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 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.

April 2012

Front Page: The Town Square project is looking for a hero with $2 million or more to keep the dream alive; Alvarado school is getting solar panels; a Diamond St. couple has created Just Cook Foods, a specialty foods company (they make meat rubs) for busy foodies.

Letters: A reader decries the condition of the Harry Street steps (an extension of Noe St. from Laidley to Beacon) and calls them a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act; in memory of Sybil Abeyta; an M.D. advises how to approach dogs (ask before you pet) on 24th St.

Features: The over-the-top $3 million+ redo of the Dolores Playground opens March 31; a re-run of the exact same story that ran last month about the Jan 2012 appointment of Mission Captain Robert Moser (oopsie!).

Short Takes: Garden tour 2012 set for May 19; Easy Breezy frozen yogurt still coming soon.

Cost of Living in Noe: Still red hot.

Store Trek: Saru Sushi

Rumors: Lots of grouses and gripes. Also, the "commercial blogs" report Tuggey's is struggling and the building is for rent; Tuggey's owner Dennis Giovanoli loves Noe Valley so much he's considering "moving to the city;" Whole Foods has withdrawn its application for an ABC license to sell spirits; Luv a Java has received the go-ahead to serve more food; Scott Wiener's new chief of staff is Andres "Parklet" Powers.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

This Week In Noe Valley

Noe Valley news from the interwebs:

• Patxi's afraid of pink slime (and hopefully tracking other questionable additives) [Twitter]
• 33 Fountain St gutted, for sale and now tracked by the DBI [Socketsite]
• Philz Coffee Noe Valley was thwarted; Murphstahoe despondent [Twitter]
• Rain won't deter the determined. [Instagram]
• February condo sales in Noe Valley [Downing & Co]
• Humid, chlorine-smelling pool house sold [SF Curbed]

[Photo: @newdoorsf]

Grand Opening: Philz Coffee

Philz Coffee Noe Valley officially opens tomorrow: "Grand opening at our new Noe Valley store tomorrow!! Come by and see us :)" That's Wednesday, March 28th, for those of you keeping track of these things.

Update (3/28):
"The inspector couldn't come to sign off. Our new target opening is Friday. See you then."

Philz Coffee
4298 24th St at Douglass

[Photo: @Philz_Coffee]

This Week At The Planning Commission

A look at Noe Valley projects in front of the Planning Commission this week. Information is provided by the Planning Commission, and taken from its published agenda. All hearings are on Thursday at 1:30pm, Room 400 in City Hall.

March 22

1300 DOLORES STREET - southwest corner of 26th and Dolores Streets; Lot 045 in Assessor’s Block 6566 - Request for Conditional Use Authorization, pursuant to Planning Code Sections 186, 303 and 728.44, to convert an existing retail coffee store (d.b.a. Luv a Java) to a small, self-service restaurant within an RH-3 (Residential, House - Three-Family) Zoning District and a 40-X Height and Bulk District.

Preliminary Recommendation: Approval with Conditions

The application and staff analysis is here (PDF).

[SF Planning: 1300 Dolores (PDF)]

Opening Saturday: Noe Valley Wine Merchants

We've been watching the space at 3821 24th St since last summer when Eater SF announced that Urban Cellars would become Noe Valley Wine Merchants. And while the space has been ready since last fall, the ABC license was finalized just last week. Today Eater announced NV Wine Merchant will open this Saturday:

The rebirth of Urban Cellar as Noe Valley Wine Merchants (3821 24th St.) is set for this Saturday. New owner and 24-year retail wine biz vet James Mead has renovated the space to include a tasting room where he plans on holding bi-weekly tasting events. Mead says the store will also stock some spirits geared toward the "home mixologist" as well as "99 bottles of micro- and craft-brewed beers."

