Landowners in Stinson Beach, California, are in dispute with local authorities over trying to build home on the beach. Neighbours are concerned about the project

Sea levels in the area are expected to rise(Getty Images)

A family is gearing up for a battle with their future neighbours because they want to stop them renovating and old shack, even though they have owned the land for nearly nine decades.

The shack is located on a popular and picturesque part of Stinson Beach, California where Brian Johnson, 65, hopes to build a two-storey, 1,488-square-foot house on the plot on 21 Calle del Onda. Now consisting of a chimney surrounded by overgrown plants, the shack is a relic of the Smith family’s summer getaway spot built in the 1930s.

Its descendants, including Johnson, have run headlong into a legal dispute despite the approval of the Marin County Planning Commission in an August decision. Neighbours are concerned about the project and people in government at the state and local levels are concerned about the changing environment.

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The plans are up for a review on Tuesday(MarinCounty.org)

Johnson says the development of the project has cost $335,000 and it passed a number of environmental reviews. “It’s not like we’re building an oil refinery or a nuclear power plant on the coast,” he said to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Consultant to the owners – Brian is a majority owner – Steven Kinsey said it was odd the ” last 80 feet” of the beachfront were being “treated differently” in the area where houses line up along the sand dunes.

Some view the area as environmentally important and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy calls it one of the “best swimming beaches in northern California.” Marin County is also considering a dune restoration project in the area costing a possible $50 million.

The shack is located on a popular and picturesque part of Stinson Beach, California where Brian Johnson, 65, hopes to build a new house(Gado via Getty Images)

“This is an environment that is changing,” commission member Don Dickinson said. Dickinson, who voted against the proposal, added: “Maybe it’s changing more rapidly than some people thought.”

Rising sea levels now threaten the historic community along with flooding from a creek nearby and there are further concerns around the septic tank needed at the property after storms damaged the area last winter. Now, a decision by the Marin County Board of Supervisors is due on Tuesday.

Opposition to the project can be found among locals like Scott Tye, the Vice Chair of the Marin chapter of the conservation group Surfrider Foundation. “The (California) Coastal Act says you don’t sacrifice important natural habitat for the development of the property for a commercial residential structure… Particularly if it’s one of the few left standing,” he said.

The California Coastal Commission has also said in a letter to the Marin County Planning Commission that it has “significant concerns regarding potential impacts to environmentally sensitive habitat areas, including dune habitat; (and) siting this development in such a hazardous area”.

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Oben abgebildet: (LR) Lucy Bradley, Deborah Ann Light und John vH Halsey bei der Einweihung des Landes, das Ms. Light dem Peconic Land Trust gespendet hat und damit vier Jahrzehnte Landerhaltungsbemühungen einleitete.

Die endlosen Ausblicke auf Felder und Wasserstraßen im East End sind etwas, an das wir uns so gewöhnt haben, dass wir sie für selbstverständlich halten, ohne zu ahnen, dass ihr Schicksal hätte sein können, eine endlose Montage von Einkaufszentren und Vorortunterteilungen zu werden viel von West-Long Island.

Wenn Sie einen Blick auf die Zeitleiste werfen, die der Peconic Land Trust für seine diesjährige Feier zum 40-jährigen Jubiläum vorbereitet hat, werden Sie feststellen, dass dies kein Zufall ist. Es ist die harte Arbeit dieser Organisation, zusammen mit innovativen Programmen zur Erhaltung von Ackerland, die von Suffolk County und den Community Preservation Programs der einzelnen Städte durchgeführt werden, die diesen Ort so einzigartig gemacht haben.

Von der Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett, einem der am längsten von der Gemeinde unterstützten Landwirtschafts- und Lehrlingsausbildungsprogramme im Land, über Southold’s Shellfisher Preserve, das sich als Inkubator für den Start der Aquakulturindustrie im East End erwiesen hat, bis hin zum jüngsten Kauf der Broad Cove Farm in Aquebogue, einer ehemaligen Entenfarm, die als Resort-Hotel am Flussufer geplant war, und Hunderten einzigartiger Projekte dazwischen verdanken die Wirtschaft und die Aussichten des East End viel der Arbeit des Land Trust.

„Sie waren ein unglaublicher Partner, der mit der landwirtschaftlichen Gemeinschaft und dem Farm Bureau und anderen Gruppen zusammenarbeitete“, sagte Rob Carpenter, Verwaltungsdirektor des Long Island Farm Bureau. „Sie geben Landwirten Hilfe bei der Komplexität der Landerhaltung auf Long Island. Ohne den Land Trust wären viele dieser Grundstücke nicht erhalten geblieben.“

Eine Zukunft, in der das East End seine Farmen wertschätzt, war keine ausgemachte Sache, als John vH Halsey, Gründer und Präsident des Peconic Land Trust, 1980 nach Southampton zurückkehrte, um seine Familie zu besuchen, während er eine Pause von seiner Arbeit als gemeinnütziger Organisationsentwicklungsberater einlegte in San Francisco.

Herr Halsey, dessen Vater Arzt am Southampton Hospital war, wuchs in der Wickapogue Road in Southampton Village auf, zu einer Zeit, als „zwischen dem Krankenhaus und Mecox Bay etwa 1.000 Morgen Ackerland lagen“.

„Ich hatte eine sehr tiefe Wertschätzung für meine Umgebung“, sagte Herr Halsey, der in seinen Teenagerjahren auf der Farm eines entfernten Cousins ​​​​von Halsey arbeitete, wo er „lernte, wie man einen Traktor fährt, Bewässerungsrohre über Kartoffelfelder trägt, wie Mais hacken, landwirtschaftliche Gebäude schindeln, das Innere von landwirtschaftlichen Gebäuden streichen und rudimentäre Klempnerarbeiten durchführen.“

„Meine Zeit war nie verschwendet“, sagte er. „Wenn es regnete, gab es drinnen immer etwas zu tun. Was mich am meisten erstaunt hat, war das Engagement, der Einfallsreichtum und die Unabhängigkeit der Landwirte. Ich habe so viele Lebenskompetenzen gelernt.“

Aber im Jahr 1980, im Alter von 28 Jahren, kehrte Mr. Halsey nach Hause zurück und fand ein „Zu verkaufen“-Schild vor der Farm neben seinem Elternhaus. Es war seit 10 Generationen in der Familie seines Nachbarn, aber als die Eltern, denen das Haus gehörte, starben, mussten ihre drei Kinder eine damals enorme Erbschaftssteuer von 2,2 Millionen Dollar zahlen. Die einzige Möglichkeit, die Steuer zu bezahlen, bestand darin, den Familienbetrieb zu verkaufen.

