Dear Members, Merchants and Friends,

As we enter the gift-giving season of the year, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the many gifts we receive all year long right here in our own neighborhood.

Thank you to all of you who have recently renewed your memberships or joined us as new members of Russian Hill Neighbors. Your support means that together we can continue to build our sense of community, address important issues together and enhance the quality of life in our neighborhood.

Thank you for the gift of time that every RHN Board member, committee member and volunteer gives to all of us – attending meetings, planning activities, writing letters, supporting our parks, sweeping our streets and caring deeply about each other’s welfare.

Thank you to our local merchants who provide us daily with a sense of community, know our names, and work hard to serve our needs through their businesses. (A special shout out to our new Merchant Liaison, Lauren Bohlin, who has brought many new merchants into the RHN family. Lauren and her husband own Saint Frank on Polk Street.)

Thank you to all of you who wrote letters and spent countless hours at Planning Commission hearings in support of the Whole Foods 365 proposal for the old Lombardi’s site at 1600 Jackson Street. Although we did not prevail, we made our voices heard and deepened our community ties and friendships in the process.

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to the police officers, EMTs and firefighters who protect us, the staff who maintain our local parks, the teachers who educate our children and to all of the public servants who help make Russian Hill a very special place to live.

Hope to see you at our Members Holiday Party – and wishing all of you a wonderful holiday season.

Carol Ann Rogers
President

Dear Members, Merchants and Friends,

Dear Members, Merchants and Friends,

In case you missed it in the media, Russian Hill has moved excitingly closer to having a once-in-a-lifetime new public open space in our neighborhood. The Francisco Park Conservancy, which has already raised more than $12 million toward creation of the new Francisco Park on the northern slope of Russian Hill between Hyde and Francisco, recently received an anonymous challenge pledge of $6 million contingent on an additional $5 million being raised by the end of the year. Assuming success, construction could then start early next year. $400,000 has already been raised toward the $5 million needed to meet the challenge. The Francisco Conservancy Board members have pledged to double their own contributions.

The Russian Hill Neighbors’ Board of Directors is committed to helping achieve this goal by urging ourselves and our members to make a “stretch” donation toward meeting this wonderful challenge! All donations must be received by December 31 to qualify. Click DONATION to connect to the form and for more information.

Many thanks to all who made our Summer Picnic such a fun and successful event – Sarah Taber, Event Coordinator; Ian Maddison, “barbecuer extraordinaire;” Le Beau Market for delicious food donations; Phoebe Douglass and her Neighborhood Improvement Committee for their advance sweeping of the park and immediate area – and all who brought such an amazing array of culinary contributions to share!  Click PICNIC to see photos of the picnic.

Carol Ann Rogers 
President

Dear Members, Merchants and Friends,

Your RHN Board of Directors and fellow neighbors are looking forward to seeing you at the August 11 Summer Picnic. This very local, low-key event is a great way to meet new friends in the neighborhood.  Click PICNIC.

We will also be excited to see those of you who are signed up for the NERT training sessions beginning Monday, August 6, at the San Francisco Art Institute.

At our recent Annual Retreat, the RHN Board participated in a hands-on exercise in responding to the first few hours of a major disaster. It became clear that the key ingredient to success is ongoing preparation at the individual block level. Toward that goal, we will be working with our District Supervisors and the City’s Neighborhood Empowerment Network, led by Daniel Homsey (who led us in the Retreat exercises) over the coming months. Please stay tuned for details. Remember, we need to rely on ourselves and our neighbors because outside help, based on the experience of disasters in other cities, will likely be unavailable for many days, if not weeks.

“Do not wait for the cavalry. The cavalry is not coming. The cavalry is you!” (Latoya Cantrell, Mayor of New Orleans.”)

Carol Ann Rogers
President

Dear Members, Merchants and Friends,

How well do you know your immediate neighbors? Do you have a plan and the resources to help each other if disaster happens?

Research has shown that social cohesion is an essential ingredient of any community’s ability to withstand the impact of a natural or man-made disaster. Neighborhood organizations like Russian Hill Neighbors provide ongoing opportunities to build and maintain that cohesion.

