“I would think about the trash and vandalism and wonder what could be done about it. I started to think that if there was more stewardship, a sense of pride and ownership for the steps as “our own” or belonging to the community, maybe there would be different treatment.” In this Faces and Places we sat down with Summer Koide– who has been a steward and change-maker the community space at Kenney Alley.”
“I have lived on London street since 2009 and took the 14-Mission and 29-Sunset buses daily to downtown San Francisco. During that time, I – like many other residents – took the Kenny Alley stairs to get to Mission street quickly. I was often flabbergasted at the amount and type of garbage dumping, disrepair and vandalism on the steps. I often saw dumped personal items, unhygienic material, raw meat, food containers, broken bottles, cigarette boxes, old clothes, bags and bags of household garbage and mail, and countless other random items.
During the long ride to downtown, I would think about the trash and vandalism and wonder what could be done about it. I thought about the murals in the Mission and how those aren’t typically covered in graffiti. I’d heard about mosaic stairs but had no idea how to go about it.
I posted on Nextdoor to find out if anyone knew how to talk to the city about the alley. I wanted to get permission to do a mosaic and mural project, but didn’t know where to start. Stephanie from the Excelsior Action Group (EAG) responded to my post and invited me to a community meeting.”
“I would think about the trash & vandalism and wonder what could be done… I started to think that if there was more stewardship, a sense of pride and ownership… maybe there would be different treatment”
“At that meeting, I shared my idea, and was shocked to hear that the EAG was already starting a mural project! They had the art for the mural already lined up, but had mosaic steps on their wish list! I got involved with the volunteer effort to paint the first mural on Kenny Alley, and volunteered to help work with the EAG to write the grant proposal for a Community Challenge Grant to help with phase two of the project, including step beautification and landscaping.
We started the first mural in June of 2015. Phase 2 completed in December 2016 with mosaic stairs, landscaping, vertical planters, lighting and painting. Phase 3 included planter boxes, a new fence, more vertical gardens and our centerpiece, a new mosaic sign at the Mission Street entrance of Kenny Alley in Spring 2018.
The SF Parks Alliance has been consistent with their support, guidance and promotion of our project. We literally could not have completed the work without their assistance. As a resident that is not familiar with the processes and approach to community projects like these, I was really outside of my element to get the work done. The Parks Alliance provided a great deal of assistance in helping me and our team through the process.
We have given the alley an identity! This was one of my long term goals – give the alley a name and an identity in order to give the community something to care about and recognize as a source of pride in the neighborhood. Residents stop by all the time during our volunteer days to express their appreciation for the work and improvements we’ve done.
Follow us on Facebook and most importantly – sign up to volunteer and help us maintain Kenny Alley! This is the real work – ongoing TLC and maintenance of the alley for the betterment of our neighborhood.”
