Edition 6 September 2023

Calendar

FRI/SAT 9/8-9	15th Annual 50/50 Show. See post for sign up.
MON 9/11 7 PM	City Council at Council Chambers
TU 9/12 6:30-8:30 PM	CoastPride movie night. See post to RSVP.
SAT 9/16 9am-11am	California Coastal Cleanup Days. See flier for info on locations.
MON 9/18 7PM	Planning Commission at Council Chambers
TUE 9/19 5-7pm	Pacificans Care Awards (see article)
SAT 9/23 9am – 11am	California Coastal Cleanup Days. See flier for info on locations.
SAT/SUN 9/23-24	FOG FEST! Pacifica Climate Committee Transit Month Booth
MON 9/25 6pm	Special Council meeting in Council Chambers
SAT 9/30	Palm-a-palooza, Farallon Room, Skyline College (see flier)
SAT 9/30 10am-1pm	CoastPride Outdoor meetup. See post for info and signup.
MON 10/2 7pm	Planning Commission at Council Chambers
TH 10/5 6:30pm Pacifica	Peace People host Addressing Racism in Pacifica, IBL
MON 10/9 7pm	City Council at Council Chambers
SUN 10/15 2-4pm	Double Day Wine Tasting Event, Pacificans Care (see article)
MON 10/16 7	PM Planning Commission at Council Chambers
TH 10/21 7-9pm	Rothstein Event: Just Cause. see post for information
MON 10/23 7pm	City Council at Council Chambers

See posted calendars for:

• Pacific Beach Coalition
• Pacifica Library
• Pacificans Care

Photos have been contributed by Leo Leon and Mark Hubbell

Pacifica Voice is eager to receive articles on issues important to our community. Please send them to editor@pacvoice.org for consideration.

To receive press releases and periodic messages from the Pacifica Voice please add your name and email address to our subscriber list – SUBSCRIBE HERE. FREE

---

---

FOR CONSIDERATION

BAHFA on the Bay Area’s proposed regional bond measure

Invest in the production and preservation of affordable housing.

An interview by Suzanne Moore, editor

“The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) was created to help solve the affordable housing shortage, and is considering a bond measure for the November 2024 ballot to invest in building and preserving affordable homes.” High goals. I have asked BAHFA to explain more about their intended ballot measure.

Q: What is BAHFA?

A: The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority, or BAHFA, was created by state legislation in 2019 (Chiu, AB 1487) to bring new, regional solutions to address the Bay Area’s housing needs.

In creating BAHFA, the state Legislature found that the Bay Area’s housing challenges were too great for any one city or county to meaningfully address, and that a regional approach was necessary to support Bay Area communities in creating and preserving affordable housing opportunities and protecting tenants.

By approaching the problem regionally, BAHFA works with Bay Area cities and counties to help solve regional affordable housing challenges. This involves creating new resources, building partnerships, working together instead of competing against each other to win scarce resources, and changing systems.

BAHFA is governed by the Association of Bay Area Governments Executive Board and the BAHFA Board, which is comprised of the same membership as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. 

In addition to working in accordance with the rules provided in its enabling state legislation, BAHFA is guided by an Equity Framework that was created to ensure that all its work centers on equity, and to the greatest extent possible, delivers resources to those who need it most.

Q: Why are you proposing a bond measure?

A: The lack of affordable housing has had dire impacts on residents throughout the region:

• There were almost 37,000 unhoused people in the Bay Area as of 2022;
• Almost 600,000 people in the Bay Area are at risk of homelessness;
• Housing unaffordability means fewer and fewer people can own homes: only 23% of people aged 23-35 own a home in the Bay Area, one of the lowest rates in the nation.

To start its operations, BAHFA received a one-time grant from the State of California to hire initial staff and create pilot programs working across housing production, preservation, and protections. BAHFA’s main value for the region is its ability to raise revenue across all nine Bay Area counties through voter-approved ballot measures.

Q: Please describe the intended bond.

A: BAHFA is proposing a nine-county general obligation affordable housing bond of between $10 and $20 billion to be placed on the November 2024 ballot.

• Funds generated from this bond would help produce significant amounts of new affordable housing and preserve existing affordable housing across the region – between 40,000-80,000 homes depending on the level of funds included in the bond.
• This measure would require voter approval, currently at a two-thirds voter approval threshold.
• Funds would likely be disbursed over a period of about 10 years.
• The bond would be funded by an ad valorem property tax. The actual cost of the tax to property owners is a function of interest rates applicable at the time of issuance and how fast funds are disbursed.
  

Q: How would funds be spent?

A: Bond funds would be spent according to the rules provided in BAHFA’s enabling legislation, including:

•  80% of funds return to cities and counties of origin based on how much their property owners contribute to the bond, that is, according to assessed property values. Some cities, per state legislation, receive their own allocation.
•  BAHFA retains the remaining 20% of funds raised for distribution in the region. Investment goals for BAHFA are to advance more innovative, cost-effective development, and to become a regional lending agency able to reinvest funds it earns back into housing as project subsidies and community benefits.

