee Reports:
Planning –
•Concerns regarding Squat and Gobble’s appropriation of the “parkl-ette” which is a violation of the agreement with DPW.
•The AT&T boxes continue to be a thorn. Gary and Dennis felt that Scott Weiner was more concerned about a lawsuit than defending the SF Beautiful and the neighborhood. EVNA will ask Scott for his definitive position on the AT&T boxes.
•There was discussion about the hearing on Historic Preservation.
•Better Market Street Workshops will held in May along with webinars. Details at www.bettermarketstreetsf.org.

Newsletter-
• $2,800 in ad dollars was collected for the May newsletter. The goal is to receive enough ad dollars to bump the distribution to 3K.
• We want to ask Print & Ship what the cost difference would be with recycled paper.
• All Board members are asked to assist as this needs to be an all hands endeavor.

The following Board members will be approaching the listed businesses:
o Alan: US Bank Mortgage – 1/4 or 1/3- page, $500 to $600; Dean Rizzi, Mortgage Broker – 1/6 to 1/4 page - $290 to $500; Rossi’s Deli; Citizen; Walgreen’s - declined
o Rob: Poesia; Cliff’s; Chase; Swirl - declined
o Gary: Wells Fargo; La Med
o Aaron: A number of restaurants in the hood

Community Awareness –
• The parking lot off of Castro Street has been less of a problem since SFPD have begun to ticket cars there after 1:00 a.m. Neighbors continue to be diligent.
• Trigger is asking to get its fines reduced.
• There has been a spate of car window smashings on Hartford Street in the past week.

Adjournment @ 8:20PM

Respectfully submitted,
Rob Cox, Recording Secretary

Attending: Alan Beach-Nelson, Rob Cox*, Tim Eicher, Judy Hoyem, Aaron Seiverston
Visiting: Kevin Dunn, Corbett Heights Neighborhood Association; Mitchell Benjamin, Architect for the project at Castro and Market (ARCO/RC gas station) and Eileen Campbell, project sponsor.

Meeting began 7:05
• Welcome

• Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s has officially pulled out of bidding to open a store in the old Tower Records Bldg..

• Treasurer Report
Steve Clark-Hall was not in attendance. Item was tabled.

• Implementing Protocol/Systems
When being interviewed or giving any opinion Board Members need to be clear when offering their own opinion that they are not the opinions of EVNA.

When offering an opinion in the name of EVNA Board Members need to be certain that they are giving information that has been vetted and agreed to by the Board of EVNA.

Any Changes to the EVNA Web Site must be approved by the Board of Directors.

There was a brief discussion about which organizations EVNA should belong to and/or partner with such as Coalition of San Francisco Neighborhoods. The Board needs to be educated about these organizations before committing funding and/or membership.

• Castro/Market (ARCO/RC station) Project
This project has been being developed since 2005 in fits and starts. With the Upper Market/Octavia plan finally extended to include the “orphaned” block up to Castro Street the project is now moving forward and will comply to those rules.

The proposed structure will have 24 residential units (1 & 2 bedrooms) with retail space on the ground level. Parking will be provided for 50% of the units.

The provisional drawings/plans that Mitchell and Eileen presented were not final but used as a visual aid. Most of the presentation and discussion was to help EVNA understand the scope and planned execution of this project.

The architect were clear that the plans were in flux and they agreed to come back to present again when the plans were closer to being finalized.

Committee Reports
No committee reports were given as the meeting ran long.

Action Items
Posting of SOS filing link in Ops Manual - Steve
Secretary of State filing - Rob
Clean up of Board email addresses/aliases - Steve
Technology Operations Manual - Steve

Next Board Meeting April 13, 2011

On March 7, Trader Joe’s informed Supervisor Wiener that they were withdrawing their plans to open in the Tower Records site. The news was disappointing to me and many others. Hundreds of hours were spent by our sister organization, Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association, to boil down the facts and details of the project. When concerns about the impacts of the project were raised, and suggestions made to ensure that this TJ’s was reflective of the neighborhood, TJs rebuffed those overtures.

Trader Joe’s wanted to force their, suburban, car-centric model onto our urban village without compromise, refusing to adapt their FORMULA to our community and what is best for the entire neighborhood. It was their decision not to work with the neighborhood. That is regrettable, but it was their right.

I encourage you to be involved in the neighborhood, and to have a voice in shaping the
neighborhood. The best way to do so is to join EVNA at http://evna.org/join