[Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill, via Google Maps] In what may be the first ballot measure ever launched by a dinner party, Proposition B won easily yesterday. While the goal of preserving Coit Tower's murals is laudable and necessary– both as a part of San Francisco's history and their place in the art historical canon of fresco painting and WPA projects— the proposition demands that the city "prioritize" their restoration and preservation. It looks more like a slap at Rec & Parks than good law.. And the puppy analogy is apt– no one's going to vote to not preserve the murals. Unless, of course, they saw Proposition B as an undesirable constraint on Rec & Parks.
Under Commission President Mark Buell and Director Phil Ginsberg, there's been an attempt to further monetize various park facilities, like Stow Lake and the Japanese Garden, and Telegraph Hill residents are fearful about their local monument becoming a party venue. Plus the surrounding neighbors use the parking lot at night, a vintage perk they'd like to hang onto. It was a well-organized campaign spearheaded by Telegraph Hill Dwellers, who ventured as far afield as the Castro to gather signatures for their backyard monument. There's a some additional backstory here, and it will be interesting to see how this "prioritization" plays out in the future, and the courts. Meanwhile, find some other place for your IPO party.
· Coit Tower Menu Features Fried Chicken, Halibut, Followed By ell-Whipped Hysteria
· The Results Are In: Trash Loses; Coit Tower Wins [SFist]
· Coit Tower, NIMBY Beacon To The World [Curbed SF]
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