How a locked bulletin board reveals a long-standing pattern of exclusion in Hayes Valley. It was billed as a public resource: a new bulletin board installed on Parcel K in the heart of Hayes Valley, just steps from the now-controversial 400 block street closure. But like many recent “community” initiatives in the neighborhood, what was framed as public and inclusive … Read post
We sent the following letter to the office of the Mayor, Supervisor, and the Real Estate Division regarding the new Hayes Valley “Community Board“.
Due to the controversial intersection of parcel usage, lack of understanding for the stalling of housing development on Octavia, exclusivity of use and the Hayes Valley Freeway Commemoration Project, in an effort to garner more insight, we’ve obtained copies of the leases for Parcel R & S. We’ll update you here with more developing details.
Due to the controversial intersection of parcel usage, lack of understanding for the stalling of housing development on Octavia and the Hayes Valley Freeway Commemoration Project, in an effort to garner more insight, we’ve obtained copies of the leases for Parcel K & L. 1. City and County of San Francisco and Proxy Development, LLC Lease for Parcel L dated … Read post
November 17, 2025 Dear Members of the SFMTA Board: The Hayes Street Shared Spaces permit renewal advancing from the October 23 ISCOTT hearing raises multiple policy, governance, and procedural questions that merit Board-level review before final approval. Outlined below are the core issues limited strictly to regulatory intent, administrative capacity, and policy alignment. I. POLICY & PLANNING CONFLICTS 1. Use … Read post
November 11, 2025 Attention SFMTA:See conditions for this past weekend:Friday November 7, 2025Saturday November 8, 2025 At week 48, conditions remain unchanged. The permit continues to operate well beyond its intent, with limited oversight. Events remain sparse during the weekend’s 18-hour closure, reinforcing our position to Open Hayes Street and return neighborhood events to the normal SFMTA permitting process. Parcel … Read post
The 400 block of Hayes Street is closed off on Fridays and Saturdays to project an Instagram version of urban joy. Little music setups sprout up, chalk boxes appear, tango lessons unfold, and bubbles drift through the air between Octavia and Gough; meanwhile, playgrounds, parks, living alleys, and public parcels within blocks in each direction sit underused. But that’s apparently … Read post
📋 Closure Permit Status UpdateNovember 20, 2025We’ve issued a statement summarizing what occurred at the SFMTA Board hearing this week and our takeaways.—> Read our full statement on the outcome more updates to come The closure of Hayes Street has affected small businesses, residents, and the whole neighborhood. But most people only know one side of the story. This page … Read post
What began as a temporary pandemic closure in 2020 has stretched into its fifth year. Somewhere along the way, the City stopped asking if the street should reopen and started inventing new reasons to keep it closed. The most powerful of those reasons arrived in 2023 under a single word: “activation.” The Turning PointWhen the permit came up for renewal … Read post
