Noe Valley Plaza: Tea Party Filibuster Hijacks Community Meeting

Apparently some people missed the memo - tonight's community meeting was never intended to be a town meeting.

Even so, the boos and jeers started as soon as Andres Power started speaking. The "Don't Block Noe" crowd was at tonight's meeting in force and insisted on being heard. What was supposed to be a 20 minute presentation of the results of the traffic study and the status of the project so far twice had Planning staffer Sarah Dennis-Phillips scolding the crowd: "Next time Andres is interrupted Planning is leaving and none of you will be heard." Momentary quiet.

The shouting resumed 2 minutes later after Andres said the words "easily removable" and "if the project moved forward" at least 20 more times. Despite angry shushing, Bevan Dufty (who arrived late from a budget meeting) had to take the mic and also had the quote of the evening: "It will make the news if we have to call the police to a meeting in Noe Valley." Nervous laughter.

General gist voiced by Bevan, Andres and other members of the Planning staff: "It will be difficult to move forward" with this project given the "vocal opposition."

This will not be resolved anytime soon.

Update: Video uploaded to Youtube by sattvicwarrior

World Cup Comes Home

Sign in the The French Tulip

Sue Bowie Joins Alain Pinel, Sells Out 24th St Retail

Sue Bowie, circa 1985

We were disappointed to learn that the old Phoenix Books location was/is becoming yet another waste of space - again in the form of a realtor's office. But then today we received a postcard announcing that Sue Bowie has joined forces with Alain Pinel:

Alain Pinel welcomes Sue Bowie to its gallery of Real Estate Professionals. Sue continues her 24 year tradition of providing the same excellent service to her clients in Noe Valley, now teamed with the most sophisticated and technologically advanced real estate firm, specializing in the marketing of distinctive properties and estates.

Sue Bowie is a great resource and not only specializes in Noe Valley but All of San Francisco, including Eureka Valley, Bernal Heights and Glen Park.

It all makes sense, though, when you factor in that Sue Bowie owns the building at 3850 24th St where Alain Pinel will soon open.

[NVSF: Tidbits: What's Up on 24th Street?]

Farmer's Market Parking Lot Edges Closer To Town Square Status

From Bevan Dufty's latest Newsletter:

Friends of Noe Valley is hosting a meeting on July 15 to discuss the potential sale of the parking lot on 24th and Sanchez to the City in order to create permanent open space. The meeting will be at St. Philips at 6:30 PM.

The purpose of the meeting is twofold. First, FONV will provide a status update about the sale of the parking lot and what is needed in order for the lot to become permanent public open space. In addition, FONV is seeking input and suggestions about how the current lot could be converted into open space (a town square).

The community meeting will be facilitated by the Neighborhood Parks Council.

As we summarized from the Voice in May: "This would not replace the controversial Noe Street plaza, says Bevan Dufty. The space may qualify for city open space funds - but private funds could get the job done faster, and move through city planning more easily."

What: Friends of Noe Valley
When: Thursday, July 15th 6:30 PM
Where: St. Philips Church located at 725 Diamond at Elizabeth Street

[NVV: Dreams of a Town Square in 24th Street Parking Lot]

Noe Valley Plaza: Agenda And Fact Sheet For Community Meeting

From Andres Power:

Dear Noe Valleyans,

In preparation for next week's community workshop, attached please find a three-page fact sheet highlighting the goals of Pavement to Parks, some preliminary analysis of the Noe Street option and other locations suggested by the community at our first workshop, and a brief overview of how the options would be evaluated, should they move forward towards a trial.

Thanks,

Andres Power
sfpavementtoparks@sfplanning.org

The fact sheet is here (PDF)

What: Noe Valley Pavement to Parks Community Meeting #2
When: Wednesday, June 30rd, 7:30-9:00pm
Where: St. Philip School, 665 Elizabeth Street @ Diamond

Pixie Hall Studios will provide a calls for kids free of charge so parents can attend the meeting. Details to follow.

[NVSF: All Plaza Posts]

Rumor: Lululemon to Noe Valley?

An anonymous commenter posted this item on the For Lease: Twin Peaks Property post about Harry Aleo's former office:

Interestingly enough I was on the Lululemon site and in their careers section they have a listing for a Noe Valley store - maybe that's what is going in there? As a bona fide Noe Valley lady who loves her Lulu, I would be stoked as hell.

Lululemon is a boutique retail chain that sells "technical athletic apparel for yoga, running, dancing, and most other sweaty pursuits." We can't vouch for the job post on the Lululemon site - but given there's a store on Union Street it's plausible one could open here too.

Update (6/24): Still a rumor (emphasis ours):

Thank you for your interest in lululemon athletica. As of now, nothing has been confirmed for a new location in San Francisco. However, if we do decide to open a new location in Noe Valley, it will definitely be posted on our website under 'store finder'.
I hope this information helps!

Kind regards,
Hannah
lululemon athletica

Crime Beat: Noe Valley Murder Solved?