Additional funding rules for cities/counties and BAHFA include:

• At least 52% of funds must be spent on new construction, or production;
• At least 15% must be spend on affordable housing preservation;
• At least 5% of funds must be spent on tenant protections, but this expenditure would require a constitutional amendment that expands the eligible uses of general obligation funds;
• BAHFA must spend 10% of its funds on a local government incentive grants program.

The balance of funds is “flexible” (28% for cities/counties and 18% for BAHFA): they may be used for housing production, preservation or housing-related uses, so long as those uses are constitutional.

BAHFA will coordinate its own and jurisdictions’ progress by reporting to the state legislature annually, through postings on its website and to its governing boards on a regular basis.

Q: What are the most important takeaways from BAHFA’s proposed measure?

A: A nine-county affordable housing effort with significant new resources would be unprecedented and powerful.

• BAHFA would use funding from the regional bond to build and preserve 40,000-80,000 new affordable homes in the region.
• BAHFA can become a regional lending agency expanding and enhancing available funding for housing by reinvesting the interest and fees it earns from loans back into local communities.
• By investing in projects that serve those who need it most, with a focus on environmental sustainability, BAHFA will pursue social and environmental justice goals.

Q: How can we learn more?

A: A video recording of a recent workshop about the bond is available CLICK HERE

Please contact BAHFA@bayareametro.gov with questions, or for more information visit the BAHFA website.

---

Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco Narrative

Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco has been driving our homeownership mission forward for more than 30 years. Across our three-county region, which includes Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo, we uniquely build homes that are 100% permanently affordable, rehabilitate homes to preserve long standing homeownership, promote homebuilding and champion affordable homeownership through our advocacy, influence and utilizing our brand ubiquity and inspiration to change hearts and minds.

Homeownership is more than just providing affordable housing. Owning a home provides first time homeowner families who have been historically excluded the transformative opportunity to build wealth and equity that will last for generations. Habitat Greater San Francisco households can save and plan because of the security of a predictable monthly housing payment, which is never more than 30% of their household income. These partner families begin their journey through a courageous and rigorous application and selection process. We favor a randomized lottery to ensure an equitable experience for all applicants. Future homeowners work side by side with Habitat Greater San Francisco and the community to construct and build not only their home, but the home of their neighbors and the community that will encircle them in the future. 

To build these homes and communities, we bring together thousands of volunteers, hundreds of donors and advocates, along with the current and prospective homeowners. Together, over the next six years, we will be building 250 100% affordable homes and rehabilitating 400 more homes for long time homeowners by 2027. These ambitious, yet attainable, goals happen when all stakeholders, community leaders, families and our wonderfully skilled staff join forces to invest in our community.

Owning a Habitat Greater San Francisco home is life changing. Homeowners report improved health, better educational outcomes for their children, and an undeniable sense of pride in homeownership. They gain stability as they can once and for all plan for their future without fear or uncertainty. This impact is felt throughout each family and their community for generations. The beauty of our model is simple, ensuring first time affordable homeownership for working families that are most often the fabric of our community, teachers, health care workers, city staff, retail workers, school personnel, clergy, and day care providers. Their home sets them on a path for success and then when they are ready to enter the market rate housing ecosystem, their Habitat Greater San Francisco home becomes home to another family that begins this journey and then repeats. Habitat Greater San Francisco repurchases all the homes (273 to date) in our network, the homeowners get their shared equity through the return of their principal payments, plus some Consumer Price Index, then we renew the home with our staff and volunteers and another family is selected to be the new homeowners.

We are proud of our impact, inspired by our legacy, and committed to building and preserving more homes now and in the future. We look forward to welcoming many more communities, cities, and municipalities into our Habitat family and are so grateful for all who support and engage in our work.

To learn more about our mission and work in the Bay Area, please visit: habitatgsf.org

---

---

HOUSING

State of California Response to Pacifica Housing Element

August 8, 2023

Christian Murdock, Planning Director 
Planning Department 
City of Pacifica 
540 Crespi Drive, Address Pacifica, CA 94044

Dear Christian Murdock 

RE: City of Pacifica’s 6^th Cycle (2023-2031) Draft Housing Element 

Thank you for submitting the City of Pacifica’s (City) draft housing element received for review on May 10, 2023. Pursuant to Government Code section 65585, subdivision (b), the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is reporting the results of its review. Our review was facilitated by a site visit and conversations with you and your staff on July 7 and 27, 2023. In addition, HCD considered comments from Summer Lee, John Keener, CKS Environmental, Toll Brothers, YIMBY Law, Galla Bradshaw, Jan Turner, Nancy Tierner, David Kellogg, Jeffrey E. Sinder, Remi Tan and Suzanne Moore, pursuant to Government Code section 65585, subdivision (c).

The draft element addresses many statutory requirements; however, revisions will be necessary to substantially comply with State Housing Element Law (Gov. Code, § 65580 et seq). The enclosed Appendix describes the revisions needed to comply with State Housing Element Law. 

As a reminder, the City’s 6th cycle housing element was due January 31, 2023. As of today, the City has not completed the housing element process for the 6th cycle. The City’s 5th cycle housing element no longer satisfies statutory requirements. HCD encourages the City to revise the element as described above, adopt, and submit to HCD to regain housing element compliance.