[ESF: Coming Soon: Noe Valley Wine Merchants]

For Rent: Tuggey's Hardware

[Terranomics: 3885 24th St]
[NVSF: Tuggey's Is Struggling]

The Dog Fight At Noe Courts Continues

Dog owners have been fighting for equal, safe and clean access to Noe Courts since the late 1980s when the perimeter fence was installed. In 1997, Parks and Rec tried to ban dogs altogether but relented and allowed dogs as long as they remained on leash. That leash law has remained a bone of contention ever since. Fast forward to last week when one dog owner fired off this email to Scott Wiener:

Dear Mr. Wiener:

If you think I was upset about the park work trucks digging up the grass, I am now outraged by the fact that we are being harassed by Park Rangers again. It has been over two years since we dog owners complained about the park rangers enforcing a leash law that has been contested for years and thought it was resolved and that this had been put to rest.

As a homeowner who pays outrages taxes and does not use the schools and any county services to speak of, let alone getting much for my taxes at all, I feel taking my dogs to Noe Courts is my privilege and I have paid more than enough for the privilege. This city can't keep our roads up, provide decent public schools or keep drunks from living on the streets, but you can pay for Park Rangers to police a tiny little neighborhood park. Our park is a disgrace because of maintenance and the only way we can upgrade it is if we citizens file for and get grants to upgrade, but the city can spend money on rent-a-cops.

Parents with children and their dogs use Noe Courts because of it's multi-use grounds. I know you are going to say there is Douglas Park for dogs, but there are too many dog walkers and some very nasty dogs that I do not want to expose my dogs to.

[The above picture shows] some of the criminal dogs who frequent this park.

I expect to continue to use Noe Courts with my dogs and will fight this tooth and nail.

[Ed.--email reprinted with permission as long as writer remains anonymous]

Scott's response:

I agree that Noe Courts is an amazing neighborhood park, and a lot of us are hoping to make it even better. While I agree that enforcement of the leash laws needs to be judicious, I disagree that park rangers shouldn't go to neighborhood parks. We do a very poor job enforcing park rules (quite apart from the leash laws), and we need more park patrol attention, not less. Again, this is with respect to park rules generally. With respect to leash laws, I do agree that we need to be thoughtful in our enforcement and not clamp down. With that said, there are situations when too many off-leash dogs in an on-leash park can cause operational difficulties. It's all about balance and good judgment in enforcement.

So... expect the battle for use of this small neighborhood park to continue.

[NVV: Neighbors in a Dogfight Over Noe Courts]

This Week At The Planning Commission

A look at Noe Valley projects in front of the Planning Commission this week. Information is provided by the Planning Commission, and taken from its published agenda. All hearings are on Thursday at 1:30pm, Room 400 in City Hall.

March 15

550 JERSEY STREET - north side between Diamond and Douglass Streets; Lot 017 in Assessor's Block 6505 - Request for Discretionary Review of Building Permit Application No. 2011.09.02.3798. The project is a revision to previously approved Building Permit Application No. 2011.02.25.0973 to cut down the ridge of a gable roof by approximately 6.5” so that it would not be visible from behind the existing front parapet and revise the interior roof framing of an existing two-story, single-family building within an RH-2 (Residential, Two-Family) Zoning District and a 40-X Height and Bulk District.

Staff Analysis: Abbreviated Discretionary Review
Preliminary Recommendation: Do not take Discretionary Review and approve

There's a convoluted back story. Apparently the former owners went through the 311 Notification process when they applied for the original permit in 2000. It was approved, but work was never started and the permit expired. The 2010 buyers bought a property with plans for expansion and started work. Since the permit was expired, DBI made the owners take out a new permit. But DBI allowed a renewal since at the time DBI believed work was already underway.

Enter the Discretionary Review Requestor: one F. Joseph Butler, an architect, who believes the Planning Commission and the Department of Building Inspection are enforcing rules arbitrarily and losing out on as much as $22k in fees on this project alone. Mr Butler elected to file for the DR (at a cost of at least $510 paid to Planning) to protect the integrity of the Planning Department and assure restoration of historical elements of the property. Or something like that.

Here's the kicker:

DR REQUESTOR: F. Joseph Butler, who lives at 3** Chestnut Street, which is located approximately 4.6 miles to the northeast of this project.

The full story with application and staff analysis is here (PDF).

[SF Planning: 550 Jersey]
[Photo: SF Planning]