Communications

June 25, 2025
Dear SFMTA:

The Hayes Valley Small Business Association opposes the proposed 4th additional date Head West is seeking for this year.

This event continues to cause significant disruption and financial harm to our member businesses. A 4th closure would only deepen that impact compounding losses on top of existing Friday and Saturday street closures. Head West is a for-profit venture that competes directly with local retailers while benefiting from City-sanctioned use of public space.

We are frankly tired at nauseam of repeating the same position. The economic damage this event inflicts is real, measurable, and well-documented. And yet, our voices continue to fall on deaf ears. It is a clear dereliction of governance to ignore a plurality of small businesses — the very stakeholders who keep this corridor running simply because it’s easier to rubber-stamp another event than address the consequences.

But let’s be honest: we already know what ISCOTT will do. History repeats itself here and the outcome always favors the outside promoter over the neighborhood itself.

We urge you one more time to deny this permit and start putting real weight behind your stated support for small businesses.

Sincerely,
HVSBA

June 24, 2025
_{Attention Board of Supervisors}
We write again to express our urgent opposition to the proposed designation of Hayes Valley as an Entertainment Zone.

This legislation was introduced without notice, transparency, or meaningful engagement with the small businesses that keep this corridor functioning. Many of our members among the longest-standing independent operators in the neighborhood are already struggling under a weekend street closure that was supposed to be temporary. Quality foot traffic has declined, longtime customers avoid the area, and ongoing event programming continues to divert attention away from local commerce. Now, this amendment seeks to make those harms permanent – with no consultation and no recourse.

Let us be clear: Hayes Valley is not a nightlife district. It is a mixed-use neighborhood of residents, families, and storefront businesses. To designate 20 blocks as a permanent Entertainment Zone favoring a destination-driven bar economy is simply reckless. It disregards the decades of investment and community-building that define this corridor.

What’s most disturbing is that this ordinance would deepen an already polarizing situation. The street closure remains divisive and unresolved …a failed experiment that a broad plurality of residents and merchants have been working in good faith to end. Rather than address these concerns, this legislation sidesteps them entirely and seeks to entrench the closure through an even more expansive, permanent framework. We’ve already seen how this plays out. The street closure permit has no enforcement, no compliance standards, and no consequences for ongoing violations. Now, the same entity behind that closure (HVNA) is poised to manage the Entertainment Zone. We expect more of the same: no accountability, no transparency, and no regard for impacted businesses.

It must also be said: to blindly defer to the district Supervisor is not leadership — it’s abdication. The Board may assume Supervisor Mahmood has conducted broad outreach. He has not. Our only meeting with him, in March, ended abruptly after we clearly stated that an Entertainment Zone would be devastating to our businesses. There was no follow-up, no further contact. What followed instead was a staged press event, orchestrated with those already aligned with his agenda. This is not consensus. It is manufactured alignment in the face of broad contradiction. Why is HVNA, a self-appointed gatekeeper being elevated, while the true plurality of neighborhood voices is ignored? Why are bars and nightlife operators being given a free hand to reshape a corridor they do not represent? What’s happening here reflects a pattern born out of COVID — a hollowing out of public process. Input became selectively crafted. Dialogue became scripted. That same playbook is being used here in Hayes Valley again, in a dangerous and exclusionary way — and our businesses are being forced to carry the cost.

We urge the Board to act: Remove Hayes Valley from this ordinance. Without a Supervisor who is willing to defend the full spectrum of community voices, we are at a profound disadvantage. Please do not codify that disadvantage into law.

Sincerely,
HVSBA

June 17, 2025
_{Attention Board of Supervisors}
We write on behalf of the Hayes Valley Small Business Association to express our strong opposition to the proposed designation of Hayes Valley as an Entertainment Zone. This amendment was introduced without notice, without transparency, and without any meaningful engagement with the small businesses that keep this corridor functioning.

Let us be clear: the weekend street closure has already harmed our businesses. Foot traffic and revenue have declined. Customers avoid the corridor. Now, this legislation threatens to make that hardship permanent — while benefiting a narrow set of nightlife interests.

It’s also important to clarify why this association was formed: because neither the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association (HVNA) nor the Hayes Valley Merchants Council (HVMC) represent the interests of independent storefront operators. In fact, there is a direct conflict of interest. Individuals pushing this amendment are also tied to the current closure permit and event programming which have brought disorder and economic loss to many of us.

Recent events underscore the risk. Following the march this past weekend, several storefronts experienced public urination and other disruptive impacts — once again leaving businesses to clean up without support or compensation. This is what we are being asked to absorb and normalize, without input or recourse.

With this Entertainment Zone designation looming, we may be forced to explore all legal avenues available to protect our livelihoods and the fair use of our corridor. There is no management plan. No enforcement mechanism. And no accountability for the current permit holder, who has already failed to comply with basic conditions.

There has also been a complete lack of accountability from the Supervisor who introduced this legislation. Supervisor Mahmood briefly mentioned the Entertainment Zone during a March meeting which he cut short, after we expressed serious concerns about the closure’s impact on small businesses. Since then, there has been no follow-up, no outreach, and no attempt to engage with us. Instead, he chose to announce the plan during a Friday evening press event staged on the 400 block. If this is his idea of leadership, he may want to prepare for a recall — because we are prepared to organize.