For your information, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1398 (Chapter 358, Statutes of 2021), as the City failed to adopt a compliant housing element within 120 days of the statutory deadline (January 31, 2023), sites to make prior identified sites available or accommodate the regional housing needs allocation (RHNA) must be completed no later than one year from the statutory deadline. Otherwise, the local government’s housing element will no longer comply with State Housing Element Law, and HCD may revoke its finding of substantial compliance pursuant to Government Code section 65585, subdivision (i). Please be aware, if the City fails to adopt a compliant housing element within one year from the statutory deadline, the element cannot be found in substantial compliance until all necessary rezones are completed pursuant to Government Code section 65583, subdivision (c)(1)(A) and Government Code section 65583.2, subdivision (c).

Public participation in the development, adoption and implementation of the housing element is essential to effective housing planning. Throughout the housing element process the City should continue to engage the community; including organizations that represent lower-income and special needs households; by making information regularly available and considering and incorporating comments where appropriate. Please be aware, any revisions to the element must be posted on the local government’s website and to email a link to all individuals and organizations that have previously requested notices relating to the local government’s housing element at least seven days before submitting to HCD.

Several federal, state, and regional funding programs consider housing element compliance as an eligibility or ranking criteria. For example, the CalTrans Senate Bill (SB) 1 Sustainable Communities grant, the Strategic Growth Council and HCD’s

Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, and HCD’s Permanent Local Housing Allocation consider housing element compliance and/or annual reporting requirements pursuant to Government Code section 65400. With a compliant housing element, the City will meet housing element requirements for these and other funding sources. 

For your information, some general plan element updates are triggered by housing element adoption. HCD reminds the City to consider timing provisions and welcomes the opportunity to provide assistance. For information, please see the Technical Advisories issued by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research at: https://www.opr.ca.gov/planning/general-plan/guidelines.html.

We are committed to assist the City in addressing all statutory requirements of State Housing Element Law. If you have any questions or need additional technical assistance, please contact Sohab Mehmood, of our staff, at sohab.mehmood@hcd.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Paul McDougall
Senior Program Manager

Click here to see enclosure document to states’s letter

---

A Review of the Housing and Community Development (HCD) response to Pacifica’s draft Housing Element

By Jeremy Levine, Housing Leadership Council

Editor’s note: In response to requests from Pacifica community members, Jeremy Levine, Housing Leadership Council, offers some feedback on the HCD response to Pacifica’s draft Housing Element.

“My primary goal is to help get Pacifica’s Housing Element certified as quickly as possible to avoid future Builder’s Remedy proposals.”

Before diving into the HCD response, I think it’s worth considering the bigger picture: Housing elements are about policy change. All of the elaborate research that makes up a housing element–of local housing need, the governmental constraints to meeting that need, and the fair housing implications of the city’s policy choices–are supposed to lead to policy outcomes that respond to what the city learns. The analyses alone cannot make a housing element comply with state law, only appropriate policy change can.

Pacifica’s HCD review letter identifies a number of technical shortcomings in the housing element, particularly with the site inventory and the constraints analysis. However, I’d worry less about the comments on technical requirements than about the policies they imply Pacifica should implement. Fundamentally, the policy changes–not the analysis–will earn Pacifica certification and lead to the actual housing development we need. I am going to focus on some of the policy remedies that I think are worth considering based on the HCD review letter:

Expedite publicly owned sites and plan for alternatives:

• See the “Publicly-Identified Sites” comment; also page 12, “actions [to promote housing on publicly owned sites] need to be revised with additional actions, firm commitments, discrete timelines, and quantifiable metrics. The element should also include specific actions, as needed, to making the Caltrans sites available during the planning period.”

• I recommend a dual strategy here: For city-owned sites and the Caltrans sites, the city should commit to denser rezoning, a minimum quantity of homes to be delivered per site, and a concrete timeline for development AND backup options to rezone elsewhere if the city is unable to initiate development on all sites by 2026. For Jefferson Union High School District (JUHSD) owned sites, the city should either remove them from the inventory or adjust realistic capacity expectations to be 5% of total development capacity because of the low likelihood of these sites developing during the planning period.

Reduce parking minimums:

• Page 8: “The element must include a program committing to reducing parking requirements for smaller bedroom types”

• I recommend reducing parking requirements to 1 space for a studio or one-bedroom, 1.5 spaces for a two bedroom or larger. One uncovered parking space adds $50,000+ to development costs; covered parking can cost twice that. If we want to make housing more affordable, we need to plan for people, not cars, first.

Streamline the approval process for housing developments:

• Page 9: “The element must include or modify a program addressing and removing or modifying the Site Development Plan and Conditional Use Permit (CUP) (beyond objective standards) for multifamily housing in zones that are intended to permit multifamily housing”

• Discretionary review of development applications adds massive costs and uncertainty to the development process. To the extent possible, Pacifica should seek to pre-specify clear rules and then allow developers to operate within those rules without further interference.

Promote multi-family housing in new neighborhoods:

• Page 14: “The element must include significant and meaningful programs (beyond the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)) that target Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RCAA) and relatively higher income neighborhoods”

• In practice, promoting housing in higher income neighborhoods often means promoting housing in single-family neighborhoods, which are typically the most expensive in any jurisdiction. That might involve rezoning sites owned by religious institutions and other quasi-public mission-driven organizations. It could also include rezoning for “missing middle” housing–quadplexes, townhouses, and other lower-density multi-family housing types that are not necessarily deed-restricted affordable but provide less costly options than standalone single-family residences.

