Oh Look It's The Noe Valley SummerFest

SummerFest is tomorrow, and if this is the first you've heard of it don't worry. For many people, the first indication that there's a festival is *clip* *clop* and "Oh Look! Horses!!" as the hay ride ambles past. But there's more to it than that, and it's a great time to hang out with others in the neighborhood.

Summerfest runs from 11am-5 pm on June 15th between Castro and Church on 24th St. In addition to the hay ride there's live music, a bouncy tent, a petting zoo, face painting, a ballon artist and SFPCA adoptions. Merchants are offering special sales and activities. Coming from out of the area (or having an especially hard time parking at Whole Foods)? $10 parking at James Lick benefits the JLMS PTSA. Other than that it's a free event.

[NVA: SummerFest]

Tonight: Public Safety Community Meeting With Scott Wiener

Details for tonight's meeting with Scott Wiener:

Please join Supervisor Wiener for a community meeting to address the recent crime trends in Noe Valley & Glen Park.

Representatives from Mission and Ingleside Stations will be in attendance for a presentation followed by an opportunity for questions.

Community co-sponsors and invitees for the event include the Noe Valley Association, Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association, Upper Noe Neighbors, Friends of Noe Valley, Diamond Heights Community Association, Glen Park Association, Glen Park Merchants Association, and San Francisco SAFE.

For more details, please contact Supervisor Wiener’s office at (415) 554-6968.

We're looking for notes from someone able to attend. Please contact us if you can provide a report.

What: Noe Valley / Glen Park Public Safety Community Meeting
When: Tuesday, February 19th, 7:00-8:00pm
Where: Horace Mann Middle School, 3351 23rd Street (between Valencia & Bartlett Streets)

This Weekend: Noe Valley Harvest Festival 2012

This Saturday kicks off the 8th Annual Noe Valley Harvest Festival from 10am - 5pm on 24th Street between Sanchez and Church. Get ready for a full day of hayrides, live music, arts and crafts, a pumpkin patch, and lots and lots of kids and pets in costumes. The Farmer's Market will also be an all-day affair from 8am - 5pm. Judging from the sponsors and the lineup this year's event looks to be bigger than ever -- the energy and costumes should be especially festive given it's an election year and THE GIANTS ARE IN THE WORLD SERIES. (Woot!)

If you want a preview of what to expect, check out photos of previous Harvest Fest events here and here.

Noe Valley Garden Tour 2012: Tickets Sales Start Saturday

Nine gardens, six hours, one shuttle bus. Tickets will be available at the Farmers Market and at (unnamed) merchants for the 2012 Noe Valley Garden Tour starting this Saturday. Online tickets are available now. (That list of addresses? We're told it's inaccurate and shouldn't be published.)

Here's the tease:

The gardens range across Noe Valley, from 23rd Street to 30th, Hoffman to Dolores. Six are owner designed and maintained and three are professional gardens by Janet Moyer Landscaping, Michele Schaal and Shape of the Earth. Most are well established but one is brand new, showing you how to be realistic about where your new garden will start as well as what it can become.

As in past years, profits go to beautifying Noe Valley. This year funds will be directed to improving the garden at Alvarado School and trimming the trees at Upper Douglass Dog Park. Past Garden Tour fundraising brought street trees and flower baskets to 24th St.

Pro tip: can't afford the $18 entry fee? Sign up to volunteer--a 2.5 hour shift gets you one free ticket.

Update (4/28): We were told that the list of addresses available on the Constant Contact order page was inaccurate and shouldn't be posted online. That list has now been updated, and since it's public we've put together this map to help you plan your tour.

What: Noe Valley Garden Tour
When: May 19, 10AM-4PM 
Where: Buy tickets for official map
Cost: $18, $14 for seniors over 65

[FONV: 2012 Garden Tour]
[Photo: Flora Grubb]

Volunteers Needed: Easter Egg Hunt

The 5th Annual Noe Valley Easter Egg Hunt is next Saturday, April 7. Sylvia Buettner needs "about a dozen volunteers to help with refreshments, hiding eggs, corralling kids in the hunt area, set-up and clean-up, etc." Email Sylvia to sign up.

What: Noe Valley Easter Egg Hunt
When: Saturday April 7, 10am-12pm
Where: Douglass Park Playground, 26th and Douglass
Cost: Free

Reminder: Noe Valley Harvest Festival

A booster for the Noe Valley Harvest Festival (who asks to remain anonymous) would like to remind you of tomorrow's event:

This Saturday! 10AM -5PM. Some cool things: Farmer’s Market all day, live local music on TWO stages all DAY!, tons of children’s events. Pets and childrens costume contest 1:30 GREAT Prizes! Intensely great raffle – FIRST PRIZE TRIP TO HAWAII second prize IPAD! Come one, come all! See and be seen!

