Crime Beat

Information is from Mission and Ingleside District San Francisco Police Station newsletters.

October 28
Residential Burglary - 200 block of 28th St. A resident heard a noise at his front door and found it damaged and ajar. He later discovered that a burglar has taken a laptop computer and a backpack.

October 30
Residential Burglary - 500 block of Valley St. Occurred between 10/29 & 10/30. A resident found that her parked car had been broken into and its garage door opener used to enter the home's garage. Another car inside the garage was burglarized and a GPS device and a wallet were taken.

Good Samaritan or Paranoid Neighbor?

26th St near Sanchez

"A little before 4pm Mon 10/27/08 a man was seen putting a bicycle in the back of a yellow school bus..."

Update: Planning Commission October 23, 2008

Last week the Planning Commission ruled on two projects on 24th St:

4128 24th STREET - Request for Conditional Use Authorization...to convert the existing, ground floor office space to a full-service restaurant, totaling approximately 350 square feet (dba “Noe Soup"). [Translation: the old BJ Droubi house is getting a restaurant]

3931-3933 - 24TH STREET – Request for Conditional Use Authorization...to allow the construction of one new dwelling-unit with no off-street parking. [Translation: Noe Bagel will have to close while the building is expanded]

Both projects were approved as part of the Consent Calendar. These two and three other projects were approved with a single vote and without public comment. That is not to say the Commission didn't ask for comment - no one showed up to give any. Color us surprised.

As we wrote last week, the conversion 4128 24th St to a restaurant is likely the last available conditional use permit for a new restaurant in Noe Valley.

The motion (brought by Supervisor McGoldrick) to ammend legislation to "require conditional use authorization for any permit...to remove dwelling units" was disapproved 6-1. This would have made mandatory a discretionary review (DR) for all residential demolition permit applications, including 1 and 2 unit buildings (and including dwelling unit mergers). Existing code allows for planning staff initiated DR hearings. Expect this to come up again (after the election).

Bonus: learned a new phrase - "Richmond Special." Seems to be a catch-all for illegal (non-conforming) dwelling units added to a single family home.

[NVSF: This Week at the Planning Commission]
[NVSF: Dwelling Unit Mergers]

Noe Valley is Liberal

Fall Line Analytics (via Sweet Melissa) has compiled voter data (and probably more info than anyone really wants to know) about you and everyone you know.

It's no surprise that Noe Valley is mostly liberal, a little moderate and maybe just a tad conservative. Cool map, but it just enforces what a commenter on TheFrontSteps said about life here: "The people in Noe Valley simply have a fully realized liberal fantasy. The ‘charm’ of a tightly controlled social environment, while being near all of those other parts of the city that they can’t quite bear to give up…" But we knew that.

As an aside... if this map is truly accurate how did Chris Daly get elected? Twice!?

[Sweet Melissa: Off To The Races!]
[TheFrontSteps: Comment Du Jour...]

Time Capsule: Noe Valley Bulletin Board

A periodic look at the bulletin board on 24th St. between Noe and Castro Streets.

October 25, 2008

Kookez to Become Lupa?

Eater SF has the scoop on what's to become of the Kookez space: "It looks like the deal to the mysterious Tangerine Restaurant Group...has fallen through, because the new name on a new, pending liquor license is Stefano Coppola, who just happens to be the owner/chef of Lupa."

Details as we get them.

[Eater SF: NoeWire: Lupa Taking Shuttered Kookez Space?]
[NVSF: It's Official: Kookez Is Closed]

Noe Valley Trees: Two Get the Axe

Two large eucalyptus trees on either side of the parking lot between Radio Shack and Le Zinc on 24th St are destined for the axe chainsaw. Reasons: "Recent branch failure; structural health issues; problematic species." Their removal has already been approved, and replacement trees will be planted.

It's always sad to see mature trees removed, but eucalyptus trees have a short life. Bummer.

Tuttimelon: Open!

Perfect timing (and quite unexpected)!! Harvest Festival and 80 degrees. Tuttimelon is now officially open in Noe Valley. No hours posted, still looking for employees, still says Belgano on the marquee. But at least you can cool down with some FroYo.

[NVSF: Tuttimelon Rising: Update]