The GrowSF Report: Bilal Mahmood files to run against Dean Preston
The GrowSF Report: Bilal Mahmood files to run against Dean Preston
PLUS: Parklets are in permit hell
What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of January 22, 2024:
- Bilal Mahmood files to run against Dean Preston
- Parklets are in permit hell
- Noe Valley’s gold plated toilet
- “Daylighting” coming to an intersection near you
Recent & upcoming openings:
- Starlite swings back
- Alora arrives on The Embarcadero
Bilal Mahmood files to run against Dean Preston
Bilal Mahmood is the latest challenger to Supervisor Dean Preston for the District 5 Supervisor seat. You may remember Bilal from one of the many elections back in 2022 where he earned our endorsement for Assembly in the primary. We’re excited to see him throw his hat into the ring, joining a chorus of other hopefuls.
Bilal spoke to Josh Koehn at the Standard on why he’s joining the fight:
What is wrong with the district right now is that Dean is too focused on pointing fingers and making excuses for why things don't work, rather than finding solutions and results. You have a supervisor that’s saying the way we bring economic opportunity and solve the public safety crisis by ending capitalism.
In addition to running for Supervisor in November, Bilal is also on the GrowSF & Democrats for Change slates running for the Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC). Don’t forget to vote by March 5!
Parklets are in permit hell
It feels like we’re approaching the end of an era. For many of us, sitting outside with friends eating dinner – like a small European cafe – meant freedom from pandemic concerns. But these beloved parklets are being systematically shut down citywide by onerous rules enacted by the anti-business Board of Supervisors.
After being forced to comply with ever-changing permitting rules and expensive regulations, restaurants are struggling to and shutting down their outdoor dining permanently.
“Safety and accessibility absolutely matter. But in obfuscating the permit process in the congealed muck of bureaucracy and offering little help to parklet owners for bringing these structures up to code, cities like San Francisco and Oakland are set to destroy one of the few success stories of the pandemic years,” writes Soleil Ho in the Chronicle.
This March and November we should elect new officials that care about the wellbeing of the city and who will stop suffocating small businesses in red tape.
Noe Valley’s gold plated toilet
Ok, it’s not actually gold plated… but at $1.7 million it should have been!
Noe Valley made a splash more than a year ago when it was poised to build a $1.7 million toilet in its Town Square (which would take two to three years to build, of course). Shocked by the astronomical cost, two businessmen stepped in to donate a toilet, assuming it would be installed quicker than a City Hall toilet.
“Why isn’t there a toilet here? I just don’t get it. Nobody does. It’s yet another example of the city that can’t,” Ted Weinstein told Heather Knight at the New York Times.
The new toilet is ready, but it’s still sitting in a Nevada factory. Thanks to City Hall’s byzantine permitting, paperwork, and endless meetings to coordinate, there’s no delivery date in sight.
“Daylighting” coming to an intersection near you
Heads up! It’s now illegal to park within 20 feet of a crosswalk.
It’s called “daylighting” and it helps drivers see people who are crossing the street, which will help prevent close-calls and deadly accidents. But no change comes without tradeoffs: the city will remove about 13,775 parking spots — or about 5% of all street parking, according to the SF Standard.
But don’t worry — SFMTA won’t be issuing tickets until next year. Until then you’ll get away with a warning.
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Recent & upcoming openings
A great city is constantly changing and growing, let’s celebrate what’s new!
Starlite swings back
WHERE: 450 Powell Street at the Beacon Grand
The old Harry Denton’s Starlight Room is back with a new food and beverage program from the talent behind Trick Dog and DC-based Johnny Spero. Starlite opens its doors Friday, February 2, according to Lauren Saria of EaterSF.
Alora arrives on The Embarcadero
WHERE: Pier 3, Hornblower landing (across the street from the Bay Club)
From the team behind Rooh comes a new Mediterranean inspired restaurant where Chef Ryan McIlwraith (previously of Bellota and Coqueta) serves up Greek, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, and Middle Eastern dishes. Be sure to visit soon, they already need to recover from $10,000 of vandalism before they even opened!
