NVV July/August 2013: 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 stories we've covered here on NVSF or outside sources as the Voice doesn't post stories online until the middle of the month.

July/August 2013

Front Page: Photos of Noe Valley families in the '90s.

Letters: Letter from Noe Valley community benefit district founder Carol Yenne thanking the cleaning crew for finding a lost hearing aid; more disapproval for the hygiene and service at La Boulange since Starbucks took over.

Features and Short Takes: R.I.P. breast cancer advocate Barbara Brenner, and Julian Rodigruez of Bernie's; Noe Courts proposals are online for review at sfrecpark.org; Friends of the Urban Forest tree planting coming to Noe on August 24; Upper Douglass Dog Park at 27th and Douglass is looking beautiful - please stay off the grass while the roots take hold. Interview with an accountant turned astrologer on Clipper St. who uses iPad apps in her research to allow more time for "interpreting the charts."

Cost of Living in Noe: Hot, hot, hot.

Store Trek: Kitami Ropa (1478A Church St.)

Rumors: The Noe Valley Town Square clears the final hurdle - if you haven't pledged yet, now's the time; Quitters is filming in San Francisco and around the hood; 2 blocks on Noe Hill are trying to get their street zoned for parking; dog grooming parlor Clipper Corner is closed; June Fisher M.D. celebrated her 80th birthday at Le Zinc; Noe Valley's mini-golf legend Steve Fox is set to open Urban Putt in the Mission this fall; Noe Valley "mayor" Sam Salameh, proprietor of Good News on 24th St., reports the neighborhood's favorite magazine is Vanity Fair, followed by Music Mojo and The New Yorker. Newspapers? "They're dead," says Sam. Meanwhile, Phoenix Books reports the favorite book is Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Video Wave says the favorite movie rentals are Quartet, Silver Linings Playbook, Side Effects and for kids it's Oz the Great and Powerful.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Deja Vu: The Mystery Restaurant at 1298 Church Street

Seems like we've written this post before -- the never-ending restaurant project at 1298 Church St is making progress but there's still no end in sight. This weekend, the paper finally came off the windows and there are lights, tables and chairs on premises. Readers want to know what's up.

Some history: In 2008, the former barbershop was granted the second of three new restaurant permits available in Noe Valley and  has been under construction ever since. [Contigo was the first, Noe Soup never opened; the restaurant limit has since been lifted.] The original permit was filed by Charles Stern and it is registered to the owners of Regent Thai at 1700 Church St.

What we don't know is what exactly it will be - and when. The employees at Regent Thai on outer Church confirm the restaurant is in the works and related, but still aren't saying if/when the restaurant will actually open. Nor do they know if it will be Thai or Vietnamese (as the various contractors over the years believed it might be), or something else altogether. There's also no sign on the building, no ABC permit and the DBI permits are still incomplete. But there is a new ADA accessible ramp out front.

What does it all mean? It means that 5 years into this project we're still waiting. Here's hoping Church and 25th Streets will gain a new restaurant this year.

Bonus feature: Double-paned windows make for some cool photos: here and here.

Update 1/7: The windows are covered in paper once again.

[NVSF: Update: Never-Ending Project at 1298 Church St]

Parklets: Construction Begins

The long-debated and awaited parklets on 24th St began construction today. The pavers are concrete and rest on steel beams; the planters are also steel. More details from StreetsBlogSF:

The new spaces were designed by Riyad Ghannam, who designed and built the first parklet in the city in front of the Mojo Bicycle Cafe on Divisadero street. The parklets will replace a total of four parking spaces and cost $37,000, the entirety of which came from Mayor Gavin Newsom’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development as part of their commercial revitalization budget. The Noe Valley Association, which represents merchants in the area, is the permit holder and will oversee the maintenance of the facilities.

Expect the parklets to be completed in front of Martha & Bros and Just For Fun in time for the weekend -- just in time for the rain.

Update from Carol Yenne:

The Permit Holder is the Noe Valley Association CBD which is the property owners of the commercial district, not the merchant association.

It would also be nice to mention this is a "trial" to see how folks like them. These are not not permanent parklet being set up.

Thanks,
Carol Yenne
Member of NVA CBD as well as NVMPA board.

