no. 82 PUBLISHED CENTRAL CITY Visitor policy BY THE SAN FRANCISCO violated at STUDY CENTER SEPTEMBER most SROs 2008 Residents’ rights HOUSING denied, many desk BOOM clerks extort a fee Thousands of BY T OM C ARTER units on way T was prearranged. Jason Foley, SAN FRANCISCO who lives at TNDC’s West Hotel, – many soon I told the desk clerk at 8:30 p.m. that he would have an overnight PAGE 3 guest. What he didn’t say was that F RINGE F ESTIVAL the friend, Allen White, and he were testing the West Hotel’s version of the city’s Uniform Visitors Policy, which is uniformly disregarded at most of the 503 SROs in the city. White arrived at 11:15. He was stopped at the door by the desk NEEDLES clerk and the night manager. They wouldn’t let him in. They said Foley OFF THE hadn’t followed the SRO’s proce- dure. STREET On the contrary, White said, whipping out a copy of the 2007 Uniform Visitors Policy for SRO Drop-box pilot Hotels and citing the rule that proved his case. The manager stood proves firm and said the West’s rules rule. successful A passing police beat patrol stopped and got involved. But, White says, the cops did not believe PAGE 5 him and sided with management. White walked away disgruntled and disillusioned. “(Ours) is not A fair and con- sistent SRO visitor a satisfactory policy has become White’s passion, P HOTO BY L ENNY L IMJOCO remedy. People and the March 27 want their incident at the Barbara Michaels rehearses her street play, “The Doormen,” in a doorway on O’Farrell Street. West is but a single rights, not example of his tire- less effort. Con - so much the fusion over the right of 30,000 SRO money.” residents to have Theater unleashed Delene Wolf overnight visitors — just like apart- RENT BOARD DIRECTOR ment dwellers — is decidedly nonmainstream works, runs causing consterna- 4-wheel performance, through Sept. 14. With 48 separate shows on tion throughout the SRO population. ART CRITIC the roster and a combined total of 286 per- Some hotels like the West have gay sex with Dad, formances, this is the biggest festival in multistep procedures for residents to FEELS recent years. follow and — if they don’t — their missives from Mission, Play topics are all over the map – figu- visitors are turned away. Others THE SPIRIT ratively and, in some cases, literally. Most charge visitors $5 to $20, basically and 45 plays more performances last an hour or less and take whatever the clerk thinks he can get At Civic Center place in nine theaters scattered throughout away with. BY H EIDI S WILLINGER the central city, but others are performed in The Uniform Visitors Policy, with Falun nontraditional venues. One offering, entitled “theatre that authored by Supervisor Daly six LL the world’s a stage, but peo- years ago, decrees rights to visitors. Gong Moves,” takes place in a van that tours some ple who like their theater on the of the Tenderloin’s hidden gems. The piece But the ordinance includes no prac- edgy side need look no further tical enforcement and SRO residents is the brainchild of Mercedes Segesvary, an PAGE 6 than the Tenderloin and West employee of a San Francisco tour company are left helpless. SoMa for the next two weeks. Daily abuses are seldem report- whose owners let her use their van for the AThe 17th annual San Francisco Fringe show. ed because of fear of retaliation, Festival, a showcase for uncensored and activists say. During her years hauling tourists to “I go into SROs when I get com- Yosemite, Muir Woods and the Wine plaints,” says Sheryl Abbeduto, a Country, Segesvary has closely observed veteran advocate with S.F. Mental passengers, as well as other tour drivers Health Clients’ Rights Advocates. “I who congregate while their passengers take take a copy of the visitors policy in the sights. She’s come up with a comedy with me and it’s the first thing I look that highlights, in part, “all the things that for. If they don’t have one up, I give can go wrong as a tour driver.” The show them one and tell them to follow the came about when she realized how much law and get it up. energy she puts into her tour patter. “I’m not “Another common complaint is just driving,” she says. “I’m also putting on having to pay for guests.” a one-woman show.” To combat the problems, the “Doormen” is another site-specific per- SRO Central City Collaborative this formance set in doorways along a two-block month starts leafleting TL and SoMa stretch of the Tenderloin. Playwright SROs about the residents’ right to Barbara Michaels leads the audience on a have