The Century-Old Road That Never Was: Howard Fallon’s Quest to Transform Comerford Alley
A decades-long effort to turn a forgotten San Francisco alley into a community greenway
In the heart of San Francisco sits a peculiar piece of urban limbo: Comerford Alley, a road that was platted in 1883 but has never been officially recognized by the city. For more than 140 years, this narrow passage has been subject to legal uncertainty, caught between private ownership claims and public use. Now, community advocate Howard Fallon is working to transform this forgotten space into something remarkable, a greenway that could serve as a model for rethinking urban spaces throughout the city.
A Road Lost in Time
The story of Comerford Alley begins with developer Joseph Comerford, who platted the road in 1883 as part of San Francisco’s westward expansion. But the 1906 earthquake changed everything. When the city lost the ability to provide proper deeds in the disaster’s aftermath, a homeowner seized the opportunity to claim the road itself, triggering a legal dispute that has never been fully resolved.
“Despite multiple attempts to resolve the issue, including Board of Supervisors resolutions naming it Comerford Street and designating it a fire lane, no agency has taken responsibility for the road,” Fallon explains. The result is a kind of municipal orphan—a space that functions as a public road but exists in private limbo, preventing both development and official maintenance.
From Legal Deadlock to Green Vision
Rather than wait for bureaucratic resolution, Fallon has taken matters into his own hands. His vision is straightforward: beautify the alley through planting and community engagement, gradually transforming it into a recognized greenway that the city can no longer ignore.
“The challenge of getting the city involved is real,” Fallon acknowledges. “Supervisors are reluctant to support such initiatives due to the potential for similar requests from other districts.” His strategy, developed over decades of advocacy, is to create momentum through grassroots action rather than top-down approval.
The alley already functions as a community asset in unofficial ways. Dog walkers use it as a destination, and delivery vehicles from Uber and Amazon regularly navigate its width. Fallon notes that Comerford Alley is comparable to other narrow passages in Mission Noe and Glen Park that hold official street status, making the lack of recognition all the more puzzling.
A Vision for Affordable Housing
Beyond greenery, Fallon sees potential for addressing San Francisco’s housing crisis. Official street recognition would open discussions about accessory dwelling units (ADUs) along the alley, small, affordable spaces that could house seniors, essential workers, and others priced out of the city’s housing market.
“Affordable housing is more about square footage than price,” Fallon argues. He notes that larger lots on the west side of town could accommodate more ADUs if sewage infrastructure improvements were made—a challenge that has stymied similar efforts throughout the city.
His advocacy on this front stretches back to 1992, when he wrote a letter to then-Mayor Frank Jordan about these very issues. “Previous retirees had worked on this issue for decades,” he recalls, placing his efforts within a longer tradition of community activism.
Financial Realities and Future Plans
The project operates on a shoestring budget, with Fallon carefully managing monthly fees and setting aside funds for legal expertise as needed. Recent complications arose when the alleyway was put up for auction, underscoring the risks of working on property without clear ownership and the challenges of securing grant funding in such circumstances.
Despite these challenges, momentum is building. Comerford Greenway will be featured in the Noe Valley Garden Tour in 2026, offering broader visibility for the project. Fallon is also partnering with Greening Projects to promote the alley’s transformation and build the community movement necessary to force official recognition.
A Model for Urban Transformation
What makes Fallon’s work significant extends beyond one San Francisco alley. His approach, patient, grassroots, focused on demonstrating value rather than demanding recognition, offers a template for how communities can reclaim and reimagine neglected urban spaces. By creating something beautiful and useful in a legal gray zone, he’s building the case for official support through action rather than argument.
After more than three decades of work, supported by neighbors and fueled by stubborn optimism, Fallon remains committed to his vision. Whether the city ultimately recognizes Comerford Alley as an official street remains uncertain. But the greenway is already real, maintained by community care and sustained by the belief that sometimes the best way to change policy is to show what’s possible.
For Fallon, that’s enough to keep planting.