„Während der gesamten 1970er Jahre gab es eine enorme Wertschätzung für Immobilien, insbesondere in South Fork, und viele Farmfamilien wurden schließlich davon erfasst“, sagte Herr Halsey in diesem Frühjahr in einem Interview mit The Beacon. „Sie endeten mit einem Verkaufsvertrag mit einem Bauträger, der von einer Unterteilungsgenehmigung abhängig war, mit einem Verkaufspreis von 4,1 Millionen US-Dollar. Sie zahlten am Ende auch eine Strafe von 47 Prozent, weil der IRS anfing, Zinsen zu erheben (auf die ursprünglichen 2,2 Millionen Dollar).“

„Am Ende des Tages hatten sie so gut wie nichts“, sagte Mr. Halsey. „Mein Vater hat eine Reihe von Farmen in Bridgehampton und anderswo heruntergerattert, die mit der gleichen Notlage konfrontiert waren. Das zu sehen, war der Anstoß für mich, über eine Rückkehr nachzudenken. Im nächsten Sommer kam ich zurück und fand einige andere Leute, die daran interessiert waren, einen Land Trust zu gründen.“

Zu dieser Zeit sahen sich Ackerland in den Vereinigten Staaten einem beispiellosen Entwicklungsdruck ausgesetzt, und Familien sahen sich aufgrund der Wertsteigerung ihres Landes mit Erbschaftssteuerproblemen konfrontiert. Land Trusts wurden im ganzen Land entwickelt, um diese Probleme anzugehen, und 1982 wurde eine Organisation namens Land Trust Exchange gegründet.

Audrey und Charlie Raebeck, damals die Co-Direktoren der Gruppe für South Fork (jetzt die Gruppe für das East End), stellten Herrn Halsey dem Gründer der Land Trust Exchange, Andy Johnson, vor, der an der Erhaltung von Ackerland in Pennsylvania gearbeitet hatte. Mr. Johnson, der einen Long Islander heiratete, war hier ein häufiger Besucher und brachte Mr. Halsey mit den Organisatoren von Land Trusts im Nordosten in Kontakt.

Herr Halsey, der einen Master-Abschluss in Planung und Organisation von der School of Social Welfare der UC Berkley hat, wusste aufgrund seiner Arbeit in Kalifornien bereits einiges über Non-Profit-Management, und diese neuen Verbindungen brachten den Peconic Land Trust auf den Markt richtiger Weg.

„Die frühzeitige Erschließung der Land Trust Community hat unsere Demonstrationsprojekte beschleunigt“, sagte er über die Organisation, die damals keine Mitarbeiter hatte und heute etwas mehr als 30 Mitarbeiter hat. „Unser erstes Stipendium war ein Startstipendium von die Long Island Community Foundation für 5.000 $. Dadurch konnten wir etwas Platz aus dem Gästezimmer herausholen, in dem ich lebte.“

Herr Halsey verdiente sich seinen Lebensunterhalt, indem er auf Gurden Ludlows Farm in Bridgehampton Melonen pflückte und Kartoffeln sortierte, als er 1983 an der Gründung des Peconic Land Trust-Vorstands arbeitete.

Eines seiner ursprünglichen Vorstandsmitglieder, Deborah Light, besaß 230 Morgen landwirtschaftliche Felder und Wälder in Amagansett, und ihre Bereitschaft, am ersten Naturschutzexperiment des Land Trust teilzunehmen, brachte den Land Trust auf den Weg zum Erfolg.

„Sie sagte: ‚Okay, ich werde Ihr Versuchskaninchen sein, aber das bedeutet nicht, dass ich tun werde, was Sie sich ausdenken’“, sagte Mr. Halsey. „Sie wusste nicht, dass der Plan auf ihren Zielen, Bedürfnissen und Umständen basieren würde. Wir brauchten ihren Input, um etwas zu erschaffen, das für sie Sinn machte.“

Das Grundstück hätte leicht 200 Wohngrundstücke umfassen können, sagte Herr Halsey, aber zu Beginn ihrer Gespräche dachte Frau Light daran, 15 Grundstücke zu unterteilen und den größten Teil des restlichen Grundstücks der Bewirtschaftung zu überlassen. Aber als sie mit Vorstandsmitgliedern immer wieder über das Grundstück ging, wurde ihr klar, dass sie keine neuen Häuser auf dem Grundstück sehen wollte. Am Ende ihrer Diskussionen hatte sie beschlossen, drei Grundstücke aufzuteilen, deren Entwicklungsrechte an Suffolk County verkauft wurden, um die Verwaltung des Landes zu unterstützen.

Heute dient Quail Hill zusammen mit dem Landwirtschaftszentrum des Land Trust auf der Charnews Farm in Southold als Inkubator für neue berufstätige Landwirte im East End.

Quail Hill wäre auch der Beginn eines jahrzehntelangen Projekts, um mit einzelnen Landbesitzern zusammenzuarbeiten, wie sie ihre Vision für ihr Land verwirklichen können.

„Sie sind alle unterschiedlich, und man muss manchmal über den Tellerrand hinausschauen, um Lösungen zu finden“, sagte Mr. Halsey. „Diese Herausforderungen führen manchmal zu neuen Tools, die wir zuvor noch nicht verwendet haben. Ich liebe Rätsel, und jedes dieser Projekte ist ein Rätsel. Es geht nicht immer um den Besitz von Land oder das Halten von Nutzungsrechten. In manchen Fällen besitzen wir am Ende gar nichts. Wir helfen bei Verhandlungen.“

Die Schalentierzüchter Katie Marino, Karen Rivara und Melanie Douglass (lr) im Shellfisher Preserve des Land Trust, wo sie 2020 widerstandsfähige Jakobsmuscheln aus der Peconic Bay züchteten.

Unten auf der Bayview-Halbinsel in Southold befindet sich das Shellfisher Preserve, ein weiteres frühes Land Trust-Projekt, das ins Leben gerufen wurde, nachdem Paul Stoutenburgh, Vorstandsmitglied des Land Trust und bekannter North Fork-Umweltschützer, Herrn Halsey John Plock vorgestellt hatte, der die Shelter Island Oyster Company auf dem Gelände gründete im Jahr 1935.

„Diese Anlage war auf dem neuesten Stand der Technik, als sie gebaut wurde“, sagte Herr Halsey. „Sie schufen eine Lagune mit einem Kanal, der eine Quonset-Hütte über dem Kanal hatte, was das ganze Jahr über einen Gezeitenstrom in und aus der Lagune erzeugte. Sie konnten den ganzen Winter über Austern züchten. Sie hatten dort in einem unterirdischen Bunker eine Brüterei.“

Herr Halsey erinnert sich, dass das Anwesen auf den Stufen des Rathauses von Southold versteigert wurde, nachdem die Familie Plock mehrere persönliche und geschäftliche Rückschläge erlitten hatte. Er war bei dieser Auktion, wo niemand ein Gebot abgegeben hat. Der Familienanwalt von Plock sah ihn dort und fragte: „John, hast du dein Scheckbuch mitgebracht?“

Der Peconic Land Trust arbeitete schließlich eine Vereinbarung aus, die es der Familie Plock ermöglichte, vier Wohngrundstücke zu entwickeln, aber die 14 Morgen, die die Schalentierzucht umfassten, schützte. Sie ermöglichten den Eigentümern der neuen Baugrundstücke den Zugang zu den dortigen Dockflächen.

Der Land Trust schloss daraufhin eine Vereinbarung, dass die Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, die ein nahe gelegenes Meereszentrum in Cedar Beach betreibt, das Grundstück verwaltet und den Schalentierzüchtern einen Ort gibt, an dem sie ihre Geschäfte erweitern können.

„Es war eine wirklich großartige Partnerschaft, die zur Restaurierung einer sehr einzigartigen Einrichtung führte“, sagte Herr Halsey. „Es war ein klassischer Fall – es hat 10 Jahre gedauert, seit ich Mr. Plock vorgestellt wurde, bis er uns schließlich übergeben wurde.“

Herr Halsey hat einen stetigen Strom neuer Leute gesehen, die etwas über die Landwirtschaft lernen wollten. Es ist der Anstoß für das Farms for the Future-Programm des Land Trust, das als Gründerzentrum für Menschen dient, die neu in der Landbewirtschaftung sind.

