Coastal Skin and Eye Institute seeks to expand its reach to meet the dermatological, ophthalmic and other needs of the community in and around Carmel Valley and Encinitas. They are a leading dermatology and ophthalmology practice in northern San Diego County with locations in Carmel Valley and Encinitas.

“We provide medical, surgical and cosmetic care for a variety of skin and eye conditions,” said April Lynne Dionela, practice manager at Coastal Skin and Eye Institute.

Christopher Crosby MD, PhD

(Courtesy of Coastal Skin and Eye Institute)

Skin care specialist Christopher Crosby MD, PhD is a board-certified dermatologist whose career began at Duke University. He earned both his MD and PhD degrees from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. An internship at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center followed. While studying dermatology at Emory University, Dr. Crosby then as senior physician. With an insatiable thirst for knowledge, he completed a demanding fellowship (accredited by ACGME) at the University of California, San Francisco, in Mohs micrographic surgery and procedural dermatology.

Dr. Crosby is one of the few fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons in the San Diego area. He has a particular interest in Mohs surgery and reconstructive dermatologic surgery for skin cancer. He understands that a diagnosis of skin cancer can have a devastating impact on a patient's emotional well-being, and he recognizes the amazing impact of compassionate, effective treatment.

Neeta Varshney, MD

(Courtesy of Coastal Skin and Eye Institute)

Coastal Skin and Eye specializes in eye care and employs both an optician and an ophthalmologist. Neeta Varshney, MD, is a board-certified general ophthalmologist trained in the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases. Dr. Varshney is an experienced surgeon and enjoys using the latest technologies available to provide the highest level of care to her patients. Dr. A native of Southern California, Varshney comes from a family of doctors. After graduating high school at the top of her class, she later graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where she double majored in biology and psychology. She received her medical degree (MD) with honors from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in 2009. Dr. Varshney's expertise includes cataract and refractive surgery, the assessment and treatment of glaucoma (including laser treatments), macular degeneration, and diabetic eye disease.

A client treatment at Coastal Skin and Eye Institute.

(Courtesy of Coastal Skin and Eye Institute)

Dr. Connor Caldwell is a board-certified optometrist who was interested in healthcare from a young age. He began his journey in high school, where he was nominated to attend an elite summer course for young professionals and aspiring physicians, the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine at UC Berkeley. Here he discovered his passion for the field of eye health and continued his medical journey with a bachelor's degree in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado. Dr. Caldwell was one of 50 students accepted into the Arizona College of Optometry. He trained with leading optometrists from around the world in many areas including ocular prosthetics, low vision services, electrodiagnostics and specialty contact lens fitting.

San Diego has more than 200 days of sunshine each year. Regular skin cancer screenings at Coastal Skin and Eye Institute can detect the disease when simpler, less invasive treatments are still possible. An important part of the process is also identifying any abnormalities during self-checks at home.

Coastal Skin and Eye Institute also treats patients with conditions such as acne, moles, skin growths and more. On the cosmetic side, they offer treatments like Botox, laser, microneedling and more. The practice also offers eye exams, including testing for problems such as glaucoma and macular degeneration. In addition to these tests, they can perform vision tests and help choose glasses and contact lenses. Overall, patient reviews praise Coastal Skin and Eye Institute for its “super friendly” staff, its “wide range of services from general skin care to cosmetic procedures,” and “the best service in my 20-year purchasing history.” Glasses” and for having staff who “really make you feel like you are in good and safe hands”.

Coastal Skin and Eye Institute has locations at 5500 Carmel Mountain Rd., Suite 206, in Carmel Valley and 477 N. El Camino Real, Suite C300, in Encinitas. Carmel Valley office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and Encinitas office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Coastal Skin and Eye Institute also accepts Medicare and most PPO and vision insurance plans. The Coastal Skin and Eye Institute's Carmel Valley office offers dermatology, optometry and ophthalmology, and the Encinitas office currently offers ophthalmology.

Coastal Skin and Eye Institute will also debut a more patient-focused website. Patients can use the website to book appointments, learn more about the doctors and obtain other information related to their skin and eye care needs. For more information, visit www.coastalskineye.com. – Coastal Skin and Eye Institute report

— Business Spotlight highlights companies that support this publication.

