Growing Pains: ESB Ale

The recent press and success of Elizabeth Street Brewery has apparently ticked off a neighbor who filed a formal (and anonymous) complaint. Rather than stopping by to talk about their issues over a cold pint of free beer, said neighbor called the police. "As some of you already know by now, my wife returned home on Tuesday afternoon to be greeted by Officer Miguel Granados and Deputy City Attorney Michael Weiss."

Find out how it all turned out on ESB's blog.

[NVV: The Elizabeth Street Brewery: From Chocolate Milk to Firecracker Red]
[NVSF: Operation ESB Super Bowl]

Reminder: Shuttle Bus Community Meeting

Community Meeting: tonight at the Upper Noe Rec Center starting at 7:30pm and hosted by Upper Noe Neighbors.

To add more background to the reason the SFCTA may be considering regulation, reader Yoyo did some digging and left this comment regarding the legal issues of shuttle buses:

California V.C. section 35400(10)(A) states that buses up to 45 feet (that's the length of the Setras) can have reasonable access between highways and "points of loading and unloading for motor carriers of passengers". So the size itself isn't in violation, and these buses do travel to Noe Valley and other neighborhoods to load and unload passengers. The question remains: what is reasonable access?

Here, the SF transportation code has something to say. Section 501 lists a whole host of streets on which heavy vehicles (over 6000 lbs.) are forbidden; a number of these are in Noe Valley west of Church, but Sanchez is not included. Section 7.2.87 also forbids commercial passenger vehicles (capacity 8 or more) from the streets listed in Section 501 (the code says 503, which doesn't exist; 501 appears to be the correct referenced section, from an old version of the code).

[NVSF: Shuttle Buses: Useful or Menace?]

Community Meeting: Open Space SF

What: Open Space Framework Community Workshop: Mission Dolores Park/Noe Valley
When: Tuesday March 24, 6-8pm
Where: Upper Noe Rec Center
Hosts: Friends of Upper Noe Rec Center, Friends of Noe Valley

Vision and Goals from the website:

THE VISION

The Vision Plan provides a broad outline of what San Francisco's ideal open space network would look like in a 100-year time frame.

The 6 Components of the Vision

• An Active, Accessible and Connected Waterfront Open Space System
• An Eco-Corridor that Allows for Both Human and Wildlife Movement Across the City
• A System of Linear Parks and Daylighted Creeks
• A Network of Livable Streets in High-Density Neighborhoods
• Revitalized and Activated Destination Open Spaces
• Connectivity – A System of Public Transit + Green Streets Connecting People to Open Space
  

GOALS

• Every San Franciscan is within a 10-minute walk from an open space greater than one acre.
• Every San Franciscan has access to a network of high-performing open spaces.

Want to get involved but annoyed that we posted this at such late notice? (Can't blame you--it slipped under our radar.) Take the survey and/or send comments to Susan.Exline@sfgov.org. Minutes from past meetings are available here.

[Open Space SF: 2100]

Real Foods Blight: Blighted

Can't give an exact date, but the broken window and boards appeared at least 2 weeks ago. Any guesses how long it will be until Noe Valley's most famous blight returns to its former inglorious state?

Update (3/24): A reader let us know that "I walked by Real Foods this morning and they were fixing the windows. I guess that's a start..." Indeed.

[NVSF: Blight: Real Foods]
[NVSF: NVDC Town Forum: SFPD, Whole Foods & More]

Appeal? Lost. Budget? Intact. Trees? Gone.

Apparently appeals or budget woes can't stop a chainsaw if trees are deemed unsafe. The plan is for replacement trees, but this stretch of 24th St is going to look empty for some time. No Parking signs for this Monday suggest these tall eucalyptus trees will disappear then. Let's see how long it takes to replace them.

[NVSF: Update: 24th Street Trees]
[NVSF: PSA: Public Hearing - Tree Removal]

Shuttle Buses: Useful or Menace?

Sanchez St. / Day St.

In 2007 Google bowed to Noe Valley concerns and agreed to stop using streets west of Church St for its popular employee shuttles. Apparently that didn't last long (see above photo from October 2008) Not all companies are following suit (see comments) and the City is now looking to regulation.

The SFCTA is conducting a Strategic Analysis Report (SAR) to determine what steps, if any, the City needs to take. Here's an outtake from the Resolution [PDF] authorizing the SAR:

An important consideration in looking at shuttles, is whether their place in the spectrum of San Francisco transit services is clearly defined in existing policy and planning documents. We anticipate that some of the policy decisions that will be highlighted by the SAR will deal with regulation and oversight, support for shuttles as part of San Francisco’s Transit First Policy, and whether there should be efforts to recapture into regular fixed-route transit some of the ridership currently on shuttles.

The study will look at vans, mini-buses and full-sized coaches; the study is not looking at airport shuttles or MUNI. In other words, this study could effect everything from Google buses to Whole Foods shuttles to BART to senior mobility services.

How can you make your voice heard? One way is to attend the next Upper Noe Neighbors meeting on March 26th, 7:30pm, at the Upper Noe Rec Center:

Here's [part of] the agenda:

Private shuttle services--the S.F County Transportation Authority is looking into neighborhood issues associated with these buses. Representatives from the SFCTA will be at this meeting. This is your chance to let them know how they affect our neighborhood and discuss ways to mitigate problems. This is bound to be a lively discussion as residents have been voicing complaints about this for quite a while.

Can't make the meeting? The SFCTA is accepting comments by mail or email. Please address the following questions:

• Have you observed shuttles operating or stopping in your neighborhood? Where and how often?
• What trip purpose(s) do the shuttles serve (e.g. work, school, recreation or other needs)?
• What benefits and/or impacts have you observed from shuttles in your neighborhood?
• What role do you see shuttles playing in your neighborhood?

Direct comments to Margaret Cortes, margaret.cortes@sfcta.org, San Francisco Transportation Authority, 100 Van Ness Avenue, 26th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102.

And if you think shuttle drivers are dangerous, or if the buses are creating hazardous conditions contact the SFPD and Bevan Dufty. This recent note from Capt. Dennis O'Leary of the Ingleside station to Officer Kathy Pubill suggests they'll act: "Please evaluate and determine what codes are being violated. Contact the bus company with suggestions to stop the complaints."

If this SAR creates law, the SFPD won't have to attack this ad hoc.

Note -- If you go to the meeting on the 26th, please send us minutes to post. Thanks!

[SFCTA: Resolution No. 09-27]
[NVV: Google Shifts Bus Stop to Church Street]

Mark Leno Vs. Pasta Gina

Uh oh.

Apparently state Senator Mark Leno is a major pasta fan, so much so that he can't imagine living in Noe Valley without local pasta shop Pasta Gina.

Or so says the openly gay lawmaker in an ad for the store in the March issue of the Noe Valley Voice. The shop apparently lifted the quote by Leno from an interview he gave the paper nine years ago when he served on the city's Board of Supervisors.

And it did so without the senator's permission, according to his office.

Leno was unaware his reply for where he liked to eat in the neighborhood was being used by the pasta shop to promote its business.

According to his staff, Leno does not typically make endorsements of private businesses, feeling it would be inappropriate to do so as a state senator. He planned to personally speak to shop owner Gene Ginsberg about the ad.

[eBar: Political Notebook]

Noe Valley Braces For St. Patrick's Day