Rezone all opportunity sites with local ordinance:

• “Based on the results of a complete sites inventory and analysis, the City may need to add or revise programs to address a shortfall of sites or zoning available to encourage a variety of housing types.”

• Several sites in Pacifica’s inventory rely on state laws like AB 2011 to justify their inclusion. However, in order to utilize AB 2011 and other state legislation, developers have to jump through a number of hoops that limit the law’s effectiveness. In order to justify its inventory, Pacifica may need to pursue a local rezone that is more flexible than state law.

These policies alone might not be enough to guarantee certification because Pacifica still needs to fully analyze its sites and the constraints to building housing on them. Policy change in a handful of other areas, including fees, may help preemptively address issues that the city’s analyses could uncover.

Lastly, I know there has been discussion about increasing Pacifica’s inclusionary zoning requirement. HCD seems somewhat wary of this strategy, potentially because Pacifica has such a limited track record of any kind of multi-family housing development. (Page 10: “[The element] must also analyze the City’s inclusionary housing requirements, including its impacts as potential constraints on the development of housing for all income levels.”)

As a result, it may be worth focusing more on creating new incentives for affordable housing rather than ratcheting up requirements that could be perceived as rigid. Incentives for affordable housing could include a local density bonus more generous than the state rules, extra expedited permitting, and fee waivers or deferrals.

I look forward to seeing the Pacifica community’s ongoing housing element discussion. Anyone in Pacifica can reach me at jlevine@hlcsmc.org or schedule a meeting at calendly.com/jlevine97.”

---

HIP Housing Home Sharing Program Updates

Lastest Housing Offered

Latest Roommate Seekers

---

---

SOCIAL JUSTICE

There once was a time when wildlife was abundant, and all life forms flourished

There once was a time when wildlife was abundant, and all life forms flourished.

Not long ago there were tule elk and beavers in the coastal marshes, large herds of two-pronged antelope and black-tailed deer grazing in the grassland prairies; there was an abundance of sea life — otters, salmon, steelhead, and freshwater clams. There were massive flocks of migrating birds — flocks so large, they would darken the sky as they flew overhead. The abundance of wildlife is reflected in some of our current place names, such as Elkhorn Slough in what is currently Moss Landing (Monterey Bay) or Rancho del Oso State Park, at Waddell creek. The name “Pruristac,” the Rammaytush village in Pacifica along San Pedro creek, reflects a former resting place for sand hill cranes on their migratory routes. 

When our Rammaytush ancestors lived here (pre-European contact), there existed an abundance of wildlife and plant life, an abundance of food sources to nourish all. The Indigenous view of life has always stressed the importance of interconnectedness. All living things are considered to be our relatives and have a purpose and a right to exist. This even extends to our stone relatives, the oldest of our ancestors. 

Among all the creatures that once flourished here in our ancestral homelands, the largest of all were the grizzly bears. Due to the mild climate in Rammaytush homelands, our grizzly bear relatives had no need to hibernate. They continued to feast on the abundance that surrounded them year-round. They ate fish, including salmon, grasses, seeds, acorns, roots, myriad kinds of berries and also large mammals, including elk, deer, and even beached whales. These grizzlies grew to massive heights of twelve feet when standing! The Indigenous Rammaytush communities that once thrived here along the San Francisco Peninsula had the ability to cohabitate with these massive, powerful creatures that roamed the coast in abundance. They were our relatives, whom we lived with for thousands of years, even while we lived in tule huts with no doors!

These massive, powerful creatures were revered and respected as is evidenced in our still-existing bear ceremonies, where the strength and power of our relatives are used for healing the community. Bear ceremonies always include the use of mugwort to remind humans to relate to bears with the smell of the natural world around them.

The Indigenous relationship of respect and reverence for the natural world was in stark contrast to the newcomers who found their way here. Colonizers felt fear and disdain for the grizzly bear and demonized these magnificent creatures who once roamed the coastal areas. In contrast to the indigenous ability to share the land, the newcomers were intolerant and violent towards the grizzlies.

After foreign cattle were introduced into California, grizzly bears began to be used for entertainment in the form of bear versus bull fights. Following California statehood in 1850, grizzlies were further demonized, feared, loathed and hunted to extinction by the early 1900s. Today, the only remnant of these revered creatures, who once densely populated the land, appears on the California state flag.

The Indigenous perspective of respect and interconnectedness with the natural world is a great contrast to the foreign view of human hierarchy and superiority over the natural world, which results in a false sense of power and control.

Kanna-k Cata Gomes
Founder & Director, Muchia Te’ Indigenous Land Trust
muchiateilt.org
muchiate.ilt@gmail.com

---

A Community Dialog about the Impact of Racism

By Pacifica Peace People

Pacifica Peace People, in collaboration with local community organizations and peace-loving, social justice residents of Pacifica, invites everyone to this upcoming event,”A Community Dialog about the Impact of Racism,” in October. We created this opportunity to address the expressions of racism that we have encountered here in Pacifica. We are providing a safe place to explore ways to uproot racism in our community. Let’s hear ideas that foster inclusivity and diversity and understanding. 

