Mayor Lee says $1.6 million prioritized for Taraval Street improvements; city to fund corridor outreach and ADA help

Mayor Edwin M. Lee told the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 11 that the city has prioritized $1,600,000 in bond funds for street improvements on Taraval Street and described a set of outreach and small‑business supports intended to help fill vacant storefronts and improve merchant conditions.

Supervisor Carmen Chu, who provided the month’s question on behalf of District 4, asked the mayor what specific physical improvements had been completed in the previous six months on Taraval between 40th Avenue and the Great Highway and what the Office of Small Business and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development had done to reach property owners and prospective businesses on the blocks between 30th and 33rd avenues.

Lee said the money comes from the 2011 repavement and street‑safety bond and is tied to a conceptual plan prepared by a community member during a “merchant walk” earlier in the year. “As part of the 2011 repavement and street safety bond that the Department of Public Works is implementing, we prioritized $1,600,000 for improvements along Taraval,” the mayor said, and added that the city would organize meetings with Supervisor Chu’s office and the neighborhood to refine the design.

The mayor said the Department of Public Works and partner agencies would be prepared to begin construction pursuant to an agreed plan “as soon as summer of 2013.” He described parallel non‑capital work: the Office of Economic and Workforce Development funds the Sunset Neighborhood Beacon Center and a part‑time corridor manager assigned to Taraval who talks with property owners and businesses, encourages storefront upgrades and coordinates neighborhood cleanups. Lee said the corridor manager has been funded since February 2009.

On public safety and neighborhood activation, Lee said the Police Department will increase patrols along Taraval in response to a localized rise in criminal activity, and the city is promoting events intended to increase visitors to the corridor, including a Friday‑night movie series. He also said the city is launching a new ADA improvement program in District 4, in partnership with Asian Neighborhood Design and the Mayor’s Office on Disability, to provide free assessments for businesses and to encourage merchants to apply for grant funding through the program the mayor referred to as “ESSA SHINES.”

Supervisor Chu and the mayor noted a Community Coffee in District 4 on Saturday, Sept. 15 as an opportunity for continued neighborhood discussion. Lee said agencies would work with Supervisor Chu’s office to schedule community meetings to confirm the conceptual design and seek neighborhood feedback.

The city’s outreach and capital program for Taraval, as described by Lee, includes: the $1.6 million capital prioritization from the 2011 bond; a corridor manager funded through the Sunset Neighborhood Beacon Center; an Invest in Neighborhoods emphasis to coordinate department resources; an ADA assessment program with subsequent grant opportunities; and targeted public‑safety patrols along the corridor.

If and when a final design and community agreement are reached, Lee said construction could begin in summer 2013. Supervisor Chu and the mayor said staff would return to the community and the supervisor’s office to refine the plan with resident and merchant input.

Context and next steps: the mayor’s remarks described planned capital work and non‑capital support measures but did not report completed construction work on the corridor during the previous six months; the city’s stated construction start date is contingent on completing community design meetings and interagency coordination.