[StreetsBlogSF: Noe Valley Parklet Installation Begins]

Noe Valley Restaurant Ban Nearly Over

With a unanimous vote Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors repealed the Noe Valley restriction, meaning restaurants need only conditional-use permits to open along the commercial stretch of 24th Street. The permit process requires a public hearing before the Planning Commission and public notification. A granted permit can be appealed to the Board of Supervisors.

The final (procedural) vote is next week.

[SFE: New eateries in Noe Valley given green light]]
[NVSF: Update: Planning Commission Allows More Restaurants In Noe Valley]

Pavement To Parks: Feedback Appreciated

Via email:

Dear Noe Valley Community Member,

I would like to thank you for taking the time to send an email expressing your opinions and thoughts about the proposed Noe Valley Pavement to Park. We have received hundreds of emails, both supportive of and opposed to the trial, and unfortunately, we cannot respond individually to each. I would like to assure you that every email has been read and noted. Based on comments we heard at the April 8th community meeting, we are conducting some additional analysis in advance of a meeting tentatively scheduled for late May. I will send out an email invitation for the next meeting as the date gets a bit closer.

Again, thanks for taking the time to make your voice heard. It's much appreciated.

Best,

Andres Power
Pavement to Parks Project Manager

[NVSF: Parklets and Plazas: Notes from the April 8 Noe Valley Community Meeting]

Parklets and Plazas: Notes from the April 8 Noe Valley Community Meeting

The Noe Valley Community Meeting to discuss the proposed parklet and plaza at 24th and Noe Streets was at least as well attended as the Whole Foods community meeting with a serious turnout from all sides of the debate.

Bevan Dufty kicked off the meeting with a contrite apology for declaring the project dead before this community hearing. He also noted he hadn't seen this much division in the community since the Real Foods/Neutraceutical dispute and recommended more community meetings about big issues like this, as well as smaller issues like parking striping or homelessness (oops on that last one, but we get the idea).

For those who missed the meeting or want a recap, here are the highlights:

Parks to Pavement
Andres Powers of the planning department gave a short presentation of other Pavement to Parks projects around the city. He then described what a trial means, and in carefully-worded language outlined the main concerns of some neighbors (a trial would not move forward without responding to these concerns):

• Traffic
• Noe is one of the fastest thoroughfares from Noe to Market St
• Loading trucks for Starbucks and Toast (where will they go?)
• Impacts to local businesses
• Emergency vehicle transit (ambulances, fire trucks)

Don't Block Noe
Mary, a 4th generation Noe Valleyean outlined the main points for those against the plan:

• Measure first, try after we have data
• Other places need more beautification than Noe (Bernal, Mission - zing!)
• Let's do something bigger that everyone can enjoy

Just Try It!
John Murphy went for PowerPoint on the Plaza for the People:

• Tables and seating!
• Significant outdoor space for people to gather
• No business has gone out of business due to too many customers

Audience Questions
Answered by Andres and Bevan (heavily paraphrased for brevity):

Will property owners be compensated for the change in value of their house? Anecdotal evidence from other trials is that property values in the park areas increase not decrease.

Why did Noe get this money? The Noe Valley Association (a coalition of property owners in the commercial district) applied for a grant and got it. They also put up some money for it.

Why Noe Street? Community input from the NVA deemed this the best spot.

If the next step is a traffic assessment, how long will that take? 1-2 weeks.

What's the cost of a 2 month trial? $30K with $8K set aside just in case. Another $20K+ is donated in design services and materials.

How much will it take to take the parklet/plaza it down if the trial fails? Insignificant cost – few hours of time.

Plaza, parklet… are there any other designs in this proposal? No.

What about bongos and street music? No acoustics in the plan.

If Noe fails, are Sanchez and other streets on the table? Yes.

Why not beef up existing parks? They are not part of the Pavement to Parks charter of reclaiming more vehicle space for pedestrians.

What about the Radio Shack parking lot? Good idea but ditto question above. A different city organization is looking for sites like those to acquire and convert to parks but it's outside the charter of Pavement to Parks.

Why is this a Starbucks boondoggle – what about homegrown coffee shops? Good point – send your suggestions.

Open comments from the community
People then lined up stage left and right and said their piece in 2 minutes or less (alternating for and against). Most people were civil, but there was some grandstanding and emotion, and a lots of venting about the process.

Bevan's wrapup:

1. Need more data collected and analyzed before a trial.

2. There will be another meeting soon to present the data to the community. Send an email to Andres Powers if you want to stay involved.