„Ich sehe kein Nachlassen des Interesses an der Landwirtschaft. Einige der Leute, die in unser Inkubatorprogramm aufgenommen werden, sagen: „Vielleicht ist das nicht das, was ich tun möchte“, aber das ist in Ordnung. Es ist alles Teil der Reise“, sagte er. „Sie könnten es genauso gut auf einem Hektar Land herausfinden, das sie von uns mit Wildzäunen und Bewässerung mieten können, anstatt weiter auf einen Ast zu gehen und zu entscheiden, dass sie es nicht tun wollen. Für diejenigen, die es schaffen, bieten wir die Möglichkeit, auf größere Flächen umzuziehen. Wir konnten geschütztes Ackerland an etablierte Landwirte und an brandneue Landwirte verkaufen. Die Herausforderung für neue Landwirte, ob junge Menschen oder Menschen im zweiten Berufsleben, besteht darin, Zugang zu Land zu erhalten.“

Gouverneur George Pataki unterzeichnete 1998 die CPF-Gesetzgebung, während (lr) Kevin MacDonald von The Nature Conservancy, Mr. Halsey, State Assemblyman Fred Thiele und State Senator Kenneth LaValle zusahen. Das Programm würde sich als entscheidend für den Schutz von Ackerland im East End erweisen. Obwohl der Land Trust nicht der Empfänger der Mittel ist, hilft er Landwirten bei der Beantragung von Mitteln aus CPFs, die von Städten im East End betrieben werden.

Der Land Trust ist nicht allein im Kampf um den Erhalt von Land in der Landwirtschaft und insbesondere in der Nahrungsmittelproduktion. Das Farmland Conservation Program von Suffolk County aus dem Jahr 1974 war das erste Programm seiner Art im Land, und die IRS hat Steueranreize für Menschen entwickelt, die die Entwicklungsrechte auf ihrem Land spenden.

Herr Carpenter, der seit 1985 beim Long Island Farm Bureau arbeitet, sagte, dass frühe Entwürfe des Plans von Suffolk County darin bestanden, dass die Regierung Ackerland kaufte und es an Landwirte zurückpachtete, ohne zu wissen, dass Banken Ackerland als Sicherheit für Kredite verwenden, die Landwirte jedes Jahr benötigen um ihre Vegetationsperiode zu beginnen.

Das County-Programm und später der individuelle East End Community Preservation Fund entwickelten sich dann zu einem Mechanismus, bei dem Landwirte ihre Entwicklungsrechte verkauften, aber das Eigentum an ihrem Land behielten. Der Land Trust steht an vorderster Front, wenn es darum geht, Landwirten bei der Navigation durch diese komplexen Tools zu helfen.

Herr Halsey hofft, dass das East End mit Hilfe dieser Werkzeuge in die Zukunft gehen wird als „ein Ort voller gesunder Gemeinschaften, integriert in eine gesunde Umwelt, mit einer Vielfalt an Landwirtschaft, einschließlich Nahrungsmitteln, mit sauberem Trink- und Oberflächenwasser. ”

„Ich bin sicher, wir werden es schaffen, aber es wird eine Menge Arbeit kosten“, sagte er. „Die Wasserqualität ist eine große Notwendigkeit – wir müssen Abwassersysteme verbessern und landwirtschaftliche Praktiken anwenden, die negative Auswirkungen auf Küsten- und Grundwasser minimieren, und unseren Landwirten auf kooperative Weise dabei helfen, an den bestmöglichen Ort zu gelangen.“

Herr Halsey sagte, dass der Land Trust dieses Jahr keine große Anzahl von Feierlichkeiten plant, außer um den Menschen zu danken, die ihre Arbeit unterstützt haben, bei ihrer jährlichen freiwilligen Dankeschön-Veranstaltung, dem Peconicinic, und bei ihren jährlichen Through Farms und Fields Gala, die am 6. August im Hafen der vermissten Männer in der Nordsee stattfindet. Bei der Gala wird der Land Trust den Unterstützer Howard Marks von Oaktree Capital Management ehren, der mehr als ein Jahrzehnt lang Mitglied des Trustees Council der Gruppe war und maßgeblich dazu beigetragen hat, das Broad Cove-Projekt zu verwirklichen.

„Die Lösung eines Problems beginnt damit, es anzuerkennen“, sagte Mr. Marks. „Wenn wir wollen, dass das East End dieser besondere Ort bleibt, wird das nicht von selbst geschehen. Peconic Land Trust ist eine wunderbare Organisation, die sich der Erhaltung der Besonderheit dessen verschrieben hat, was wir haben.“

– WARUM

Verwandt

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News

CBS Los Angeles – March 22

The ongoing battle over affordable housing between the state and Huntington Beach was intervened this week by a federal judge in Huntington Beach v. Newsom, who denied Huntington Beach’s request to temporarily block enforcement of the state’s housing laws. Earlier this month, Attorney General Bonta, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Housing and Community Development filed a lawsuit against the city of Huntington Beach for violating state housing laws. The lawsuit followed a decision by the Huntington Beach City Council, which declined to ban the processing of applications for SB 9 projects and accessory housing units or granny flats, in violation of several state housing statutes.

Santa Monica Mirror – March 23

Santa Monica has been using a pioneering water recycling facility since November to capture rain and store it underground for future use. Because Southern California seems to rain constantly, the city has collected stormwater, city runoff, and municipal sewage and purified it for reuse as drinking water. Located under a parking lot, this unique facility features a 1.5 million gallon rainwater tank and an advanced 1 million gallon per day water treatment system. The recycled water can be used for irrigation, flushing toilets in buildings with double water supply, and replenishing aquifers.

Los Angeles Daily News – March 22

The Los Angeles City Council last Wednesday unanimously approved a motion directing its housing department to develop recommendations for the establishment of an ordinance and program for tenants at risk of eviction in the city. This follows a measure that would have extended protections for certain apartment tenants by a year across Los Angeles County, which the board of directors rejected on Tuesday. The resolution would have banned landlords from evicting a tenant without a valid reason and protected tenants from eviction who have added additional residents and/or pets during the three years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Real Deal – March 27th

Los Angeles has a notoriously slow permitting process and high costs that contribute to a regional housing shortage. A report released Thursday helps put the issue in context: Los Angeles, a city with a strong economy and a population of around 4 million, still has more than 40,000 acres of undeveloped land.

Noozhawk—March 27

In a significant shift in direction, Santa Barbara County added 19 new residential locations to its Housing Element for a total of 2,151 new units. The county found itself in an opposition buzzsaw after its draft Housing Element proposed redefining farming on the fringes of Goleta. At the time, county officials said they had scoured the county looking for housing and planted the farmland “only as a last resort.” While the agricultural sites are still under consideration in the housing element, the county has now proposed housing on seven of its own lots.

The San Diego Union-Tribune – March 27

Last week, city council members approved an ordinance aimed at revitalizing vacant non-compliant buildings (e.g. commercial buildings in residential areas) by granting a temporary occupancy permit for up to seven years. The idea is that these permits allow property owners to generate income from the temporary use of their buildings, allowing more time for redevelopment. The city council could also consider rezoning an area, but the process is lengthy as it would need to consider how changes might affect other lots. Some interim uses that the city could approve include co-work office space, art studios or galleries, or pop-up retail and resource centers offering everything from healthcare services to tax services. Design-specific buildings, such as auto repair shops, would also qualify, but their temporary use would be treated on a case-by-case basis.

