NVV April 2019: 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 other resources. Follow the NVV link at the bottom for full articles and all the ads.

April 2019

Front Page: The buyer of $10 million mansion at 801 Sanchez at 21st St wants to raze the 4,600 sq. ft. building and erect a 7800 sq. ft. mansion in its place; an interview with a good samaritan and the chief trash officer of 22nd St; Noe dog park will now be open 6 days per week.

Features: The story of the bull on top of Haystack: It was a gift from the 83-year-old owner's girlfriend to celebrate his vitality. A neighbor complained that the bull's genitals were visible from the sidewalk, so he has since moved it to the roof. The bull's name is Trump, "because the president is 'just like a bull. He puts his head down and keeps on going, and he doesn't listen to nobody." Plus: More details on the permit troubles of the proposed Doggy Style, Inc.

Cost of Living in Noe Valley: The average price of a single-family home in January was $3 million; only 7 houses changed hands in February.

Short Takes: The Noe Valley Garden Tour is scheduled for May 4, 2019. The Noe Valley Easter Egg Hunt in Douglass Park is scheduled for April 20. Lots of events are also planned for the Noe Valley Town Square this spring and summer.

Store Trek: Noe's Cantina, 1199 Church St. at 24th

Rumors and Tidbits: First Republic on Castro was smashed by a truck and the perps made off with a 374-pound ATM machine. Charlie's Corner has relocated to the former Cardio-Tone space on 24th near Church as its former home undergoes soft story reconstruction. Peasant Pies is also closed for the reconstruction and renovating its space; in the meantime you can get their pies at Whole Foods. Yoga Flow Noe Valley in the old Radio Shack space hopes to open in July. Holy Kitchen Indian restaurant is closing and a group called Bon Appetikka is taking over the permit. Globe In is moving out of the former Cliche Noe space and relocating up Castro Hill with offices only. Compass real estate has swallowed Alain Pinel and now has at least four offices on 24th St. alone.

[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: No Love (and Lots of Ridicule) for Doggy Style, 24 Hours in Noe Valley

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

• The Dog Wears Prada: $1500 a month doggy daycare prompts growls [Guardian]
• Luxury doggy day care in California? Some have a bone to pick [Fox News]
• Obscenely luxurious $1,500- per-month DOG daycare [Daily Mail]
• Pricey Doggie Daycare Not Going Over Well in SF [Newser]
• Old SF to San Jose train line still visible in aerial photos of Noe Valley [@spencerlindsay]
• Drug detritus on Noe Valley streets [@86coso]
• 24 hours in Noe Valley [Bob Cut]

[Photo: Noe Valley sunset via trmack]