This “first” event on October 5th will offer our community an opening, a way to start the conversation with the expectation that future events will prepare us to more skillfully address racism and promote a community that will bring us together in our homes, neighborhoods, work sites, and any gatherings of cultural, recreational, political, and religious affiliations. Pacifica Peace People is committed to creating a cohesive community, and learning additional ways to continue this conversation. Let’s see what we can accomplish together.

---

JUST ACTION – Challenging the segregation enacted under The Color of Law

---

October is LGBTQ+ History Month

CoastPride Movie Night at the CoastPride Center (711 Main Street, HMB) Tuesday, September 12, 6:30-8:30 pm

This month we’ll be watching Yes I Am: The Ric Weiland Story. Yes I Am is a documentary that chronicles the life of LGBTQ pioneer and unknown founder of Microsoft. With his newfound wealth, he turned to philanthropy during his life and donated more than 200 million to fund more than 60 non-profits organizations. His efforts still have a massive impact today. However, as his wealth grew, Ric seemed to skip further into self-doubt, depression, and a kind of imposter syndrome.

RSVP here. (RSVP not required but is greatly appreciated.)

Outdoor meet-up – Enjoy Rancho through your Senses CoastPride is partnering with the Golden Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy to host a walk and lunch at Rancho Corral de Tierra on September 30! The event will last from 10 am – 1 pm and lunch will be provided. To register or ask questions, email ctrujillo@ParksConservancy.org.

---

---

CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT

Support Bay Area Transit, Bike or Bus to the Fog Fest Sep 23,24 – Rick Nahass

Rick Nahass is a member of the Pacifica Climate Committee.

September is Transit Month! The Pacifica Climate Committee (PCC) is thrilled to be joining San Francisco Transit Riders (SFTR) and Seamless Bay Area in various activities celebrating our city and region’s public transit that we all know and ride. It is more important than ever before that we show our elected leaders how important transit is to our city, and that we need to continue funding it. 

The whole month is full of exciting and interactive events for you and your family to attend. See all the events here and be sure to follow along on social media @SFTRU and @SeamlessBayArea.

We’re thrilled that the Pacifica Fog Fest is part of Bay Area “Transit Month”. We’re supporting this year’s Transit Month because we believe that everyone in our city and region should have access to safe, affordable, accessible public transit. We have seen people get back on the bus and rail all year long, and our region is better for it. Public transit not only lowers the barrier to opportunities, combats climate change, connects people across our city, and more. If you’d like to learn more about transit month or join us for any of the many events, head over to SFTR’s website to see a full calendar of events!

Stop by our PCC Booth at Fog Fest and let us know your ideas for improving transportation in Pacifica.

Getting to the the Fog Fest Sep 23 and 24

• BART or Muni 28 to Daly City BART Station – Hop on SamTrans 110
• At Colma BART – Hop on SamTrans 112
• Passenger stops are at both Francisco and Oceana Blvd., 1 block from the event

Click here to see a video on how to load your bike onto the SamTrans bus

NOTE: FOR SAFETY REASONS BIKES ARE NOT PERMITTED IN THE EVENT SPACE

If you are arriving by bike on SamTrans from BART/SamTrans, please get off at the Manor Stop on Palmetto and ride your bike 3/4 mile down Palmetto Ave to the bike racks at the North Lot.

---

Climate Action and Adaptation Task Force – Nancy Tierney

Nancy Tierney is a member of the Pacifica Climate Committee.

In April 2023, the Pacifica City Council voted to establish a task force to update its 2014 Climate Action Plan. The City then invited community members to apply for service on the task force. At the Council meeting of July 10, the Council selected 11 members. The group will hold its first meeting in late September and develop a work plan for the updated climate action plan in about an 18-month timeframe. The purpose of the task force is:

To develop a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) for adoption by the City Council that identifies measurable targets and specific actions the City can take to reduce its Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) in Pacifica on a timeline that gives consideration to funding and resources available to the City, and that includes provisions to monitor the implementation of the CAAP, as well as plan for its update at an interval deemed appropriate.

In the presentation to Council, staff described a Climate Action Plan as a roadmap that identifies measurable targets and specific actions the agency may take to reduce GHG in its community. In light of the growing and ubiquitous evidence of climate change impacts, jurisdictions now are developing ways to adapt. Thus new plans and updates to earlier CAPs such as Pacifica’s now include Adaptation measures. The staff report goes on to say that:

An effective Plan will establish targets and actions in the sectors that fall within a local government’s authority, including transportation, energy, building optimization, and management of water and waste, and include a baseline inventory of GHG emissions, forecasts for planned emissions reductions and carbon offsets, goals and targets, strategies for implementation, and a method for tracking progress.

With a focus on GHG reductions, the resulting plan is expected to identify strategies for transportation and building electrification and reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). In the spirit of adaptation, community resilience has emerged as a key component of current CAAPs. Building community resilience could address infrastructure protections, more nature-based climate solutions, approaches to increased tree canopy and green streets. The CAAP process will involve considerable data collection, working closely with the San Mateo County Office of Sustainability and other regional agencies (e.g., BAAQMD). With many CAAP models from other cities and organizations as resources, the task force will not be lacking for ideas. As a member of the task force, I look forward to this challenging and meaningful work.