Did we miss anything? Add it in the comments.

More Pavement to Parks - and the Noe Valley Master Plan

Here's some further reading for those who want to be well-prepared for the Community Meeting on April 8 at 6:30PM at St. Philip's (665 Elizabeth Street) to discuss the proposed parklet/plaza at Noe and 24th:

• The Noe Valley Association (NVA) has assembled a Questions & Answers document (PDF) to address Noe Valley community questions and concerns regarding the Pavement to Parks Program options for the neighborhood.


• The Noe Valley Long-Term Plan is a 29-page PDF of the NVA's long-range plan developed for 24th Street involving extensive public meetings and community input starting in 2006. From the report:
  

The plan proposes strategies that would enhance the pedestrian experience of the street while addressing the need for amenities that encourage community interaction and taking into account environmental concerns…

• Reader Murphstahoe highlights sketches of the proposed plaza/parklet on a blog dedicated to the creation of the plaza persuasively titled Yes Noe Valley.


• And Kit Hodge, director of the San Francisco Great Streets Project points us to analysis his organization has done on the impact of other Pavement to Parks projects. He emphasizes that these are "independent reports; the City does its own data collection on traffic and other issues. But our analysis might help answer some questions for the curious." Also, the "before" study of the parklet on Divisadero is done; the group will be completing the "after" portion and issuing a report in a few months.

Noe Valley Pavement to Parks - Community Meeting April 8

For those interested in the ongoing parklet/plaza debate, here's your chance to ask questions and air concerns with the coordinators:

Dear Noe Valley Residents,

Attached, please find a formal invitation to a community meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 8 to discuss trial public space improvements at the intersection of 24th and Noe Streets in Noe Valley.

The meeting is scheduled for Thursday April 8, 6:30pm, at St. Philips (665 Elizabeth Street). Please feel free to distribute this email to any local groups or organizations you are part of. And, as always, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Best,

Andres Power
Pavement to Parks Project Manager
Andres.Power@sfgov.org
sfpavementtoparks.sfplanning.org

Click the image for a bigger view of the flyer.

Plaza Vs. Parklet: Your Voice Has Been Heard

Dear Noe Valley Residents,

First of all, I would like to thank you all for the feedback we've received these past couple of weeks regarding the proposed Pavement to Parks project at Noe and 24th Streets. While we have not officially began our public outreach, I do appreciate those of you who have taken the time out of your day to send me initial comments and concerns.

The goal of Pavement to Parks is to identify places throughout the city that have a lot of people and a lot of activity on the streets but not necessarily the accommodations for those people to enjoy outdoor life. Improvements as part of the Pavement to Parks program are all trial (and fully reversible) and are intended to make the neighborhood more comfortable and enjoyable for residents and visitors alike. These improvements include new pedestrian spaces, landscaping, trees, seating, and other people-focussed enhancements.

While we have not began our official public process (scheduled to begin in a couple of weeks, email to follow soon), there has been quite a bit of discussion amongst the community both supportive of and opposed to a Pavement to Parks project at the Noe location. The concern we've heard thus far focusses primarily on impacts to traffic circulation.

As a result of this valued input, the Pavement to Parks program is advancing a second option for this location which leaves vehicular circulation along Noe Street unaffected. This option would involve a Parklet rather than a Plaza. While the Plaza option would necessitate closing roughly a third of a block of Noe Street at 24th Street to vehicles, a Parklet's footprint would remain entirely within the parking lane and would maintain all existing vehicular circulation. Our first
Parklet has been piloted on Divisadero Street and I encourage you to visit the Pavement to Parks website, listed below, for an idea of what a Parklet might look like.

When we begin our public outreach in a few weeks (email confirming date and time will come soon), we will discuss the pros and cons of both options to determine how best we should move forward as a community.

I thank all of you for your input thus far and encourage you to forward this email to others who might be interested. Also, please feel free to contact me directly with any additional questions or concerns.

