The GrowSF Report: Supervisor Aaron Peskin says no to new neighbors
The GrowSF Report: Supervisor Aaron Peskin says no to new neighbors
PLUS: Parking in your driveway might now cost you $100
What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of March 25, 2024:
- Supervisor Aaron Peskin says no to new neighbors
- Parking in your driveway might now cost you $108
- Amateur SF soccer team, El Farolito, beats Portland Timberwolves
- What are those weird sea creatures washing up on Ocean Beach?
- March 2024 Election Results: How Common Sense Won
Recent & upcoming openings:
- Boichik Bagels bounds open in Laurel Heights
Supervisor Aaron Peskin says no to new neighbors
In a shocking anti-housing move, the Board of Supervisors overrode Mayor Breed’s veto of Supervisor Aaron Peskin’s downzoning. Peskin’s bill will block homebuilding in his district, ensuring that his neighborhood stays wealthy and exclusive and not welcoming to new residents, immigrants, and young families.
We are very grateful to Supervisors Matt Dorsey, Joel Engardio, and Myrna Melgar who all voted to uphold the veto. But it wasn’t enough. Two Supervisors who are normally pro-housing, Rafael Mandelman and Catherine Stefani, joined the NIMBY majority to uphold Peskin’s downzoning. However, we have heard that Supervisor Stefani is already working on new amendments to this legislation that may fix the worst parts of it. Stay tuned, we’ll keep you informed when we learn more.
The legislation designates several new areas near Peskin’s home that limit the number of new homes that can be built. Parcels directly across the street from the Transamerica Pyramid are now limited to three story condos; a slap in the face to downtown recovery! Instead of new homes, Peskin preserved a parking garage and showed State regulators that our Board of Supervisors are unwilling partners in achieving progress. Peskin’s continued anti-housing moves are why San Francisco has the slowest permitting process in all of California. It’s time for new pro-housing leadership in City Hall who will uphold the goals of our Housing Element. It’s what voters want, and what the city needs.
Parking in your driveway might now cost you $108
Heads up: if you park in your driveway and your car blocks the sidewalk, you’re liable for a $108 ticket. No, traffic laws haven’t changed, they've just been unenforced for a very long time. Technically, blocking the sidewalk is illegal because it’s a public right-of-way. Parents pushing strollers or people using wheelchairs shouldn’t be forced into the road when trying to use the sidewalk safely.
Some residents in the Richmond who have been parking this way for years were just ticketed $108 each for encroaching on the sidewalk, and they’re not happy about it.
“I think any reasonable person would see that when we park close, we do not block the sidewalk...Anyone with strollers and a wheelchair or anything big, it’s easy for them to get through,” David Jacoby shared with Noah Baustin of the Standard.
Enforcement is now on the uptick – City Hall is under pressure for failing to meet its Vision Zero goals, and SFMTA is filling vacancies for parking attendants. Negotiating sidewalks and driveways shouldn’t be left up to interpretation – if we want to keep pedestrians, drivers, and bicyclists safe, we have to get serious about abiding by the rules. Sorry!
Amateur SF soccer team, El Farolito, beats Portland Timbers 2
Never bet against San Francisco! In a surprise win, El Farolito men’s soccer team recently triumphed against the Portland Timbers 2 – a professional soccer team. El Farolito won 2-1, kicking the Timbers 2 out of the U.S. Open Cup competition on their home turf.
“Since we don’t have the money to join [the professional leagues], this competition is the only opportunity we have left to really keep our tradition going,” El Farolito soccer club owner and head coach Santiago Lopez shared with Kevin V. Nguyen of the Standard.
El Farolito was founded by the coach’s father in the Mission District, after he opened his first taqueria in the 1980’s. This passion project grew into a legit team which could bring home the U.S. Open Cup – and the $300,000 prize — next month for the second time in 30 years.
What are those weird sea creatures washing up on Ocean Beach?
Hundreds of sea creatures have been washing up on the shores of Ocean Bean, Fort Funston and Baker Beach. They look like jelly-fish but are technically their cousins. These sea creatures initially appear blue but later dry out to a clear, thin “cellophane” structure.
The official name is “Vella Vella” and are “known as ‘by-the-wind sailors’ because their fins float above the surface of the water and catch gusts, allowing them to travel long distances,” Jillian D'Onfro reported in SF Gate. Typically they appear in the Spring during El Niño years.
But don’t pick them up! They can cause skin irritations. They’ll be gone soon as the sea reclaims their husks.
March 2024 Election Results: How Common Sense Won
Thanks to you, we can officially declare the March 5th election a HUGE success. The leadership committee of the SF Democratic Party ("SF DCCC") is now controlled by a pragmatic, common sense majority, and voters supported ballot measures for building affordable housing, returning algebra to SF middle schools, and a set of improvements to policing and drug treatment policy.