Street Trees: 24th St Blight To Get Blightier

The two trees in front of Real Foods are set for removal at the request of the owner, who apparently came out of hiding. The notice states multiple trunk injuries, decay, etc. The notice also states that the trees will be replaced by the Noe Valley Association, which is great but will leave a gap in the canopy for some time.

If you'd like to make the building owner show up at request a hearing to appeal the trees' removal contact the DPW Urban Forestry department at 2323 Cesar Chavez St, SF CA 94124. You can fax your letter to (415) 695-2147.

Click the photo for complete info.

NVV December 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 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.

December 2010

Front Page: "This is the last edition you'll see until the first week of February 2011." And a pretty picture of fog.

Letters: Dismay over smoking in the parklet at Martha & Bros. (Ed.--illegal to smoke in SF parks since 2005 [pdf]); some poor soul can't figure out how to find a print copy of the Voice.

Features: Interview with Bevan Dufty on his eight years as District 8 Supervisor; City Guides has been offering Noe Valley tours since 2008 (with fun sketches of Victorian era "bric-a-brac" like sewer vent grates); Giants fans celebrated on 24th St; brief blurb on page 15 about 24 HoliDAYS on 24th St.

Cost of Living in Noe: 16 Single Family Homes sold in October, 11 of those over asking.

Short Takes: A few events in Glen Park, Scottish dancers at the Noe Valley Ministry, fun at the Randall Museum in Corona Heights, a workshop for public artists at the SF Arts Commission on Van Ness, a show at the Marsh Theater on Valencia, and Paxton Gate in the Mission turns 18. Also a bit about upcoming changes to Cesar Chavez.

Crime Beat: Turns out there were two bank robberies last month.

Store Trek: Design Quarter; Re:Construction Salon.

Traveling Voice: Not.

Rumors: Election results; Wiener sets priorities (like the Town Square and Real Foods); Town Square moves ahead (for more info the Voice suggests "googling 'Noe Valley Town Square'"); the Tech Search Party raised "just over $17,000" for Alvarado Elementary School; Delano's is closing its "Eureka Valley" location; Parklets hit 24th St; and this excellent tidbit about the Noe Valley Association:

The NVA, and the 10 members serving on its board of directors, has an annual budget of $230,000, funded by a parcel tax on each of the 179 property owners in the 24th Street/Castro Street shopping area. The board has been quite active this year improving Main Street. They steered the Pavement to Parks process that brought us the parklets. Seven new benches were installed on 24th Street. Few people realize the NVA spends $10,000 a month keeping 24th Street trash-free, maintaining the miniparks in the public parking lot and the Ministry parking lot, tending the many planters and flower baskets and trees, as well as regularly cleaning the Downtown Noe Valley sidewalks. The NVA sponsors, or co-sponsors - in addition to 24 HoliDAYS - the Harvest Festival, the Noe Courts Easter Egg Hunt, and the Summer Solstice.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

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]

Approved: Parklets For 24th Street

22nd St at Bartlett

From murphstahoe:

The 24th Street Parklets were approved by ISCOTT (the Interdepartmental Staff Committee on Traffic and Transportation) today! They are permitted for a 6 month trial beginning in November. At the meeting the Parklets were supported by Debra Neimann from NVA, myself, Martha's Coffee Founder Martha Monroy, Supervisor Dufty's Legislative Aide Todd David, Louis Bryan, and Supervisor Candidate Scott Wiener in the form of his proxy, Gillian Gillett.

As I mentioned before, they will be going in front of Martha's Coffee and Just for Fun. See you out there!

Just in time for winter.

[Pavement To Parks]

Harvest Fest 2010: Giants Love, Politicking, Costumes...And Goats

This year's Noe Valley Harvest Fest was more subdued than years past. It felt denser (more booths) but less ambitious (smaller stage, less entertainment), and the rainy weather certainly didn't help. The event could be summed up as a mix between catering to kids and people looking for your vote.

The costume contest was once again a hit (especially among mothers). The 2008 winner (as a geisha) won again, this time as a flamenco dancer. Second place was a mummy, third a little lion.

In politics, Scott Weiner's team was part of the zeitgeist (go Giants!):


There was no petting zoo this year, but Rafael Mandelman's crew brought...goats.

Volunteers Needed: Noe Valley Harvest Festival

Many shifts available between 6am and 6pm. Assist with activities such as set up, face painting, the hayride, the pumpkin patch, raffle tickets, help event organizers, and have a great time! Credit available for students.

When: Saturday, Oct 23, 10am-5pm
How: Email info@noevalleyharvestfestival.com or call Sharon Cassidy at (314)717-4242 to participate.

