For the past several years, many of us have spent an extraordinary amount of time trying to participate in the future of Hayes Valley in good faith. We attended hearings. We submitted records requests. We documented conditions. We spoke with neighbors, merchants, agencies, and elected officials. We tried to ask difficult but reasonable questions about a one-block street closure that … Read post
Over the past year, a small group centered around the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association (HVNA) and Supervisor Bilal Mahmood quietly set the direction for the future of the 400 block of Hayes Street.A study was launched.Funding was secured.Agencies were coordinated. For the small businesses and neighbors who actually live and work here, one question stands out:How did this happen without … Read post
For several years, the public conversation about Hayes Street has been framed as a simple choice:Support the street closure — or oppose public space. That framing is false. Many residents, merchants, and stakeholders have consistently supported the idea of improving Hayes Valley’s public spaces. What has been missing is a genuine willingness from City Hall and those shaping the current … Read post
From Campaign Support to Early Alignment This post documents our efforts to establish a working cadence with the District 5 Supervisor’s office in early 2025. It reflects contemporaneous correspondence from two neighborhood groups — Hayes Valley Safe (HVS) and the Hayes Valley Small Business Association (HVSBA). No interpretation is required; the record speaks for itself. The full email correspondence referenced … Read post
The earliest evidence of undue influence and eroded process. In January 2025, just two weeks into Supervisor Bilal Mahmood’s term, a SFMTA/ISCOTT hearing was held to consider the Head West street closure permit. This for-profit marketplace had begun seeking a higher frequency (4x) of dates in Hayes Valley during the early pandemic — compounding the impacts of the already contentious … Read post
The for Profit Southern California based Head West Market seeks a fast track permit approval process for 2025 despite no consensus at the neighborhood level and an apparent collusion with efforts by the HVNA for a permanent street closure on Hayes Street. January 22, 2026Post SFMTA ISCOTT Hearing Update Political Pressure Overwhelms Permitting ProcessOn Thursday, January 22, 2026, SFMTA/ISCOTT approved … Read post
Behind the Process: What Our Engagement Reveals This section outlines our direct engagement with City agencies and offices over the past two years. It is based on public correspondence, meeting notes, and documented interactions –not speculation. The purpose is to help the public understand how a neighborhood issue became a political project and why that context is critical ahead of … Read post
The Backstory — Why These Rules Exist San Francisco’s City Charter isn’t vague about this: Supervisors make laws, they don’t administer them. That line was drawn for a reason — and it goes back to incidents like Aaron Peskin’s notorious late-night calls to department heads. Those drunken phone calls and attempts to direct agency staff triggered reforms clarifying that supervisors … Read post