The post Coastal Pores and skin and Eye Institute now able to serve Encinitas, Carmel Valley and native communities for eyecare and dermatology wants appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

On Tuesday, January 24, 2017, the San Francisco Foundation, in collaboration with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), hosted an information session on community benefit opportunities for local and national developers. The SFPUC is about to launch a citywide $8 billion sewer system improvement program (SSIP). The first step toward SSIP is the completion of a $2.9 billion renovation and retrofit of the Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant in Bayview Hunters Point, a historically neglected San Francisco neighborhood.

Through the SFPUC's Community Benefits Program, all contractors applying for a project must demonstrate their commitment to partnering with the SFPUC and local community-based organizations. The goal is to create a significant, positive community impact in communities and neighborhoods throughout SFPUC's service area. The $2.9 billion renovation of the Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant will result in approximately $9 million in community benefits over 10 years.

Most contractors submitting bids to the SFPUC for these projects have no local context to neighborhoods like Bayview Hunters Point. The SFPUC and the San Francisco Foundation have partnered to provide contractors with more information and resources to help them develop their strategies for impactful community empowerment opportunities.

During the information session, the San Francisco Foundation presented its regional equity strategy and direction the SFPUC's Community Benefits Program. The San Francisco Foundation led contractors through a brief history of Bayview Hunters Point and presented demographic information to give contractors more context about the affected area and the obstacles residents face. We have outlined our investment strategies in Bayview Hunters Point and provided examples of some of our key community partners in Bayview Hunters Point. We led the contractors through an in-depth discussion of community-based organizations in Bayview Hunters Point to help them shape their investment strategies.

All contractors appreciated the partnership between the SFPUC and the San Francisco Foundation and indicated that they had not seen this type of partnership when working with previous public agencies. Many participants were inspired to develop holistic strategies for their investments and asked to have the San Francisco Foundation as an ongoing resource.

The San Francisco Foundation and SFPUC will continue to work together to expand access to good jobs and career opportunities for San Franciscans in these impacted areas.

The post Inspiring Native Contractors for a Higher Bayview Hunters Level -The San Francisco Basis appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

South San Francisco home owners will now need to bring their sewer lateral lines up to code before selling their homes, following a City Council vote establishing the new rule.

Sewer laterals are the pipes that connect toilets and drains from private properties to the city’s main sewer lines. The city estimated more than a third of houses in the city had such pipes that were at risk of failure and would likely be affected.

Mark Addiego

“These provisions help to ensure that the new property owner is not stuck with an unanticipated costly repair,” said Public Works Director Eunejune Kim. “We estimate that 35% of residents have orangeburg sewer laterals in our city, and those are the ones that have that material that is basically paper and tar that are beyond their useful life.”

Kim said the city had worked with the San Mateo County Association of Realtors to draft the ordinance such that it “exports expedient real estate transactions while protecting our environment and our community.”

The rule puts the city in compliance with a regional water board requirement for cities that discharge into the San Francisco Bay, according to City Manager Mike Futrell.

Council member Mark Addiego estimated replacing the pipe can cost upwards of $15,000. He requested the city also look at ways to connect multiple nearby property owners who need the pipes replaced as a means of reducing individual costs as well as mitigating disruptions to road paving. He pointed out the task usually entails tearing up a portion of the street.

“I have always thought this was the least we could do at the point of sale,” he said. “We probably know from permits where these are failing, and anything that was built in the ’50s and ’60s and expected to last 50 years is decades beyond that currently.”

Kim said most homes that have undergone major renovations or rebuilds have been brought up to code, but “those homes that haven’t done any major triggering events, a lot of them haven’t been inspected for a very long time. This is hoping to capture those that are going through the sale process.”

San Mateo, San Bruno, Millbrae and Burlingame are among other cities in the county that have passed similar ordinances in recent years. Some cities have rebate programs to help offset costs.

