June 25, 2025
Dear SFMTA & ISCOTT:
We are writing to formally oppose the proposed 4th event date for Head West in Hayes Valley.
Our position on this issue has been clear and consistent: this event causes significant financial harm and directly undermines the ability of small businesses in Hayes Valley to operate and survive. Based on vendor counts and current rates, Head West is estimated to generate over $50,000 per event – while neighborhood merchants face tens of thousands in collective revenue losses each time it occurs. That tradeoff is not only inequitable, it’s unsustainable. Head West is a for-profit venture exploiting a public permit to close city streets and profit off vendor space, all while setting up a competing marketplace against long-standing, rent-paying leaseholders. These impacts are compounded by the existing Friday and Saturday street closures already straining our corridor. A 4th date would be devastating for already-thin margins and would deepen the damage.
We acknowledge and appreciate SFMTA staff’s transparency that ISCOTT cannot adjudicate economic impact. But that very limitation only underscores why additional permits should be denied – or why this event should be relocated to a more appropriate venue, such as Civic Center, Fort Mason, or Union Square, where harm to small businesses isn’t built into the outcome.
We must also raise a deeper concern. It is widely understood that Jimmy, the owner and operator of Head West, provides “donations” to the HVMC; this raises serious questions about the integrity of HVNA/MC’s Lloyd Silverstein and his repeated public endorsements of the event. The appearance and reality of a pay-to-play dynamic cannot be ignored. If an event is promoted because it funds a group, not because it supports the neighborhood, then community harm is not an unfortunate side effect …it’s the business model.
And let’s be clear: Jimmy has made no attempt to engage with our coalition directly. Not a single outreach, not a single conversation while he continues to go on record at ISCOTT meetings referring to us as “loudmouths.” That’s not just unprofessional; it’s proof that this operator has no intention of being a good-faith partner in Hayes Valley. His only relationship is with Lloyd Silverstein, and that speaks volumes. How is this type of behavior rewarded…to come into our neighborhood, ignore its stakeholders, and walk away with a financial benefit? We ask because, frankly, it’s a slap in the face to every business fighting to stay afloat here.
To reiterate: three permits are already more than generous. Four is indefensible.This event should occur no more than once annually if at all in Hayes Valley. It is profoundly disappointing that after years of raising concerns, and after numerous formal objections from local businesses and residents, our warnings continue to go unheeded. At a time when San Francisco is publicly questioning SFMTA’s role in supporting or undermining small businesses, we urge you to demonstrate leadership.
Deny this 4th permit. Relocate this event. End the rubber-stamp process.
Sincerely,
HVSafe