San Francisco

Marina Community Association

It was three years ago this week that a small group of neighbors decided to start the Marina Community Association. Our stated purpose was to improve and protect the quality of life in the Marina. We have now grown to almost 500 members. As I review our progress over the last three years we have some concrete achievements of which we can be proud.

• We have established a website that keeps our members informed of issues and events that affect the Marina.
• We send frequent emails to notify members of current events.
• We have held many meetings to help inform members.
• We have established a good working relationship with our Supervisor.
• We have represented the Marina on a number of city-wide task forces.

But as I reflect on the past three years and think of our original purpose, it seems we have done more "protecting" and less "improving". For example:

• We have fought the plan to build a maintenance building on the East Marina Green.
• We have opposed the plan to bring historic streetcars down Marina Boulevard, Beach Street, and Cervantes.
• We are working to prevent the Presidio from losing its Historic Landmark designation.

I think that part of the of the reason for this tendancy relates to why we all chose to live in the Marina. Most of us moved here because we liked the Marnia as it was and therefore we choos not to chage it too much. In a city that is governed as San Francisco is, people in good neighborhoods spend a lot of time trying to prevent the City from doing things to them - rather than for them.

Those of us who have been elected to the Board of the Marina Community Association depend on your involvement and input to ensure that we are representing the views of the majority of our members. Please send us your emails about issues that are important to you - so that we can keep focused in the right direction.