Town Square Team Recognized And An Unexpected Update

Congrats to the Residents for Noe Valley Town Square on being recognized as a "model for community groups" at this week's meeting of the Board Of Supervisors.

The Certificate of Honor reads:

In recognition of your efforts to create a permanent open space for the community to gather in the heart of Noe Valley, the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco extends its highest commendation to you. Your organizational and fundraising efforts are a model for community groups throughout San Francisco.

You can see video of the presentation with remarks from Scott Wiener and Todd David by opening the link for the 1/29/13 Board of Supervisors meeting on the BOS archive page and then skipping forward to minute 34. (Or you can go directly to the video.)

In related news, there was an interesting morsel from CookieTime yesterday. Yes...she sold the truck to her mother. But check out the buried lede: "The ownership of the Noe Valley parking lot has changed, so we can no longer park the truck there." Huh?

Conversations with Todd David and Scott Wiener's office confirm that the Noe Valley Ministry and the City are in negotiations, but that no deal has been finalized. The process continues, but is still heavily contingent on fund-raising. Meanwhile, Rec & Park has filed paperwork to convert the parking lot to public space in the event everything works out.

Details from Todd, who emphasizes that the timeline is fluid and largely in the control of the City:

I know that Rec and Parks staff is taking the appropriate steps to make that a possibility. The next steps are for Residents for Noe Valley Town Square to present to the Rec and Park Commission. And I am working with Rec and Park staff weekly to prepare for that presentation.

If approved by the Rec and Park Commission, Supervisor Wiener will sponsor legislation at the Board of Supervisors to access $x.x million from the Open Space Fund to purchase the lot. The hope is that the community fundraising plus the Open Space Fund will pay for the purchase of the parking lot. And then the State's Prop 84 Urban Greening Grant would help pay for a majority of the development of the "Town Square."

We're waiting to hear back from Marina (Cookie Time) about what she heard and will update when we do.

[NVSF: All Town Square posts]
[Photo: Office of Supervisor Scott Wiener; From left to right: Scott Wiener, Todd David, Leslie Crawford, Peter Gabel, Nisha Pillai, Christopher Keene, and Kate Sherwood]

Town Square Funding Update: $150k And Counting

Call it currying favor or good karma: First Republic Bank has just stepped up with the largest donation pledge to date for the Noe Valley Town Square. From Todd David:

I'm happy to announce that First Republic Bank has made a pledge to help make the Noe Valley Town Square a reality. First Republic has requested that we keep the pledge amount confidential; however, I'm pleased to report that it is the largest single pledge we have received to date.

Once First Republic gets final approval to move in to its new location on 24th and Sanchez, look for a "Save The Noe Valley Town Square" poster in its window.

Todd has received assurances that the pledge is not contingent on Planning approval.

Yesterday the BJ Droubi team pledged $10,000. [Ed.--The amount of BJ Droubi's pledge has not been disclosed; an error on our part] It seems fitting to us that the Town Square is funded by realtors, title companies and banks. And nail salons.

Also per Todd, The Town Square has raised approximately $150,000 so far. "Whether you are a neighbor, merchant, or simply a lover of open space, please make your pledge to the Noe Valley Town Square today at http://www.noevalleytownsquare.com/p/donate.html."

Only $1.85M to go.

[Noe Valley Town Square]
[NVSF: All Town Square Posts]

This Week In Noe Valley

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• 11 Day MUNI shut down means the J-Church won't make it downtown [SFGate, also: SF Appeal]
• Yet another article about the Facebook IPO "attracting techies in T-shirts and jeans carrying fat wallets" [LA Times]
• SJ Merc review of Incanto says tough to park in Noe Valley but offaly worth it [SJM]
• Plaza Planning done right with neighborhood involvement [Mission Local]
• K9 Scrub Club makes "Top 25 Coolest New Businesses" list [Business Insider]
• Trip planning: Yosemite Falls via webcam and two cool videos [KQED]

[Photo: K9 Scrub Club]

Town Square: Speakers Needed For Public Comment

Todd David of Residents for Noe Valley Town Square needs people to show in support:

I received a phone call from Rec and Parks yesterday informing me that the Commission is holding a meeting on Wed, July 6 at 2PM.

The Noe Valley Town Square is going to be mentioned as one of the projects Rec and Park is pursuing/investigating. It would be fantastic if 5 or 6 people could join me for Public Comment.

What: Recreation and Park Commission - Capital Committee Meeting
Where: 1 Carlton B. Goodlett Place (City Hall), Room 416
When: Wednesday, July 6, 2011, 2pm

[NVSF: Noe Valley Town Square: Concepts]

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]

New Street-side Plaza For Noe Valley

"Plaza premiering later this year" at 24th and Noe Streets. The article doesn't give any other details and the SF Pavement to Parks website is down. Stay tuned...

[SFGate: S.F. plazas, 'parklets' spout, squeeze out cars]

Scenes from the Noe Valley Mural Inauguration

"It's great to see a community come together for art!" That's how the festivities kicked off today. The gathering at the Mural Inauguration Party was one part Burning Man, one part Academy of Art and one part Mission Hipster. (The Noe Valley stroller set scurried past on 24th St wondering what was invading their neighborhood.) Here's a collection of pictures from the event.

Invoking the spirits with a conch.

Mark Growden playing ... bicycle handlebars.

"Utopia"

Missed the puppets. Damnit!

Also of note: Gavin Newsom declared today Mona Caron Day in San Francisco.

[Mona Caron]
[NVSF: Farmer's Market Murals Inauguration Party]

Green Sidewalk: Sanchez / Comerford

Nice job!!



[Green Your Sidewalk]