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