Charles McAleer-Bonilla

This item hit the Chronicle last night about the SFPD DNA lab and references the murder of Charles McAleer-Bonilla on April 8 outside his home on 28th @ Sanchez:

Recently, a delay in testing the DNA in an April homicide in Noe Valley came back to haunt the department when the suspected killer, Anthony Alvarez, took a toddler hostage in Sacramento. Alvarez was killed by deputies who freed the child.

Before the Sacramento incident, San Francisco police had not yet identified Alvarez as their suspect in the Noe Valley case. But Alvarez had told a family member about details of the April 8 killing of Charles McAleer-Bonilla that only the killer would know, police say.

A week after the killing, Alvarez skipped out on a San Francisco behavioral health court program and was soon tied to three bank robberies and an incident in which he shot at a Concord police officer. Alvarez was shot dead on June 11 during the standoff in Sacramento.

The drug lab did not start its testing of the DNA evidence found in the McAleer-Bonilla slaying until May 18 and did not produce a profile until June 9, the same day the three-day hostage crisis began in Sacramento, officials say.

On June 13, the DNA got a hit on the state's database, but authorities have yet to confirm that the DNA belonged to Alvarez. The Sacramento sheriff blamed Alvarez, and not the lab, for what happened.

No mention on the SFPD site of this update and the case is still open.

[Photo: San Francisco Police Department]

Open: The Little Chihuahua

The Little Chihuahua tweeted the opening of its second location today at 11AM - 4123 24th St at Castro (in the old Bistro 24 and Miss Millie's space). No firm hours appear to be posted yet, though Tablehopper reports hours through this Thursday are 11am-3pm; regular hours of 11am-10pm start Friday. Brunch will (of course) be on the menu soon. Phone: 415-648-4157

For Lease: Twin Peaks Properties

Harry J. Aleo's colorful Twin Peaks Property office at 4072 24th Street (between Castro and Noe) is for lease by Gordon Property Management. The office is closed and we overheard someone out front saying "it'll probably become a women's clothes store or a chocolate shop, the way things are going around here." In the meantime, some of the President Reagan and period memorabilia is starting to disappear from the window; unclear what the lease means for the proposed Harry Aleo museum.

Family Fun This Weekend

Two events worth noting:

The Noe Valley Association and the Noe Valley Merchant's and Professional's Association are putting on the first annual Midsummer Celebration from 3-6pm on Saturday, June 19th. Among other things, there's a hayride leaving from Walgreen's, a petting zoo and face painting at the Noe Valley Ministry parking lot, and garden demos at Whole Foods. Live music, too.

And on the 20th, it's Sunday Streets in the Mission from 10am-3pm. Follow the link for a map of street closures and events.

Suspended: Tamasei Sushi Liquor License

Reader Jennifer sent us this tip about Tamasei Sushi at 3856 24th Street (@ Vicksburg):

"Liquor license suspension for the little sushi place on 24th between Church and Sanchez. Posted on the front windows. There was a sign a few days ago saying that they were closed for vacation, but maybe it was because they got busted."

The sign in the windows of the nook-sized sushi spot says the alcohol license has been suspended "indefinitely" as of June 10, 2010. Meanwhile, the California ABC site still shows the license is active and there are no previous violations - and the restaurant was open for business today.

Tamasei is on the site of the old Matsuya restaurant which closed in 2006 and was allegedly the oldest sushi bar in SF. According to Wikipedia, the owners of the current restaurant are the founders of the Harupin-Ha Butoh Dance Company.

Update: A reader writes: "The reason the license was suspended was because he went on vacation and forgot to pay the fee. Should be cleared up soon."

Church Street Update: More Sushi Happenings

Following up on Tidbits from earlier this month, Ted sent the following:

Just had a conversation with the new folks at the Deep Sushi space, who it turns out are these folks: Tataki Sushi and Sake Bar - they are working on permits (bldg/planning dept. & ABC) and hope to open in July, but can't promise anything because of the permit uncertainty. They may just use the same name, but are still pondering that.

Separately I talked to the business partner of the folks who own the former Vetran's liquor space a few doors North, who are continuing to use it as storage with no plans at all to lease it out for any retail use.

Noe Valley Pavement to Parks Community Meeting, Round 2, Take 2

Dear Noe Valley Neighbors,

Our next community meeting to discuss the proposed Pavement to Parks project in Noe Valley is scheduled for June 30th, 7:30pm, at St. Philips. Unfortunately, an earlier date (June 23) was advertised in the Noe Valley Voice and in the Supervisor's newsletter. We realized after publication that another community meeting had already been scheduled for that time and location.

At this upcoming community meeting, we'll continue the conversation we began on April 8th. We'll take a step back and talk about the goals of the project and how we might meet these goals with a menu of different design options. As requested, we'll also bring traffic data to this meeting. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

St. Philips is located at 665 Elizabeth Street, at Diamond. The entrance to the community room is off of Diamond Street.