The post South San Francisco to require sewer line work earlier than residence sale | Native Information appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

To celebrate and honor our angels, a Phoenix local has been nominated by the community to be rewarded with a brand new A/C, provided and installed at no charge valued up to $10k

kAm!w~t}x)[ pC:K][ y2?] b`[ a_ab W$t}sa!#t$$ }t($(x#tX — k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2469@>62K]4@>^Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmprt w@>6 $6CG:46Dk^2m[ 2 =625:?8 AC@G:56C @7 w’pr 2?5 A=F>3:?8 D6CG:46D E96 !9@6?:I >6EC@A@=:E2? 2C62[ AC@F5 E@ 2??@F?46 :ED 7@FCE9 2??F2= 2:C 4@?5:E:@?:?8 F?:E 8:G62H2J] %9:D J62C[ E96 4@>A2?J 92D 49@D6? E@ 9@?@C E96 92C5 H@C< 2?5 565:42E:@? @7 =@42= 4@>>F?:EJ >6>36C[ $2?5C2 $2=52?2[ 3J AC@G:5:?8 96C H:E9 2 3C2?5 ?6H p^r F?:E[ G2=F65 FA E@ S`_[___]k^Am

kAm$2?5C2 E96 7@F?56C @7 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]72463@@<]4@>^DA@?D@C@CA92?D:?E;Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm$A@?D@C ~CA92?D %yk^2m[ 2 492C:EJ @C82?:K2E:@? E92E 565:42E65 E@ 3C:?8:?8 ;@J 2?5 DFAA@CE E@ 49:=5C6? @CA92?286D q2;2[ r2=:7@C?:2] $2?5C2 3682? 96C >:DD:@? 2 J62C 28@ H96? D96 G:D:E65 96C 7:CDE @CA92?286 E@ E92?< E96 724:=:EJ 7@C E2<:?8 42C6 @7 96C 4@FD:?[ |2I[ H9:=6 96C 2F?E H2D :? E96 AC@46DD @7 25@AE:?8 9:>]%96 6IA6C:6?46 @7 3C:?8:?8 ;@JE@ E96 49:=5C6? 2?5 D66:?8 E96:C 7246D =:89E FA >@G65 $2?5C2 E@ D6E 2 8@2= @7 G:D:E:?8 2== `__ @CA92?286D 2? 5 AC@G:5:?8 @CA92?DH:E9 D49@@= DFAA=:6D[ 324

kAmprt w@>6 $6CG:46D 9@?@C65 E@ 36 23=6 E@ 4@?EC:3FE6 E@ $2?5C2’D >:DD:@? 2?5 =@@A2?J 6?4@FC286D @E96CD E@ 86E :?G@=G65 2?5 DFAA@CE @C82?:K2E:@?D =:<6 $A@?D@C ~CA92?D :? %y E92E 2C6 >2<:?8 2 A@D:E:G6 :>A24E E96:C 4@>>F?:E:6D]prt w@>6 $6CG:46D 9@A6D E92E E9:DD>2== 24E @7 <:?5?6DD @7 AC@G:5:?8 $2?5C2 H:E9 2 ?6H F?:E H:== 96=A 3C:?8 4@>7@CE E@ 2 A6CD@? E92E 5@6D D@ >F49 7@C @E96CD]k^Am

kAmu@C $2?5C2[ H:??:?8 2 ?6H w’pr DJDE6> E:>6=J 2D 96C F?:E[ H9:49 H2D :?DE2==65 H96? 96C 9@>6 H2D 3F:=E `hf`[ 92D ?@E 366? H@C<:?8 7@C D@>6 E:>6 2?5 D96 92D ?@E 925 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ FA8C256 :E 96CD6=7] prt’D :?DE2==2E:@? E62> H:== 368:? E96 :?DE2==2E:@? AC@46DD @? u63CF2CJ gE9]k^Am

kAm”(6 2C6 E9C:==65 E@ 92G6 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 8:G6 324< E@ D@>6@?6 H9@ 92D 8:G6? D@ >F49 E@ @FC 4@>>F?:EJ[” D2:5 y@9? %C:>3=6[ !C6D:56?E @7 prt w@>6 $6CG:46D] “$2?5C2’D 565:42E:@? E@ 96=A:?8 49:=5C6? ?665 ECF=J :?DA:C:?8[ 2?5 H6 2C6 AC@F5 E@ DFAA@CE 96C 2?J H2J H6 42?]”k^Am

