If one of your New Year's resolutions was to get move involved with your neighborhood, tonight offers you a chance: the first Alamo Square Neighborhood Association (ASNA) meeting of the year will take place at Ziryab tonight.
As a reminder, ASNA was founded way back in the early 1960s to battle city plans to level Alamo Square and turn it into soccer fields. Since then the group has helped stop a freeway being built through the Panhandle, and put the kibosh on plans to demolish 2,500 Victorian homes in the neighborhood.
In 2014 there were a few hot topics on the agenda, as well as some entertaining neighborhood events. Issues of transportation are always on the minds of San Francisco residents, and changes to the 5-Fulton bus line caused concern about neighborhood culture and safety.
2014 was also the first year that the tour bus ban was fully in effect, with the SFMTA claiming that the volume of tour buses along Alamo Square decreased 90 percent as a result of the restrictions. Last year also saw the Alamo Square Flea Market held in collaboration with Western Addition Sunday Streets, making it a big day for neighborhood turnout.
The main purpose of tonight's meeting will be electing ASNA's new Board of Directors, which will be advocating on the group's behalf about issues that concern the neighborhood. This meeting will also offer an opportunity to sign up to become a member on a sliding scale of $15 - $100 for the year.
Looking ahead, there are big plans for the Alamo Square neighborhood in 2015. The ever-controversial Residential Parking Permit program may be taking effect, with enforcement happening as early as mid-June.
This year, Alamo Square will also be undergoing a major renovation. New bathrooms are slated to be installed, and with them the potential to revive the famous shoe garden. Irrigation systems will be updated at a time when renewed attention is going towards making our local park more resilient in the face of drought. This may include drought-tolerant beds of plants and grass that requires less watering.
Alamo Square will also be included in the SFPD's redistricting plan. Currently part of Park Station's district, the park area itself will soon become a part of Northern Station instead.
All this and more will be discussed this year. As for tonight's meeting, it will be held at Ziryab at 528 Divisadero St. Agenda items will officially start at 6:30pm, though neighbors are welcome to come to an informal meet and greet at 6pm.