Best,

Andres Power
Pavement to Parks Project Manager
Andres.Power@sfgov.org
sfpavementtoparks.sfplanning.org

Pocket Park Protests: Don't Block Noe

Not everyone is happy about the new parklet/plaza proposed for Noe @ 24th. This anonymous note arrived in our email this week:

Currently, the planning commission is in the works to create a pocket park that would barricade Noe & 24th Street. All the residents of that block are staunchly against it, yet there is no voting. This is something that came through the Mayor's office. A barricade on the corner of 24th and Noe is something that would effect the whole retail area. It would cause a huge bottle neck at 24th & Sanchez and make traveling through the shopping district more of a nightmare than usual on weekends and mornings. The proposed budget is $50,000.00. Surely Bevan Dufty and the Mayor's office can do something more efficient with our tax dollars than build a pocket park, in a part of town that is already beautified with plenty of outdoor space. The park isn't even what the 24th and Noe residents are opposed to, it's the fact that Noe and 24th will become a dead-end street. It's the fact that a planner came to tell us all about the park. We all opposed unanimously, yet they still have plans to go ahead and continue the process of planning. This is sure to be a traffic nightmare for the neighborhood. Fine, give us a park, but why not do it at the old Rite Aid parking lot?

In case you're wondering about that last point, the parking lot between Le Zinc and Radio Shack is actually a gift from the late Harry Aleo, Noe Valley's most outspoken Republican. From the Noe Valley Voice obituary of Aleo:

One of Aleo's biggest contributions to the neighborhood was the municipal parking lot on 24th Street. When the old Alta Mira movie theater came up for sale in the early 1960s, Aleo encouraged the Merchants Association to buy the building and turn the property into a badly needed parking lot... The association did not have the money, so Aleo bought it with his own funds in the association's name. He then sold the property to the city under the condition that the city turn the land into a municipal lot.

Want more info? Send an email to info@noevalleyassociation.org. The plan is to have a decision soon enough to open the space (or not) by June 21.

[NVSF: New Street-side Plaza for Noe]
[NVV: Neighborhood Won't Be the Same Without Harry Aleo]
[NVSF: Community Meeting Minutes: Let the Free Market Work]
[Image: Castro @ Clipper]

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.

Update: Planning Commission Allows More Restaurants In Noe Valley

On January 14, the Planning Commission voted unanimously (with all 7 Commissioners) to allow an unlimited number of new restaurants within the Noe Valley Community Benefit District pending case-by-case Conditional Use authorization. Video of the hearing here (19 minutes).

NIMBYs? Denied.

[NVSF: This Week (Today!) At The Planning Commission]
[SFGTV: January 14, 2010, Planning Commission Hearing, Video]

This Week (Today!) At The Planning Commission

A weekly look at Noe Valley projects in front of the Planning Commission. 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.

The Planning Department changed their website for the new year and we missed this in the shuffle.


Today's Chronicle describes the plan to remove restrictions on new restaurants on Noe Valley's 24th St rumored in November's Noe Valley Voice. Empty storefronts and a sea change in attitudes about regulation have prompted Bevan Dufty to propose allowing as many restaurants as the neighborhood will support. Here's what's in front of the Planning Commission today:

AMENDMENTS TO THE PLANNING CODE SECTION 728: 24 STREET-NOE VALLEY NCD RESTAURANT DEFINITIONS [BOARD FILE NO. 09-1208]. Ordinance introduced by Supervisor Dufty amending Planning Code Sections 728.1 (Zoning Control Table), 728.42 (full-service restaurants), 728.44 (small self-service restaurants), and 728.69A (specialty food, self-service) to allow new full-service restaurants, small self-service restaurants, and self-service specialty food establishments with a Conditional Use authorization; adopting findings, including environmental findings, Planning Code Section 302 findings, and findings of consistency with the General Plan and the priority policies of Planning Code Section 101.

Preliminary Recommendation: Approval with Conditions

[SFGate: Blocks hungry to fill storefronts with eateries]
[NVV: November 2009 Rumors]
[NVSF: Update: Planning Commission October 23, 2008]

This Week At The Planning Commission

A weekly look at Noe Valley projects in front of the Planning Commission. 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.

3936-3938 24TH STREET - north side of 24th Street between Sanchez and Noe Streets, Lots 044 and 045 in Assessor’s Block 3654 - Request for Conditional Use Authorization pursuant to Planning Code Sections, 728.49 and 303, for a change of use from retail uses to a financial service establishment (DBA “Circle Bank”) The subject property is located within the 24th and Noe Valley NCD (Neighborhood Commercial District) and a 40-X Height and Bulk District.

