[Noisebridge-discuss] ADA Access for the future Noisebridge

Wed Feb 28 07:34:25 UTC 2018

Competing real estate brokers, landlords (including our current), and
trolls that want to harm Noisebridge's efforts to find a new home.

Evidence for the latter exists. The first two are well established facts of
the real estate industry.

Regards,

Kevin

On Tue, Feb 27, 2018 at 7:34 PM, jim <jim at well.com> wrote:

>
> what evidence is there for parties not allied...?
>
>
> On 02/28/2018 02:11 AM, kprichard wrote:
>
> We've begun posting notes, photos and documents up on a sharing service.
> We'll start distributing those internally in the next 24 hours.
>
> In the interest of protecting our search from parties not allied to our
> mission, we should find a non-public means for having an accessible,
> threaded conversation -like an internal mailing list.
>
> Kevin
>
>
> On Tue, Feb 27, 2018 at 5:38 PM, jarrod hicks <hicksu at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I think people outside of our Slack are effectively excluded from full
>> participation in our location searching, since that is where the
>> collaboration is being done. We aren't having new-space meetings and
>> updates regarding the search aren't really going out to the discussion list
>> or wiki. (I've certainly failed in this regard) I think the last new space
>> meeting was in December and it was Kevin who put the notes on discuss.
>>
>> It may help us move forward better as a whole if we get more of the new
>> space discussion here instead of on, or in addition to, Slack.
>>
>> We could start individual threads for the promising locations or other
>> discussion threads using a somewhat standard subject line like: "  -
>> address or subject" for easy searching and filtering
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Feb 27, 2018 at 4:05 PM, kprichard <kprichard at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Zach,
>>>
>>> *"Is equal access for all a fundamental part of Noisebridge's mission?"*
>>>
>>> It is!  Nobody should be prevented from coming to Noisebridge because of
>>> disability.  Accessibilty is one of the top criteria when we talk about
>>> when a space is being presented.
>>>
>>> In the nearly eight years since Noisebridge moved into 2169#3, market
>>> rents have literally quadrupled.  Imagine a Noisebridge where we're paying
>>> four times our current rent, Zach.
>>>
>>> Philanthropist & membership dues would be $320, not $80!  That would
>>> leave Noisebridge inaccessible to most, if not all. (That's more than
>>> double TechShop's old rates, without all their equipment.)
>>>
>>> To deal with that, we expanded our search to include spaces that are not
>>> *currently* ADA accessible, because-
>>> a) they fit our extremely limited size/location/price nexus (being only
>>> 2-2.5 times more money), AND
>>> b) we feel there's a good chance those spaces can be upgraded to
>>> accomodate everyone.
>>>
>>> Note that I said "not currently ADA accessible."  Of the two spaces on
>>> the table today, one is at least 90% compatible (and easily brought up to
>>> 100%), and the other has a big hurdle (stairs) which the landlord might be
>>> willing to help us overcome (I am waiting on an answer). And remember that
>>> we have talented people with architecture and construction skills in our
>>> membership.
>>>
>>>
>>> * "I know finding an accessible space is going to be really, really
>>> hard.  I do ask that people really try though.  That includes educating
>>> ourselves around access and including disabled people in the search and in
>>> the conversation." *
>>> A perfect space meeting Noisebridge's accessibility, size, price,
>>> location needs will not just fall into our laps. You can help Noisebridge
>>> by joining the hunt and finding some spaces which fits our needs.
>>>
>>> Try loopnet.com and sfbay.craigslist.org, those seem to be the two main
>>> services where industrial and flex properties get listed. Our current
>>> criteria-
>>>
>>> 1. Accessibility: ground floor with wide doors, accessible bathrooms,
>>> and/or an elevator if not ground or if multi-floor (or potential to be made
>>> accessible)
>>> 2. Price: the current rent is around $9.50/sqft/year, and we'd like to
>>> keep it under $24/yr
>>> 3. Location: consensus is to be within 10-15 minutes of BART and major
>>> bus lines (that excludes Dogpatch, Bayview, Hunters Point etc)
>>> 4. Size: 4,000 square feet, or more
>>>
>>> When you prioritize all four criteria equally, the number of vacant
>>> spaces falls to zero. If we expand the search to spaces that we or the
>>> landlord can modify for accessibility, we get a handful. Or, at least we
>>> *did* get a handful, but now the market appears to have dried up. Prices
>>> are rising, and vacancies are vanishing as tech firms continue to flood San
>>> Francisco. That's why the two spaces on the table are not perfect.
>>>
