Date: Thursday, December 12th – Time: 7-8:30PM.
Location: Ingleside Library Community Room – Address: 1298 Ocean Avenue.
SFPD/Taraval Station and SFSAFE representatives are expected to join us.
Meeting Notes by Patricia Ris (added to post 1/8/14)
Ridge Lane Neighbors Meeting/Thursday December 12th 2013
San Francisco Public Library Ingleside Branch/7-8:30PM
(See also: www.ridgelaneneighbors.org)
This meeting was attended by Eric Maier, Russell Deweese, Robert Muehlbauer and Moneka Urbanske,
Mary Beth D’Alonzo, Fayaz Rajani, Warren Longmire, Lynn, Yuan, Patricia Ris (minutes) Furlishous Wyatt (SFSAFE) Sandra Zuniga (SFDPW), Eric Lau (SFPD) and five officers from the Taraval TNT team (SFPD).
Decision: The meeting voted to survey the entire stretch of Ridge Lane, from Howth to San Jose Avenues. This process will take 30-60 days and is likely to be completed by the end of February 2014. SFSAFE’s Furlishous Wyattt will need this survey to proceed with his recommendations.
Good News from supervisor Avalos: we have been allocated $100.000 on top of our $50.000 for improving Ridge Lane! A big THANK YOU to our supervisor and his team!
Action required before next meeting:
1/ Please visit the Visitation Valley Green Way, off of Leland Avenue to look at options for Ridge Lane. Go to:
http://www.sfparksalliance.org/visit/parks/visitacion-valley-greenway
2/ Balboa Park Circulation Study Meeting on January 23, 6-9PM at City College SF, Geothermal Building. For more information, go to:
Contact information:
Furlishous Wyatt: fuslishous@sfsafge.org (415) 553-1980
Sandra Zuniga: sandra.zuniga@sfdpw.org (415) 695-2114
SFPD/Taraval Station: (415) 759-3100 (TNT) or (415) 553-0123 for Narcotics Anonymous
The meeting was preceded by a walk through of Ridge Lane, from Josiah Avenue to the steep stretch between Caine and San Miguel Streets. The SFPD officers pointed out the most dangerous spots on Ridge Lane, where visibility is low (especially in the dark) and opportunity to hide behind bushes and obstructions exists.
Meeting Minutes
1/ SFPD
– The representatives from the Taraval TNT team explain the purpose of the TNT team. The team was established in the nineties to assist with the prevention of robberies, shootings and assassinations, due to narcotics sales and gang activity. The team consists of 2 sergeants and 9 officers in uniform and under cover.
– Officer Lau recommends to attend the OMI meetings to consolidate our efforts with Ridge Lane within the district. Meetings are held at 65 Beverly Street and are a forum for similar community based action plans. Go to: http://oceanview-neighbors.org/category/omi/
– From the point of view of the PD Ridge Lane is a dangerous place, especially in the dark. Our plans for better accessibility meet with approval and the recommendation to install lighting and create visibility, neighborhood cohesion (especially the parcels directly adjacent to RL), and surveillance cameras to protect against assault and robberies. For information about the crime rate in our district, please go to the SFPD/Taraval Station website, as per the suggestion of Furlishous Wyatt. Go to: http://www.taraval.org/?p=1209
The advice is to walk together, avoid walking in the dark and be alert to the surroundings. Another observation is that Ridge Lane offers criminals an easy escape route, where police officers in cars have difficulty continuing their pursuit.
Q: Do improvements to Ridge Lane make it safer?
Furlishous Wyatt from SF Safe: Yes, they do, but only if neighbors take ownership. Improvements decrease criminal activity, this is what othe improvement initiatives in the city have show. SFPD agrees: with lighting, cameras, call boxes and neighborhood watch.
Q: Are there call boxes elsewhere in the city?
FW: yes, and hard wired systems work best.
Q: Warren and Lynn report on their difficulties with their neighbor’s noise pollution, which has been going on for the past 5 years.
SFPD: Recommends looking into a civil suit and to continue reporting complaints to the PD. Eric Lau also recommends going to the Taraval Station in person to file a complaint with Sergeant Lum and to contact the city’s attorney’s office.
TNT team stresses to keep calling in reports on loitering, drug dealing, squatting and other irregular activities on Ridge Lane and other places in our area (see numbers above).
2/ DPW/Sandra Zuniga
– Good news: Supervisor Avalos has increased the budget for Ridge Lane improvements with $100.000, which brings the total up to $150.000
– PG&E and PUC need to be involved in the process of improvements, as well as the homeowners that are down the street from Ridge Lane. When we distribute flyers they need to be included as well.
The question rises again if crime will go up with easier accessibility?
– FW (SF SAFE): Safety increases with improvements. Recommends to consider the entire stretch of Ridge Lane, and not just one part of it.
Choose one same type of lighting and find a way around light ‘pollution’
(light shining into residents’ homes/bedrooms).
Essential elements for improvements:
– Good paving
– Good stairs
– American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance
(the survey will assist with this)
– One ‘theme’ for the entire lane
Furlishous needs the planned survey to proceed, but will walk RL in the daytime to get a better idea of the situation and needs for improvements. He will present our group with an overview of his findings and recommendations for optimal improvements, which will not reflect any numbers or money needed to accomplish them.
The users (us) will have to continue defining what it is that we want, so the discussion is ongoing and can only be completed when all of the elements are clear. Furlishous warns us that his office is understaffed and that this process will take time.
We are very grateful for the presence of Furlishous Waytt at this meeting, his commitment to our neighborhood initiative and his inspiring support for improving Ridge Lane. Thank you Furlishous and SFSAFE!
3/ PG&E and PUC
Mary Beth D’Alonzo will reports on the proceedings with PG&E and PUC. She’s talked with Doreen Martinez about the exposed pipes on the stretch between Caine and San Miguel Streets. Sandra Zuniga recommends to use 2014 funding for the pipe removal, and will facilitate contact with Mike Riodan (PUC).
4/ The January 2014 meeting will be held on Thursday January 9th at the SFPL/Ingleside Branch on Ocean Avenue and will be dedicated to planning our calendar for 2014.
Ridge Lane Neighbors 