Oh Chuck

Walnut Creek resident Chuck Nevius has one of his typical poorly-researched and poorly-attributed column in today's Chronicle Comical (newspaper columns are not newspaper articles, and columnists are not reporters, Jon Carroll's breaking cat news not withstanding).

This blog cares, however, only because a third of this column is about vocal neighborhood opposition to the Mason Street plaza/horseman-of-the-apocalypse in North Beach. The plaza is formed by a temporary closure of a short block of Mason Street, which is part of a Branch Library Improvement Program project in North Beach.

Nevius quotes opponents counting themselves in the thousands and raising concerns about ambulances and fire trucks. He lets a woman named Julie Christensen counter those arguments, but he doesn't even say who she is.

The Mason Street plaza will remain open to people and closed to cars through September 27th while the Planning Department studies its effect on all modes of traffic. At some point after that members of the public will be given an opportunity to comment on the library project.

As Nevius reminds us, those opposed to the project will be out in force. Everyone who supports turning streets into parks should turn out as well. I'll be sure to post information as the public comment period approaches.