UNCOMMON KNOWLEDGE: Closing the Books at UC Berkeley Extension

FILM SCREENING and PUBLIC FORUM on the REUSE OF THE UC BERKELEY EXTENSION SITE AT 55 LAGUNA

San Francisco, CA, February 14th, 2007. A documentary film and public forum will be held February 24th on the history and reuse of the 5.8 acre historic UC Berkeley Extension campus. UC Regents have engaged a private developer, A.F. Evans, to convert the site into a high density housing and shopping center. Their proposal is currently under review by the SF Planning department. UC Regents are seeking rezoning on the campus, which if approved, will permanently end its 150 year history of public use. A public hearing is scheduled for March 8th at the San Francisco Planning Department; it is the only public process planned regarding the re-zoning of the campus.

Film Screening and Public Forum to be held:
When: Saturday, February 24, 4-5:30 PM, Free
Where: The San Francisco Public Library, 100 Larkin St. (at Grove), Koret Auditorium.

The program will begin with a screening of Eliza Hemenway’s new documentary UNCOMMON KNOWLEDGE: Closing the Books at UC Berkeley Extension, a poetic journey inside UC Berkeley Extension as plans unfold to close its historic San Francisco campus and convert it into a lucrative private development. Filmmaker Eliza Hemenway worked at the campus for over six years. Wondering why UC Regents were closing a campus with a 150 year history of public use, she picked up her camera and began to film. The result is a revealing look into higher education and culture, as well as a hauntingly beautiful portrait of a campus and the community it served. Accompanied by an edgy urban soundtrack written and performed by locally acclaimed musician Tim Barsky and Everyday Theatre with additional music by The Toids. Running Time: Aprox. 30 minutes

The film screening will be followed by a brief Q&A with the filmmaker and a

PUBLIC FORUM:
A panel will present information on the historic and planning issues related to the reuse of the Campus. The panel will include: Charles Chase, AIA, Executive Director, San Francisco Architectural Heritage; Mark Paez, Urban Planner and Co-Chair, Friends of 1800; Warren Dewar, Attorney and
Board Member, Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association (HVNA); and Tamara Colby, Urban Planner and Co-Chair, Save the UCBE Laguna Street Campus.



Please Note: This program is sponsored by the Friends of 1800 and Trinity Productions and is not a San Francisco Library Sponsored program.
BACKGROUND and HISTORY:
Nearly six acres large, the UC Berkeley Extension Laguna Street Campus is located north of Market Street in the Hayes Valley Neighborhood. The site is bounded by Laguna, Buchanan, Haight and Herman streets. Its historic Spanish Colonial Buildings and retaining walls line these streets. The Campus was the original home of San Francisco State University and its construction predates Golden Gate Park.

The campus has over 150 year history of public use, and it has always been used for educational purposes. In 1854 an orphanage was constructed and remained in operation until the 1920's when the San Francisco State Normal School was established. The university eventually changed its name to San Francisco State University. By 1957, SFSU moved to a new campus in the Lake Merced area. Soon after, the Governor of California approved an act of emergency legislation that transferred the Campus to the UC Regents. There was one caveat in this transfer; the campus property was to be put to "university uses."

UC Berkeley has used the campus for its continuing education program for over fifty years. Unfortunately, during that time, the school neglected the infrastructure and failed to bring the historical buildings up to code. Despite years of economic boom, renovations were limited to cosmetic upgrades while additional facilities were rented throughout the Bay Area. UC representatives claimed that the campus was too expensive to maintain and bring up to current seismic and disabled access codes which led to its closure.

PRESERVATION EFFORTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The Friends of 1800 have submitted an application to the State Historic Preservation Office nominating the UC Berkeley Extension Laguna Street Campus to the National Register of Historic Places. The Friends of 1800 is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving significant historical buildings, landmarks and the architectural heritage of San Francisco. http://www.friendsof1800.org

The San Francisco Planning Department is accepting public comments on the proposed UC/AF Evans/open house project through March 12, 2007: Send written comments to: Paul Maltzer, Environmental Review Officer, SF Planning Department, 1660 Mission Street, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94103. A copy of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) titled, "55 Laguna Mixed Use Project" can be found at: http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/planning/55%20Laguna%20Mixed%20Use%20DEIR.pdf

A Public Hearing on the Draft EIR will be held Thursday, March 8, 2007 in Room 400, City Hall. Call
558-6422 the week of the hearing for a recorded message for the exact time of hearing. A request has been made to hold the hearing at 6:00 PM. This is the only public hearing scheduled regarding the the re-zoning of the campus.

Save the UCBE Laguna Street Campus was founded to establish a Citizens Advisory Committee to determine the highest and best use of the campus and to promote the preservation of its historic and public resources. The group has drafted a petition calling for the Board of Supervisors to establish a Citizens Advisory Committee. See: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Save_UCBE_Laguna_St_Campus and http://www.petitiononline.com/UCBEsite/petition.html

For more information about the film, UNCOMMON KNOWLEDGE: Closing the Books at the UC Berkeley Extension" or the filmmaker, Eliza Hemenway, visit http://www.hemenwaydocs.com