visitors. Also, the SRO Mission walking tour that explores how encounters Collaborative is finishing a month- with others can change our lives. (See side- long survey of tenants’ gripes in the bar.) 55 SROs in that neighborhood. Even Many other plays are set in San before the results are in, the organi- P HOTO BY L IZ P AYNE Francisco. “Lost and Found in the Mission,” by Rowena Richie and Susie Hara, is based Mary Ann Boyd won’t hang it up even after ➤ CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 having 51 jobs in her 47 years. ➤ CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 FUTURES COLLABORATIVE Making — then taking — umbrage GOOD Boeddeker shadow problem pretty lightweight BY M ARJORIE B EGGS er, president of the North of next year. Market/Tenderloin Community Bene- • TNDC and Citizens Housing HADOW and transparency — a fit District and, come October, direc- Corp. are building 150 one-, two- and familiar concept in the worlds of tor of the new Community Justice three-bedroom apartments for low- for... S fine arts and computer anima- Center. “We want to make sure the income families, with 30 units NEWS tion — got a new twist at the August process is always transparent.” That reserved for homeless families, at includes letting neighbors know 1400 Mission. Estimated completion MACCANDO Tenderloin Youth Tenderloin Futures Collaborative Track Club got a boost at its annu- meeting. about conditional use hearings. date: 2012. al awards dinner Aug. 23 when Elks Oluseun Oke, project manager of “My role seems to always be pre- • Also, projected to be ready for Lodge No. 3 donated $1,500 to the TNDC’s planned affordable family senting the contrary view, but I have occupancy that year are TNDC’s 104 team. Lodge President Patrick housing development at the corner to say this,” said resident activist one-, two- and three-bedroom apart- Murphy made the presentation to of Eddy and Taylor, presented the David Baker. “I’d like a more bal- ments for low-income families at coach Rob McDaniels, a Rec and results of a shadow study — how the anced presentation about this shad- 1036-40 Mission, with 18 units Park director at the Tenderloin upper stories would cast their gloom ow issue. TNDC is self-interested. I reserved for homeless families. Children’s Playground. Earlier in on Boeddeker Park. The 130-apart- don’t feel there’s anyone to champi- • TNDC and Glide Economic the year, the Elks Club named ment structure steps back from seven on the residents. And Planning isn’t Development Corp. (Glide Housing) McDaniels its Citizen of the Year. floors on the Taylor side, doubling much help either.” broke ground in May at 149 Mason McDaniels started the team for at- that at its highest point. Oke said he had come to the St. — 56 studios for chronically risk Tenderloin kids at Boeddeker Those last seven stories will cre- meeting to show the community that homeless with extensive on-site sup- Park four years ago. It has grown to ate a shadow, Oke said. TNDC was being compliant with portive services. Move-in date: 2010. 33 youngsters, ages 5 to 16, who “At the maximum impact, on Sept. Planning regulations — “so you have • Also by 2010, TNDC expects to compete in track meets around the 12 and March 30, the shadow will a sense of what we’re doing.” have finished renovating the 211-unit Bay Area. Dozens of kids and par- cover only 3,111 square feet of the “But you are asking for an excep- Civic Center Residence at 44 ents went to the podium during the park’s total 41,373 square feet — less tion to the regulation, aren’t you?” McAllister, the 22 studios and five evening to tell how the team expe- than half of 1% increase in shade over Baker asked. Oke nodded. one-bedroom apartments at 165 rience made a difference in their the year — and only in the northern Nulty asked how many apartments Turk, and the 55 studios at 249 Eddy. lives. portion of the park,” he said. in the upper stories would create the • Way down the road, maybe six That’s the Ellis end of the park, the shadow. Implied in his question was years, TNDC and Citizens Housing the ethical dilemma: Does a shadow- Corp. plan to build 130 units of fam- CYBERUSERS It’s a year late, but least used area of Boeddeker. It’s the Tenderloin’s computer Tech locked, “with no programmed activity,” free park trump housing? ily housing at Fifth and Howard. Lab, a collaboration of St. Anthony says the fact sheet on the shadow study. “In those seven floors, it’s 70 units, They’ve already acquired rights to Foundation and S.F.