Toward that end, RHN is sponsoring a NERT (Neighborhood Emergency Response Team) training program. This free program will take place at the SF Art Institute on Monday evenings beginning August 6 through September 17. Consider enrolling yourself and bring a friend from your block!  Click NERT for further information.

Another important opportunity to connect with your neighbors and increase our neighborhood’s resilience and interconnections will take place on Saturday, August 11 at RHN’s Summer Picnic. Bring a dish to share and enjoy hot dogs, hamburgers and the “fixings” on us!  PICNIC.

This month the RHN Board of Directors will hold its Annual Retreat to discuss ways our organization can be proactive and strategic in fulfilling its mission. We look forward to sharing the results of this effort.

Happy Summer!

Carol Ann Rogers
RHN President

• $1,000 was donated to Yick Wo elementary school for the purchase of 2 iPads to be used in the classroom by first graders
• $1,000 was donated to the San Francisco Coalition for Undergrounding Utilities toward the goal of undergrounding 100% of all SF neighborhoods
• In August and September, RHN will sponsor and cover the expenses of a NERT (Neighborhood Emergency Response Team) course here on Russian Hill.(Link)

Dear Members, Merchants and Friends,

Tremendous thanks to all who made our Annual Membership Meeting on April 19^th such a wonderful gathering. The SF Art Institute opened its doors to a perfect venue. We had great weather, a lively pre-social hour hosted by RHN’s Social Committee and an interesting panel moderated by the very able Judson True, chief of staff to Assembly Member David Chiu, assisted by District 2 Supervisor Catherine Stefani, Assistant Chief Toney Chaplin, Commanders David Lazar and Ann Mannix, and Captain Paul Yep. A written report of RHN’s 2017-2018 activities and accomplishments was distributed and can be read here.

Another notable April occasion was the conditional use hearing before the SF Planning Commission on the proposal to locate a Whole Foods 365 full-service grocery at 1600 Jackson Street. The site has been vacant for a number of years since the former Lombardi’s Sports departed. RHN was one of several organizations that conducted surveys showing very strong support for a grocery there. During the 2 ½ year planning review process, RHN submitted three letters of support. We also joined numerous nearby residents and others from Russian and Nob Hills at the hearing to express our support. Project opposition stated a preference to demolish the existing structure and build housing, as well as concerns about formula retail and the potential impact of Amazon’s recent acquisition of Whole Foods.

During the Commissioners’ discussion, a “catch-22” soon became clear. If a grocery is approved to go into the current site, it can occupy 20,000 square feet on the ground floor and retain the existing parking. If the building is demolished and new housing over commercial is built instead, no more than 4,000 square feet may be for commercial use under any circumstances (which is not enough space for a full service grocery) and the parking would come within the strict limits of current zoning.

The Commissioners voted to continue the decision and allow Whole Foods and the building owner 90 days to come back with a revised project that includes a housing element within the existing structure.

Those of us who attended the hearing on behalf of RHN heard loud and clear that our neighborhood wants and needs a full service grocery option, both now and to serve future residents of the new housing projects in our area already in the pipeline or contemplated. We will continue to monitor the project and keep our members informed. During the 90-day continuance period, you can still share your thoughts with the Planning Commissioners and other city officials by email or snail mail.

RHN will sponsor a NERT (Neighborhood Emergency Response Team) course in August and September. This is a free training program wherein individuals learn the basics of personal preparedness and hands-on disaster skills. This is the first time in years that the course has been offered in our neighborhood. Space is limited. You can sign up before registration is opened to the whole city at this link: https://bit.ly/2EXGw7G.

For a number of years now, RHN’s Neighborhood Improvement Committee has conducted regular “street sweeps” on Russian Hill. You likely have seen the volunteers with their colorful work vests. While those participating have enjoyed both the camaraderie and satisfaction of participating in this activity, there is an increasing sense that the problem of dirty streets in our neighborhood is just too great to be addressed effectively in this way. After receiving  many inquiries regarding the possibility of establishing some kind of regular schedule of mechanical street cleaning, the Committee recommended to the RHN Board of Directors that we conduct an online survey of our members on this issue.  Thank you to the 321 of you who responded. The results have been compiled and can be viewed here. A solid 70% favor mechanized street cleaning. We will be meeting with city officials to determine appropriate next steps and will continue to report to you on our progress.

