Community Meeting Minutes: Let The Free Market Work

It was a full house tonight at St. Philips. Not as many people as at the Whole Foods community meeting but still a good turnout and all the usual suspects were there with Bevan as the smooth-talking moderator to keep things civil. The most vocal were people who live on or around 24th Street, or on Jersey or Elizabeth (with restaurants in their backyard).

Short SFPD Presentation

• Captain Corrales praised Chief Gascon, who has brought in new perspective and ideas – like fingerprint kits for car break-ins
• Lots of clapping for Lorraine Lombardo, 24th St beat cop for 20 years

More Restaurants on 24th Street

• Quick overview of the proposal from Bevan that passed the Board last month, and he then introduced the lady pictured here (couldn't catch her name). Her main point – Starbucks opened in 1993 even when we had all these rules in place. All of this needs more study - we need balance and stability “like a good shopping mall.”
• Another woman stood up and asked what “necessary and desirable” means in the planning code. The Planning Department's Elizabeth Watty's answer: “It’s subjective.” It needs the community support and restaurants typically should be no more than 20% of commercial space. And no formula retail or chains – communities typically support independently-owned restaurants.
• Yet another complained about the “hustle and bustle on the streets to create a new restaurant” so that they could "open and close, open and close” and the “pizza crusts” and “rats” she worried about with a place like Extreme Pizza opening (it was shut out in the 90s)
• Bill and Carol Yenne stood up and said they’ve lived in the 'hood for years, have kids and grandkids here (on and around 24th Street) and everyone they know supports more restaurants

Other Highlights from Public Comment

• Everyone hates nail salons, title companies and banks
• The biggest opponents to more restaurants are people who live on or around 24th Street and near restaurants (they hate the noise, smells, and delivery trucks)
• There were a few people who worried about the gentrification of Noe (all these changes are driving out “working class people like me”)
• Fresca, "the taqueria" and Hahn’s Hibachi are hated by their neighbors for the noise and smells
• Starbucks neighbors hate the noisy refrigerated delivery semis that idle in their driveways for hours every night
• Savor was held up as a good neighbor for respecting and listening to complaints and installing state-of-the-art (read: quiet) ventilation
• At the end of this segment Bevan asked for a show of hands. There were many more for more restaurants than against. 4-to-1? 3-to-1? Hard to tell but it was a solid majority.

Pavements to Parks (aka the New Plaza for Noe on 24th and Noe)

Debra Niemann gave a quick talk about what the Noe Valley Association does (greening, maintenance, crosswalks, making downtown Noe an urban village) and highlighted some of the recent projects like the green area near Starbucks and the pedestal newsstands – as well as the Harvest Fest.

"Very soon" they plan to invite neighbors to talk about the proposed green common space at 24th and Noe. No details yet, except that Flora Grubb is donating the landscaping and other vendors are donating design time. Send an email to info@noevalleyassociation.org if you want an invitation to the meeting to discuss the proposal. The hope is to have a decision soon enough to open the space on June 21.