The post Sustainable Growth and Land Use Replace – 3.29.23 | Allen Matkins appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The New York Jets didn’t add any players this offseason. But their Super Bowl odds had quite a big shift in the first week of March.

We all know why. The Jets are tracking Aaron Rodgers, who has received permission from the Green Bay Packers to speak with the Jets. None of this happens unless all three parties — Jets, Packers, Rodgers — urgently consider a change.

Odds makers don’t wait for a team to add a quadruple MVP to change their Super Bowl odds. Anticipating the Jets making a big move in QB, BetMGM lowered New York’s odds. Weather charged Jets futures this week.

Only a handful of teams stand a better chance of winning the Super Bowl than the Jets.

Jets among Super Bowl favorites

The Jets, who were +2500 at the end of February to win the Super Bowl, are +1600 as of Wednesday. Only five teams have less chance of winning everything. The Kansas City Chiefs (+500), Buffalo Bills (+850), San Francisco 49ers (+850), Cincinnati Bengals (+900) and Philadelphia Eagles (+900) are the only teams in the Super Bowl odds lie ahead of the jets.

There’s a pretty big gap between this group of five favorites and the Jets, but the Jets’ chances could drop yet again when the trade becomes official. Nothing is done until everyone agrees. The Jets traveling to meet up with Rodgers is a big step in that process, but Rodgers is a “complicated guy,” and if he decides to retire or otherwise strike a deal with the Jets finish, New York is back at number one at quarterback. That’s the risk of betting on the Jets before the trade takes place.

But Rodgers to the Jets seemed like a good option for a while, and a drop in the ratings was fairly predictable a couple of weeks ago. There’s still a chance of getting the Jets to win the Super Bowl for a decent price before a trade is struck.

Aaron Rodgers meets the New York Jets this week. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

Jets could be a QB away

The Jets could be a quarterback away. They have good defense and lots of fun young playmakers up front. The only thing that kept the Jets from the playoffs last season was a terrible quarterback game.

Rodgers might not be the same quarterback since he’s nearly 40 years old, but he’s just a season away from his second straight MVP honor and he’s still capable of playing well with a good team around him. The Jets play in a difficult AFC East, and the AFC as a whole is very deep, but New York would be a dangerous team going from Zach Wilson to a future Hall of Famer first-round quarterback pick.

Rodgers’ move from the Packers to the Jets would be a huge story in the NFL world. It would also have a lot of reverberations in the betting market. This has already started.

The post Jets’ Tremendous Bowl odds transferring even earlier than they land Aaron Rodgers appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The New York Jets didn’t add any players this offseason. But their Super Bowl odds had quite a big shift in the first week of March.

We all know why. The Jets are tracking Aaron Rodgers, who has received permission from the Green Bay Packers to speak with the Jets. None of this happens unless all three parties — Jets, Packers, Rodgers — urgently consider a change.

Odds makers don’t wait for a team to add a quadruple MVP to change their Super Bowl odds. Anticipating the Jets making a big move in QB, BetMGM lowered New York’s odds. Weather charged Jets futures this week.

Only a handful of teams stand a better chance of winning the Super Bowl than the Jets.

Jets among Super Bowl favorites

The Jets, who were +2500 at the end of February to win the Super Bowl, are +1600 as of Wednesday. Only five teams have less chance of winning everything. The Kansas City Chiefs (+500), Buffalo Bills (+850), San Francisco 49ers (+850), Cincinnati Bengals (+900) and Philadelphia Eagles (+900) are the only teams in the Super Bowl odds lie ahead of the jets.

There’s a pretty big gap between this group of five favorites and the Jets, but the Jets’ chances could drop yet again when the trade becomes official. Nothing is done until everyone agrees. The Jets traveling to meet up with Rodgers is a big step in that process, but Rodgers is a “complicated guy,” and if he decides to retire or otherwise strike a deal with the Jets finish, New York is back at number one at quarterback. That’s the risk of betting on the Jets before the trade takes place.

But Rodgers to the Jets seemed like a good option for a while, and a drop in ratings was fairly predictable a couple of weeks ago. There’s still a chance of getting the Jets to win the Super Bowl for a decent price before a trade is struck.

Aaron Rodgers meets the New York Jets this week. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

Jets could be a QB away

The Jets could be a quarterback away. They have good defense and lots of fun young playmakers up front. The only thing that kept the Jets from the playoffs last season was a terrible quarterback game.

Rodgers might not be the same quarterback since he’s nearly 40 years old, but he’s only a season away from his second straight MVP honor and he’s still capable of playing well with a good team around him. The Jets play in a difficult AFC East, and the AFC as a whole is very deep, but New York would be a dangerous team going from Zach Wilson to a future Hall of Famer first-round quarterback pick.

Rodgers’ move from the Packers to the Jets would be a huge story in the NFL world. It would also have a lot of reverberations in the betting market. This has already started.

The post Jets’ Tremendous Bowl odds transferring even earlier than they land Aaron Rodgers appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

These 10 hotels embody environmental sensitivity plus energy and water efficiency.

Hotels consume more energy and water per square foot than just about any other building type, according to the ULI report Sustainability in Hotels: Opportunities and Trends Shaping the Future of Hospitality. At the same time, guests are paying closer attention to a hotel’s environmental impact when choosing where to stay. As an additional incentive, design strategies that cut energy and water consumption pay off in lower utility bills.

The following 10 projects—all completed during the past five years—include adaptations of a film warehouse, a tire factory, an airport terminal, and an oil company’s headquarters, as well as newly constructed buildings that reduce energy waste with ethernet cables, integrate photovoltaics into their facades, and deploy cooling methods borrowed from African termites.

RON NYREN is a freelance architecture and urban design writer based in the San Francisco Bay area.

(Courtesy of CitizenM)

1. CitizenM Seattle South Lake Union
Seattle, Washington

Amsterdam-based CitizenM opened its first West Coast hotel in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood in 2020. The seven-story building consists of 264 rooms in modular units that were prefabricated and finished off site, a strategy that minimizes construction waste as well as cost. The local office of engineering firm Arup adapted the modular cage design of other citizenM hotels to meet the stringent requirements of local seismic codes.

The heating and cooling system conserves energy by relying on an active chilled beam in each room, a dedicated outdoor air supply, and heat pumps that capture excess heat to pre-warm domestic hot water. CitizenM’s smartphone app allows guests to check in, open the room’s doors, and control the lighting, blinds, room temperature, and entertainment options. An art piece by local artist Jesse LeDoux wraps a corner of the facade. The hotel was designed by the Amsterdam-based design firm Concrete in collaboration with the local office of Gensler.

(OZ/Valentijn Kortekaas)

2. Four Elements Hotel
IJburg, Netherlands

Ben Bronsema of Voorschoten, Netherlands, studied the techniques that African termites use to moderate temperatures inside their mounds. The Four Elements Hotel draws on his findings, relying on the sun and wind to heat and cool its 198 guest rooms as a kind of natural air-conditioning system. The 11-story structure has two solar chimneys facing southwest. These glazed vertical voids use sunlight to heat air, which rises through a heat exchanger that captures it for the building’s water supply. An underground thermal energy storage area captures any excess heat for later use.

