NVV: 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 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 online until mid-month.

April 2012

Front Page: The Town Square project is looking for a hero with $2 million or more to keep the dream alive; Alvarado school is getting solar panels; a Diamond St. couple has created Just Cook Foods, a specialty foods company (they make meat rubs) for busy foodies.

Letters: A reader decries the condition of the Harry Street steps (an extension of Noe St. from Laidley to Beacon) and calls them a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act; in memory of Sybil Abeyta; an M.D. advises how to approach dogs (ask before you pet) on 24th St.

Features: The over-the-top $3 million+ redo of the Dolores Playground opens March 31; a re-run of the exact same story that ran last month about the Jan 2012 appointment of Mission Captain Robert Moser (oopsie!).

Short Takes: Garden tour 2012 set for May 19; Easy Breezy frozen yogurt still coming soon.

Cost of Living in Noe: Still red hot.

Store Trek: Saru Sushi

Rumors: Lots of grouses and gripes. Also, the "commercial blogs" report Tuggey's is struggling and the building is for rent; Tuggey's owner Dennis Giovanoli loves Noe Valley so much he's considering "moving to the city;" Whole Foods has withdrawn its application for an ABC license to sell spirits; Luv a Java has received the go-ahead to serve more food; Scott Wiener's new chief of staff is Andres "Parklet" Powers.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

This Week In Noe Valley

Noe Valley news from the interwebs:

• Patxi's afraid of pink slime (and hopefully tracking other questionable additives) [Twitter]
• 33 Fountain St gutted, for sale and now tracked by the DBI [Socketsite]
• Philz Coffee Noe Valley was thwarted; Murphstahoe despondent [Twitter]
• Rain won't deter the determined. [Instagram]
• February condo sales in Noe Valley [Downing & Co]
• Humid, chlorine-smelling pool house sold [SF Curbed]

[Photo: @newdoorsf]

Grand Opening: Philz Coffee

Philz Coffee Noe Valley officially opens tomorrow: "Grand opening at our new Noe Valley store tomorrow!! Come by and see us :)" That's Wednesday, March 28th, for those of you keeping track of these things.

Update (3/28):
"The inspector couldn't come to sign off. Our new target opening is Friday. See you then."

Philz Coffee
4298 24th St at Douglass

[Photo: @Philz_Coffee]

This Week At The Planning Commission

A look at Noe Valley projects in front of the Planning Commission this week. Information is provided by the Planning Commission, and taken from its published agenda. All hearings are on Thursday at 1:30pm, Room 400 in City Hall.

March 22

1300 DOLORES STREET - southwest corner of 26th and Dolores Streets; Lot 045 in Assessor’s Block 6566 - Request for Conditional Use Authorization, pursuant to Planning Code Sections 186, 303 and 728.44, to convert an existing retail coffee store (d.b.a. Luv a Java) to a small, self-service restaurant within an RH-3 (Residential, House - Three-Family) Zoning District and a 40-X Height and Bulk District.

Preliminary Recommendation: Approval with Conditions

The application and staff analysis is here (PDF).

[SF Planning: 1300 Dolores (PDF)]

Opening Saturday: Noe Valley Wine Merchants

We've been watching the space at 3821 24th St since last summer when Eater SF announced that Urban Cellars would become Noe Valley Wine Merchants. And while the space has been ready since last fall, the ABC license was finalized just last week. Today Eater announced NV Wine Merchant will open this Saturday:

The rebirth of Urban Cellar as Noe Valley Wine Merchants (3821 24th St.) is set for this Saturday. New owner and 24-year retail wine biz vet James Mead has renovated the space to include a tasting room where he plans on holding bi-weekly tasting events. Mead says the store will also stock some spirits geared toward the "home mixologist" as well as "99 bottles of micro- and craft-brewed beers."

[ESF: Coming Soon: Noe Valley Wine Merchants]

For Rent: Tuggey's Hardware

[Terranomics: 3885 24th St]
[NVSF: Tuggey's Is Struggling]

The Dog Fight At Noe Courts Continues

Dog owners have been fighting for equal, safe and clean access to Noe Courts since the late 1980s when the perimeter fence was installed. In 1997, Parks and Rec tried to ban dogs altogether but relented and allowed dogs as long as they remained on leash. That leash law has remained a bone of contention ever since. Fast forward to last week when one dog owner fired off this email to Scott Wiener:

Dear Mr. Wiener:

If you think I was upset about the park work trucks digging up the grass, I am now outraged by the fact that we are being harassed by Park Rangers again. It has been over two years since we dog owners complained about the park rangers enforcing a leash law that has been contested for years and thought it was resolved and that this had been put to rest.