kAmprt w@>6 $6CG:46D 4@>>:EE65 E@ >2<:?8 2 A@D:E:G6 :>A24E @? E96 !9@6?:I2C62 4@>>F?:EJ :E D6CG6D]%9C@F89@FE 6249 J62C[ E96 4@>A2?J DFAA@CED 2 G2C:6EJ @7 4@>>F?:EJ @FEC6249 AC@8C2>D DF49 2D 9@DE:?8 2??F2= $2=G2E:@? pC>J (2E6C sC:G6D[ p^r ‘6E6C2? v:G62H2JD[ $E] |2CJ’D u@@5 q2?< u@@5 sC:G6D[ 5@?2E:?8 E@ !FAA:6D q69:?5 q2CD 2?5 w@>6D 7@C ~FC %C@@AD[ 2?5 DA@?D@C:?8 p+%’’D w@>6E@H? w6C@6D %@J sC:G6] x? 255:E:@? E@ E96D6 677@CED[ prt 2=D@ 2 AC@F5 A2CE?6C @7 E96 (@F?565 (2CC:@C !C@;64E H9:49 C2:D6D >@?6J 7@C :?;FC65[ A@DE h^“ G6E6C2?D[ 2?5 @776CD 5:D4@F?ED 7@C 2== >:=:E2CJ >6>36CD 2?5 7:CDE C6DA@?56CD]k^Am

kAm%96 4@>A2?J 2=H2JD =@@<:?8 7@C ?6H H2JD E@ 8:G6 324< E@ E96 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 >2<6 2 5:776C6?46] %96 4@>A2?J 92D 2? pZ C2E:?8 7C@> E96 q6EE6C qFD:?6DD qFC62F 2?5 AC@G:56D DFAA@CE 7@C 3FD:?6DD6D ​​2?5 9@>6D >@C6 E92? ag 4:E:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 2:C4@?5:E:@?:?8 :?DE2==2E:@?[ >2:?E6?2?46 2?5 C6A2:C[ 962E:?8 6BF:A>6?E A=246>6?E[ 32E9C@@> C6>@56=:?8[ H2E6C D@7E6?6CD 2?5 962E6CD[ H2E6C =62< AC@E64E:@?[ 962E:?8 C6A=246>6?E[ 2?5 >@C6]k^Am

kAmu@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE prt w@>6 $6CG:46D 2?5 E96 2??F2= p^r 8:G62H2J[ A=62D6 G:D:E E96:C H63D:E6] x?7@C>2E:@? @? $2?5C2’D AC@;64E 42? 36 7@F?5 96C6i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]72463@@<]4@>^DA@?D@C@CA92?D:?E;Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmu2463@@< !286k^2m – k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]72463@@<]4@>^DA@?D@C@CA92?D:?E;Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm9EEADi^^HHH]72463@@<]4@>^DA@?D@C@CA92?D:?E;k^2m]k^Am

kAmu@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?[ A=62D6 G:D:E E96:C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2469@>62K]4@>^23@FEFD^Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm9EEADi^^2469@>62K]4@>^23@FEFD^k^2mk^Am

kAm|tsxp r~}%pr%ik^Am

kAmy2>6D $6D2Jk^Am

kAmt>2:=i ;2>6D]D6D2J,2E.2469@>62K]4@>k^Am

kAm!9@?6 }F>36Ci cg_abcee_ak^Am

kAmk^Am

kAm}t($ $~&#rti prt w@>6 $6CG:46Dk^Am

kAmk^Am

kAm%9:D AC6DD C6=62D6 H2D :DDF65 @? 3692=7 @7 E96 ?6HD D@FC46 Wprt w@>6 $6CG:46DX H9@ :DD@=6=J C6DA@?D:3:=6 7@C :ED 244FC24J[ 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]$6?5a!C6DD]4@>^Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm$6?5a!C6DD® }6HDH:C6k^2m]x?7@C>2E:@? 36=:6G65 244FC2E6 3FE ?@E 8F2C2?E665]$E@CJ xsi ggb`fp!su#g]fk^Am

kAm© a_from $6?5a!C6DD®[ 2 AC6DD C6=62D6 2?5 6>2C<6E:?8 D6CG:46 @7 }t~%#~!t®[ r2=:7][ &$p]k^Am

kAm%@ G:6H E96 @C:8:?2= G6CD:@?[ G:D:Ei k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]D6?5aAC6DD]4@>^H:C6^2469@>6D6CG:46D5@?2E6D?6H24F?:EE@56D6CG:?8=@ 42=:?cE92??F2=9@?@C@FC2?86=D8:G62H2J^Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm9EEADi^^HHH]D6 ?5aAC6DD]4@>^H:C6^2469@>6D6CG:46D5@?2E6D?6H24F?:EE@56D6CG:?8=@42 =:?cE92??F2=9@?@C@FC2?86=D8:G62H2J^k^2mk^Am

kAmk^Am

kAmk6>ms:D4=2:>6Ci %9:D AC6DD C6=62D6 4@?E6?E H2D ?@E 4C62E65 3J E96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD Wp!X]k^6>mk^Am

Copyright 2023 Send2Press Newswire

The post ACE Residence Providers Donates New A/C Unit to Deserving Native in 4th Annual ‘Honor Our Angels’ Giveaway | Ap appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Around 20 displaced live-aboard residents have moved their vessels from Oyster Cove Marina to Oyster Point Marina in South San Francisco, yet, several live-aboards still remain as the city and two agencies guide the residents through the process.

