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Great Highway remains closed as agency redevelops, conflict continues

             As waves crash against the jagged seashore, onlookers huddle together, eager for warmth and shelter from the elements. They peruse the falling rocks and eroded embankments that shoulder the beach. The ocean writhes and churns, lashing out at the impermanence of the seashore.

            “This is an issue concerning Ocean Beach, Mother Earth and erosion,” said Supervisor Carmen Chu. “Ten years ago they were dealing with erosion, and today we are dealing with erosion.”

Here, at the westernmost coast of the Bay Area, miles of beaches stretch from the Cliff House to the Zoo, exposing the outermost areas of the city to the raging Pacific Ocean, as it has steadily eroded the coastline for years.

On Jan. 15, the City of San Francisco declared this area a state of emergency and closed the southbound lanes of the Great Highway south of Sloat Boulevard due to unsafe erosion conditions from storms and rising sea levels.

San Francisco’s Department of Public Works has proposed a $2.6 million-dollar plan to save the coastal road by dumping tons of large boulders over the edge of the highway. This, they assert, will protect against further erosion and “wave action.” Unfortunately for local surfers, “wave action” is crucial to their environment-based lifestyle.

“They shouldn’t put the rocks there if they’re ruining the surf break, that’s horrible. Half the people live in the Sunset because they surf there and they enjoy the beach,” said Brendan McManus, 21, who makes frequent trips from his apartment in SOMA.

“What they should do is build a high road that goes above and a little bridge or something. When the storms happens and the tide rises its just going to get destroyed by the waves anyway; it’s going to keep happening.”

With lots of head butting and little headway being made on the approved redevelopment plan that will eventually lead to the permanent re-opening of southbound traffic on San Francisco’s erosion-prone Great Highway, residents and surfers alike, remain restless.

“I go to school three times a week, sometimes coming home mid-day and going back again,” said SF State student Sara Chapman, 24. “Not having access to that part of the road adds major minutes to my drive time.”

A central problem, according to Chu, is the overlap of federal, state and city responsibility. The eroding bluff is considered to be property of the Golden Gate Park National Recreation Area whereas the roadway is on city land. Furthermore, the ocean and coastal land draw attention from state agencies, responsible for monitoring water conditions and drain runoff.

The heavily traveled coastal highway has been slowly diminishing into the sea for years, and has been closed intermittently in response to particularly damaging storms. It is currently closed for safety reasons but seems to be causing more angst then ‘thanks.’

When asked about the extent of the imposed road closure and any other thoughts moving forward, Frank Filice, manager of capital planning for the DPW, said in an e-mail that “we are mainly concerned with public safety and worried that heavy traffic vibrations could contribute to further erosion.” Clearly.

The exact reopen date is unknown, but the southbound lanes remain closed through June. Chu estimates that they should be open by late summer.

This is not the first time the Great Highway has been attacked by the frigid waters. In 1994, storms took out 30 to 40 feet of the bluff. Then in 1999, after an especially destructive El Niño winter, engineers decided to try constructing a barrier out of sand dredged from the shipping channel outside the Golden Gate. Nearly 300,000 cubic yards of sand have been dumped offshore every summer since.

A special Ocean Beach Task Force was established in 1999 to battle the problem. This task force outlined five simple steps to try and temporarily curb the problem.

The highway provides an alternate route to many commuters going between Daly City and the outer districts of the city. The four-lane highway is also a short cut to and from SF State, for students traveling from other parts of the city and bay.

“If you live anywhere in the Outer Sunset that is the fastest way to get to Highway 280, they better fix it,” said Gordon Asaoka, 56. “They just have to control Mother Nature and stop California from sliding into the ocean, it should be easy, right?”

So what is the long-term solution? No one can seem to agree. Ocean advocates like Save the Waves, a non-profit organization, believe that the repeatedly bringing in boulders to build up the seawall has not only proven to fail over time, but could also interfere with local ecology and the integrity of the surf breaks along Ocean Beach.

According to the DPW’s Web site, “the bluffs eroded up to 70 feet in some sections. Some damage also occurred under the Great Highway and near the Lake Merced Wastewater Tunnel, leaving the road and tunnel vulnerable.” Chu added that the tunnel might be the most significant problem and a threat to the city’s infrastructure.

“Ten million gallons of raw sewage would go right into the ocean,” Chu said. “All it would take is for the 14-foot pipe to burst from lack of protection due to inadequate erosion control.”

An erosion study conducted by the United States Geological Survey, states that “66 percent of California’s beaches are eroding.”

Central California, which covers the area from Point Reyes to just north of Santa Barbara, shows the highest percentage of erosion.

“Seems to me that they’re just shifting the problem somewhere else,” said Taylor Clayton, 24. “One thing I’ve read is that by putting in gigantic boulders in one place to stop erosion will mess with currents and tides and it will actually just shift the problem to another beach that’s just farther down the current; they need to find something that is more sustainable.”

            Construction is currently being carried out to restore the artificial sea wall, but no plans for long-term solutions have been decided. Most recent cost assessment estimates “coming in at around $2.9M for about 425 ft of length.” This money will come from taxpayer’s pockets.

“I think that people should figure out a system before they just use the trial by error process, it’s a waste of money for taxpayers like myself,” said Daniel Tesfai, 32. “Look at Pacifica where they’ve been putting rocks in for years and there’s still erosion.”

For now the road is closed, and temporary solutions are being implemented. The next public meeting will be held at 6:30 pm on Thursday, May 6 at the Janet Pomeroy Center.

“It’s unfortunate that this city needs to spend millions and close down one of the more major outer sunset intersections,” said Jenny Paulus, 28. “The flooding of the Great Highway is an issue that has caused many dangerous situations for commuters. I’m glad it’s finally getting resolved.”