As a homeowner who pays outrages taxes and does not use the schools and any county services to speak of, let alone getting much for my taxes at all, I feel taking my dogs to Noe Courts is my privilege and I have paid more than enough for the privilege. This city can't keep our roads up, provide decent public schools or keep drunks from living on the streets, but you can pay for Park Rangers to police a tiny little neighborhood park. Our park is a disgrace because of maintenance and the only way we can upgrade it is if we citizens file for and get grants to upgrade, but the city can spend money on rent-a-cops.

Parents with children and their dogs use Noe Courts because of it's multi-use grounds. I know you are going to say there is Douglas Park for dogs, but there are too many dog walkers and some very nasty dogs that I do not want to expose my dogs to.

[The above picture shows] some of the criminal dogs who frequent this park.

I expect to continue to use Noe Courts with my dogs and will fight this tooth and nail.

[Ed.--email reprinted with permission as long as writer remains anonymous]

Scott's response:

I agree that Noe Courts is an amazing neighborhood park, and a lot of us are hoping to make it even better. While I agree that enforcement of the leash laws needs to be judicious, I disagree that park rangers shouldn't go to neighborhood parks. We do a very poor job enforcing park rules (quite apart from the leash laws), and we need more park patrol attention, not less. Again, this is with respect to park rules generally. With respect to leash laws, I do agree that we need to be thoughtful in our enforcement and not clamp down. With that said, there are situations when too many off-leash dogs in an on-leash park can cause operational difficulties. It's all about balance and good judgment in enforcement.

So... expect the battle for use of this small neighborhood park to continue.

[NVV: Neighbors in a Dogfight Over Noe Courts]

This Week At The Planning Commission

A look at Noe Valley projects in front of the Planning Commission this week. Information is provided by the Planning Commission, and taken from its published agenda. All hearings are on Thursday at 1:30pm, Room 400 in City Hall.

March 15

550 JERSEY STREET - north side between Diamond and Douglass Streets; Lot 017 in Assessor's Block 6505 - Request for Discretionary Review of Building Permit Application No. 2011.09.02.3798. The project is a revision to previously approved Building Permit Application No. 2011.02.25.0973 to cut down the ridge of a gable roof by approximately 6.5” so that it would not be visible from behind the existing front parapet and revise the interior roof framing of an existing two-story, single-family building within an RH-2 (Residential, Two-Family) Zoning District and a 40-X Height and Bulk District.

Staff Analysis: Abbreviated Discretionary Review
Preliminary Recommendation: Do not take Discretionary Review and approve

There's a convoluted back story. Apparently the former owners went through the 311 Notification process when they applied for the original permit in 2000. It was approved, but work was never started and the permit expired. The 2010 buyers bought a property with plans for expansion and started work. Since the permit was expired, DBI made the owners take out a new permit. But DBI allowed a renewal since at the time DBI believed work was already underway.

Enter the Discretionary Review Requestor: one F. Joseph Butler, an architect, who believes the Planning Commission and the Department of Building Inspection are enforcing rules arbitrarily and losing out on as much as $22k in fees on this project alone. Mr Butler elected to file for the DR (at a cost of at least $510 paid to Planning) to protect the integrity of the Planning Department and assure restoration of historical elements of the property. Or something like that.

Here's the kicker:

DR REQUESTOR: F. Joseph Butler, who lives at 3** Chestnut Street, which is located approximately 4.6 miles to the northeast of this project.

The full story with application and staff analysis is here (PDF).

[SF Planning: 550 Jersey]
[Photo: SF Planning]

SPCA Adoptions in Noe Valley

In case you missed the SPCA adoption fair today at Noe Valley Pet Co you have more opportunities. Dogs and cats will be available all spring:

March 18:
K-9 Scrub Club, 1734 Church Street
11am – 2pm

March 24th:
Rabat, Corner of 24th and Noe
10:30am – 2:30pm

March 25th:
K-9 Scrub Club
11am – 2pm

April 7:
Rabat
10:30am – 2:30pm

April 13:
K-9 Scrub Club
4-7pm


[Photo: @omnivorebooks]

NVV: 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 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 online until mid-month.

March 2012

Front Page: Get ready for a new generation of Facebook, Zynga, and Twitter gazillionaires with money to spend on houses in Noe (also lifting rental prices) and bringing high tech workers in droves to local merchants on 24th Street; it's Word Week this week; Church Street businesses like Omnivore, Incanto, Curator, and La Ciccia are thriving, while some like Drewe's are "hanging by a thread" and looking for new opportunities including a booth at the Noe Valley Farmer's Market; NV filmmaker Yuriko Romer's documentary on 98-year-old judo master Keiko Fukuda debuts March 11 at the Asian American Film Festival. 