The move comes after Kilroy Realty, which purchased the Oyster Cove Marina in 2018, gave the slip owners until Oct. 15 to leave. The Southern California-based developer is currently in the midst of building 3 million square feet of office and research space on the land.

Soon after, the city and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission decided, at a September meeting, that the displaced residents could temporarily move to the adjacent city-owned Oyster Point Marina as the live-aboards find a permanent home. BCDC is a regional agency that oversees all development on the Bay.

The San Mateo County Harbor District, which operates the Oyster Point Marina, has inspected 39 vessels and passed them as seaworthy as part of the process when moving into the harbor.

One vessel didn’t pass and the city of South San Francisco is working with that individual to assist them, Harbor District General Manager Jim Pruett said.

“We were surprised that the overall condition of the vessels were good,” Pruett said.

As of last week, 11 residents have paid for the live-aboard status fee, 10 are scheduled for inspections and eight have incomplete applications. The Harbor District is assisting the individuals to complete the process, Pruett said.

The residents are welcome to stay at Oyster Point Marina until April 1 or have a verifiable plan to depart in the next few months. The BCDC will order the residents out of the harbor if they do not leave by Oct. 1, 2023.

“This is a potential homeless problem for some of these folks,” Harbor District Commissioner Edmundo Larenas said at an Oct. 19 meetings.

The city is working with a relocation expert to understand each person’s needs and find them permanent housing.

The 455-slip Oyster Point Marina is operated by the San Mateo County Harbor District. It is allocated 10% of its slips for live-aboard residents. The marina contains 29 live-aboards and is slated to have an additional 11 live-aboards filling the additional spots from the waitlist soon. While the displaced live-aboards moving to the marina will exceed the 10% compliance for Oyster Point Marina, the BCDC said it would not enforce the issue over the next year, according to a previous staff report.

The BCDC made the decision after concerns were raised by live-aboard residents who felt the deadline was not enough time to find a permanent residency.

Residential uses of the Bay are not consistent with the McAteer-Petris Act, which launched the BCDC in 1965, or the public trust, which establishes that certain natural resources are set aside for use by all the public, because it is neither a “water -oriented” use, nor is it in furtherance of public trust needs, according to a previous report.

South San Francisco Council member Mark Addiego, also a member of the BCDC, previously said that the goal is to help give the live-aboard residents enough time to find a permanent home.

“Even though it’s BCDC and their charge is to protect the Bay. … Everybody is dialed into the fact that, ‘hey, this is housing for these people and, without this, what’s going to happen to them?’” Addiego said.

The BCDC’s biggest concern is the live-aboards would be forced to anchor out, meaning their boats would be outside the marinas, which is harmful to the environment and dangerous for boaters.

The post Reside-aboards transfer marinas in South San Francisco | Native Information appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

South San Francisco officials announced the city has launched an automated license plate recognition program with 28 solar-powered cameras installed at key public locations, as a way to help solve increased property crimes in the hotel corridor.

“The use of this technology has already proven to be a game changer in the fight against crime and a valuable tool for our officers to help solve otherwise difficult-to-solve cases,” Police Chief Scott Campbell said in a press release. “The safety of our residents and visitors is paramount and the investment in this program shows how committed we are to keeping South San Francisco a safe place.”

The cameras are built by Flock Safety, a public safety technology company that helps neighborhoods, communities and law enforcement work together to fight crime. Flock Safety ALPR cameras help law enforcement investigate crime by providing objective evidence — license plates and vehicle characteristics, according to the city.

The South San Francisco Police Department will maintain an updated policy around usage of the ALPR system. Each search requires a justification, and the data is never sold or shared with third parties. The cameras will be used to solve and reduce property and violent crime and are not intended for minor traffic or parking violations, according to the city.

