Letters to the Editor

Editor:

Thank you for the story in your July editions about UC San Francisco's efforts to ease a campus housing shortage that threatens to discourage outstanding students and leading faculty members and researchers from coming to UCSF.

As you reported, the campus has begun a formal planning process that involves extensive community involvement and approval by the UC Board of Regents. Our goal is to develop a long-term housing solution that benefits our neighbors, our students and staff, and the campus. The commitment of the Sunset Beacon and the Richmond Review to keep the community informed remains a vital part of the process.

Some information in the article, however, needs to be expanded and corrected to give your readers a complete view of the effort.

· The largest component of the housing plan under consideration would be a proposed 375-unit building for students and post-doctoral fellows at the new UCSF Mission Bay campus. The article described this as a 6,000-unit building.

· Five of the apartment buildings at Aldea will remain occupied by 65 students until August 2005, when they will be vacated and demolished under an agreement with the community. The article incorrectly reported that these units will be rebuilt.

The campus will continue to re-evaluate some portions of this proposal to address neighbor's concerns. Campus neighbors will be kept informed of future opportunities to ask questions and help shape the final campus housing plan.

Barbara Bagot-Lopez
UCSF Community Relations Manager

Editor:

I read your article about the underground parking garage in Golden Gate Park.

By my reckoning, the current estimate of $60 million for some 800 cars turns out to nearly $75,000 per car!

Someone must think the parking, worth more than the price of most cars, is well worth it.

Linda Gilbert