Some Local Merchants Unhappy with Castro Benefits District
Group that helps with Streetscape Plan, beautification and urban design projects perceived as slow to make improvements

By Jaime San Felippo

Castro merchants vocalized their frustrations with the Castro/Upper Market Community Benefits District (CBD) at its monthly board meeting on Aug. 14. The business owners said the Castro CBD is not doing enough in the way of cleaning up the neighborhood and boosting business in an area that still has a large number of vacancies.

The CBD’s intent is to provide services to “improve the quality of life in the neighborhood, emphasizing clean, safe, beautiful streets” as well as to promote the economic vitality of the neighborhood. But the CBD has come under harsh criticism from business owners that say the organization has not delivered what it promised when formed in 2005. Most of the grievances stem from a perception of slow progress on neighborhood beautification efforts.

The Community Benefit District Ordinance was adopted unanimously by the SF Board of Supervisors in February 2004 and was signed into law by Mayor Gavin Newsom one month later. Several districts in San Francisco have elected to become a CBD, including North of Market/Tenderloin, Nob Hill and Fisherman’s Wharf.

A CBD is formed when 51 percent or more of property owners in the district vote to become one and consent to an annual assessment tax in addition to their property taxes. Each CBD is considered a non-profit organization and undergoes an annual review process. If property owners feel that their CBD is not operating as envisioned they have the option of disbanding it by means of petition and an open hearing with the Board of Supervisors.

Streetscape Plan
One of the Castro/Upper Market CBD’s largest efforts to help the neighborhood is the Streetscape Plan. The CBD held several open forums for residents, business and property owners to give their input as to what streetscape improvements they sought in the district that spans from the intersection of 19th and Castro streets to Market and Octavia streets.

What people asked for was wider, pedestrian friendly sidewalks, bicycle friendly streets, open, community minded spaces and more greenery. Urban Ecology is the neighborhood design firm that is taking this information and creating the design plans to present to the Castro/Upper Market CBD Board.

It was anticipated that the board would vote on the Streetscape Plan at the August meeting, but several aspects of the plan were not ready, including an implementation plan and a timeline. The vote has been moved to the Sept. 11 meeting agenda. Once the board approves the plan it will go to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

A Need For Flowers
While the Streetscape Plan is intended to transform the Castro and boost its economy, the changes will not take place for at least five to 10 years and that has merchants worrying, who say they need help now at the August CBD meeting. Some of the issues addressed pertained to the cleanliness of the sidewalks on Castro Street between Market and 19th streets and the need for beautification, specifically hanging flower baskets.

“The board really listened to what we had to say,” said attendee Dennis Collins, manager of finance and operations at Citizen/BODY. “They were very open to the complaints that we have, much more than any of us ever expected.”

Merchants said that the organizers of the CBD pointed out the colorful flowers hanging in Noe Valley, which also has a CBD, and promised that the Castro would have those too. It is now three years later and people are wondering why the Castro is still without flowers.

Andrea Aiello, Executive Director of the Castro/Upper Market CBD, said it is an issue of money and the size of the district. Though area merchants want flowers at the intersection of 18th and Castro streets, Aiello believes this may not be fair to concentrate all the flowers here at the expense of merchants who reside at the other side of the district who also pay the self-imposed property owner assessment tax that maintains CBD. The flower baskets cost $400 to install and $1,000 in maintenance a year.

Brian Greene, president of Paul Langley Co., sits on the CBD board and said he got involved in the organization because he wanted to see immediate beautification and agrees that flower baskets would provide this.

To further this agenda, Greene, Collins and Petyr Kane, also of Citizen/BODY, formed the Flower Basket Committee. This committee will search out sponsorships from community business and property owners to help pay for the flower baskets with the goal to see them hanged by next spring.

Greene said the committee will cut the cost of annual maintenance from $1,000 to $500 by having them hang for only six months, April to September, during the main tourist season. He also told the board that Paul Langley Co. would happily sponsor four flower baskets to jumpstart the effort.
“This is merely a case of not being able to please everyone at the same time,” said Greene. “It’s important to give a neighborhood non-profit a fair chance.”

