It was a lively meeting at Upper Noe Recreation Center. Here is what we discussed.

Ice Breaker –
Attendees were split into two groups. Each groups arranged themselves according to how many years they lived in the neighborhood but without saying any dates. They could only discuss thinks like what was happening or what stores were in business at the time when they moved in. The prize was a box of chocolates, which was shared with all during the meeting. So much fun!

Announcements:
* Veteran’s Liquor Store, which closed in 2008, is undergoing renovations and expects to find a retail tenant in the next few months.
* Pomelo renovations are continuing. It was boarded up to protect the site from thieves.
* La Copa Loca Gelato Noe Valley opened at 1504 Church near 27th.
* Concerts in the Park free live music series in Upper Noe Rec Center playground every other Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon throughout the summer. Enjoy sweet harmonies and laid back tunes as you watch over your tots at play. *Alex Wise – June 1, * Adrian West – June 15, * Newman – June 29

Upper Noe Block Party 2024 – Saturday, September 21 from 11 am to 3 pm
Celebrate our neighborhood and the spirit that makes Upper Noe Valley a vibrant community. Community groups, local merchants, artists and civic leaders join our neighbors for this special event. Live music, children’s activities, games, prizes, Zumba and other special recreational opportunities for all ages will fill the day with fun. Previously, we won the Neighborhood Empowerment Network award for Extraordinary Neighborhood Block Party. Sponsored by Upper Noe Neighbors, Upper Noe Merchants, Friends of Upper Noe Recreation Center and San Francisco Rec & Park. Free and open to the public. Help make this a special day by volunteering, offering ideas, and spreading the word for groups to participate.

Participating groups and volunteers, please contact hello@uppernoeneighbors.com
* Chris and Rebecca are co-chairs; any other help is welcome.
* Local artists will have an opportunity to display their work.
* We have a volunteer face painter.
* Dedicated volunteers are required, particularly for clean up.
* Band has not been chosen yet. Suggestions welcome.

Parking Solutions with Hank Willson, SFMTA Policy Manager for Parking, Curb Management, and Operations

Chris presented a slide show of the issue in our neighborhood:
Merchants have expressed concern about the lack of short term parking for customers. A shortage of parking limits access to goods and services for our neighbors, especially those who live uphill or have mobility issues. Furthermore, a new law AB413 will remove 4 spaces at every intersection, compounding the problem. What measures will help? Likely candidates for receiving parking meters are the angled parking on Day St, 29th St and Valley St, plus the space on Church St in front of St Paul’s. Those locations would best provide access to local shops and services.

Audience input:
• Residents cannot find parking.
• Commuters drive here and park in the morning and all day while they take the streetcar downtown. Local residents uphill do the same.
• Parking permits were strongly rejected by our neighbors in 2015.

Hank responded to questions posed in advance.
Q: How do we navigate the process of adding short terms to curb space? What is the notification process?
A: Neighbors and businesses will be notified of any changes being considered and a comment period will follow. Changes then go through engineering for design approval before going to an engineering public hearing and then to the SFMTA Board for final approval. The process takes many months.
Q: How do we measure our need?
A: The benefits and effects of changes wil be considered in the design process.
Q: What are the benefits and drawbacks to different options?
A: Some solutions are white drop-off zones, green 10-minute zones, signs designating parking restrictions, meters with time limits, meters with no time limit, parking permits, and Hayes Valley permit types. Parking permits don’t guarantee a parking space. They would not inhibit long-term parking on and near Church St by neighbors who have permits. They require a fee. Business owners can get a permit for themselves and for a fleet of up to 5 vehicles registered in their name but employees do not qualify. White zones and green zones require a fee. Parking signs are difficult to enforce; they require monitoring and chalking. One or two hour meters do not provide enough time to dine or do activities. Meters with 4 hour or no limits encourage overturning parking spaces while providing options for how people use their time.
Q: What options will discourage use of our neighborhood as a parking lot for commuters while maintaining some ability for local teachers and shop employees?
A: Meters with 4 hours or no limits.
Q: What is a good solution to provide parking for restaurant patrons in the evening?
A: All meters stop at 6 pm so they do not necessarily help restaurant patrons. SFMTA has considered extending meters into evenings and weekends.
Q: Valley Street angled parking currently has one hour parking from 9 to 11 a.m. Could we expand the time to 9 to 6?
A: That is an anomaly. Unsure how it came to be but is probably through an agreement with the church.
Q: What are current City attitudes about preserving parking/access to shops and services?
A: SFMTA is attempting to preserve access where possible. They were instrumental in modifying AB 413 to remove parking only on the approach side not on both sides of a crosswalk. Vision Zero goals continue to drive SF policy. Of 34 traffic deaths in 2023, 20 of them were pedestrians. The City prioritizes pedestrian safety over amenities for vehicles. Parking meter monies go to funding our transportation system.

Supervisor Mandelman with Aide Henry DeRuff
The supervisor did not bring an agenda. He came on short notice to listen, respond to questions and offer some citywide perspective.
• He is on the budget committee. The situation is getting worse. The Board of Supervisors will be trying to implement a fix in June. They are looking at a business tax reform that does not go back to the pre-pandemic plan. 27 % of revenue comes from downtown. We have gross receipts tax and too much payroll tax. They are trying to fix this, to move away from payroll tax and get workers from SF back to work.
• One proposal is to reduce reliance on big companies. However, that places the burden on the middle AGAIN.
• Attendees raised concerns about recent crime incidents, police response and the availability of police reports. Mandelman noted that Ingleside Station serves Upper Noe Valley while Mission Station serves the area north of it. Email Mandelman staff or Dave Burke when you have issues about police reports. mandelmanstaff@sfgov.org , dave.burke@sfgov.org
• Stop signs at 28th and Church are being pursued more vigorously by his office.

Jessica Medina (Office of Economic and Workforce Development) attended to provide an ear from the Mayor’s office. She offered her assistance and we welcome her. She did not present a report.

Recreation Center renovations –
We ran out of time. We will discuss this issue at our next meeting.
It has been 16 years since the last renovation. While general maintenance of the park has been good, especially the interior, time takes a toll. The children’s playground surface needs replacement; the tennis court retaining wall is failing; the dog run is in need of a major overhaul. Your calls to 311 have helped spotlight the issues and supported our efforts to initiate repairs. Keep it up.

Church Street Branding Project –
We did not present this. We will circle back to it at the next meeting.
A recent neighborhood tour with banner designer Rhonel Roberts provided him with a fresh view of our community. We delayed a design review to give the artists some room to create. Efforts to reinvigorate the installation of decorative lighting hinge on one or more stores or properties on each block agreeing to provide an electrical connection.

NEXT Upper Noe Neighbors Meeting – July 17 at 7 pm