[Noe Valley Harvest Festival]

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.

Noe Valley Plaza: NVMPA Unanimous In Support

In a letter to the Editor of the Noe Valley Voice ostensibly to be printed next month the Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association unanimously endorses a full plaza at 24th and Noe Streets:

Today, the Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association has gone on record of supporting the proposed trial of the Noe Valley Plaza.

The vote taken was one hundred percent in favor of the proposed trial.

Enclosed find a certified copy of the Resolution presented and approved. Please, publish this letter and the enclosed Resolution in their entirety.

We are whole heartily in support of the proposal and believe that once a trial is underway the community will be in favor, including those adjacent as well; that a neighborhood center where neighborhood activities can be conducted and presented will benefit the entire community; and that the Noe Valley Plaza will be a model for future urban design and the corner stone of the Mayor's Pavement to Park program.

The Noe Valley Plaza is beneficial to our community, our neighbors, our customers and our fellow merchants.

Thank you,

Robert T. Roddick
President
Noe Valley Merchant and
Professionals Association.

NOE VALLEY
MERCHANTS & PROFESSIONALS
ASSOCIATION, INC.
A Nonprofit Corporation
P.O. Box 460574
San Francisco, CA 94146

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS the Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association believes that the Noe Valley Plaza would serve the community as a whole by providing an open space to be used as a neighborhood center;

WHEREAS the Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association believes that the location at the South side of Noe Street at 24th Street is the ideal location for such a community center because it is the center of the 24th Street Commercial Corridor and has the recommendation of the San Francisco Planning Department;

WHEREAS the Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association believes that the installation of the Noe Valley Plaza will boost business along the 24th Street Commercial Corridor which has been confirmed by past studies. One such study was reported in the San Francisco's Chronicle Parade, "...outdoor seating areas boost foot traffic by 20%, leading to 10% more retail sales. Local property values also increase by 7%. In San Francisco four new plazas will be open this summer."

WHEREAS the Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association believes that the installation of the Noe Valley Plaza will add to the community, making Noe Valley a destination location for tourists and visitors;

WHEREAS the Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association believes that once the trial installation of the plaza is established that the community as a whole will find it beneficial and prefer that it become permanent; and

WHEREAS the Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association believes that with the proper study that the trial will afford a well designed plan balancing the needs of the pedestrians, drivers, customs and merchants; and

WHEREAS the Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association believes that the Noe Valley Plaza is on the cutting edge of urban design for better living and will be an inspiration for other neighborhoods. This summer San Francisco is opening four new plazas;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association goes on record of supporting the installation of the temporary plaza on the Southside of Noe Street at 24th Street on a trial basis to determine the benefits and the detriments in accordance with the Mayor's Pavement to Parks program.

APPROVED: UNANIMOUSLY on May 11, 2010.

Thanks to a reader for passing this on.

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.

Reminder: Community Meeting With Bevan Dufty Tonight

Bevan Dufty is co-sponsoring a community meeting tonight with the Noe Valley Merchants Association, the Noe Valley Association, Friends of Noe Valley, the Noe Valley Democratic Club and Upper Noe Neighbors. The agenda includes:

• New legislation to allow more restaurants on 24th St
• An introduction of Captain Corrales, SFPD Mission Station
• And a presentation by the NVA including details on the "upcoming Pavements To Parks program project at 24th & Noe Streets."

What: Community Meeting
When: Thursday, February 25, 2010, 7:30 pm
Where: St. Philip's Church, 725 Diamond St. (between Elizabeth & Castro)

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 notable highlights from the latest issue. Links are to stories we've covered here on NVSF or outside sources as the Voice isn't real-time.

December 2009 / January 2010

Front Page: Noe Valley resident Bill McBride is inspired by Three Cups of Tea and raising money for schools in Pakistan; Circle Bank to open on 24th St; Residents upset with all the new pole-top antennas that supply 3G service (picture from last February); Potential for parking meter reform; Vampires are hot, and a local novelist Clare Willis wants a piece of the action; Mission Education Center at 30th & Noe is now a "transitional school for recent immigrants."

Letters: More on dangerous drivers; A grandfather chimes in on the never-ending dog v. child wars at Noe Courts; Some clarification about the location of the NVV business office.

Feature: SFCTA has released the final draft of the Shuttle Bus SAR.

Cost of Living in Noe: "Homebuyers continued to find Noe Valley a desirable place to live" and the local market is "relatively healthy." And yeah...it's a buyer's market because they're paying only 2% over asking. Rent? Down from last year.

Short Takes: Friends of Noe Valley is looking for submissions to the Noe Valley Garden Tour on June 12, 2010; NV resident Paul Linde is promoting his book Danger to Self: On the Front Line with an ER Psychiatrist.

