Last note on the topic of the proposed Clipper Cove takeover, er megayacht
marina, I promise.
I'm sending this to all of you in case you'd like some raw material for
writing your own note to Director Sadler and her staff member Keren Dill,
and the San Francisco city supervisors opposed to the marina.
Or just copy/paste the note below, I don't care.
Whatever you do, please write a note fast, because the meeting is *this
morning (May 11)*. Yikes!
Just freakin' *do it <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPAJtvy1uL0>*.
Thanks -- oh, and Sessions promised to buy a beer for everyone that writes
a note.
-- Al
asargent at stanfordalumni.org | +1 650 269 2176
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Al Sargent <asargent at stanfordalumni.org>
Date: Tue, May 10, 2016 at 11:47 PM
Subject: Five reasons to vote no on the pending marina development of
Clipper Cove
To: Lynn.Sadler at parks.ca.gov, keren.dill at parks.ca.gov
Cc: John.Avalos at sfgov.org, "eric.l.mar at sfgov.org" <Eric.L.Mar at sfgov.org>,
David.Campos at sfgov.org, Jane.Kim at sfgov.org
Director Sadler,
I'm writing to urge you to vote no on the pending marina development of
Clipper Cove.
This plan is wrong for several reasons:
1) It is a *corporate takeover of a public asset* used by thousands of San
Francisco kids
<https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QFjAAahUKEwi9pPHJ5fnGAhWCVIgKHY6oBt8&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sfusd.edu%2Fassets%2Fcode%2Fview.php%3Fid%3D15341748352fd291f6e1cd&ei=NVi1Vf21NoKpoQSO0Zr4DQ&usg=AFQjCNGrz-DkZoPl5a2EzbL0LR8gHl7CMQ&sig2=UVMjenvLFmG9JrMZOw1M6Q&bvm=bv.98717601,d.cGU&cad=rja>
as part of SFUSD's Set, Sail & Learn program, the disabled
<http://www.baads.org/> and blind
<http://www.marinsailingschool.com/blind-sailing.html>; and for cultural
festivals <http://www.sfdragonboat.com/>, such as the Dragon Boat festival
attended by tens of thousands. All to provide parking spaces for
rarely-used, megayachts costing up to 10 million dollars
<http://sarasotayacht.com/co-brokerage-used-yachts-for-sale-91-100-feet/?rPage=/privatelabel/listing/cache/pl_search_results.jsp?ps=200&fromPrice=75000&fromLength=90&slim=pp288214&uom=126&fromYear=1980&duom=126&wuom=126&toLength=99&luom=126&ps=200&searchPage=%2Flisting%2Fcache%2Fboats_for_sale_qs.jsp&so=4&slim=pp288214&units=Feet&>
owned by a small number of people that aren't necessarily San Francisco
residents or even US citizens, who typically use their yachts only 14 days
a year <https://boatbound.co/story>. This is in contrast to the almost daily
programming <https://tisailing.org/calendar-and-events> from Treasure
Island Sailing Center (TISC) available to all San Francisco residents at
minimal cost.
2) This marina will *rob schoolchildren* of a unique educational
experience, by effectively ending SFUSD's Set, Sail, Learn program. This is
because, if this marina were built, it would mean that kids, as well as
disabled and blind sailors would only be able to sail in high-current
waters to the east of Clipper Cove. From here, it would be all too easy for
these less-experienced sailors to get swept out on the twice-daily ebb tide
into the high-wind waters that have beaten
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2219285/Americas-Cup-boat-cost-Oracle-CEO-Larry-Ellison-8million-crashes-training-run-beneath-Golden-Gate-Bridge.html>
and even killed <http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-24545570> the world's
best sailors.
3) *Federal regulations* may come into play. While I'm not an attorney, I
wonder if this plan would violate federal standards such as the Americans
with Disabilities Act
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_with_Disabilities_Act_of_1990#Title_III.E2.80.94public_accommodations_.28and_commercial_facilities.29>,
especially title III, which governs public accommodations. Displacing blind
and disabled sailors out of a calm cove and into potentially lethal waters
seems every bit as serious as not providing access ramps in parks and
playgrounds.
4) It is *corporate welfare* at its worst: a $22 million dollar loan from
California taxpayers to subsidize a yacht parking lot for the wealthiest
0.01%.
5) *An alternative exists*: TISC has proposed a moderate scaling back of
the marina so that it could operate in a body of water the same size as the
successful Alamitos Bay Sailing Center
<http://www.longbeach.gov/park/recreation-programs/aquatics/leeway-sailing-and-aquatics-center/>
in Long Beach, and preserve the community sailing programs that TISC
provides today.
Are we going to put the needs of wealthy non-residents and non-citizens
ahead of the children and disabled of San Francisco? If so, what does that
say about us as a city?
Thank you for considering this perspective.
Sincerely,
Al Sargent
275 18th Avenue
San Francisco
asargent at stanfordalumni.org | +1 650 269 2176
---
Background, from an email sent to Save Clipper Cove from Hunter Cutting:
The campaign to save Clipper Cove has gathered even more steam over the
past couple of months. This progress is particularly good because a big
moment is coming up!
And, yes, there is a way for you to help. : )
Several San Francisco Supervisors have recently declared their support for
protecting the Cove: Supervisor John Avalos, Supervisor Eric Mar, and
Supervisor David Campos. In addition, Supervisor Jane Kim is helping to
bring stakeholders and developers together to figure out a solution that
works for everyone at the table.
However, the developers have yet to change course. Despite being stalled
in their drive to secure approvals and permits required at the local level,
they have decided to press ahead with a finance application they submitted
to the State of California for a $22 million loan - crazy, we know!
A group of State Commissioners from the Division of Boating and Waterways
(DBW) will tour the site of the proposed marina tomorrow afternoon (Tuesday).
Then, the next day, they will vote on whether to recommend the loan. That
vote will be this coming Wednesday, May 11, in the morning.
We have already done much outreach to DBW staff and the DBW Commissioners,
asking them postpone consideration of the loan application, as it is
clearly premature.
And that's where you can help. Please add your voice so that the DBW and
commissioners fully hear our community:
*- Dash off a quick email today to Lynn Sadler, the deputy director of DBW,
and the official who will make the final decision. *
Let know her know why Clipper Cove is special and ask her to postpone
consideration of the loan.
You can email Deputy Director Sadler at <Lynn.Sadler at parks.ca.gov>, and you
can cc her staffer at <keren.dill at parks.ca.gov>.
See www.saveclippercove.org for language about Clipper Cove.
*- Consider attending the hearing Wednesday morning in Emeryville if you
are available. *
The hearing starts at 9 AM, and the marina loan discussion will probably
begin around 10 AM. The hearing will be in the Emeryville City Hall,
Chamber Office, 1333 Park Ave Emeryville, CA 94608
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