West Portal Notebook
Merchants on West Portal Speak Out
• • • • • • • • • • July 10, 2014 • • • • • • • • • •
Attended by nine local business owners, West Portal’s neighborhood merchants met on June 21st to talk about neighborhood and retail safety and security and vacant storefronts (including the movie theatre and post office).
Eyes on the Street
Neighborhood representatives are in discussions with the SFPD about installing five security cameras down the main stretch of West Portal Avenue to prevent retail theft. The cameras will NOT be used as traffic cameras but rather to identify and catch thieves stealing from West Portal merchants. SFPD has set aside the funds to pay for these cameras, and individual shop owners with their own surveillance systems are encouraged to share their footage to help prevent theft on West Portal. St. Francis Woods and areas of the Sunset have already installed and benefited from these types of cameras.
Previous experience has shown that police patrolling up and down the block (out of the car, on the sidewalk, speaking to residents, shop owners, and the rest of the familiar West Portal denizens) significantly prevents possible crime, and neighborhood representatives are working with the SFPD... ”
Street Cops
The West Portal merchants are collaborating with the SFPD to get more beat cops to patrol West Portal Avenue. Previous experience has shown that police patrolling up and down the block (out of the car, on the sidewalk, speaking to residents, shop owners, and the rest of the familiar West Portal denizens) significantly prevents possible crime, and neighborhood representatives are working with the SFPD to create a program that specifically trains police officers to maintain a presence and personal relationship with neighborhood residents. Merchants are working to secure a budget for street cops.
An unfortunate impediment to the presence of police patrols in communities like West Portal is the growing rate of crime in downtown San Francisco, which has pulled would-be neighborhood beat cops to downtown neighborhoods like the Tenderloin. These same neighborhood representatives are attempting to contact the Budget Committee Chair, Connie Chan, to request more funding for public (neighborhood) safety measures.
Empty Storefronts
As every resident and shop owner in West Portal has observed, several storefronts on West Portal have either been vacant for several years (most because of the pandemic) or are known for fairly rapid turnovers.
There are some newcomers slated to take over vacant spaces, including George’s Donuts & Merriment at 161 West Portal Ave (possibly opening in August), and some established fronts reopening their doors. Fuji Japanese Restaurant has been back in business since last Spring, and the post office is to follow suit and reopen for business as soon as the Federal Government sorts their permits. While there are no new permits yet filed with the City Planning Commission, rumors nevertheless swirl around who and what is to take over the former Lemonade restaurant space, but as of yet, nothing has been confirmed.
The list of businesses that have closed or turned over during the past decade (specifically during and after Covid-19) has, unfortunately, grown, and there’s one more familiar name to be put on that awful list. On April 2nd, Papenhausen Hardware announced via nextdoor.com that, after several difficult financial battles over the past five or six years, they will be changing ownership. In their letter to the community, owners Matt Rogers and Karl Aguilar wrote about their hope that new ownership would give it a boost by bringing in fresh ideas and new strategies while understanding and maintaining the position that Papenhausen has held in the local community for the last 88 years. They’re not going to give the keys to anyone who just comes along; they want to make sure that Papenhausen Hardware remains a dependable part of the West Portal family.
Rezoning West Portal Station
The next SFMTA Board of Directors meeting concerning the rezoning and redesign of the Ulloa St. and West Portal Ave. intersection is taking place on July 16th at 1 pm – it is open to the public and is vital for as many local business owners and residents to attend as possible. Estimates put the number of attendees at the previous meeting well into the tens of thousands and was preceded by a deluge of letters and emails addressed to the SFMTA and D7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar’s office protesting the new plans for the intersection. Members at this Neighborhood Merchant’s meeting emphasized the importance of sustained interest and input from the community to prevent the passage of a plan that no one wants.
Smaller Matters
• El Toreador has agreed to get rid of its outdoor seating unit in compliance with local permitting requirements
• This Spring’s Wine Walk was less attended than the last event, leading to questions about community awareness and the timing of the walk itself
• The Merchant Board is looking for more members and a new president and would welcome anyone who would like to become more involved with the neighborhood’s goings-on.
Maura Corkery is a reporter living on the West side.
July 2024
