June 6, 2025 Update:
The collapse of SF Parks Alliance confirms what many communities long suspected: a nonprofit shell used to launder influence, sidestep transparency, and funnel money behind closed doors.
It also means the Hayes Valley Freeway Commemoration Project pushed by HVNA in lockstep with Parks Alliance is officially dead. We fought that project because we saw what it really was: a pretext for expanding control over public space and laying the groundwork for today’s contested street closure.
This isn’t isolated. It’s part of a pattern—nonprofits acting as proxies for permanent changes, with no real community consensus.
You’ll find pertinent information regarding the history of this project listed here.
A short summary This week an update on the Commemoration Project was provided at the MOCAC meeting by Jenn Laska. We heard how she has been working 2+ years on this project only to end up empty handed. She cited difficulty in working with Rec and Park and insisted she is not interested in a small scale project as some are suggesting. We heard her walk back many aspects of the process and vision that have previously been presented. She …
A quick note We’ve been asked if there are any new developments or details to share on the Freeway Commemoration Project. Here are our observations on what is unfolding as the red flags 🚩 🚩🚩 continue to persist. 2. Leadership conflicts of interest continue with HVNA and HVMA’s presidents at the helm. 3. To date we have submitted 3 disclosure requests on this matter: 2 in 2021 and 1 this year. An order of determination against Rich Hillis and the …
Takeaways from MOCAC Meeting (6.21.22) …the Freeway Commemoration Project continued Representatives of HVSafe attended Tuesday’s MOCAC Meeting. The Freeway Commemoration Project was item 4 on the agenda. Below are bullet points of what was shared at this meeting. We remain steadfast in keeping you informed of developments of this looming project which will impact Hayes Valley while we continue to advocate for a new and transparent approach amidst a lack of community awareness and process. Highlights: Other Observations & Commentary: …
Takeaways from Appointed Design Team’s Workshop (6.9.22) Here are some bullet points of the appointed design team’s workshop for the Freeway Commemoration Project which was held last Thursday, June 9th: next post: part 8 Takeaways from Mocac Meeting
Takeaways from MOCAC Meeting (3.21.22) …the Freeway Commemoration Project continued Representatives of HVSafe attended Monday’s MOCAC Meeting. The Freeway Commemoration Project was item 6 on the agenda. We share our observations in an effort to provide an update on what the Commemoration Committee is seemingly up to. Our goal is to keep you informed of this looming project which will impact Hayes Valley while we continue to advocate for a new and transparent approach. Highlights: Commentary included: Proposed Resolution Motioned …
Read our part 6 post. next post: part 6 followup to MOCAC Meeting
San Francisco Parks Alliance Project Brief Recap When we initially began to drill down on the Freeway Commemoration project back in early July we could not predict we would be embarking on a campaign for a rectification of a flawed process. Each attempt to gather information via conversations or meeting attendance has contributed to the handful of summaries we’ve posted on our blog; without the collective effort of HVSafe members none of this would have been possible. If you haven’t …
Takeaways from MOCAC Meeting A handful of community members joined the Market Octavia Community Advisory Committee (MOCAC) meeting last night (Monday August 16th, 2021) to hear item 7 on the agenda (the Freeway Commemoration Project). We checked in with neighbors who attended; for all it was a first time attending a MOCAC meeting. Here’s a brief synopsis of what transpired and takeaways by those that attended: Slide deck presentation available here. Our focus on shining light on the lack of …
San Francisco Parks Alliance Project Project Red Flags As cited in our initial post here, HVSafe was prompted last month about several shenanigans pertaining to the process and conflicts of interest that have transpired in this project. Read our Part 1 for background on the project here. In this post we will drill down on areas that raise red flags. Budget Expenditures We’ve heard rumblings of a $50k contract for this project. We have an open inquiry to San Francisco …