Or is it? Stay tuned to find out if and how the problem is eventually fixed.

“It's still going on and it's a long, complicated process,” said Josh Berry, environmental director for Save the Waves. The non-profit organization has been active in the brainstorming process, advocating keeping the environment prioritized, and the surf intact.

Click here for more information and to view an ongoing timeline of the Great Highway project’s progress.
Image credits (from top to bottom): Crescent Calimpong / Surfrider Foundation, San Francisco chapter; Creative Commons, Evan Asano at surftherenow.com, Google maps.

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Into the journalist’s knapsack: special topics and tricks of the trade

Investigative Journalism is a handy reporter's manual, written by William C. Gaines as an instructional reference for the writing and willing.


First thing to remember: There is no such thing as an easy investigation!
Challenges will always present themselves and the most important skill a journalist can develop is the ability to rise to the occasion, whatever it may be. Remember these topics and they may prove quite helpful down the road.

On religion: past reporters have exposed corrupt religious organizations. Others have exposed fake or false advertising. Court battles were often necessary in order to pry into records. According to Gaines, “religion is an area that is not licensed, and officers of the church are not required to file information for either public or the IRS.” Therefore, the religious sect (no pun intended) of reporting usually requires laborious legal intervention but has many layers, deserving of investigation infused with new ideas and ingenuity to overcome obstacles.


On nepotism: defined by dictionary.com as “patronage bestowed or favoritism shown on the basis of family relationship, as in business or politics.” Another topic requiring a fair amount of pushes and pulls by the reporter. If a father hires only his sons, he may not only see it as fair, but do as much as possible to maintain these “rights.” Sometimes “unusual government structure” comes into play where although public records exist, they are being held privately. Pry. Be specific in requests and thoroughly errorless in filing all official documents to gain access.


On labor: according to Gaines, labor is the one are where “two sides—labor and management—square off, and investigative reporters will find they are caught in the middle.” To avoid accusations of favoritism or bias, the reporter must work extra hard to keep a fair game in mind. Gaines says that reporters often joke that they’ve done their job if both sides are displeased. Keep this idea in mind.

On money: There are always conflicts of interests when it comes to money. As an investigative journalist, one must always eye those with money and in power with suspicion. Even a government can be moving money into the wrong hands. Banking, investments and the general business of business are hot investigatory topics.


On schools: sometimes presenting a HUGE challenge, student records are private. The language of academia is also complicated and it would do a reporter well to study up on important terms and phrases. There are few kinds of schools as well. There are public, private and non-profit, and for-profit schools. Similar to government, schools have track records of occasionally misspending money. When investigating school keep in mind that students cannot legally be photographed. Also- track the schools spending to uncover possible scams or other stories of interest.


On postal service records: Give a box number to the postmaster and get the names of every person or company that has rented it. The postal code instructs this. Knowing box numbers are mail-order hoaxes and other scams.

On FCC filings: Remember the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). Although it’s only for special use, the filing is important when a person has interest in another’s property possession. They sometimes reveal wrongdoing. Although the information may be limited, it often provides enough hints in one direction or another.


On lobbyists: If things ever get out of hand in the political ruling arena, a lobbyist can be an important source in exposing special circumstances. Often a lobbyist will attempt to sway a politician with gifts. Finding out who accepts these gifts and for what reasons are very important to investigative journalists. Find out what the lawmaker did in return.


Lastly, keep these tips from the author in mind:
1. If a tip does not pan out, throw it out.
2. A supervising editor must be kept informed
3. The requirement for a confirmation cannot be satisfied by a remark of a person who has only a passing knowledge of the subject
4. Required steps cannot be skipped to rush a story because of pressure of competition
5. A full retraction of any information learned to be incorrect must be made immediately
6. Informants should not be pain for information about a competitor
7. Reporters do not make derogatory comments about a person they are researching
8. Every possible effort must be made to ensure that he subject of an investigation is provided an opportunity to reply to negative allegations in a story
9. Pictures of people must have positive identification, preferably by the subjects pictured.


Now it's time to investigate and report! Thumbs up! 

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Richmond District meetings address crime, community issues

 

Crime is on the rise in the Richmond District, according to residents and business owners. Signs point to local economic desperation that incites the robbing of laundromat change machines and increased shoplifting from neighborhood businesses.

“A few weeks ago a young man came into my business and pointed his hands at me in the shape of a gun and said ‘bang,” said Sparkle Laundry’s owner, Linda Lee. “It was frightening even as a gesture.”

In response to community unrest, the Richmond District’s police department hosts a monthly meeting. The next one will be held on April 13, location to be announced.

“I’ve always had shoplifting, but now people are stealing things like shaving cream!” said Joe Massis, resident and 10-year owner of the Richmond Market. “That’s desperation!”

The meetings fall on the second Tuesday of every month.

According to Richmond police officer and meeting organizer Jill Connelly, it is uncertain what the topic will be about.

“The police meetings focus on safety mainly,” said Mila Diaz, the Richmond Community Coalition’s community convener. “They focus on what’s going on in the neighborhood that’s crime-related: robberies, auto thefts and home burglaries.”

“We address specific issues, like quality of life,” Diaz continued. “There are lots of homeless in the Richmond that come here because it’s safe. These are issues I want to address.”

The Richmond Community Coalition hosts a quarterly meeting in Supervisor Eric Mar’s office at City Hall. The next one is scheduled for April 16^th at 8:30 am. 

Despite the apparent growing number of crimes, residents seem unaware of the recurring community meetings.
“I didn’t realize that there were meetings at all,” said Richmond resident Vanessa Pena. “It’s good to know that this resource is available.”