Letters: Blair Moser of the Fair Oaks Community Coalition reports in detail about the challenges of getting PG&E to repair a burned out streetlight near the Dec. 8 rape crime scene; an anonymous letter from one of the assault victims thanks the community for the generous support (she is still not able to return to work but hopes to soon); and a resident of 24th at Fountain is looking for suggestions for how to prevent recycling theft from the blue bins.

Features: Rising number of ADA lawsuits against 24th Street merchants (23 businesses in the neighborhood have been sued or threatened to date with the average cost to settle at $24,000, plus construction expenses); Capt. Robert Moser is the new chief of Mission Station since January.

Cost of Living in Noe: Despite the influx of high-tech buyers, just 4 single-family homes traded hands in January. The priciest home was on the market for 5 months and sold for $2.1 million, $95,000 under asking.

Store Trek: Heroine, Cliché Noe

Rumors: Gallery of Jewels and When Modern Was owner Dona Taylor quickly scooped up the old Hot Headz space and has installed Taylor's Home and Garden "a vintage home and indoor garden store;" Loft 1513 moved from Church to 3927 24th Street in the old Noe's Nest space; Radio Shack, which was damaged in the Sept. 2011 fire, hopes to reopen soon; Easy Breezy frozen yogurt in the old Cosmic Wizard space is shooting to open by June 1; First Republic is allegedly still eyeing the old Tuttimelon spot at the corner of 24th St. and Sanchez (first rumored here); Ladybug Ladybug has flown away to Sacramento; Matt Cain's 2,815 square foot Noe home may finally be selling; a heavyset woman went for a walk in the nude right over a Noe resident's Volvo hood and smashed in the windshield - and a Noe neighbor and witness posted a NSFW photo of the incident on SFist; Noe resident Catherine Bergstrom was honored as one of the District 8 Women of the Year for organizing a fundraiser for victims of the Sept. 2011 fire.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Noe Valley Word Week Starts Sunday

The Friends of Noe Valley present Word Week in Noe Valley:

Sunday, March 11th
My Favorite Book
Local celebs read from their favorite books and tell why. 3-4pm at the Noe Valley Library. Come hear Senator Mark Leno, Supervisor Scott Wiener, former Supervisor Bevan Dufty and his daughter Sidney, Noe Valley artist Ramon Sender, and Noe Valley Association Executive Director, Debra Niemann plus more.

Marshmallow Madness!: Dozens of Puffalicious Recipes by Shauna Sever. Enjoy yummy, puffy madness at this fun event from 3-4pm at Omnivore Books on Food, 3885a Cesar Chavez Street.

Monday, March 12th
Nonfiction Night
Organized by Judy Levy-Sender and Ramon Sender of Odd Mondays fame. On an even Monday at 7pm at Phoenix Bookstore. Five non-fiction authors will be reading from their work and answering questions from the audience.

Ginny Pizzardi: SF Noe Valley psychotherapist and author of Lessons In Loss-What Every Therapist Needs To Know. In her book, Pizzardi shows beginning and experienced therapists and laypersons what they need to know to face grief and loss.

Reverend Robert Warren Cromey: Retired Episcopal priest who is a therapist and the author of Sex Priest. Cromey is known for his courage in speaking out on rights of homosexuals and all beleaguered minorities.

Sydney Gurewitz Clemens: SF teacher and author of Pay Attention to the Children: Lessons for Teachers and Parents from Sylvia Ashton-Warner. This memoir tells of the influence of New Zealand author Sylvia Ashton-Warner, on Clemens’ work in Harlem and in Bayview-Hunter’s Point. Sydney has written two other books and is also a poet.

Bill Yenne: Author of novels and many history books has written about Noe Valley and most recently has written Cities of Gold. This book charts 5 centuries of quests based on rumor, inuendo, fable and fantasy about explorers, new world cities and people still seeking gold.

Mike Miller: Known for 50 years of activism with SLATE, SNCC, Mission Coalition and his pioneering work in the Organize Training Center. His book, A Community Organizer’s Tale details some of his accomplishments in community organization.

Chloe’s Kitchen: 125 Easy, Delicious Recipes for Making the Food You Love the Vegan Way by Chloe Coscarelli. Book discussion and signing from 6-7pm at Omnivore Books on Food, 3885a Cesar Chavez Street.

Tuesday, March 13th
How I Got My First Book Published
Authors dish all the dirt. 7pm at St. Philips Church. A panel of four local authors will discuss the ins and outs of getting a book to press. On the agenda are:

Michael Aleynikov: Ivan and Misha: A Novel in Stories – Northern California Book Award Best Gay Fiction, 2011

Chris Cole: His first novel is in the hands of his agent and prospective publishers

Carolyn Cooke: Daughters of the Revolution; The Bostons: Short Stories

Julia Flynn Siler: The House of Mondavi: The Rise and fall of an American Wine Dynasty; Lost Kingdom: Hawaii’s Last Queen, the Sugar Kings, and America’s First Imperial Adventure - San Francisco Chronicle’s bestseller list

Wednesday, March 14th
Notes From a Maine Kitchen by Kathy Gunst. Food and book signing, 6-7pm at Omnivore Books on Food, 3885a Cesar Chavez Street.

