<div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div><div>Last note on the topic of the proposed Clipper Cove takeover, er megayacht marina, I promise.<br><br></div>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. <br><br>Or just copy/paste the note below, I don't care.<br><br></div>Whatever you do, please write a note fast, because the meeting is <u><b>this morning (May 11)</b></u>. Yikes!<br><br>Just freakin' <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPAJtvy1uL0">do it</a></b>.<br><br clear="all"></div>Thanks -- oh, and Sessions promised to buy a beer for everyone that writes a note. <br></div></div><br clear="all"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">-- </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Al</span></font><br></div><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></span></font></div><font color="#666666"><a href="mailto:asargent@stanfordalumni.org" target="_blank">asargent@stanfordalumni.org</a> | +1 650 269 2176</font></div></div></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Al Sargent</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:asargent@stanfordalumni.org">asargent@stanfordalumni.org</a>></span><br>Date: Tue, May 10, 2016 at 11:47 PM<br>Subject: Five reasons to vote no on the pending marina development of Clipper Cove<br>To: <a href="mailto:Lynn.Sadler@parks.ca.gov">Lynn.Sadler@parks.ca.gov</a>, <a href="mailto:keren.dill@parks.ca.gov">keren.dill@parks.ca.gov</a><br>Cc: <a href="mailto:John.Avalos@sfgov.org">John.Avalos@sfgov.org</a>, "<a href="mailto:eric.l.mar@sfgov.org">eric.l.mar@sfgov.org</a>" <<a href="mailto:Eric.L.Mar@sfgov.org">Eric.L.Mar@sfgov.org</a>>, <a href="mailto:David.Campos@sfgov.org">David.Campos@sfgov.org</a>, <a href="mailto:Jane.Kim@sfgov.org">Jane.Kim@sfgov.org</a><br><br><br><div dir="ltr"><div><div>Director Sadler,<br><br></div>I'm writing to urge you to vote no on the pending marina development of Clipper Cove. <br><br></div>This plan is wrong for several reasons:<br><br>1) It is a <b>corporate takeover of a public asset</b> used by <a href="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" target="_blank">thousands of San Francisco kids</a> as part of SFUSD's Set, Sail & Learn program, the <a href="http://www.baads.org/" target="_blank">disabled</a> and <a href="http://www.marinsailingschool.com/blind-sailing.html" target="_blank">blind</a>; and for <a href="http://www.sfdragonboat.com/" target="_blank">cultural festivals</a>, such as the Dragon Boat festival attended by tens of thousands. All to provide parking spaces for rarely-used, <a href="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&" target="_blank">megayachts costing up to 10 million dollars</a>
owned by a small number of people that aren't necessarily San Francisco
residents or even US citizens, who typically use their yachts only <a href="https://boatbound.co/story" target="_blank">14 days a year</a>. This is in contrast to the almost <a href="https://tisailing.org/calendar-and-events" target="_blank">daily programming</a> from Treasure Island Sailing Center (TISC) available to all San Francisco residents at minimal cost.<div><br>2) This marina will <b>rob schoolchildren</b> 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 <a href="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" target="_blank">beaten</a> and even <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-24545570" target="_blank">killed</a> the world's best sailors.<br><br>3) <b>Federal regulations</b> may come into play. While I'm not an attorney, I wonder if this plan would violate federal standards such as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_with_Disabilities_Act_of_1990#Title_III.E2.80.94public_accommodations_.28and_commercial_facilities.29" target="_blank">Americans with Disabilities Act</a>,
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. <br><br></div><div>4) It is <b>corporate welfare</b> at its worst: a $22 million dollar loan from California taxpayers to subsidize a yacht parking lot for the wealthiest 0.01%.<br></div><div><br></div><div>5) <b>An alternative exists</b>: 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 <a href="http://www.longbeach.gov/park/recreation-programs/aquatics/leeway-sailing-and-aquatics-center/" target="_blank">Alamitos Bay Sailing Center</a> in Long Beach, and preserve the community sailing programs that TISC provides today.<br><br></div><div>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?<br><div><br clear="all"><div><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Thank you for considering this perspective.<br><br></span></font></div><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Sincerely,<br style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"></span></font></div><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"> </span><br style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Al </span></font>Sargent<br></div><div>275 18th Avenue<br></div><div>San Francisco<br></div><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></span></font></div><font color="#666666"><a href="mailto:asargent@stanfordalumni.org" target="_blank">asargent@stanfordalumni.org</a> | <a href="tel:%2B1%20650%20269%202176" value="+16502692176" target="_blank">+1 650 269 2176</a></font></div></div></div></div></div>
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</div><br><br>---<br><br></div><div>Background, from an email sent to Save Clipper Cove from Hunter Cutting:<br><br><div style="margin-left:40px">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! <br><br>And, yes, there is a way for you to help. : )
<br><br>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.<br><br>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!<br><br>A group of State Commissioners from the
Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) will tour the site of the
proposed marina <span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">tomorrow</span></span> afternoon (<span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">Tuesday</span></span>). Then, the next day, they
will vote on whether to recommend the loan. That vote will be this
coming <span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">Wednesday, May 11</span></span>, in the morning.<br><br>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.<br><br>And that's where you can help. Please add your
voice so that the DBW and commissioners fully hear our
community:<br><br><strong>- Dash off a quick email today to Lynn
Sadler, the deputy director of DBW, and the official who will make the
final decision. </strong> <br><br>Let know her know why Clipper Cove
is special and ask her to postpone consideration of the
loan.<br><br>You can email Deputy Director Sadler
at <<a href="mailto:Lynn.Sadler@parks.ca.gov" target="_blank">Lynn.Sadler@parks.ca.gov</a>>, and you can cc her staffer at
<<a href="mailto:keren.dill@parks.ca.gov" target="_blank">keren.dill@parks.ca.gov</a>>.<br><br>See <a href="http://www.saveclippercove.org" target="_blank">www.saveclippercove.org</a>
for language about Clipper Cove. <br><br><br><strong>- Consider
attending the hearing <span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">Wednesday</span></span> morning in Emeryville if you are
available. </strong><br><br>The hearing starts at <span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">9 AM</span></span>, and the
marina loan discussion will probably begin around <span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">10 AM</span></span>. The hearing
will be in the Emeryville City Hall, Chamber Office, 1333 Park Ave
Emeryville, CA 94608</div><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>