Flock Safety cameras are in use in more than 2,000 cities across 40 states, and the company works with thousands of law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement have reported crime reductions of up to 70% when deploying Flock Safety in their communities, according to the city.

The post South San Francisco launches license plate reader program | Native Information appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — On a frosty December morning, Victoria Solomon recounted how San Francisco police had rousted her awake hours earlier, and threatened to take her to jail if she didn’t clear out within 10 minutes.

They tried to force her out of a public area without offering a shelter bed as required by law, Solomon said. At least this time city workers didn’t trash their belongings, she said. This would have forced her to find a new tent, bedding and clothes — not to mention new identification and Social Security cards, as well as a cell phone.

“You can be as tough as you want on people, that’s not going to magically create a house for them. And they don’t have disappearing powers,” said Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness in San Francisco.

In September, the organization and seven individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless again south San Francisco for violating the city’s own policies regarding providing shelter beds. They also said that city workers have thrown out peoples’ personal belongings such as medication, wheelchairs, prosthetics, laptops and cellphones, against city policy.

Solomon is among an estimated 7,800 people without a home in San Francisco, a city that has come to be seen as an emblem of California’s staggering inability to counter the homeless crisis. Homeowners, businesses and local leaders in San Francisco are frustrated with visible signs of homelessness — which includes public streets blocked by sprawling tents and trash.

Solomon is frustrated too. “Who says I’m not part of the community just because I’m homeless?” she said.

Two of the sweeps she experienced this year happened in the Castro neighborhood, where she noted that civil rights activists once stood up for marginalized peoples’ rights. Now, residents and nearby businesses call the police on her.

The 34-year-old has been homeless for about a decade. Solomon said she is bipolar and struggles with drug addiction, as well as grief from the deaths of her son and mother a year apart.

She travels lightly — a rolling suitcase, tent, dog food and two dogs — and is afraid to leave her belongings unattended. Law enforcement has threatened to take her to jail on an arrest warrant from another county — which she said was for minor drug possession.

Amid rising rents and a national shortage of affordable housing, more than 100,000 people are living on California’s streets. Hawaii, Oregon, and Arizona are among other western states where more homeless people live outside in cars and tents than indoors in shelters, despite billions spent to curb homelessness, including San Francisco’s $672 million annual budget.

Increasingly, advocates for people without housing are fighting back in court — as in the lawsuit filed in San Francisco, where the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom is $3,000.

Attorneys for the city deny that workers illegally force people to move or throw out personal items, saying there are strict policies that balance individual rights with the need to clean public spaces.

During a virtual hearing last week, Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu questioned the city’s tactics, given the overwhelming amount of data and eyewitness accounts provided by the coalition. Last week, she temporarily banned San Francisco from clearing homeless encampments.

Across the country, frustration over the crisis has unified Democratic and Republican leaders in embracing tough-on-homelessness tactics, much to the dismay of homeless advocates and even Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration, which has warned against hastily executed encampment closures.

This year Tennessee made outdoor camping on public land a felony and in Portland, Oregon, the city council voted to create at least three large campsites and to ban all other tent encampments.

In September, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a plan to provide medical care to homeless people with untreated psychosis, even against their will — and he has literally rolled up his shirt sleeves to join encampment cleanups. Under the program, people struggling with alcohol and opioid addiction won’t qualify for treatment unless they have a diagnosed psychiatric disorder.

The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, which houses the Healthy Streets Operations Center that coordinates encampment cleanups, said in a statement that outreach workers talk to unhoused residents beforehand to explain the process and offer services, including shelter.

From June 2020 to September 2022, San Francisco carried out 1,200 formal encampment cleanups and outreach workers encountered more than 10,000 people, according to the emergency management department.

There are also informal requests for homeless people to move, like the one Solomon encountered, so it’s not possible to know the full scale of enforcement actions taken, or threatened to be taken, against people who are homeless.

Business owners are fed up, not necessarily with people who are unhoused but the city that ignores them, said Ryen Motzek, president of the Mission Merchants Association. “It’s a general issue of cleanliness and safety, that’s the No. 1 problem the city faces,” he said.

But Toro Castaño, one of the seven individual plaintiffs, said that without affordable housing, people who are unhoused like him are forced to move from place to place. “We’ll literally move across the street — in the other direction,” he said. “In a week we might move 14 times. Just from corner to corner to corner.”