Thursday, March 15th
Happy Birthday Phoenix Books! Come celebrate the birthday of Noe Valley’s very own Phoenix Books with authors, music, and food. 7pm at Phoenix Books.

Friday, March 16th
Winning Student Writers Read Winning literary work from the kids in Noe Valley schools will be read by the student winners. 4-5pm at the Noe Valley Library. Come one come all to congratulate our budding authors!

Saturday, March 17th
A Taste of Paris: Words, Wine and Crime! Spend the afternoon with Cara Black, Noe Valley mystery writer, whose latest book is Murder at the Lanterne Rouse. 4-5:30pm at Le Zinc. $62 includes an autographed hard cover book, 2 course hors d’oeuvres and wine. RSVP to Le Zinc.

Crime Beat: Armed Robbery On Sanchez

Information is from Mission and Ingleside District San Francisco Police Station newsletters.

March 5

Robbery -- 11:00pm, Sanchez/27th St. Officers Dominguez and Carrasco responded to a robbery. They met with the victim who stated he was walking on Church Street when he noticed a male looking into a parked vehicle. The male asked him if he had a light and the victim said no. The victim then noticed that the suspect had a gun in his right hand and pointed it at his abdomen and said, “What do you have for me then?” The suspect reached into the victim’s pockets, removed a cellular phone and turned around and walked down Sanchez Street. The victim does not know the suspect but believes he could identify him if he saw him again. He was not injured and refused medical assistance. He was provided with follow up information. The officers dispatched a description of the suspect and various officers searched the area unsuccessfully for him.

This Week At The Planning Commission

A look at Noe Valley projects in front of the Planning Commission this week. Information is provided by the Planning Commission, and taken from its published agenda. All hearings are on Thursday at 1:30pm, Room 400 in City Hall.

4028 24TH STREET - on the north side of 24th Street between Noe and Castro streets; Lot 011 in Assessor’s Block 3656 - Request for Conditional Use Authorization, pursuant to Planning Code Sections 303 and 728.44 to allow a small self-service restaurant (d.b.a. Easy Breezy) within the 24th Street – Noe Valley Neighborhood Commercial District and a 40-X Height and Bulk District.
Staff Analysis: Approval with Conditions

Preliminary Recommendation: Do not take Discretionary Review and approve

While the application in the window states a dba of "Sweep Shop," the application cites "Easy Breezy" as the proposed business name. More:

The Project is not a Formula Retail use, defined under the Formula Retail provisions of Planning Code Sections 703.3 and 703.4, but rather an independent, locally owned business. The Project is designed to mainly serve residents from the surrounding neighborhood and patrons of other businesses on 24 1h Street. The Project will create up to three job openings. The proposed operation includes self-serve yogurt machines and a check-out counter to pay for the sale of yogurt prior to consumption. Patrons will have the option for take-out or dine-in at the on site seating area with up to eleven seats. The proposed hours of operation are between 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 P.M. Sunday through Thursday and 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The full staff analysis contains the application, proposed floorplan, and letters of support from five residents and seven merchants.

[SF Planning: 4028 24th St (PDF)]
[NVSF: Tidbits: 24th St Happenings]

Tuggey's Is Struggling

Five minutes of despair on Twitter from Tuggey's Hardware:

Yah. Rumors are true tuggeys hardware is struggling.Seems like #noevalley has forgotten about the oldest store on 24th st. #fact
— Tuggeys hardware (@Tuggeyshardware) March 2, 2012

Hope #noevalley enjoys shopping at lowes or home depot next year!!! #sad
— Tuggeys hardware (@Tuggeyshardware) March 2, 2012

@NoeValleySF sad to see how much my neighborhood has changed the past 10 years.Yuppies have forced the working class out of #noevalley
— Tuggeys hardware (@Tuggeyshardware) March 2, 2012

@NoeValleySF hope all the homeowners who moved to #noe for a "shopping district" enjoy coffee shops, nails salons, realtor offices and banks
— Tuggeys hardware (@Tuggeyshardware) March 2, 2012

How about it Noe Valley? Is it that the neighborhood has changed? Or is it that Tuggey's hasn't kept up with the neighborhood. What is your experience shopping there, and what could Tuggey's do to get your business?

Update (3/3/12): The Tuggey's Twitter account has been suspended.

Update (3/10/12):

Update (3/14/12): For Rent