As the warm air rises, it draws outside air down through another vertical shaft, the “climate cascade,” where sprays of water cool or heat it for ventilation. This passive design strategy reduces the need for mechanical fans. Guests can control their room temperatures and the level of air flow. Photovoltaic cells cover the facade, rooftop, and canopies to provide energy. Completed in 2019, the hotel was designed by Amsterdam firms OZ and NwA architecten and Stockholm-based Doos Architects for developers Amstelius/Dutch Green Company of Amsterdam and Borghese Real Estate of Nijkerk, Netherlands.

(Hornberger + Worstell)

3. Grand Hyatt at SFO
San Francisco, California

The only on-airport hotel at San Francisco International Airport, the Grand Hyatt at SFO provides views of airplanes landing nearby through its curved glass facade. Designed to be 26 percent more energy efficient than a typical hotel of the same size, the building has rooftop photovoltaic panels that generate 133,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. Occupancy sensors power down lighting, heating, and cooling in rooms when guests are absent in order to lower electricity consumption.

Low-flow faucets and shower heads, cooling towers with high-performance water-flow controls, and efficient-flush toilets are estimated to save 6.7 million gallons (25.4 million liters) of water each year. The hotel’s dual plumbing system will enable it to use reclaimed water for toilet flushing and irrigation. Guests can reach the hotel via an automated people mover that also connects to rapid transit and local and regional bus service lines. Designed by local firm Hornberger + Worstell with its associate ED2I, the hotel opened in 2019.

(Bruce Redman Becker, FAIA)

4. Hotel Marcel New Haven, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
New Haven, Connecticut

When noted modernist architect Marcel Breuer designed a brutalist structure for the Armstrong Rubber Company in 1967, he inserted a two-story void between the research labs on the lower levels and the offices above, shielding offices from noise and giving the building its distinctive profile at the intersection of two interstate highways. Though listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the structure (later the Pirelli Tire Building) was largely abandoned in the late 1990s until local architect/developer Bruce Redman Becker’s firm Becker + Becker purchased it in 2020. Becker adapted the concrete building as the Hotel Marcel with the goal of creating a net zero energy hotel.

Opened in 2022, the all-electric, 165-room hotel relies on a rooftop solar array as well as solar canopies over the parking area to generate all its electricity. A power-over-ethernet (PoE) lighting system minimizes the amount of energy required for lighting. High levels of insulation and triple-glazed windows keep heating and cooling costs low. The design team, which also includes Brooklyn-based interior designer Dutch East Design, retained existing board-formed concrete and repurposed other building materials from the site, including light fixtures and wood-paneled walls.

(Anders Fredriksen)

5.House of Choice
Solna, Sweden

In the Arenastaden neighborhood of Solna, the House of Choice brings 336 hotel rooms, 88 long-stay apartments, and offices for the Swedish headquarters of Oslo-based Nordic Choice Hotels under one roof—a roof with a sawtooth shape that maximizes the amount of energy its photovoltaic panels can generate. The entry facade, which faces south, is also covered with solar panels made of different sheets of glass: dark gray and ribbed, dark gray and smooth, and pearl beige. Etching on the solar panel glazing adds further visual interest.

Solar panels are also integrated into the roof of the light-well courtyard. A ground-source heat pump system with 25 boreholes supplies cooling and heating. Opened in 2021, the building is targeted to generate more electricity than it consumes. White Architect of Gothenburg, Sweden, designed the building for Solna-based developer Fabege and Nordic Choice Hotels.

(Julie Soefer Photography)

6.Lodge at Gulf State Park
Gulf Shores, Alabama

Gulf State Park Lodge opened on state parklands on the Gulf of Mexico in 1974; 30 years later, Hurricane Ivan destroyed it. The site was abandoned until another disaster, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, ironically provided settlement funds to build a new lodge and heal the surrounding dune ecology. Sasaki of Watertown, Massachusetts, oversaw restoration of the 6,150-acre (2,490 ha) park. The existing manmade dune was removed and dune grass planted to encourage the natural growth of sand dunes, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect the site from future storm surges.

Lake/Flato of San Antonio and Rabun Architects of Atlanta designed the new five-story, 350-room lodge on a much more compact footprint than that of its predecessor, set well back from the Gulf. Shaded porches and natural ventilation moderate temperatures inside. Pervious parking lots allow stormwater to percolate into the ground, and air-conditioning condensation is collected, filtered, and used to supplement water in the swimming pool. Guests have access to new trails and a 900-acre freshwater fishing lake. Operated by Hilton, the lodge opened in 2018.

(Brandon Barre Photography)

7. The Sinclair, Autograph Collection
Fort Worth, Texas

Sinclair Oil Holdings built its 17-story Fort Worth headquarters in 1929 with a zigzag modern exterior and art deco interiors, embodying the Texas oil boom’s exuberance. More than 90 years later, the structure has found new life as a hotel with cutting-edge energy-saving technology. Farukh Aslam, chief executive officer of local company Sinclair Digital, purchased the building in 2013 and chose a PoE system to supply electricity for lighting, automatic window shades, smart mirrors, and minibars. Because PoE reduces the energy loss that comes from converting AC power to DC, the light fixtures also run much cooler, relieving strain on the air-conditioning system.

The system is estimated to reduce the hotel’s energy use by more than 30 percent. Occupancy sensors and smart thermostats conserve electricity as well. Opened in 2020, the hotel forgoes a diesel generator in favor of a lithium-ion battery as its backup system during power outages. Dallas-based Merriman Anderson Architects renovated the exterior, and the Dallas office of Forrest Perkins handled interior design.

(Tom Ross)

8. Paramount House Hotel
Sydney, Australia

In the Surry Hills neighborhood of Sydney, local developer Citadin repurposed the 1940s art deco headquarters of Paramount Pictures Australia as the Paramount House, containing a cinema, bar, café, and coworking space. In 2018, Citadin revamped the adjoining 80-year-old film warehouse as the 29-room Paramount House Hotel. Architecture firm Breathe of Brunswick, Victoria, topped the three-story brick warehouse with a copper screen to give guest-room balconies privacy from the street while filtering daylight. The screen’schevron patterning references the streamline modern style of the Paramount House next door.

The design team minimized building waste by using locally sourced and recycled materials, such as recycled timber floorboards. Historic brickwork is exposed, with remnants of former stairwells, parapets, gable ends, and joists visible in places. Every guest room is different in shape. A former film vault turned atrium contains the reception lounge. On the roof, a seven-kilowatt photovoltaic array contributes to the building’s electricity supply.

(David Mitchell)

9. TWA Hotel
New-York, New-York

When the TWA Flight Center opened in 1962 at JFK International Airport, its design, by noted modernist architect Eero Saarinen, embodied flight in the building’s sweeping curves. The air terminal closed in 2001, its future uncertain. The Port Authority of New York restored core interior spaces, and the local office of hotel owner/operator MCR/Morse Development added an underground event space and deferentially set new hotel wings back from the historic structure, which houses restaurants, shops, a ballroom, and a fitness center. A triple-glazed curtain wall provides both thermal and acoustic insulation.

Opened in 2019, the hotel produces all its own energy with a highly efficient cogeneration plant that runs on natural gas and recaptures engine heat for hot water and space heating. Ultra low flow water fixtures reduce water use. Roof and plaza drains pump stormwater into the airport’s watershed storm system for filtering. Local firm Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners served as project and preservation architect in a team with Brooklyn-based Lubrano Ciavarra Architects and New York City-based firms INC Architecture & Design and Stonehill Taylor.