Store Trek: Noeteca Cafe and Wine Bar; Star Magic: The Second Generation (so far committed to stay only through the end of the year but entertaining options because "the response from the community has been overwhelming."

Traveling Voice: Versailles, Greece, London, Madrid.

Rumors: "For a neighborhood that prides itself on community involvement, Noe Valley seems to have little interest in the nuts and bolts of civic duty." Why's that? Low voter turnout in the Nov 3 election, expectations that few people will show to support/pan Bevan's proposal to add more restaurants to Noe Valley, and (most-importantly based on word count) the poorly publicized and hard-to-find Noe Valley Association survey about businesses on 24th St. In better news, La Boulangerie c'est arrivé! Cash-strapped Drewes Bros will send 600 pounds of turkey to St. Anthony's Dining Room as a matching gift based on the 1300 turkeys purchased for NV resident's Thanksgiving. Oh--and nothing has happened to the Real Foods/Nutraceutical space ("Turkey of the Year").

Bonus Rumor: The Voice found the blogosphere! They report that the Chronicle is looking to expand local news on SFGate.com with blogs and that Noe Valley is blessed to have its very own section. It's currently populated with rewritten posts from the (possibly-dormant) Noe Valley Buzz. Apparently they're looking for more bloggers.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

2009 Noe Valley Harvest Festival

This Saturday is the 5th Annual Noe Valley Harvest Festival and we find ourselves repeating what we wrote last year:

Posters have popped up around the neighborhood, and organizers apparently spoke to the Noe Valley Voice [Ed.--link is to current article], but the Festival website is sorely lacking (odd in such a tech savvy neighborhood). And... the poster instructs: "Please visit our website for more information." Nice idea, but with one week to go there is still almost nothing there.

So here is the information from the poster (kindly sent to us by the entertainment/parking coordinator:

When: October 24, 10am - 5pm
Where: 24th between Church and Sanchez
Cost: Free
What: "Celebrate exhibiting artists, craftspeople & non-profits which support our Noe Valley economy & community. With more than 60 different types of crafts, jewelry and artwork to choose from, support our exhibitors and get a jump on your holiday shopping!"

Schedule of Events (Main Stage):

10:00 Welcome Announcements, Emcee Michael Capozzola
10:15-11:00 The Alphabet Rockers
11:30 Kids Costume Contest
12:15-1:15 Wee the Band
1:15-1:30 Hoop the Flow (hula hoop demo)
1:30 Dog Costume Contest
2:00-3:00 Lovitt-Page Rock Band
3:15 Pie-Eating Contest sponsored by Noe Valley Bakery
3:30 Gypsy Tease Flamenco Dance [Ed.--guessing that this is the right link/artist.]
4:00-5:00 Go Van Gogh

11:00-3:00 Hayride, free for kids, departs from Walgreens

8:00pm Lost in the Fog screening in the parking lot between Le Zinc and le Shack. "Refreshments" provided by Whole Foods. Bring a blanket and chair.

Additional family-friendly entertainment includes: photo booth, juggler, dunk tank, balloon artist, face painting, caricaturist, jumpy tents, and of course ... a pumpkin patch.

[Noe Valley Harvest Festival]
[NVV: How to Raise Hay At the Oct. 24 Harvest Festival]
[NVSF: Photos: Noe Valley Harvest Festival (2008)]

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]

Noe Valley Democratic Club Town Forum

As mentioned earlier, there is a meeting on February 18th that (among other things) will give Noe Valley residents another chance to hear what's going on with Whole Foods and express concern or support.

NVDC presents Bevan Dufty in a town forum

Questions, opinions, musings about Noe Valley happenings? Now is the time to share them. Our supervisor, Bevan Dufty, will be here to answer your questions and/or direct you to some of the people who can fill in the details that you’ve been wondering about. Bevan will head up a panel consisting of Captain Stephan Tacchini of SAFE and the San Francisco Police Department, Debra Niemann, representing the Noe Valley Association and the Community Beautification District and Glen Moon of Whole Foods. Please feel free to forward questions in advance to me. Many have already expressed great interest in the fact that Whole Foods will be taking over the Bell Market space after extensive renovations. The speakers will appreciate the extra time to do advance research for your specific questions but of course questions will be entertained from the floor. There will be much to discuss and the panelists want to be prepared.

Our meeting will take place at our usual location and time:
Wednesday February 18 at 7:30 pm
St Philips Church
725 Diamond St. at Elizabeth St.

Again as usual, the meeting is open to the public and refreshments will be served.

Molly Fleischman
Vice-President
Noe Valley Democratic Club
415.641,5838 or molly@ffrsf.com

[Noe Valley Democratic Club (under construction)]
[NVSF: Update: Whole Foods]