Look elsewhere in this newsletter for details about the May 18^th CHEERS night (at Rouge/Nick’s Crispy Tacos on Polk Street from 5:30 – 8:00 PM) and other upcoming social events. Thank you for your membership and partnering with us to preserve and advance our very special neighborhood!

Carol Ann Rogers
RHN President

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Dear Members, Merchants and Friends,

As we listen to our fellow Russian Hill residents, we repeatedly hear your deep concerns over two important issues: Increased Safety and Cleaner Streets.

We ask you to join us in addressing these by: (1) responding to the Street Cleaning Survey recently emailed to all Members and Friends for whom we have a current email address; (2) by attending our April 19^th Annual Meeting at the San Francisco Art Institute which will focus on Safety.

Under the leadership of Greg Polchow and a loyal and hard-working cadre of volunteers, RHN’s Neighborhood Improvement Committee has done a yeoman’s job of addressing the condition of our streets with regular Saturday Street Sweeps. You may have seen them in their neon-colored vests, broom in hand. However, it has become clear over the past two years that this commendable activity is like swimming against the tide. Russian Hill is one of the few neighborhoods that does not have regular mechanical street cleaning. In addition to our steep hills and limited street parking, there has been over the years a resistance among some residents to embrace this service. Given the current level of grime and debris we experience every day in our neighborhood, RHN believes it is time to reassess the situation and we need to hear from you! You should have recently received a brief survey from RHN by email. If you have not already done so, please respond promptly with your thoughts and suggestions. There may not be a “one size fits all” solution. But continuing to just put up with this state of affairs does not seem to be productive.

For our Annual Membership Meeting, past RHN President and current Safety Chair Tina Moylan is organizing a powerful panel of law enforcement and public officials to discuss the current level of crime in our City and our neighborhood, what measures are being taken to address them, and how we can participate in our own personal safety.  The Annual Membership Meeting is also an opportunity for RHN Members to socialize before the meeting and to participate in a brief RHN business meeting prior to the Keynote Panel. See you there!

If you indicated on your Membership Form an interest in joining a committee, you should have received or will soon receive a phone call of email from that committee’s chair. Thank you for volunteering and we look forward to your participation.

Continued thanks to all of our New and Renewing Members!

The RHN Executive Committee

Dear Members, Merchants and Friends,

Many thanks to all who have renewed your RHN memberships for 2018! Membership Chair Tracey Katayama and her team are working hard to make renewing an easy step for all members, as well as to attract new members. If you have not yet responded to the membership renewal letter you received at the end of 2017, you will soon be receiving a reminder. Or you can go online to www.RHNSF.org  and renew TODAY!

We also want to extend a very warm welcome to our many new members who have joined RHN for the first time in 2018. Your support is so important to helping RHN succeed in its many advocacy, improvement, safety, educational and social activities which preserve, enhance and celebrate our wonderful neighborhood.

Whether you are a renewing or new member, please plan to attend our Annual Membership Meeting on April 19, 6 – 8 PM, at the San Francisco Art Institute. We are focusing our entire program on Safety, with participation anticipated from Police Chief Bill Scott, Supervisors Peskin and Stefani, Police Captains Yep and Engler, among others. We are very grateful for the generosity of the Art Institute in lending their beautiful and historic venue for this gathering. Watch your Inbox for more detailed information as April 19^th approaches.

The response from RHN residents in favor of the Whole Foods 365 proposal for 1600 Jackson street has been tremendous. It is important that your voices are heard. The Conditional Use hearing postponed from last December has not yet been rescheduled, but we understand that it will likely take place in March. We will let you know the date as soon as we learn it.

The entire RHN Board of Directors congratulates Mayor Mark Farrell and Supervisor Catherine Stefani in their new positions. They know our neighborhood well and have partnered with RHN frequently and effectively over the years. We look forward to working with them this spring!

Be sure to view the many interesting reports and notices throughout the rest of this eblast. And as always, please do not hesitate to contact one of us with your thoughts, suggestions and concerns.

Happy Valentine’s Day!
The RHN Executive Committee