(Nick Caville/BDP)

10. Wren Urban Nest
Dublin, Ireland

Opened in 2021, the 137-room Wren Urban Nest hotel relies on 100 percent renewable energy by means of a variety of carbon-reduction strategies. Heating and cooling are supplied by air source and water-to-water heat pumps, with help from a high thermal mass, a tight building envelope, and a design that shares solar heat gain from one side of the building with the other during the winter . In warmer months, heat gain is diverted to the building’s hot water system.

The designer, the Dublin studio of BDP, equipped the west elevation with a folded, glazed facade that halves the time of exposure to direct afternoon sunlight at any given period. Smart building technologies turn off lights and heating/cooling as well as automatically close and open blinds when guest rooms are unoccupied. A vegetated roof and a stormwater runoff system help filter and absorb stormwater. The hotel’s kitchen uses induction stoves, and the local community can access the kitchen’s food waste through an app.

More in This Issue:

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Many make the mistake of reserving this film for Christmas and New Year but we think it’s a timeless classic, perfect for all occasions. Watch as George Bailey learns how different his town would’ve been if he wasn’t there – it’s a story to warm the coldest of hearts and encourages us all to appreciate life that bit more.

18) Four Weddings and a Funeral, 1994

Richard Curtis perfectly straddles the reality of humor and tragedy in life, depicting a group of friends who appear to be unlucky in love until their luck changes. Rowan Atkinson’s part as Father Gerald alone will have you chuckling along with the cast. Genius.

19) Little Miss Sunshine, 2006

A family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant to take a cross-country trip in their VW bus. Starring Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano, Toni Collette and Steve Carell, this film is about dreams and illusions and the beauty of a dysfunctional family. Pure joy. Abigail Breslin literally brings sun in to the rainiest cold days in this heart walking family drama.

20) Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, 2001

One line of that iconic music and you’ll be in your pajamas, sat down on the sofa gorging on a Terry’s Chocolate orange and wondering what life would’ve been like if you’d attended Hogwarts.

Take a journey with Harry, Ron and Hermione and relive your childhood once more. And no, we don’t care if you prefer the books. It’s essential viewing for improved happiness.

21) Matilda, 1996

Danny DeVito, Roald Dahl, Mara Wilson – can you really get a better combination? This fantasy comedy is sure to cheer you up, with genius girl Matilda beating the odds (her horrid parents and Miss Trunchball) to find happiness with Miss Honey. The chocolate cake scene alone will make you feel inspired. Everyone together now: ‘Bruce, Bruce, Bruce…’

22) One Fine Day, 1996

After viewing this film you’ll immediately be in search of a partner willing to pick you up and carry you through a puddle so not to damage your heels. It’s inevitable.

Single Melanie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and (Jack) George Clooney are forced to take care of their children on the most important days of their careers and juggle looking after each other’s sprogs amid deadlines and pressures from their bosses. Proof that work is not your top priority.

23) Mary Poppins, 1964

A spoonful of sugar really does help the hangover, a temperature or the grumps go down, and is perfect if you’re feeling a bit under the weather. Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke are an essential pairing for a mood lifter.

24) Mary Poppins Returns, 2018

Decades after her first visit to the Banks family, Mary Poppins (this time played by Emily Blunt), returns to help young Michael’s (Ben Whishaw) children through a pretty scary point in their lives. With tunes and acting courtesy of Lin-Manuel Miranda (who plays chimney-sweeper Jack) and appearances from Julie Walters, you know this is a good’un.

25) Forrest Gump, 1994

Overly sentimental? Perhaps. Heart-warming to the level it will make you want to hug a puppy? Definitely. This award-winning film sees the astonishing life of Forrest Gump, a man who lives a charmed life of success and love. A stunning film about overcoming adversity and the cards you were dealt with. ‘Stupid is as stupid does,’ says Forrest. Don’t be stupid, watch the film.

26) Legally Blonde, 2001

‘Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t kill their husbands,’ says Elle Woods. Well, happy people also watch Legally Blonde, the story of an innocent Beverly Hills sorority girl who defies judgment and heartbreak to become Harvard’s top lawyer. She’s a one girl revolution, after all.

27) Pride, 2014

Based on a true story, this LGBT-related comedy-drama depicts a group of lesbian and gay activists who raised funds to help those affected by the British miners’ strike in 1984. Tackling subjects of prejudice, homophobia and community spirit, this is essential viewing to restore your faith in humanity.

28) Bridget Jones’ Diary, 2001

This wanton sex goddess is a woman’s life-long friend and confident who makes sense of life, love and London with a group of mismatched friends in the Big Smoke. Big knickers aside, this film will have you cheering for the underdog and debating who is hotter, Daniele Cleaver or Mark Darcy.

29) Sister Act (1 and 2), 1992 and 1993

Guaranteed to put a smile on your face is Whoopi Goldberg, we believe. And if that won’t do it, then surely the angelic tones of Lauryn Hill’s voice will. So both the original and sequel of the Sister Act franchise makes this list. Deloris (Goldberg) ends up in witness protection and is reluctantly placed as a nun in a convent in a deprived area of ​​San Francisco. But Deloris, with her singing credentials, soon invigorates the convent’s choir and in the second film takes this same energy to a struggling school. The final performance of the school kids is a rendition of ‘Joyful, Joyful’ – need we explain again why this film makes the list?

30) Sing Street, 2016

The film that will make you wish you’d formed a music band as a teenager, Sing Street is about a boy called Conor growing up in Dublin during the 1980s and starts a band to distract himself from his troubled schooling and strained family life, in order to get the girl. The fashion and music references to Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet are enough to get you dancing. Available now on Netflix.

31) Rush Hour, 1998

ARNAL + GETTY IMAGES

Mismatched cops are on a mission to rescue the Chinese consul’s kidnapped daughter. The perfect police pairing. There’s no better classic comedy duo than Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Broke up with the boyfriend? Bad grade at school? Crippling anxiety? Disconnect yourself from the world and switch this on.

32) The Blues Brothers, 1980

In the mood for a pick me up? Look no further than The Blues Brothers.

Aretha Franklin, Carrie Fisher, Twiggy, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi star in this hilarious musical crime comedy. Jake and his brother Elwood are on a ‘mission from God’ to reunite their old band to play at a fundraiser to save their childhood orphanage.

33) Despicable Me, 2010

Nothing defines happiness like a minion – fact. With the help of Gru, the world’s most evil/adorable super villain/father and a group of yellow, denim dungaree-clad friends, you’ll find it hard not to smile at this heartwarming animated comedy.

34) Julie and Julia, 2009

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New Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel quickly ascended to his first NFL head coaching job. And Peter King wrote in Football Morning in America that McDaniel owes some of that success to the leap made by Deebo Samuel.

“The story of the new Miami Dolphins coach is actually a story about Deebo Samuel,” King wrote. “How McDaniel, the 5-9, 165-pound former Yale wide receiver, climbed the ladder from unpaid coaching staff intern/gopher in Denver in 2005 to the exclusive 32-coach fraternity is instructive. In fact, it says everything about McDaniel, who looks far more like a Geico account executive than one of 32 NFL leaders of men.”

McDaniel took the story from there.

