Trigger Bar DOA?

What’s your opinion as to whether the bar formerly known as Jet at Market and Castro should be allowed to be named “Trigger”? Does it matter whether the logo continues to be a gun and the motto “With a Vengeance”? Is the name Trigger ok sans that branding?

DTNA approved the renovation and expansion of the bar, with some conditions for noise abatement and other neighborly gestures. We’re also talking to the owner of the bar about the name to understand the facts and motivations. What’s your opinion?

Here’s the official site of the bar, and some coverage at Eater and the Chronicle.

Annals of the Unfunny

This graffiti happened a few weeks ago, and was promptly removed. But it should be documented as truly pathetic and awful graffiti. It ain’t art, and it ain’t funny. Fail.

Good News for the Transportation Project

The Duboce Triangle Transportation Improvement Plan (aka, the MTA’s Chuch and Duboce Rail Improvement Project) keeps inching forward, turning the community vision that so many of you helped create into a reality. Check out the new MTA page on the project; and don’t forget to register for their e-mail list at the bottom of the page. You can also submit comments directly to the MTA through the site.

DTNA is thrilled to announce that Supervisor Dufty and the MTA have sourced funding for four key curb extensions that were not previously included in the rail improvement project. These include improvements on Noe Street between Duboce Avenue and 14th Street and two curb extensions at the tricky Steiner, Sanchez and Duboce intersection. The latter will shorten the dangerous crossing across Duboce, and provide room for more seating or plantings or whatever it is we as a community decide we’d like to do with the space. We’ll try to get up proposed renderings of these items as soon as possible.

We’re also pleased to announce that RHAA, a well-respected Landscape Architecture firm, has taken on the project on a pro-bono basis. One of RHAA’s landscape architects is a Duboce Triangle resident (actually, more than one), and has already been deeply involved in creating many of the drawings for the community vision. We’re fortunate to have them as a resource for expressing the Duboce Triangle community vision.

Here is the current schedule for the project, though it’s of course subject to change:

• Conceptual Engineering Report – Released March 2009
• Detailed Design – Draft version to be completed and opened to public review sometime in the middle of this year; Final version to be completed by the end of 2009.
• Contract Let – Late 2009 or early 2010
• Construction Begins – Summer 2010 or later

17th Street Plaza Coming Soon

If you were at last week’s EVPA meeting, or any of the other recent community meetings around the Castro area, you probably already know about the 17th Street & Castro/Market temporary plaza. This post in Streetsblog SF gets most of the details right, but not all. Most importantly, this plaza idea has been part of various community plans for years. It’s expected to be ready for use in April or May (more details on this as they emerge).

Check out the still-evolving design of the plaza in the article, but keep in mind that management is just as important as design when it comes to creating successful public plazas. The Castro CBD will be actively managing the space, with the involvement of local merchants and other stakeholders.

Feeling wonky? Check out Project for Public Space’s “Ten Principles for Creating Successful Squares.”

Photo of the plaza-space-to-be courtesy of mattymatt on flickr.

Time passing

It’s been shamefully long since we updated this blog. Please excuse the absence, which was mostly caused by medical distractions. We’ll get back to regular updates now!