---

Tree City Pacifica – Paul Totah

As director of communications for Tree City Pacifica (TCP), I am given the opportunity and the challenge of getting the word out regarding Pacifica’s Arbor Day celebration (which is Nov. 11 by the way) and a host of other issues revolving around the politics and policies of trees. One way I do this is through Pacifica Voice, which goes out to like-minded people. The challenge lies in informing and educating a wider audience.

Lately, TCP has had some success in this regard. The Pacifica Tribune has never failed to promote upcoming events or publicize past ones. In August, we were even featured in its insert, Coastside Magazine, which you can read at this link. The article, “Reaching for Coastal Canopy,” written by August Howell, offered a great overview of our group and our efforts to offer guidance to Pacifica’s city council and staff during the Heritage Tree Ordinance revision process. We are continuing that work as we encourage the city to include a canopy goal in its Climate Action Plan, and we are heartened that one of our founding members, Kai Martin, is a member of the newly formed Climate Action Taskforce.

The fruits of this publicity can be found in the various responses, including a letter to the editor written by Kenneth Habeeb of Half Moon Bay. A real estate appraiser, Kenneth knows the advantages that trees offer to property values as well as to our climate and biodiversity. He writes: “Trees also require maintenance, and some cities have to stretch for funds to keep their trees thriving, but the outcome is really well worth the expense.”

We know newspapers and magazines aren’t the only way to get the word out. We have our Facebook page, and we regularly post on Nextdoor. We also have an email list we use to communicate to nearly 200 folks who constitute our broader base.

In addition, our members speak at various gatherings, including the Rotary Club and the Pacifica Garden Club, letting them know who we are and what we do. At the latter, Sandy Ayers, a gifted landscape architect and member of Tree City Pacifica, made an illuminating presentation on the “Right Tree for the Right Place” for homeowners who want to plant trees that will thrive. As powerful as articles are, nothing beats person-to-person communication.

Word about our efforts goes out, too, thanks to our involvement with local schools. We planted at Oceana High School last year, and we have formed a partnership with several teachers there, including Peter Menard, and the school’s Garden Club. This year, when we plant 20 trees at Fairway Park and some of the nearby homes, we know that Oceana students will be there to help. 

Younger students are involved too, thanks to a school art contest that we sponsor. The winning students will have their art displayed at the Sanchez Art Center thanks to support from Cindy Abbott, the center’s director. Pacifica School District students also take part in Arbor Day thanks to 10 trees that are planted at various campuses each year.

Speaking of art, we also have some indirect ways of getting the word out. My neighbor Steve Hornstra and I recently finished a free online book — Earth, Word, Fire and Water (available in pdf here) — of my poems paired with Steve’s landscape photos. The Tribune was kind enough to highlight our efforts in this story. By showing poems and photographs about trees and our beautiful natural world, we offer inspiration (I hope) as well as a message. There’s an old saying I love: You won’t save that which you don’t love, and you can’t love that which you don’t know. Thus, it all starts with knowledge, which leads to a sense of interconnection, which leads, in turn, to stewardship. I hope our book echoes and magnifies everything else we do so that those on the coast continue to know, connect and care for this special and precious place.

---

Data Collection to Protect the Ocean September 16 and 23

This year marks the 39th California Coastal Cleanup Day (CCCD), the state’s largest annual volunteer event. Organized by the California Coastal Commission in partnership with NGOs and local government partners, this yearly event is a testament to the power of collective action. Since 1985, over 1.6 million volunteers have removed more than 26 million pounds of trash from beaches and waterways. But it’s not just about collecting and documenting the trash on our coastlines. 

The data collected from California Coastal Cleanup Day has played a pivotal role in shaping legislation aimed at protecting the environment and preventing trash from entering our oceans. One example of the transformative impact of CCCD data is evident in the use of single-use plastic bags in California. Plastic bags were once the fifth most common item of trash collected during cleanups. Through a focused data-driven effort, however, California banned single-use plastic bags in 2016.

The results have been remarkable: In 2010, 7.42% of the trash collected on CCCD were plastic bags, but this dropped to only 2.82% in 2017, just one year after the ban.

As the legacy of California Coastal Cleanup Day grows, it reinforces the notion that collaboration between government agencies, NGOs, local communities, and concerned citizens can result in true ACTION and IMPACT! The Pacific Beach Coalition is proud to be a partner in this effort. Go to the Pacific Beach Coalition’s CCCD page to learn to learn how you can participate.

---

---

COMMUNITY UPDATES

15th Annual 50|50 Show Opens Sept 8-9 Sanchez Art Center

Sanchez Art Center announces the most wonderful time of year… the Annual 50|50 Show, running Sept 8–Oct 1, 2023. Celebrating 15 years, the 50|50 Show has become a destination for art lovers throughout the SF Bay Area and beyond. Since the first show, 45,950 small (6” x 6”) affordable artworks have been created by +900 artists! Participating California artists create 50 small artworks within a time span of 50 days, an artistic journey requiring a bold vision, artistic power, and perseverance to undertake. The result of the 55 artists’ accomplishment is a dazzling array of original art that along with the affordability of the small (6” x 6”) artworks makes the 50|50 Show, the most highly anticipated exhibition of the year.