“So,” McDaniel began, “Deebo. we [the 49ers coaching staff] had him on our team at the Senior Bowl the January before we got to the Super Bowl. We had a saying: From Mobile to Miami, because the Super Bowl was in Miami that year, with our players. And we actually did it. He started calling me his favorite coach then. I don’t really know why. We were always close and whatever.

“This past season, I had a talk with him in the offseason. I was meeting with Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo at 6 am every day during training camp because we needed them to step up. I asked Deebo, ‘Are you the best player on the offense?’ He was like, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘The time is now. Do you really want to be great? Greatness is hard. That’s why it’s great. It’s not easy. It’s a burden, really.'”

Samuel fared well with that burden, putting up a career year and turning into one of the NFL’s most dangerous all-purpose threats. He caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns, all of which would have been enough for a terrific season, except that he also added 59 carries for 365 yards (6.2 yards per rush) and eight scores on the ground.

McDaniel said on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz that he hopes to tap into similar potential in Dolphins wideout and former Alabama star Jaylen Waddle.

Get the fastest scores, stats, news, LIVE videos, and more. CLICK HERE to download the CBS Sports Mobile App and get the latest on your team today.

“Waddle!” McDaniel said, when asked which player other than quarterback Tua Tagovailoa that he could get the most out of. “I just talked with him on Monday, and I think he understands his leadership role on this team. He’s a phenomenal talent, and guess what, the best and easiest way to get yards is give it to a really talented player. The 49ers, the last four or five years, have led the league in YAC. The reason is because we were addicted to getting our skill position players that are good with running the ball the ball. So yes, I would start him in fantasy. Beyond that, I think you should see some jumps in the Miami Dolphins’ offense next year. What those look like will be determined this offseason and the way the players work and attack things moving forward.”

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Expanding Power Beyond “Landed Gentry”

San Francisco prides itself on protecting tenants. But empowering renters is another matter.

Few renters sit on key city policy making bodies. Tenants are rarely appointed to the Planning Commission and Board of Appeal. This is true despite both bodies deciding land use cases directly impacting renters’ lives. Pro-tenant San Francisco even denies tenants the right to file signatures for appealing conditional use approvals, reserving that power to property owners.

This latter discrimination is about to change.

Supervisor Myrna Melgar, backed by Supervisors Aaron Peskin, Shamann Walton, Dean Preston, and Hillary Ronen, is moving to equalize tenant appeal powers. As her press release puts it, “Excluding the majority of San Francisco’s population harkens back to the days of only the ‘landed gentry’ having voting rights. Supervisor Melgar’s legislation adds leaseholding commercial and residential tenants to the list of allowable signatories to restore basic fairness.”

This reform is long overdue. Absentee property owners should not get more say about neighborhood land use issues than longtime tenants in the community.

I know what some are thinking—why give more people the right to appeal housing approvals? Isn’t the appeal system already broken?

But so long as San Francisco allows such appeals it should not discriminate on the basis of wealth and class in the power to file.. Tenants deserve equal rights.

San Francisco and other cities that promote “diversity” and “inclusion” must do a better job extending these principles to tenants. Tenants deserve equal rights to appeal land use decisions and far more representation on key city commissions than they have ever gotten.

Disempowering tenants

Melgar’s measure was introduced a day after a virtually all-homeowner California Assembly defeated AB 854, which stopped speculator evictions under the Ellis Act. The measure fell short for many reasons, but it doesn’t help that there are far more landlords than tenants among California Assembly Democrats.

Almost all state legislators are homeowners. Renters are a rarity despite their large numbers across the state. Even in majority tenant San Francisco, only two of eleven supervisors are tenants (Haney and Walton).

Why are renters so rare on key San Francisco land use commissions? Why does a “pro-tenant” city give tenants less power over land use decisions than it grants absentee landlords?

A lot has to do with a long legacy of San Francisco treating tenants as undeserving of equal representation and rights. After all, discrimination against tenants in land use matters is nothing new.

In 1987 I authored a law requiring public sign posting of notices of applications for renovations to buildings over four units. I did so to protect tenants living in buildings whose owner planned major renovations that could displace them. Prior to our law many tenants first learned that a renovation was planned for their building when they got an eviction notice. By then it was too late to appeal the permits; stopping the eviction once landlords had “all of the necessary permits” became an uphill fight.

Sponsored by Supervisor Nancy Walker (one of only two strong pro-tenant supervisors of the 1980’s, along with Harry Britt), our sign posting law passed. It made a huge difference.

Tenant notification about renovation plans often prevented landlords from carrying out their displacement strategy. Once the tenant got notice, attorneys from my office (the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, publisher of Beyond Chron) would request formal notification of permit issuance from the Central Permit Bureau. We could then file our appeal within the then short ten day period for challenging these permits at the Board of Appeal.

My colleagues and I spent a lot of evenings down at the Board of Appeals after the sign posting law passed. We won so many cases that fewer landlords used questionable renovations as an eviction strategy.

The Tenant Perspective

Homeowners can also appreciate the renter experience and support tenant protections. But the lack of tenant representation on land use and transit bodies is inexcusable in 2022. When I wrote a charter amendment in 1994 creating a Building Inspection Commission (Prop G) I mandated a tenant seat. It may be the only body that has this representation requirement other than the Rent Board, which includes equal numbers of tenants and landlords despite there being far more of the former in San Francisco.

San Francisco should mandate tenant seats on the Planning Commission and Board of Appeal. Maybe Melgar’s measure will awaken the Board to this need.

I was reminded during our long struggle to pass AB 854 (Ellis Act reform) how many elected officials across the state do not understand the tenant experience. It’s a big problem. Cities should at least do their part by finally giving tenants the commission representation and equal legal powers they have long deserved.

Randy Shaw

Randy Shaw is the Editor of Beyond Chron and the Director of San Francisco’s Tenderloin Housing Clinic, which publishes Beyond Chron. Shaw’s latest book is Generation Priced Out: Who Gets to Live in the New Urban America. He is the author of four prior books on activism, including The Activist’s Handbook: Winning Social Change in the 21st Century, and Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, the UFW and the Struggle for Justice in the 21st Century. He is also the author of The Tenderloin: Sex, Crime and Resistance in the Heart of San Francisco

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As a world traveler, I had one goal on hold until three things aligned: finances, timing, and motivation. But with rumors of a travel ban on the horizon, I accepted the reality that money burns, time melts and memories are the only impressions we can cherish.

Before masked smiles and elbow bumps became an international form of communication, my husband Benjamin and I put our hands together in Turkey and gave what was to be our last trip for 18 months. We have longed for the sub-pink side of Turkey by dividing our trip into three parts: City, Country, Coast. It was our own geographic version of “Eat, Pray, Love” with no self-reflection.

From LAX we traveled non-stop with Turkish Airlines, offering free city tours and hotel accommodation for stops over five hours. Going “all in” for us meant, in part, that this would be a journey of firsts (and possibly lasts), including flying business class. I had to try everything including Turkish delight, turndown service and Versace amenities. Fifteen hours later we landed at Istanbul Airport – the largest in the world costing $12 billion.

We checked into the Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, adorned with marble columns and chandeliers taller than my truck. As the only Ottoman palace hotel on the Bosphorus, it introduced us to this narrow strait between Europe and Asia.

The best view of the water was from the hotel’s restaurant, Tugra. Black-tie waiters, candle-lit tables, and paintings by Fausto Zonaro made me and my husband financially anxious.