>>> Call brokers and ask if they know about spaces meeting our criteria! The
>>> more people who are involved in the hunt, the more chances we have at
>>> surviving this fall.
>>>
>>> We're on your side, man!  Join us in the search!  Don't fight your
>>> fellow Noisebridgers -- fight NB's impending doom at the hands of the most
>>> nefarious villain of all, The Market. :)
>>>
>>> Best,
>>> Kevin
>>>
>>> On Tue, Feb 27, 2018 at 3:09 PM, Zach R <organicunity at hotmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi everyone,
>>>>
>>>>      It was recently brought to my attention that the search for a new
>>>> Noisebridge home has included many (perhaps solely) inaccessible places.
>>>> Meaning, the future Noisebridge would not allow me, or anyone else in a
>>>> wheelchair, walker, etc. to enter.  This would eliminate me from being
>>>> part of the community entirely.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Now, I know the search for a new place is very rough, rents are
>>>> exorbitant, and I would not want to stand in the way of Noisebridge
>>>> continuing to exist.  But I think there needs to be a huge shift in
>>>> the effort being put towards finding accessible spaces.  I have some
>>>> ideas listed below.  But first, I want to pose a question to the
>>>> community because I get different answers / opinions from different people:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *Is equal access for all a fundamental part of Noisebridge's mission?*
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I don't know the answer to that question, but I think it is a good one
>>>> to talk about among the community.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Now, as far as an actual sincere effort to searching for an accessible
>>>> space.  Here are some suggestions:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>    - *Include disabled people in this conversation and ask them about
>>>>    their needs* -this is very important.  Please don't assume what
>>>>    people's needs are.  Please include some disabled people in the
>>>>    closed-circle Noisebridge building search.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>    - Call and ask the landlord exactly what accessibility looks like.  How
>>>>    many steps are there?  What is the size of the door, gate, etc?  How
>>>>    narrow / wide are hallways and entry areas?  Is there a large
>>>>    single-occupancy bathroom?  What is the slope of the entry way?  Is
>>>>    there a working elevator?  Relay this information to disabled
>>>>    members for feedback and input /*before*/ going to a space, taking
>>>>    pictures, and getting really attached to it.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>    - Reach out to organizations and do an internet search for
>>>>    accessibility options, and laws around construction and such.  You,
>>>>    yes, /you/ can actually step up to do some of this research.  Call:
>>>>
>>>>             *Senior Disability Action (https://sdaction.org/
>>>> <https://sdaction.org/>  (415) 546-1333 <%28415%29%20546-1333>)*
>>>>
>>>> *            ILRC (https://www.ilrcsf.org/ <https://www.ilrcsf.org/>
>>>> (415) 543-6222 <%28415%29%20543-6222>)*
>>>>
>>>>             or similar places to ask for advice.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I want to be clear that I don't expect to be a part of Noisebridge come
>>>> August.  I know finding an accessible space is going to be really,
>>>> really hard.  I do ask that people really try though.  That includes
>>>> educating ourselves around access and including disabled people in the
>>>> search and in the conversation.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I plan on attending the meeting tonight (which hopefully happens) in
>>>> case anyone wants to discuss this stuff with me.  I do ask however,
>>>> that you do not vent your frustrations on me.  I do not want to be the
>>>> scapegoat for San Francisco's problems with ADA access and high rents.
>>>> As the most active wheelchair-using member of Noisebridge I have had to
>>>> work overtime educating people about access, ableism, and advocating for
>>>> myself.  It's exhausting.  I am just trying to be a part of the
>>>> community and I hope everyone can understand and respect that.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for reading this and taking the time to care about these
>>>> issues.  I look forward to our conversation and growth as a community
>>>> together.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -Zach
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
>>>> Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
>>>> https://lists.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
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>>> https://lists.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
>>>
>>>
>>
>
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