In a court declaration, he said that in August 2020, he was given two hours to leave his tent, but the incident commander declared everything a fire hazard so city workers tossed all of his belongings into a dump truck. He lost his deceased mother’s wedding kimono, MacBook Pro laptop, a battery-powered heater and a bike worth $1,400.

The outreach team offered him a bed in a congregant shelter, but he declined it for fear of catching the coronavirus. Today, he’s in a hotel room paid for by the city.

Advocates say that many people who are homeless would rather stay outdoors than in shelters, where they risk contracting coronavirus, as well as encountering abuse or threats of violence. Homeless people who have pets, work night shifts, need mental health services, or have substance use disorders have a difficult time finding a shelter that will take them.

Shivering inside a crowded tent, Dylan Miner tried to rest upright. “You can gain your stuff back, but it takes a lot of work,” he said. During a recent sweep, he said city workers discarded his mattress and the wood pallets that keep him off the sidewalk — which was still wet from torrental rain.

Miner, 34, does carpentry, fixes bikes, and resells items he either buys or finds.

The city placed him in a downtown hotel for 10 months during the pandemic, but when the program shut down he was unable to find new housing. He is not part of the lawsuit, but expressed support for it.

Nobody is happy with the status quo response, Friedenbach said. She hopes the lawsuit will catalyze a “serious transformation” in how the city treats people who are unhoused.

“This is really connected to a bigger struggle for dignity,” she said. “And a bigger struggle for just a recognition of the humanity of folks who are too poor to afford rents.”

AP video journalist Terry Chea contributed to this report.

The post Homelessness in San Francisco: speak of frustration, survival | Native Information appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Making sure a proposed 17-story life science, research and development building is connected to the community, has the right amount of parking and doesn’t impede traffic flow from Highway 101 were some of the key points discussed during a South San Francisco City Council meeting on the proposal at 121 E. Grand Ave., current site of Comfort Inn and east of the train station.

Mayor Mark Nagales wondered why the project’s plans include 1,300 parking spaces, though it’s directly across from the newly built South San Francisco Caltrain Station.

Michael Gerrity, president of Phase 3 Real Estate Partners, said the goal is to have parking spaces available for 50% of the employees in the building, while the others would take other modes of transportation. He assured Nagales that while 1,300 sounds like a lot, there are nearly a million square feet of office space so it will require more parking. The structure will also include enhanced bike and parking facilities and will be surrounded by class IV bike separation lanes.

In a study completed by the developers, they found 1.5 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of office space will be needed for adequate parking while still nudging employees to take public transit.

Some council members praised the ingenuity of the design.

“This is indeed an example of a transit-oriented community that we are building. It takes not only residential but commercial,” said Council member Eddie Flores. “I think this is a good example. If we have a brand-new Caltrain Station, let’s utilize it.”

The South San Francisco Caltrain Eastern Access study looked at future access needs of the Caltrain station from its eastern edge and how much shuttle or bus parking should be provided based on growth projections for the entire eastern 101 area. Because the building is so close to the Caltrain station, it has some access issues with limited crosswalk space and the developer suggested that a new traffic light installment would be beneficial for pedestrian cross walking times.

Flores questioned if the traffic signal that would be near the off-ramp of highway 101 would cause a traffic cluster from the stop light.

“Any signal timing we do at those signals cannot have traffic queuing into the mainline [Highway 101] That is going to be one of the requirements that Caltrans would never allow,” said Gerrity.

The analysis from the study questioned if it is possible to have signal timing that gives pedestrians time to cross but also allows cars to pass through without making the queuing more affected than it currently is, and the study indicated it is possible, he added.

Flores also questioned if the off-ramp queue would be affected by semi-trucks that often turn into the area for gasoline.

Gerrity reassured that semi-trucks have been considered, and the improvements to the intersection would include making the turn radius larger for larger trucks to easily pass through.

Power needs, other additions

The all-electric proposed structure would be environmentally ahead of the curve and committed to achieving LEED gold status, which adds up to $7.25 million toward environmental and sustainability, Gerrity said.

“Proposing an all-electric building which is not yet required is setting an example for so many others in the Bay Area,” said Council member James Coleman.

The community benefit would include a $10 million fund the City Council would control for community needs. The developers designed the building’s first two stories as a plaza with retail shops, restaurants, a conference room and a gym open to the public totaling 107,125 square feet of public amenities. The ground level will include 46,663-square-foot public plaza.

