Clean Cole    

Since 2006 CleanScapesSF has been removing litter, pressure-washing stains, cleaning news racks, weeding tree wells and removing illegal posters in the commercial area of Cole Valley. They do this four times a week.  

Many don’t remember what the commercial corridor of Cole Street looked like before the program started – it was a mess!  The program got started in 2006 when three things converged: 1. Chris Husband, CFO of CleanScapes moved into Cole Valley and told the CVIA board about his company’s mission (Recology now owns CleanScapesSF); 2. a neighbor and CVIA member, disgusted with the trashy sidewalks, had money he could distribute to a not-for-profit group offered to provide seed money; and 3. CVIA got our not-for-profit – 501(c)3 status.  

We used the seed money to hire CleanScapes to clean the sidewalks every day for a 3-month trial for the Clean Cole Street project.   

The trial was a success! Not only were the sidewalks clean right after the sweep, but it remained that way throughout the day. It appears that people have greater respect for the sidewalks when they see they've been swept. Over 100 people signed a petition we had at the 2006 Cole Valley Fair urging merchants to keep this program going in 2007. Nineteen merchants signed on and contributed $350/year.  Our benefactor made up the remainder.  

The number of contributing merchants has dropped – this year to 10. To keep the program going, CleanScapes dropped their price; for 10 years Loic Nichols contributed all the money made at the Santa on Cole event to the project; and now Sasha Yevelev donates his time to take wonderful photos with kids, parents, and dogs with Santa; and our generous members’ contributions make up the difference each year.  

We want to keep this project going because 80% of our members think this is an important project and rank it #2 (this newsletter gets #1 position). Thanks to your generous contributions, we can!  

Please thank the 2024 contributing merchants: 

Our Neighborhood Heroes  

930 Cole Associates, Beit Rima, Blue Barn, Cole Cleaners, Cole Hardware, Crepes on Cole, Finnegans Wake, MARJANG Architecture, Luke’s Local, Postal Chase, Wooden Coffee House  

Please consider donating to support Clean Cole Street by giving a tax-deductible donation today!
Tax ID #: 20-1652073