A Need for Steam
The second major concern that arose at the meeting was the cleanliness of the sidewalk in the Castro. Some merchants say the sidewalks look dirty and dingy, unattractive to tourists and visitors, while other merchants and residents say the sidewalks look better than they have in years.
The Castro/Upper Market CBD has hired MJM Management Group to walk through the neighborhood daily picking up trash in an effort to keep the sidewalks clean. They also steam clean the sidewalks once a month.

The latter assertion is of much dispute, with some merchants claiming MJM does not use heat or steam, only pressure to clean the sidewalks.

Dan Glazer, owner of Hot Cookie, said he believes that MJM is only using spray washing. He said he would like to see a deeper cleaning of the sidewalks twice a month or more.

“I know they (the board) have the best interest of the neighborhood at heart,” said Glazer who personally feels that the board was responsive at the meeting. “But I’ve heard people say they are really unhappy with the CBD.”

Brad Villers, owner of Kard Zone, has been the most vocal champion for cleaner sidewalks. He said that he would like to see the CBD deliver what they promised which was cleaner sidewalks, more greenery, and have the tree wells filled.

“There is no guarantee that the Streetscape Plan will have an effect or even be approved,” said Villers. “I can’t believe the neighborhood looks like such a dump. It’s a visual thing of how people perceive the Castro. I don’t think people have a lot of faith in the CBD.”

Villers has tried to rally the community to vocalize their discontent with the CBD and said he has been accused of “vigilante beautification.”

But other merchants are much happier with the Castro CBD.

“I am very please with what they have done,” said Steve Adams, President of Merchants of Upper Market and Castro (MUMC). “The majority of people I have spoken with say the Castro is cleaner than ever. There are a few people that think the Castro should look like Disneyland or Oz.”

Adams noted the difference in cleanliness of the sidewalks and the absence of the graffiti that plagued the neighborhood before the CBD came into effect. Adams suggested that merchants are leaning too much on the CBD and that they have a responsibility to help clean up the neighborhood.

Aiello, the Board and Money
On August 26, Aiello took a walking tour with Mohammed Nuru, Deputy Director of Operations of the Department of Public Works (DPW).

They determined that DPW will focus on the unkempt tree wells in the neighborhood by filling them with decomposed granite, an easy to maintain substance that will keep the wells looking consistent and appealing. DPW has also pledged to clean up the pigeon roosting problem at the Harvey Milk Plaza by scrubbing down the plaza and MUNI station as well as installing fencing to prevent future roosting.

Some of the complaints about the CBD have centered around a perception that board members are elusive and do not do enough to advertise meetings or solicit public input.
The board consists of 12 community members represented by business owners, property owners, residents and the LGBT community and is headed by president Herb Cohn.

Aiello was hired as an independent contractor in September of 2007. She has a Masters in Public Health and owns her own small business, Rockaway Beach Consulting, LLC. She lives in Pacifica with her partner of 21 years and is raising two teenage girls.

“For me this job brings together what I love: urban planning and public health,” said Aiello. “I want to help create a neighborhood that is healthy for everyone. Hearing that people think we are elusive does not feel good personally or organizationally.”

Aiello encourages everyone from the community to attend the monthly meetings.
Much of the money the CBD has is earmarked for the upcoming Streetscape Plan. According to Aiello, the board is hesitant to spend much of it because many grants they apply for will match funds the CBD already has.

This year the Castro/Upper Market CBD received a $25,000 grant from the Mayor’s office of Economic and Workforce Development to support the Business Attraction Campaign. They also received a $20,000 grant from the Department of Public Health to develop a pedestrian safely community plan, part of the overall Streetscape Plan.

The next Castro/Upper Market CBD Meeting will be held Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. at the Bank of America community room at the corner of 18th and Castro streets. The CBD meets the second Thursday of every month at this location at 6 p.m. This meeting is open to the public. Visit
www.castrocbd.org for info.

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