Best,
Andres Power
sfpavementtoparks@sfplanning.org

What: Noe Valley Pavement to Parks Community Meeting #2
When: Wednesday, June 30rd, 7:30 pm
Where: St. Philip School, 665 Elizabeth Street @ Diamond

[NVSF: All Plaza Posts]

Hold That Thought: Next Plaza Meeting Cancelled?

Rumor has it that the second edition of a Community Meeting to discuss a plaza/parklet and 24th/Noe the on June 23rd has been cancelled because "St Philip's double booked the room and gave preference to the Noe Valley Democratic Club," according to a source.

Stay tuned.

NVV June 2010: We Read It So You Don't Have To

The Noe Valley Voice is published ten times a year and has been a neighborhood fixture since 1977. Here are notable highlights from the latest issue. Links are to items we've covered here on NVSF or outside sources as the Voice doesn't post stories until the middle of the month.

June 2010

Front Page: Memorial service for special police officer Jane Warner; Noe Street Plaza firestorm rages on; NV Garden Tour on June 12; a very useful roundup of Noe Valley guesthouses.

Letters: More about the the proposed Noe Plaza, including the formal "resolution" from Robert Roddick of the NVMPA in support of the plaza that was "leaked" to this blog; a reminder that there have been other recent homicides in Noe including one in 2004 on 26th Street and one 10 years ago in the upper Noe gym; a 6 paragraph love letter praising 24th Street Cheese Co.; and a quizzical letter from Chris Lohman on Duncan near Church wondering what the boop-boop siren bird is (it's a Northern Mockingbird).

Features: Look for a hayride and petting zoo on 24th Street on June 19 between 3 and 6 p.m. Starting point for the hayride is at Walgreen's on Castro at 24th (this does not replace the Harvest Fest--merely cashing in); the twin spires of St. Paul's are finished and in full view again; summer Camp at Upper Noe Rec Center.

Cost of Living in Noe: 10 Noe homes sold in April with an average sale price of $1.2 million; rents are climbing slightly.

Store Trek: La Boulange (3834 24th Street @ Sanchez) gives Noe a certain je ne sais quoi and Frenchy appeal (and then NVV pimps a La Bou online coupon for 20% off tickets to the d'Orsay collection at the de Young--re-pimped here: coupon code MBAKE); Dr. Robert Solley (1701 Church Street @ 29th) specializes in couples counseling, helping couples "cool the tensions and rekindle their love."

Rumors: Plazamania continues, and the plaza plans are still on the table- be sure to show up for the next meeting on June 23 at 6:30 PM at St. Philip's; the NVA has been active on 24th Street, putting in cherry trees at 24th and Diamond and strawberry trees in front of The Ark toy store, as well as wooden benches and planters along 24th Street. Debra Nieman also wants everyone to know that now that federal money has become available, the city is putting in ADA ramps which "will require removal and replacement of of the yellow duratherm crosswalks" at Castro and 24th. So maybe that means that the new crosswalks will align with the sidewalks and be somehow less seizure-inducing.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Tidbits: Church Street

One of Incanto's New Pigs

Grubstreet tipped us off that AmberJack Sushi is for sale. Apparently chef-owner Stewart Chen is offloading restaurants all over the place and "has decided to retire." Or not. Listing here.

Speaking of sushi, still no change at Deep: Modern Izakaya. That is...except for a notice on the door that the dishwashing equipment is leased and they want it back. Guess their last tweet in September really didn't pan out.

Re:Construction Salon is open in the old When Modern Was space at 1504 Church St.

Heliotrope is set to open in the old Green Twig space at 1515 Church St. Expect: "Natural, locally sourced skin care, customized aromatherapy blends, personal health products and decorative accessories." Since the landlord advertised a "one year lease--no options" they'll need to stabilize pretty darn quick. Still shooting for "early June."

Finally, we heard through the grapevine that Vetran's Liquor at 1710 Church St has actually been leased as a non-retail office for months now. You'd think they'd want to at least replace the broken glass?

2010 Noe Valley Garden Tour Needs You

From Richard May:

The 2010 Noe Valley Garden Tour will take place Saturday, June 12. Eight gardens are on the tour, including Japanese, Shanghai-style, four garden rooms up a slope, and a massive garden around a renovated farm house. Tickets are just $12 for 8 gardens. You can buy yours at Cover to Cover Booksellers, Independent Nature garden store, Just for Fun, Noe Valley Bakery, Omnivore Books on Food, Small Frys, Urban Nest, and Video Wave.

Or, you can earn a free ticket by volunteering to staff the entrance to one of the 8 gardens. Shifts are 9:30am to 11:30am, 11:30am to 1:30pm, and 1:30pm to 3:30pm. Volunteers check for tickets and sell more as needed. If you’d like to take a shift and get a free ticket, call Richard May at 298-2344. Volunteers are still very badly needed. Please help.

The Garden Tour is sponsored by Friends of Noe Valley. Proceeds go to "neighborhood beautification projects" like hanging flower pots, the garden in front of James Lick and the restoration of the Noe Valley Sally Brunn Branch Library.