Ottoman and Turkish dishes of lamb shank and duck tandir were served with olives in oil, hummus, eggplant, feta and other mezze. Benjamin leaned forward and whispered, “Exhale. An appetizer costs less than $30.”

Living big with no regrets, we chose full sultan mode. During the day we sight-seeed the area, and at night we sank into tasseled pillows as we devoured home-made desserts: dried fruit, flaky baklava, and chewy lokum cubes of pomegranate, orange, and honey.

Calories were burned during our four days in Istanbul with Sea Song Tours. From the meditative Suleymaniye Mosque to the Constantine Column of the Byzantine Hippodrome, history came alive in this tangible textbook.

While Benjamin received insights into religion and architecture, I was mesmerized by some of the 250,000 stray dogs and cats that roamed the city. These healthy looking fur babies were everywhere, passed out on the sidewalk, bellies to the sky. The local government provides food and medical supplies, so technically they are “home” on the doorstep of a 16th-century mosque.

How could they not be? Between the mosaics and domes of Hagia Sophia, we too felt the comforting awe of this architectural masterpiece. Built in AD 537, this Orthodox cathedral-turned-Ottoman mosque honors both Christian and Muslim faiths in homage to one of Byzantine’s most important structures.

Religious freedom seemed almost celebrated in Istanbul, transforming my preconceived notions of a turbulent nation into one of peace. On the Asian side of the Bosphorus, the bohemian district of Kuzguncuk — known for its colorful townhouses with gingerbread balconies — had mosques, synagogues, and churches practically sharing walls. English services rang out from Christian churches while the Islamic call to prayer rang out from 3,000 mosques in the distance.

In a city of 15 million people, this testimony to religious pluralism and multicultural identity inspired a sense of coexistence and prosperity. Waterfront mansions framing the Bosphorus dwarfed Beverly Hills, but despite the affluence, locals were unpretentious and welcoming, especially in Bomonti.

This Brooklyn of Turkey has a community vibe where everyone knows their neighbor. At the House Hotel we met locals who invited us for Turkish coffee in Halisunasyon and dinner in Batard. We stumbled across farmers markets, the Ara Guler Museum and Glories Chocolate to try truffles with rosehip and lemon.

Stripped of burqas, musculature and din, Istanbul was brilliantly alive, poised in an urban stance with European play. I was addicted to Karakoy, a maritime trade hub that has transformed into a trendy arts, fashion and food district. Cobblestone lanes were lined with funky cafes and shisha bars tucked away beneath palatial old apartments veined with ivy and graffiti as if they were the hipster descendants of Marseille and San Francisco.

Paradoxical Istanbul soothed us in the Serefiye Cistern and woke us up in the Grand Bazaar. Among the merchants who haggled copper and carpets, there were courts that offered respite from chaos. Pungent aromas of leather, coffee, tobacco and spice were framed by a vibrancy that dismantled false perceptions of a dark and monochromatic city.

Our second hotel certainly helped. In the Zorlu Center of the Besiktas district, Raffles Istanbul is the core of around 3,000 boutiques, restaurants and galleries. This cosmopolitan property boasts an impressive art collection, Michelin-star chefs and the largest spa in Istanbul.

From the hand-blown chandeliers to the bespoke murals in each room, the design is meticulous with Byzantine silks, Turkish textiles and golden mosaics. After the pan-Asian fusion at Isokyo, we headed to the spa for a traditional hammam treatment.

As if lying naked on a slab of marble wasn’t strange enough, we had our hair washed, bodies scrubbed and bucketfuls of water poured down our thighs. With sandpaper gloves in motion, I rolled over to find Benjamin buried in a mountain of foam. “I think I’m missing a mole,” I whispered.

After the scrub, my skin felt like butter and my hair felt like silk. But once was enough as we embarked on the “land” portion of our journey to Cappadocia.

Fairy chimneys, drawers carved into cliffs and Dr. Seuss-like rock formations sculpted by centuries of wind and rain covered the Anatolian steppes of central Turkey. Beneath this lunar landscape are 36 underground cities including Kaymakli, dating back to 3000 BC.

To maximize our experience we relied on Ismail from Travel Atelier. From the rock sanctuaries in Goreme National Park to the tandir lamb in Aravan Evi, Ismail has delivered on all fronts, including a last minute 4am hot air balloon ride

Soaring 1,500 feet above Rose Valley, we were one of 100 hot air balloons peppering the sky.

Perhaps the most impressive viewpoint of the balloon colony was from our Hotel Argos in Cappadocia. In the mountain village of Uchisar, this ambitious transformation project turned 51 caves into luxurious rooms with reading nooks and private plunge pools.

Her Seki Restaurant has a sweeping view of the Pigeon Valley with vineyards, apricot orchards and stone spiers sticking out of the ground. In this historic cradle of silence, monks retreated into solitude, and today travelers enter a monastery of silence moved only by the song of nightingales and the wings of doves.

Our journey could have ended happily there, but we headed east to Alacatı on Turkey’s Cesme Peninsula. This seaside playground near İzmir is famous for its beaches, vineyards and stone houses, but it was the boutique hotel Alavya that wooed us.

Six historic homes face an open courtyard lined with white mulberry and olive trees, where a lap pool, garden restaurant, and yoga pavilion find shade under the canopies. The elegant rooms have beamed ceilings, linen robes, patchwork rugs and Carrera marble bathrooms. Our breakfast was almost sinful, with heaps of figs, plums, olives and honey-soaked cheese.

We would never have left our hotel if the city hadn’t been our victorious temptress, enticing us with whitewashed storefronts adorned with bougainvillea. Lazy dogs posed under Greek-blue shutters in Instagram-worthy moments, perfected only by kissing couples, yellow sundresses and gleaming Vespas.

That evening we ate at Asma Yaprağı (Grape Leaf) where Chef Ayse Nur invites guests into her kitchen. Pyramids of Mediterranean and Turkish dishes included braised artichokes, stuffed zucchini flowers, and baked pumpkin with sun-dried tomatoes.

Despite our morning craving for beach lounge, we couldn’t leave Alacatı without visiting the wine region. As the birthplace of Vitis vinifera (grape vine), Turkey’s Aegean coast accounts for 20% of the country’s wine production. After an hour’s drive, we arrived in Urla, where we tracked seven vineyards producing award-winning blends such as Urla Vourla and Nero D’Avola.

Finally we got our day in the sun in Bodrum on the south west coast of Turkey. This gateway to beach towns and five-star resorts has landed us at the Mandarin Oriental. Golf carts whisked guests between nine restaurants, a private beach, and rooms overlooking Paradise Bay.

Like hot air balloons to Cappadocia, so are sailing boats to Bodrum. We joined the crowds and cruised across the mesmerizing peninsula to nestled coves, where we hopped into the turquoise sea from the top sun deck. I must have snorkeled for five hours while floating over glowing coral and chasing schools of glitter. We ate roasted squid, tuna tartare and lobster tagliolini. And then I stretched out on the bow, rocked to sleep and dreamed of Turkey.

In my dream were utopian visions of a united metropolis with many faces. There were mysterious caves, satin pillows, and dogs and cats living in harmony. I saw a coast painted five shades of blue. Hundreds of hot air balloons floated over stone walls carved in time. And in the distance the echoing call of prayers echoed through the valleys and canyons.

My reverie ended in a familiar voice. “Wake up, sleepyhead,” said Benjamin. “It’s time to go home.”

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