Two long time businesses are closing their doors in Cole Valley, quickly making Cole Valley somewhat unrecognizable. The laundromat at the corner of Carl and Cole has closed its doors after over 20 years of business. This came as a bit of surprise to residents since it seemed very sudden and without much notice. Owner, Doug Olssen, posted up a note mentioning that the business lost its lease and that his other laundromat, at 1101 Cole St, is still in business. For those that live near Carl/Cole and without an in-unit W/D, they must now venture a bit farther to clean their clothes and linens.

Cole Garage has also announced that they will be leaving because of the sale of the building. Most might recognize the building because of the colorful pet-filled mural on the front facade. The owner is currently looking for a new location for his business and possible storage location for the equipment.  The space has been rumored to become condos and businesses on the ground floor. We are hoping that the new owners will preserve the front of Cole Garage in the process. 

Once we wipe our tears away as more long-time businesses leave our hood, we always ask the daunting question, "Who will move into the space?  What do you want to see in the now vacant space? 

Have you ever taken a stroll around the hood and walked by this large Art Deco building and its twin at 639 Frederick and wondered, "What the hell did this used to be?" Also what about the housing complex that stretches the entire block on Frederick? The answer may surprise you. All these buildings were a part of Polytechnic High School. Poly was in operation from 1884 to 1973 and moved around a bunch before finding its place at 701 Frederick. 

Over those years, the school created a reputation for a ​"​cosmopolitan, diverse and talented student body, inspirational teachers and administrators, and exceptional football teams.​"

What about Kezar Stadium across the street? Well, it served as Poly's athletic facilities. One high school football game in particular, Poly vs. Lowell in 1928, was attended by over 50,000 people. This was the largest attendance for any high school football game in Northern California. 

If you want to learn more about Poly, visit The Polytechnic Memorial website here. 

Also side note, that housing complex on Frederick is actually an affordable housing complex and those qualified can apply to live there. Great way to use the old high school space and give back to the city. 

American Cyclery, at Frederick and Stanyan, is rolling out plans for a parklet and adjacent green space.

American Cyclery, which makes claims to be the city’s oldest bike shop, is hosting a community meeting next Thursday, November 21 to unveil its plans for a parklet and green space next to the store’s 510 Frederick space. The meeting will be an open house in the store from 6 to 8 PM.

American Cyclery, with the blessings of Supervisor Breed and preliminary approval from the planning department, is planning to turn the odd triangle of pavement in front of the store into a parklet, and converting the adjacent paved parking lot into a green plaza..

The update, according to Bradley Woehl, of American Cyclery, would calm traffic at the intersection (presumably foot and bike). Woehl said the open house is intended to invite neighbors to provide input on the planning process and hear what the project will look like.


Article originally posted on uppercasing.

The Sutro Mansion: His grandson, Adolph G. Sutro, built a mansion on the hill in the 1930s and sold it in 1948 to American Broadcasting Company, for use as the transmitter site for its new television station, KGO-TV. The station premiered on May 5, 1949, producing its shows at the Sutro Mansion and transmitting via a 580-foot-high broadcast tower.









Original content can be seen on "You know you grew up in San Francisco when..." Facebook group. 

UCSF plans to remove 60% of the non-native eucalyptus trees in Sutro Forest. The university has proposed the plan, with a detailed environmental impact report that is intended to improve the forest and decrease fire risk thinning out the trees. "We're developing a management plan to keep the forest beautiful, accessible to the community and safe for both own own campus and our neighbors," said UCSF Director of Community Relations, Barbara Bagot-Lopez.

Many neighbors, activists, and environmentalist are outraged, citing that UC's plan would cause irreparable damage to the century old grove. The forest has thrived for so many decades due to its' microclimate as being cool and moist. The forest promotes fog and blocks the wind. Dr. Mascaro, a professional ecologist stated that, "by thinning the forest and removing most of the understory vegetation, the management activity will open the canopy of the forest resulting in drier and hotter  duff on the forest floor and a greater risk of fire." If that's the case then why does UCSF think that removing trees will decrease fire risk if Dr. Mascaro has proven otherwise. 

Sutro Forest is a lovely place to just get away from the city's hustle and bustle. This past weekend I went for a walk in Sutro Forest (up to Mt. Sutro via the Stanyan Gate and out the Edgewood Gate). I noticed tons of orange blogs of paint on some of the trees. Supposedly, these trees might have been tagged because they might be in poor condition and likely to fall or drop a limb. Along with the orange blobs came hand written notes that said, "Please don't cut me down...". The notes suggested contacting UCSF Campus Planning, Attention Diane Wong before March 19th 2013. All public comments on UCSF's Draft Environmental Impact Report are due by March 19th (tomorrow). Do you have comments about UCSF's plan?! Write to them (even if it's after March 19th), UCSF needs to know our side of the story.

Address your notes to Ms. Lori Yamauchi, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Campus Planning.

Let's help to #SaveSutro! Sign the petition here!

Resources:
http://sutroforest.com/
http://www.ucsf.edu/about/cgr/current-projects/mount-sutro-open-space-reserve
http://synapse.ucsf.edu/articles/2013/03/07/mt-sutro-forest-management-sparks-community-debate
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/20/sutro-forest_n_2729240.html