Arc Ecology is initiating a public dialogue on the purpose and future of redevelopment in San Francisco. To learn more about this project, read our press release.
To see our survey recently published in the San Francisco Bay Guardian click here.
Help us understand your view by participating in the short survey below.
To view the results of the survey, click here.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Note to Arc ecology News readers
About Arc Ecology’s public dialogue and survey on redevelopment and our lawsuit with the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency
While readers of this blog and those familiar with Arc Ecology and its work around the Hunters Point Shipyard, Yosemite Slough, and Candlestick Point State Recreational Area might naturally be tempted to draw a straight line between this new phase of our effort to build public awareness with regard to redevelopment and our litigation with the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency over a contract dispute, we want to assure everyone that they are indeed two separate issues.
Arc Ecology is engaging in the dialogue and supporting the Governor’s budget review because of its importance to the City and the State. Redevelopment is an extremely powerful tool. Too little is known about the process, the Agencies, their commissions, and projects for anyone to say whether their efforts are supported or of concern to the general public. Long before Governor Brown presented his proposal to eliminate Redevelopment in California Arc Ecology thought a discussion of Redevelopment’s role and process was important. Now that the Governor has taken action it is even more critical that this dialogue take place.
The community discussion we are promoting will have no affect on the outcome of Arc Ecology’s grievance with the Agency. That matter is in the hands of the courts and we have engaged the excellent Bay Area based nonprofit public interest law firm – the First Amendment Project – to represent us. As such Arc Ecology has the very real possibility of having its grievances addressed through the legal system without having to incur the expense or the political fallout that will result from undertaking our open dialogue with San Francisco’s residents. In many ways it would most likely be easier and more profitable for us to simply stay quiet.
But that is not what we do.
On the other hand, we’re just people trying to get a point across. We expect that if we stray, you’ll let us know.
Arc Ecology is engaging in the dialogue and supporting the Governor’s budget review because of its importance to the City and the State. Redevelopment is an extremely powerful tool. Too little is known about the process, the Agencies, their commissions, and projects for anyone to say whether their efforts are supported or of concern to the general public. Long before Governor Brown presented his proposal to eliminate Redevelopment in California Arc Ecology thought a discussion of Redevelopment’s role and process was important. Now that the Governor has taken action it is even more critical that this dialogue take place.
The community discussion we are promoting will have no affect on the outcome of Arc Ecology’s grievance with the Agency. That matter is in the hands of the courts and we have engaged the excellent Bay Area based nonprofit public interest law firm – the First Amendment Project – to represent us. As such Arc Ecology has the very real possibility of having its grievances addressed through the legal system without having to incur the expense or the political fallout that will result from undertaking our open dialogue with San Francisco’s residents. In many ways it would most likely be easier and more profitable for us to simply stay quiet.
But that is not what we do.
On the other hand, we’re just people trying to get a point across. We expect that if we stray, you’ll let us know.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
India basin neighborhood association hires arc ecology to provide technical services for usepa technical assistance grant for the hunters point shipyard
In January 2011, the India Basin Neighborhood Association obtained final approval from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to contract with Arc Ecology to review the upcoming environmental cleanup documents for the Hunters Point Shipyard. India Basin is the neighborhood on the north western side of the Shipyard running from Cargo Way to the Shipyard gate on Innes Avenue.
Dealing with Trucks
Like the rest of the Bayview, the India Basin Neighborhood has been impacted in a number of ways by the pollution and cleanup of the Shipyard. Trucks carrying contaminated sediments rumble out of the Innes Gate on their way to disposal, trucks loaded with clean fill rumble their way back in. Dust and track out from these trucks have been an ongoing complaint of IBNA members and Bayview residents.
Living Shoreline
Recently IBNA weighed in on the Navy’s decision to destroy a newly forming beach on the Shipyard’s India Basin facing northern Parcel B shoreline to armor the site against erosion and the escape of residual contamination. Both IBNA and Arc Ecology argued that the armoring was unnecessary, destructive to the developing habitat, destructive to the community recreational opportunity created by the beach, and was not demonstrably technically more protective than creating what is called a living shoreline at the same location. A living shoreline would have enhanced the beach, created more habitat, room for Kayaking and have been a substantial improvement for the neighborhood and Bayview Hunters Point over the rock rubble the Navy has deposited instead.
Upcoming Reports & Decisions
The contract is particularly timely for IBNA and the community as the Navy has property transfer documents for Parcels B and G up for final review and will be producing a Feasibility Study for Parcels E and Proposed Plans for Parcels E and E2 – the southern shoreline – over the next six months to a year. The resolution of the Parcel E2 Dump cleanup plan is of particular importance to the community as it is the site of the six month long landfill fire of 2000. Arc Ecology’s roll will be to review critical documents, help IBNA and community members evaluate their contents and develop commentary that support community interests.
Dealing with Trucks
Like the rest of the Bayview, the India Basin Neighborhood has been impacted in a number of ways by the pollution and cleanup of the Shipyard. Trucks carrying contaminated sediments rumble out of the Innes Gate on their way to disposal, trucks loaded with clean fill rumble their way back in. Dust and track out from these trucks have been an ongoing complaint of IBNA members and Bayview residents.
Living Shoreline
Recently IBNA weighed in on the Navy’s decision to destroy a newly forming beach on the Shipyard’s India Basin facing northern Parcel B shoreline to armor the site against erosion and the escape of residual contamination. Both IBNA and Arc Ecology argued that the armoring was unnecessary, destructive to the developing habitat, destructive to the community recreational opportunity created by the beach, and was not demonstrably technically more protective than creating what is called a living shoreline at the same location. A living shoreline would have enhanced the beach, created more habitat, room for Kayaking and have been a substantial improvement for the neighborhood and Bayview Hunters Point over the rock rubble the Navy has deposited instead.
Upcoming Reports & Decisions
The contract is particularly timely for IBNA and the community as the Navy has property transfer documents for Parcels B and G up for final review and will be producing a Feasibility Study for Parcels E and Proposed Plans for Parcels E and E2 – the southern shoreline – over the next six months to a year. The resolution of the Parcel E2 Dump cleanup plan is of particular importance to the community as it is the site of the six month long landfill fire of 2000. Arc Ecology’s roll will be to review critical documents, help IBNA and community members evaluate their contents and develop commentary that support community interests.
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