This Week in Noe Valley: Falling Trees, Local Authors and Our Special Fire Trucks

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• Falling tree branch takes out a fire truck, power lines and MUNI in one shot [@XtinaNV]
• Interesting: We have special fire trucks to fit down Noe Valley’s narrow streets [@SFFFLocal798]
• Word week features 20 (!) local authors this year [@noewordweek]
• Really don't want to know how this plays on NextDoor [@F6x]
• Mandelman calls for more bike racks citywide [SF Examiner]
• Saru makes another best sushi in SF list [SFist]
• Sweet history: The owners of Novy in the original kitchen [novysf]
• On a clear day you can see forever [frankcastaldini and dani_life_cruiser]

[Photo: Story time with Mayor London Breed at Charlie's Corner via @RafaelMandelman] 

This Week in Noe Valley: History on Church St., Rare Device Closing and Other Rainy Day Happenings

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• The amazing story of the custom shoe shop on Church (spoiler: it involves the Holocaust and Mother Theresa) [SF Chronicle]
• 100 best things to eat in SF includes La Ciccia’s spaghetti bottarga [7x7]
• We’ve got rain [nakoeth]
• Sadness: Rare Device to close it’s Noe Valley store on March 1 [Hoodline]
• The ganglands of Noe Valley [@oliviasolon]
• Noe Valley nights [rustonnyc]
• President’s Day in Noe Valley [foliosf]
• Valentine in the hood [david.upchurch]

[Photo: Cat love via bbeforsunset] 

This Week in Noe Valley: Snow Daze, 27th St. Standoff and Our Beautiful Neighborhood

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• You could almost see snow on Diablo from Noe Valley [@elisabethnicula]
• 1976: What San Francisco looks like on a snow day [SF Chronicle]
• Flowers of the Valley is one of the most beautiful flower shops in SF [7x7]
• Local violinist brings world-renowned quartet to Noe Valley [@Buzzzbry]
• Noe Valley standoff closes 27th St. at Church [SF Examiner]
• Beautiful Sally Brunn library entrance (and regal shiba) [suki_the_regal_shiba]
• We live here #solucky [holdn2aces]
• Stunning sunrise [glenboy53]
• After the rain… rainbows [kaleidoschep]
• Wow magnolias [onceuponatownsf]

[Photo: That's some gargoyle via juandelreal] 

NVV February 2019: We Read It So You Don't Have

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 stories we've covered here on NVSF or other resources. Follow the NVV link at the bottom for full articles and all the ads.

February 2019

Front Page: A roundup of how to eat vegan in Noe Valley; a profile of local resident Steven Pressman who shines a light on untold Holocaust stories in film.

Letters: Memories from a neighbor reminiscing about 24th St in the 1970s.

Cost of Living in Noe Valley: The market appears to be cooling slightly - the 10 homes that sold in December averaged just $2.2 million. And yet: The most expensive house sold last year was a $6.6 million home on Duncan between Castro and Diamond.

Store Trek: Sultan's Kebab, 3915 24th St. at Sanchez

Features: Sadness: Local resident John Knox on Cesar Chavez found a barn owl that died when it ingested rat poison - he urges neighbors to please not use the toxic stuff. City okays permit for The Agency on 24th St. to operate a real estate business in a former retail space. Friends of Noe Valley Garden Tour will be on May 4 this year.

Rumors and Tidbits: The members-only boutique Doggy Style plans to open February 2019 and has garnered lots of press. The Real Food spot downtown is turning into 3 retail spaces rumored to be renting for $10,000 a month each. Lots of vacancies along 24th St for retail stores and not many takers (although lots of cannabis dispensaries have expressed interest according to realtors and building owners up and down the commercial corridor). Vive La Tarte is open in the old Bliss Bar space and serving jewel-like dishes and artisan coffee. The old La Panotiq space is slated to get a locally-owned Mediterranean restaurant soon. Noe's Cantina is open and serving Mexican food from 5-10 pm. Azalina is moving into the former Contigo space. The Noe Valley library is looking for space to house back issues of the print edition of the Noe Valley Voice.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Doggy Style Gets Spanked By Planning Department For Bad Behavior

As soon as it was announced Doggy Style was ridiculed on social media ("It looks like a computer AI churned out the most San Francisco garbage it could come up with, and someone decided that was a a good business plan."). It was deemed so ridiculous that The Guardian and The Daily Mail got in on the fun. SF Gate was more kind with their profile.

Turns out, though, that owner (and the Noe Valley Merchants and Professional Association President) Rachel Swann and her partner neglected to get a conditional use permit for outdoor space they've already excavated and taken from the tenants of the building. The City is not happy:

Our records indicate that the subject property is currently authorized for One-Family Dwelling above a ground floor Retail Use. It has been reported that the above property is will be the site of a new business (DBA Doggy Style, Inc) with an anticipated opening date in February 2019. It is understood that the new business will be utilizing the rear yard as an Outdoor Activity Area without such authorization. Pursuant to Planning Code Section 728, a Conditional Use Authorization is required for the use of an Outdoor Activity Area in the Noe Valley Neighborhood Commercial Zoning District where the subject property is located.  

Furthermore, pursuant to Planning Code Section 728, one hundred (100) square feet of open space is required per unit if private open space, or one hundred thirty-three (133) square feet per unit if the area is common open space. It has been reported that access and use of the required residential open space 1 Planning Code Section 201 defines Outdoor Activity Area as a, “Commercial Use characteristic defined as an area associated with a legally established use, not including primary circulation space or any public street, located outside of a building or in a courtyard, which is provided for the use or convenience of patrons of a commercial establishment including, but not limited to, sitting, eating, drinking, dancing, and food-service activities.” is being encroached upon by the unpermitted Outdoor Activity Area for use by Doggy Style, Inc. A Variance approval is required to legalize the reduction of required residential open space. 

So what of it?

The Planning Department requires that you immediately proceed to abate the violation by ceasing the proposed operation of Doggy Style, Inc. until such time that additional information has been provided to the Planning Department and all appropriate permits and entitlements have been obtained. 

The full Notice of Enforcement is here [PDF].

This isn't the first time that Rachel Swann has operated in Noe Valley without appropriate permits. Just last month she received Conditional Use authorization for her business The Agency at 3848 24th St that she opened in 2017.

Is this the sort of person we want in charge of the NVMPA?

This Week in Noe Valley: Vive la Tarte Open, Lucca Closing and Firefly Still Delights

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• Sadness: Lucca Ravioli on the edge of Noe Valley closing in April as the owner retires [@SocketSite]
• Who knew? Bobby McFerrin once lived in Noe Valley [@SeanRaven]
• A magnificent magnolia Vulcan in bloom [@SFUrbanForester]
• 1976: Photo of snow in Noe Valley [@sfredhead]
• Open: Vive la Tarte on 24th St. [@chefjjohnnywang]
• Coming soon: Wallflower – locally owned Mediterranean restaurant to 24th St. [ABC7]
• Sweet profile of the founders of Firefly and how they continue to thrive [SF Chronicle]
• La Ciccia makes SF’s best pasta restaurants list [Eater]
• PSA: 24 Hour Fitness is not a 24 hour business in Noe Valley [@tdorie]
• This week’s spectacular sunrise [the415guy]
• Gorgeous dog posing with a mural [savannascarlett]

[Photo: Beautiful house on the hill via marytheveryberry]