The 50|50 Show opens with a fundraiser held over two days, Fri, Sept 8 – Sat, Sept 9. This staggered opening provides art lovers the optimal experience to select the day and timed interval of their choice and are the only days to view the 55 installations comprising 2,750 works, in their entirety. The opening fundraiser also offers live music, time to chat with artists about their work, and the opportunity to purchase your favorite pieces. (Note: all works stay on the wall during the opening and can either be picked up or shipped to buyers for a small fee as of the week of Sept 11.) Tickets are limited and none will be available at the door, so get yours early on Eventbrite.com.

Marianna Stark, the principal of M Stark Gallery, Half Moon Bay, and an active member of the Bay Area visual art community for 30 years, took great pleasure in reviewing the over 180 entrants, and took on the challenge of selecting only 55 artists based on their submitted images of past works and proposed theme. With her expert eye evoking a west coast aesthetic and understanding of the contemporary art scene, the resulting show contains an exciting variety of subject matters and styles featuring works in clay, acrylic and oil paint, fiber, metal, watercolor, pastel, encaustic, glass and more.

For the artists, developing an overall theme that will absorb their artistic practice over 50 days is how the process begins. Current culture, creatures – real and imagined – domesticated and wild, nature and our relationship with it is highlighted in pieces about water – gardens – flowers – trees, pattern, and color are a few of the themes that infuse the work, along with feelings about home, motherhood and the female form embraced in works by several of the artists. Rose Hagen, Los Altos, has visually documented in glass the tragedy of “50 Days in America: the toll of mass shootings”. Sebastian Roldan, working in mild steel, shares “Musings of an Insomniac Metal Artist Who Can’t Draw”. Dwight Long, San Francisco, has documented in acrylic, vehicles found on Bay Area streets and a few that might be there in the future, in “Vroom!”. Shana Bryant, San Mateo, has re-imagined pop culture as one that accepts Blackness and her sister, Shari Bryant, San Carlos, continues her exploration of Black women in fantasy. Jenifer Renzel, San Jose, also created fantasy worlds, working in mixed media to create “Experiments in World Building and Monster Making.” Margaret Niven, Scotts Valley, utilized hand-cut linoleum blocks to print “…Forest for the Trees”, Monica Bryant, Santa Rosa, explores ties that bind us entwined with nature’s stories in “The Beauty of Our Interconnectedness,” and Judy Rosenfield, Oakland, celebrates her backyard creating stained glass mosaic “…Snapshots from the Garden” abundant with vegetables, flowers and birds. Lisa Levine, Oakland, shows the exterior of homes can display the interests and personalities of those inside, while at the same time bringing reality into question with the homes surrounding landscape in, “Virtually No Place Like Home”. “Beauty of the Feminine”, ink, watercolor, and pen by Karla Moffett, draws on societal pressure and obsession with physical form, and Sydney Brown, shares the challenge of being present and honest while parenting, in “Labor, Love and Insanity”, granting empathy to each from mother to child.

Can’t make the opening? Don’t worry! After the opening fundraiser, Sanchez Art Center will welcome visitors at no charge on Sunday, Sept 10, 1–5 pm, and thereafter galleries are open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 1–5 pm, through Oct 1. Beginning on Sunday, Sept 10, art buyers get to immediately take purchases home with them. Art enthusiasts often visit multiple times to take it all in, and return again and again. Facemasks are not required, while we welcome visitors to do what is best for their personal circumstance.

Proceeds from the 50|50 Show support Sanchez Art Center’s programs that, for 25 years, have created community through art. Special thanks to exhibition sponsors: Art Guild of Pacifica, M Stark Gallery, Bleyle Elevator, and Shelldance Orchid Gardens.

Don’t miss this inspiring celebration of art and artists! Order your ticket to the Opening Fundraiser at Eventbrite.com. Sanchez Art Center is located at 1220 Linda Mar Blvd in Pacifica, about a mile east of Highway 1. For more information: info@SanchezArtCenter.org, SanchezArtCenter.org.

---

Pacifica Library Events

Wood Art for Adults
Thursday, September 7 at 11am at Sharp Park Library
Discover the tips and techniques needed to paint different types of beautiful still life paintings with acrylic paint on wooden coasters. Still life is the art of drawing or painting inanimate objects such as fruit or flowers. The practice of still life improves your observation skills as you learn about composition, shape, tone, color, pattern and texture.
REGISTER HERE

House Drawing “What Does Home Mean to You?”
Wednesday, September 13 at 3pm at Sharp Park Library
Draw a picture showing what home means to you and have the chance to enter it into the HIP Housing Calendar Art Contest! The contest is open to participants in kindergarten-5th grade.

Hand-Made Paper Lanterns
Thursday, September 14 at 3:30pm at Sharp Park Library
Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and create your own special paper lantern! We’ll provide the supplies and you bring the creativity.