Your Action Plan
Now that you know what’s happening, help us shape what happens next:
The GrowSF Voter Guide is your key to a better future for SF!
The most important race in the March election is one you may have never heard of: we will vote on the leadership of the SF Democratic Party, or “DCCC”. The DCCC is powerful because it makes endorsements in local elections including Supervisor seats.
Unfortunately, this committee is currently controlled by anti-growth political insiders who are focused on performative politics instead of local issues. Luckily, all 24 members (14 on the east side and 10 on the west side) are up for election.
If we win just a few seats on this committee, the SF Democratic Party will endorse better candidates who can vote and advocate for common sense policies on our behalf. Check out our voter guide to see our endorsements. Ballots arrive in mailboxes around February 5!
Support a new Whole Foods on Geary
Whole Foods is trying to open a new location at the City Center on Geary Blvd. And we need your help! The project — a 50,449 square ft. grocery store that will activate a chronically underutilized space — will bring healthy food and jobs to the area. Email the Planning Commission to show your support in advance of their Feb. 1 meeting.
Join us for our happy hour on January 30th!
Join us for the January edition of our monthly happy hour! Heads up: it’s at a new location! And you’ll get to meet DCCC and Judge candidates!
WHEN: Tuesday, January 30, 6-8pm
WHERE: ANINA, 482 Hayes St
The Spirit of San Francisco
There’s a lot to love about our city and the Bay Area. Here’s what makes it great. Brought to you by The Bold Italic.
What we’re doing this week
Lindy in the Park
It looks like sun on Sunday, maybe?
The original free swing dance party. Held every Sunday (weather permitting) in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, Lindy in the Park is the longest-running swing dance venue in the San Francisco Bay Area (and quite possibly, the world), and is open to dancers of all ages and levels. There is space to sit, take a breather, chat with friends and make new ones, and otherwise enjoy the fresh outdoor air. It is a perfect venue to practice your social dancing to the sounds of jazz, blues and swing music, and sometimes even a few musical surprises.
Free lessons available noon to 12:30 p.m.
Edwardian Ball 2024
The Edwardian Ball is a tribute to art, music, theatre, fashion, technology, and circus, drawing inspiration from the works of the late, esteemed author and illustrator, Edward Gorey.
The expansive and multimedia extravaganza has evolved significantly over the course of 23 years. Originating as an underground club party, it has now blossomed into an arts festival.
WHEN: Jan. 26 is “Edwardian Eve” and Jan. 27 is the Edwardian Ball.
WHERE: The Regency Ballroom
1300 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109
Also coming up: “Hearts After Dark” Gala on Feb. 8
Join the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation on February 8, 2024 to celebrate twenty years of Hearts in San Francisco. It will be an evening of art, music, and dancing to a fire set by The Magnificent DJ Jazzy Jeff—all in support of innovative and life-saving care at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.
It all takes place at The Conservatory at One Sansome – a gorgeous event space that was fully restored in 2023, punctuated by granite-clad 38-foot Doric columns and with a breathtaking atrium that gives you a magical outdoor feel within a controlled indoor environment.
WHEN: February 8, 2024
WHERE: The Conservatory at One Sansome, San Francisco
What we’re writing about
Japantown Center: a Bustling, Bonafide Vibe
At Japantown Center, you can buy a silken kimono, a bulbous Tengu mask, stuffed animals, eldritch face creams, manga, earthenware, busty statuettes and katanas, and somehow this excess of kitsch becomes strangely authentic in the electric glow overhead as you watch a chef knead udon noodle dough. If you want a place to go and pop in some so-called vaporwave this is the place to do it.
As February approaches, don’t forget about Singles Awareness Day
Acts of love and kindness should be given all year to people in your life; significant others, friends, and family. And if you are without a partner , mid-February feels like a reminder that oh yes: maybe you should be with someone.
San Francisco is a fabulous city to explore and live in alone. We love catching an indie film and clutching my imaginary pearls in a quiet theater, and equally staring wistfully out the window while sipping a hot cocoa or mochaccino. These are some tried-and-true options for those of us practicing radical self-love this February.
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