Flores raised concerns about community connectivity.

“Would it be inviting Old Town residents,” Flores said. “Attracting them into the building?”

Additionally, he offered ideas that could provide some connectivity between the newly developed area and the Old Town residents north of Grand Avenue.

Using some of the community funds for public art that reflects the rich cultural history of South San Francisco would be one way to welcome its neighbors to the public amenities.

“This will be a unique opportunity for us to bring in that cultural tapestry of the Old Town,” said Flores. “What really makes the old town vibrant, is what people like to hear about the historic part of our city.”

The post South San Francisco hashing out particulars for 17-story workplace constructing | Native Information appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A San Francisco couple accused of robbing the same San Bruno 7-Eleven in the early morning of July 6 and 9 have been arrested after a police investigation, the DA’s Office said.

Gvansa Mangoshvili, 23, and Raymond Yee, 30, are accused of robbing the 7-Eleven on Angus Avenue, with Yee brandishing a BB gun at the clerk and getting around $1000 before fleeing the store and Mangoshvili driving the getaway car, the DA’s Office said.

The pair returned July 9 and robbed the same clerk again and got $500 before fleeing in the same getaway car, the DA’s Offices said. A police investigation led to both of their arrests and found a ski mask, BB gun, and ammunition, according to the DA’s Office. Both have pleaded not guilty, with their case set for July 22.

July 11 saw two people killed and three wounded in robberies before dawn Monday at six 7-Eleven stores in Southern California. The string of violence occurred within about five hours on July 11, or 7/11, the day when the national 7-Eleven brand celebrates its anniversary.

The post San Francisco couple arrested for 7-Eleven theft in San Bruno | Native Information appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

The intersection of Grand Avenue and Airport Boulevard is set for a major overhaul in an effort to increase pedestrian and bicyclist safety, in particular for those traveling between the nearby Caltrain station and the city’s adjacent downtown.

The remodel will add bike lanes, widen sidewalks, make crosswalk improvements and remove a separated turning lane, in addition to adding planting to medians and other landscaping. The intersection, which is complicated by a highway on-ramp entrance, is a major connection point for those traveling into the city’s downtown from the freeway or the developing area to the east.

“This is an exciting project that’s been a vision of the city for quite a while,” city engineer Matthew Ruble said. “[It] is one of the most busily traveled and important intersections in our city.”

Councilmembers, however, held off on granting a $3.2 million construction contract during their meeting this week amid concern the proposed bike lanes would provide insufficient protection and a question regarding wages paid by the contractor.

“We definitely need a protected bike lane in that area, because if you’re just putting green paint on the side on Airport Boulevard, that doesn’t feel safe for a bike rider,” Mayor Mark Nagales said.

The bike lanes will be unprotected, meaning there will not be plastic posts or other physical dividers separating them from vehicle lanes. Ruble explained the primary focus of the redesign was to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists traveling along Grand Avenue to or from the Caltrain station, and a larger revamp of Airport Boulevard would come at a later date, likely with protected bike lanes.

“We’re limited by constraints of the roadway until a larger project can come in for a more holistic approach,” he said, pointing to areas where cars would need to cross over the bike lane to make right turns or merge onto the freeway.

Still, councilmembers Eddie Flores and James Coleman questioned if changes could be made to the design ahead of the larger renovations.

“Why are we calling this a bike lane … if we are just coloring it and suggesting this is where bikes should go? I see great liability for potential swerving of vehicles in and out and crisscrossing with cyclists,” Flores said. “I would like to see a different option, if there is one. This is not where we should be.”

Ruble said minor changes could be made to the design without needing to seek new estimates from contractors, something he said would put the project back several months, and increase costs by hundreds of thousands of dollars given rapidly rising construction costs and inflation.

But Public Works Director Eunejune Kim warned that there would likely be little changes able to be made given the layout of Airport Boulevard.

As it was presented, the work would not require the removal of any parking places or reduction in vehicle lanes other than the separated “slip lane” for northbound Airport Boulevard traffic turning right on Grand Avenue.

The council agreed to reexamine the item during a meeting planned for June 8, after which there will also be further information regarding an investigation into the contractor, CF Contracting, concerning wages paid during a project in Sausalito.

The post Key South San Francisco intersection set for $3.8 million transform | Native Information appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.