TREASURE ISLAND — The scanner and register at Treasure Island’s only grocery store, Island Cove Market, were silent Monday, when the power went out for the fifth time in six weeks across San Francisco's remote outpost. Even the refrigerator cases went dark.
Market owner Abdul Nassar told KCBS Radio that the ordeal was inconvenient and frustrating, but he shrugged in resignation about the recurring blackouts.
“Well, what can you do? You know, the whole island goes down. It’s not just us. Nothing we can do about it,” he said.
As for the 1,800 residents already living on the island, they have little recourse for basic necessities if the grocery store is forced to close for the day.
Power to the island is supplied by the city’s Hetch Hetchy System. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission believes the problem is an antiquated cable network installed in the 1960’s and 70’s.
There are plans to upgrade it as several thousand new residents, a hotel and shops are expected to transform Treasure Island in the coming years.
Max Arbusen, who works at a trucking company here involved in the redevelopment of the island, said Monday’s all day outage was the worst yet.
“We couldn’t get any work done for the whole day,” he said.
Some employees were able to work from home, but others waited around all day for the power to come back on—but it never did. Arbusen wants to see the city solve the problem before the island opens its arms to new residents and businesses.
Starting in 2021, San Francisco has proposed adding a $3.50 toll to enter or leave Treasure Island to reduce the crush of traffic expected on the Bay Bridge when construction completes. Last December, the city's Board of Supervisors delayed a vote on implementing the measure. But Arbusen pointed out that if residents have to leave the island to get groceries because there’s no power, they shouldn’t have to pay a toll just to return home.