We urge you to:

– Remove Hayes Valley from this ordinance

– Reject policy that prioritizes bars over neighborhood-serving businesses

Hayes Valley is not a nightlife district. It is a working, mixed-use neighborhood — and our businesses cannot survive this kind of top-down experiment. Please don’t legislate away our future.

Sincerely,
HVSBA

May 7, 2025

Dear SFMTA:

The Hayes Valley Small Business Association opposes the proposed 2 additional dates Head West is seeking for this year.

Over the last few years you have heard from our business members on Hayes, Octavia and Laguna repeatedly regarding the negative financial impacts this event presents and the unpleasant experience we’ve had with the event operator Jimmy Brower. We cannot underscore enough that the prioritization of this promoted event for outside retail vendors is anti-small business and bad policy. Jimmy has managed to exploit a loophole that must end.

By denying this permit you are giving us back 2 Sundays which we desperately need due to the detrimental impacts of the Hayes Street Closure.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
HVSBA

January 22, 2025

Dear ISCOTT SFMTA:

The Hayes Valley Small Business Association opposes the 4 proposed 2025 Sunday dates for Head West.

Over the last few years you have heard from us repeatedly regarding the number of negative issues and impacts that this event presents to our neighborhood. Foremost this event presents competition which results in financial losses.

Last year the Office of Small Business recommended that SFMTA work with stakeholders to arrive at a consensus regarding the frequency of this event in Hayes Valley before issuing any permits for 2025. Unfortunately the much needed consensus building did not occur with the previous administration. We ask you deny this permit request at this time and put this matter on hold until the March 27, 2025 ISCOTT hearing so that we can have the time/opportunity to take this matter up with the new leadership.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
HVSBA

November 18, 2024

Attention SFMTA:

We support a reopening of Hayes St.  We oppose this permit renewal.

The unilateral control that has been granted to the permit holder is problematic. It is dumbfounding that this sketchy-at-best permitting process has yielded a situation where a permit holder has the ability to produce events on a regular basis that compete directly with Hayes Valley independent small business operators. Repeated efforts to underscore the financial harm we are left to endure continues to fall on deaf ears.

We have not been equal partners in any decision making regarding this program. There has been no outreach this past year from any city Agency regarding ongoing developments while we witness a shift to privatizing this street for recreational use while Parcel K sits vacant and a host of other open spaces are available within a mile radius.

There has been a concerted effort (on public record) by those pursuing this closure to negate our right and authority to speak on behalf of our own interest and for our neighbors who share our views on this and other matters. The lack of process and the manipulation of our City leaders, elected and appointed, and self-declared spokespersons for the merchant community has been exhausting and dispiriting.   

We ask that you deny this permit renewal. A continuation of this closure will force us to pursue all available options.

Sincerely,
HVSBA

October 9, 2024

Attention ISCOTT and SFMTA:

We do not support a street closure expansion. We believe this closure has run its course and should be concluded. The current effort to shift to half baked events on Hayes Street are better relocated to existing venues in Hayes Valley like Patricia’s Green, Parcel K and Linden Alley.

We have not been equal partners in any decision making regarding this program. There has been no communications or outreach this past year from our supervisor. Even the notice for this hearing was inadequate. This is unacceptable.

Even more concerning: there has been a concerted effort (on public record) by those pursuing this closure to negate our right and authority to speak on behalf of our own interest and for our neighbors who share our views on this and other matters. The lack of process and the manipulation of our City leaders, elected and appointed, and self-declared spokespersons for the merchant community has been exhausting and dispiriting.  

For these reasons (and many others) we ask that you deny this permit renewal.

Sincerely,
HVSBA

April 10, 2024

Attention ISCOTT and SFMTA:

Our position regarding an increase in event frequency for Head West remains the same; we are not in support of this plan. We ask that you prioritize our small business operators/members who have repeatedly taken the time and energy to express their opposition to this unfair process.  We demand that you deny this request.

Respectfully,
HVSBA

February 21, 2024

Attention ISCOTT and SFMTA:

The street closures for the Head West events have a detrimental impact on our small business operators.

We oppose the 4x a year event frequency that Head West is currently seeking approval on. 2 dates for this event is more than sufficient.

We also ask that this event take place on Saturdays instead of Sundays (to coincide with the current street closure programming).

The ongoing encroachment by Head West into our commercial corridor is time consuming and exhausting while we repeatedly voice the same concerns about this event each year. The scheduling times of these hearings make it difficult for local proprietors to attend.

Head West has not been a good neighborhood partner. After repetitive requests on our part Head West continues to dis-include our organization from any dialogue or planning. The HVSBA believes in listening to our community members and putting their needs first. The fact that ISCOTT/SFMTA rewards this bad partner and grants a frequency beyond what our small business community consistently demands is troublesome.

Please prioritize our small business and neighborhood needs over an out of county for profit company  – please deny this permit request.

Respectfully,
HVSBA

November 6, 2023

We maintain our position of being in support of a reset on the programming to establish a level of success for the neighborhood and small business; this should occur before any efforts for an “exploration of any expansion” are put forth.

We do not support an expansion to 2 days or a permanent closure. We demand that you approve the 1 day programming that your own Agency studied, reviewed and recommended based on outreach to merchants.

We are very disheartened with how politicized this issue has become and the harm it has done to the voice of the small business community in Hayes Valley. 

HVSBA