Volume XXXIX, No. 9
November 2015
THE NOE VALLEY VOICE Residents Review Latest Design for Town Square It’s Got Shade, Open Space, and A Spot for Tots By Matthew S. Bajko
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ith construction set to begin in early 2016 on the Noe Valley Town Square, proponents have revealed revised plans for transforming what had been a private parking lot into a new public park on 24th Street. The most recent design by CMG Landscape Architecture calls for a vine-covered trellis running along the eastern side of the property, located at 3861 24th St. near Vicksburg street. A bathroom will be built on that side near the sidewalk. Set near the southern boundary will be a canopy-covered stage, a sensory garden with native and drought-tolerant plants, a tot's “discovery path,” and a tot slide surrounded by a rubber play surface. A green space will run along the western side of the square-shaped lot, which measures 10,829 square feet, while a long, built-in bench and several shade trees will be added near the sidewalk along 24th Street. Much of the middle of the site would remain open to accommodate the yearround Noe Valley Farmers’ Market, which takes over the parking lot Saturday mornings. A storage shed tucked into the back western corner would hold tables and chairs that can be set up when the plaza is not being used. “It is a very simple plan,” said Chris Guillard, one of the principal owners of CMG Landscape Architecture, which has worked on the project pro bono. “Movie nights and all kinds of things can be happening there.” Concerns About Noise, Safety At a community town hall held Oct. 13 to discuss the latest proposed design, many of the 30 people present applauded CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
Ramon Sender and Judith Levy-Sender have brought their vision of writing, culture, politics, and pizza to Noe Valley since 2001. Photo by Beverly Tharp
If It’s an Odd Monday, This Must Be Noe Meet the Couple Who Coaxed Us Into Community By Richard May
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dd Mondays is Noe Valley’s venerable speaker series, once located at the Noe Valley Ministry and now at home at Folio Books on 24th Street. November marks the beginning of year 15 of presenting authors, thinkers, doers, and creators to the Noe Valley public. That’s 364 programs—and counting. The creative couple behind Odd Mondays is Judith Levy-Sender and Ramon
Sender Barayon. Judy and Ramon have lived in Noe Valley for 31 years, on 23rd Street. They’ve been together for 35. They have three children, five grandchildren, numerous books, musical compositions, and art, many good works, and of course Odd Mondays to show for it. The story, now famous, of why they created Odd Mondays began with a chance encounter after the tragedies of Sept. 11, 2001. Ramon was at work as the administrative director at the Noe Valley Ministry. A woman stopped by and they began to chat, focusing eventually on the need for community in our neighborhood. “She never told me her name,” he says. “A mystery lady…perhaps an angel?” That evening, Ramon talked with Judy
James Lick Construction Causes Commotion Neighbors Complain That Work Is Too Loud By Corrie M. Anders
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major overhaul of James Lick Middle School in the heart of Noe Valley has generated dozens of complaints from neighbors unhappy about the construction noise. Residents say the cacophony of jackhammering, rumbling dump trucks, and beeping backup safety alarms has left them with frayed nerves, disturbed sleep,
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Dolores Park Renovations Nearing An End New Sidewalks, Bathrooms, and ‘Beach’ Almost Finished By Matthew S. Bajko
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Town Square Gets a Face. The rendering above, by CMG Landscape Architecture, shows some of the amenities planned for the new park on 24th Street: trees and gardens, two canopies with trellises, a children’s play area, and lots of space for the Saturday farmers’ market.
s work is set to begin on building a brand new public park in the heart of Noe Valley’s commercial district (see story, above left), the renovations of nearby Mission Dolores Park are nearing an end. In January, crews are slated to begin prepping the 24th Street site for the Noe Valley Town Square. That same month should see a re-opening celebration for the southern half of Mission Dolores Park, which has been undergoing an extensive remodel to address drainage issues CONTINUED ON PAGE 11