"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.

Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has"


Margaret Mead, Anthropologist
(used with permission)



"If you don't like the news .... go out and make some of your own !!"

Wes "Scoop" Nisker, Newscaster



INTRODUCTION

Government is a slow and tedious process. While it often includes citizen and neighborhood involvement, non-governmental, private organizations have created movements and interesting groups which can create positive change in our cities and towns.

I am fascinated by the way groups are created and how they influence public decision making. This blog merely recognizes them and forwards the description of these groups from their own websites.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Concerned Citizens of Western SoMa

Location: San Francisco, CA

Website: www.westernsoma.com

We are concerned citizens, residents, businesses and families who all live and work in the “Western SoMa” neighborhood in San Francisco.

We formed this group to help promote positive change in the area. We are a grassroots organization which has a vision of a growing vibrant neighborhood safe for all residents and visitors alike. Our group believes their should be more housing of all types – market, medium, and low income – as well as an environment which also encourages community-serving businesses to help foster future development of Western SoMa.

There is a current draft community plan written by the “Western SoMa Citizens Planning Task Force” will be submitted to the planning department on September 18 as a recommendation for future development requirements in this area.

Task Force (which has less then half of their 20+ members living or working in Western SoMa) created a plan which imposes restrictions which would prevent new businesses, homes, and the density required to provide a safe, vibrant neighborhood like so many other parts of this city.

This plan imposes which would prevent new businesses, homes, and the density required to provide a safe, vibrant neighborhood like so many other parts of this city.

But it doesn’t have to be this way – we have an alternative vision that instead encourages the needed development so many of us that truly live here agree we need.

This is your chance to meet others that share this view and be part of a group offering a solution we are proposing to city planners.

There is an Eastern Neighborhoods plan which covers an area which effectively surrounds the Western SoMa area. This plan represents a compromise between planners, developers, and other special interest groups in the city. It has been received with positive reviews, including the San Francisco Planning Department.

Most agree it promotes the type of growth that we need so badly here in Western With such a great plan covering such a large area, why are we not included?

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