GoPro Hands On Workshop
Monday, September 18 at 3:30pm at Sharp Park Library
Monday, September 25 at 3:30pm at Sharp Park
Have some fun making videos with GoPro cameras. Learn how to use the GoPro camera and the basics of making good videos. This program is geared towards middle schoolers. Participants are welcome to attend just one or both workshop sessions.

Be Sensitive, Be Brave for Suicide Prevention
Monday, September 18 at 5:30pm at Sharp Park Library
The suicide prevention workshop teaches community members to act as eyes and ears for suicidal distress and to connect individuals to help. In this workshop, you will learn how to identify signs of suicide, ask if someone is considering suicide sensitively and confidently, connect individuals with the appropriate support and approach suicide prevention in a culturally sensitive manner. This training is geared for high school age students and adults.
REGISTER HERE

Air Dry Clay
Tuesday, September 19 at 3:30pm at Sharp Park and Sanchez Library
Use your imagination to form whatever special creations you can dream up using air dry clay!

Board Game Free Play
Wednesday, September 20 at 3pm at Sharp Park and Sanchez
Join us for free play board games at both of our library locations! Stop by and play any of the library’s board games with family, friends, or a library staff member.

Draw Your Own Puzzle
Thursday, September 21 at 3pm at Sharp Park Library
Draw a beautiful picture and then turn it into a puzzle at this interactive craft program.

Button Making
Tuesday, September 26 at 3:30pm Sharp Park and Sanchez Library
Learn how to use a button maker to craft buttons personalized with your own designs.

Water Coloring
Wednesday, September 27 at 3pm at Sharp Park and Sanchez Library
Learn the basics of water coloring and make your own beautiful artwork at this interactive craft workshop.

Fall Flower Crowns
Thursday, September 28 at 3:30pm at Sharp Park Library
Make a beautiful and festive crown that celebrates the fall season.

---

Pacificans Care Highlights

Pacificans Care Presents 2023 People Who Care Awards

The Pacificans Care Board of Directors is pleased to announce its 2023 People Who Care Award recipients including former mayor and council member Mary Ann Nihart, former Parks, Beaches, and Recreation Department Director Mike Perez. People Who Care Awards recognize and honor groups, businesses or individuals in Pacifica who have significantly contributed to the well-being of the community and, through their actions and contributions exempli Pacifica as a community that cares.

In addition, the Pacificans Care board voted to present a Lifetime Achievement Award, posthumously, to Jane Northrop recognizing her 40-year career as a Pacifica Tribune reporter and supporter of the Pacifica community.

The award ceremony will take place on Tuesday, September 19^th from 5:00 to 7:00pm at the Coastside Historical Museum, 1850 Francisco Blvd. Lite refreshments will be served. Members of the community are encouraged to attend this incredibly special annual event recognizing Pacifica’s finest citizens.

Mark Your Calendars, Double Gold Day is back!

After an overwhelming success last year Pacificans Care will again be sponsoring its Double Day Wine Tasting event featuring wines from around the world receiving double gold and gold awards at the recent San Francisco International Wine Competition. The event happens from 2:00 to 4:00pm on Sunday, October 15^th at the Pedro Point Firehouse.

Proceeds from the event support the efforts of Pacifica’s four core social service agencies, Pacifica Senior Services, Pacifica Child Care Services, Pacifica Youth Service Bureau, and the Pacifica Resource Center, in providing services to Pacifica children, youth, families and seniors in need.

In addition to tasting fine wines, event goers will enjoy appetizers especially prepared to complement the wines. A ‘Wine Pull” featuring Double Gold and Gold bottles of wine and a drawing for special prizes will be available.

Tickets to the event will be available beginning September 15^th at pacificanscare.org.

Pacificans Care and Grocery Outlet team up for the Community

Pacifica’s Grocery Outlet designated Pacificans Care and the Pacifica Resource Center as recipients of funds raised during their ‘Independence from Hunger’ Campaign during the month of July. Pacificans Care Board members and Champions joined with Grocery Outlet staff bagged groceries and talked with shoppers about donating $5 to the campaign and receiving a $5 coupon for their next shopping visit to the store in return for their donation. It was a win-win situation for the donors and the community.

Besides donating to the campaign shoppers could also purchase a bag of groceries for the Pacifica Resource Center grocery pantry.

Thanks to Pacifica’s generous shoppers Grocery Outlet presented Pacificans Care with a check for $10,000 that will support Pacifica’s four core social service agencies including Pacifica Senior Services, Pacifica Child Care Services, Pacifica Youth Service Bureau, and the Pacifica Resource Center.

Pacificans Care thanks Grocery Outlet and its wonderful staff for their continuing support of the Pacifica community.

For more information about Pacificans Care
Website: PacificansCare.com
Email pacificanscare1982@gmail.com
Facebook.com/PacificansCare
P.O. Box 875, Pacifica, California 94044

---

THE RETURN OF OUR PALM-A-PALOOZA CELEBRATION!

Palm-a-Palooza 2023 Sunset Dreams
Auction, Dinner, Dessert, Drinks, & Sunset

Farallon Room at Skyline College

September 30, 2023
6:00-8:00pm
Doors open at 5:30pm

THE EVENT IS SOLDOUT
We are no longer accepting donations on this campaign, but there are other ways for you to support us today!

---

---