Preliminary Recommendation: Approval with Conditions

[NVSF: Update: Circle Bank]

NVDC Town Forum: SFPD, Whole Foods & More

This month's edition of the Noe Valley Democratic Club meeting was much more crowded than usual. The reason? Likely the community interest in the arrival of Whole Foods on 24th St. Over 150 people attended a meeting that usually has 12-20 participants. The panelists included representatives from the SFPD, the NVA, Whole Foods and a surprise representative of the shuttered Real Foods -- all MC'd by Bevan Dufty.

SFPD Mission District Captain Stephen Tacchini

• Victim of a theft or break-in? Report it! Resources are allocated to a police area based on the number of reports and the department maps trends. You can report online here.
• Only 1,000 reported incidents in Noe the last 6 months (vs. 200,0000 per year in the Mission)
• There has been an increase in burglaries in the last year which is finally starting to decrease – you can help by locking windows and keeping valuables out of your parked cars (laptops, cameras, cell phones are the big targets)
• There have been a few armed robberies – and they’ve recently made some arrests
• Got a rogue garage business to report? Officer Miguel in code enforcement can help

When the floor opened to questions the biggest concerns were:

• Can I park my SMART car perpendicular to the curb? (No)
• How do I get the Examiner to stop littering my doorstep - and so people don't break into an obviously empty building? (Bevan actually said to call or email him for help)
• When school is out MUNI is hell (Deputy Chief Tony Parra monitors MUNI for the SFMTA)

Whole Foods

The info was much the same as previously reported, but with the following new tidbits:

• The Campanga family (that owns the property at 3950 24th St) donated $5,000 to green the front of the lot
• Whole Foods will break ground mid-March with a projected September 1st opening
• They are committed to a one-day-a-week shuttle to the Potrero location, with more possible if demand requires and/or justifies it
• The recycling center will remain, but will be more “aesthetically pleasing” and "suit the neighborhood"
• Considering opening the lot for a farmer’s market one day (midweek) during construction
• Whole Paycheck? “38% cheaper than Bell Markets on produce; 25% cheaper store wide.” (Based on apples-to-apples comparison.) “Meats and seafood are competitive, but quality is higher.” - Joe Rogoff, VP for Whole Foods Market Northern California
• Hours: 8am-10pm; delivery receiving to maintain existing hours, but with smaller trucks/box vans, and will continue to load on 24th St (not Elizabeth St)
• Employees will not be allowed to park in the lot [Ed. -- which means more parking will be available than when Bell was operating], and will be encouraged not to drive to work
• The 24th St Cheese Co is the only merchant that has expressed concern about competition, and the NVMPA and WF are working to allay concerns
• BONUS: Joe Rogoff confirmed that Whole Foods has signed a contract to open in a new development at Market and Dolores –- which should alleviate traffic to Noe Valley (if built)

Suggestions:

• Add recycling bins to the front of the empty lot during construction
• Senior discount? No
• Hire laid off union employees from Bell (They’ll have first dibs to interview)
• Will there be food for lazy vegans? Yes

Real Foods Neutraceutical, represented by Sergio Diaz of Fresh Organics

New:

• Reached a settlement agreement with Real Foods workers yesterday and so “now we can talk about this.”
  
• Have gone through various design and planning phases over the last five years, but now don’t have enough money to do what they wanted so will start the process over with “scaled back” plans
• They do not have a Conditional Use permit [Ed -- which means a hearing in front of the Planning Commission and probably 2 years until anything happens]

Old:

• Unrepentant about the process, but “I do apologize to the neighborhood for five years of this.”

Suggestion:

• Sell, and get the _____ out while you can. (“We want to prove we can have a good store.”)
  

UPDATE: Cooks Boulevard has a more thorough account of Sergio's appearance.

Noe Valley Association, Deb Neimann, President

Very brief:

• We did: Crosswalks, planters, street furniture
• Got ideas or feedback? Call/email

[NVSF: Whole Foods Responds]
[NVSF: Update: Whole Foods]
[NVSF: Blight: Real Foods]

Street Art: Crosswalks

Of course pedestrian safety is paramount, and the Noe Valley Association was right to spend money improving the crosswalks at Castro & 24th St. But instead of a seizure-inducing brick pattern, imagine what kind of attention-getting crosswalk we could have had.

[WebUrbanist: The (Literal) ‘Street Art’ of Pedestrian Crosswalks (via Curbed)]