If you shared our voter guide, donated, or made phone calls on behalf of our endorsed candidates and ballot measures THANK YOU. We’re on a mission to fix San Francisco and couldn’t create the change our city needs without you.
Here are a few highlights from our campaign success:
We mailed our Chinese and English voter guides out to 350,000 households
We drove nearly 100,000 unique visitors to our online voter guide
We re-registered over 1,300 No-Party-Preference voters as Democrats so they were eligible to vote in the DCCC election
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Recent & upcoming openings
A great city is constantly changing and growing, let’s celebrate what’s new!
Boichik Bagels bounds open in Laurel Heights
WHERE: 3665 Sacramento Street
WHEN: 7:30am-1:00pm daily
Boichik Bagels opened a new shop this week in Laurel Heights. You can choose from a range of flavors such as salt & pepper or pumpernickel raisin swirl, depending if you’re in the mood for savory or sweet. Boichik also offers several kinds of spreads, including horseradish cheddar scallion. They say the best bagels are in New York…but they might just be in San Francisco.
Your Action Plan
Now that you know what’s happening, help us shape what happens next:
GrowSF April Happy Hour
WHERE: Orbit Room, 1900 Market Street
WHEN: Wednesday, April 3rd, 6pm
We’re still smiling from the March 5th election success. Join us for the April edition of our monthly happy hour and let’s celebrate all of our victories together!
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
Bring Your Own Big Wheel
It’s that time again. Here’s a very San Francisco race where participants ride down on oversized plastic tricycles and big wheels. The event attracts people of all ages who come together for a day of fun and nostalgia.
WHEN: March 31, Easter Sunday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE: Starting line at 800 Vermont St., San Francisco
Hunky Jesus in Dolores Park
Imagine a parade of participants donning their interpretation of a “hunky” Jesus, strutting their stuff on stage amidst cheers and laughter. These contestants, often adorned in elaborate costumes and exuding charm, humor, and creativity, compete for the coveted title of Hunky Jesus. It’s a spectacle that blends satire, artistry, and a dash of the outrageous.
WHEN: March 31, Easter Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE: Dolores Park at 20th and Church streets, San Francisco
Bootie’s 20th Anniversary
Bootie SF is a popular mashup dance party in San Francisco known for its eclectic mix of music. The party typically blends together different genres and eras of music, creating unique and energetic mashups that keep the crowd dancing all night long. Its creator is also a writer for The Bold Italic, so we’re coming to ring in 20 years of Bootie. We love all she’s created for San Francisco the past two decades.
WHEN: April 6, 2024 at 9 p.m.
WHERE: Cat Club, 1190 Folsom St., San Francisco
de Young Museum gala
An evening with fine dining, live entertainment, and access to the museum’s world-class exhibitions. Guests come dressed to impress, making it a night of high fashion and sophistication.
WHEN: April 4, 2024, 6 p.m. onward
WHERE: de Young Museum at 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr.
Also coming up: “Show of Hope” gala with Community Health Center
This event honors the Community Health Center’s commitment to providing essential healthcare services to underserved communities. We love how queer it is, and ABC7 sponsors the event, so the morning crew that attends is always a hoot. Honorees this year include Dr. Anthony Fauci and Asia SF.
WHEN: April 19, 2024 beginning at 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Hyatt Regency San Francisco, 5 Embarcadero Ctr.
What we’re writing about
They all said yes to the dress
A glittering 70-degree Saturday afternoon saw San Francisco’s Jackson Square flowing in chiffon, tulle veils, and laughs. It was the city’s storied Brides of March back for their 26th year running, with people from all walks of life decked out in their finest bridal gowns for a rousing pub crawl through the streets of North Beach.
The twin peaks of Carol Doda’s career
Walk past Bodega on Columbus and Filbert and you’ll see Natalie Gabriel’s pastel mural of Carol Doda, gazing out at North Beach through melancholic eyes. Four blocks down is the Condor Club, the place where Doda became famous for making her debut as America’s first topless dancer in 1964.
Why I left the Tenderloin
We’ve published many love letters to San Francisco this past year, and commenters accused The Bold Italic of putting our head in the sand. We haven’t. We know San Francisco needs help. This heartfelt story from Adriana Roberts describes how she first defended the Tenderloin on our website, but then felt forced to move out a mere seven weeks later.
A heart-shaped hole on Ocean Beach
There are only two rules at the Hole Party: The hole gets filled in, and everybody digs. We dug that. It also sounded like a great pun opportunity, so we grabbed a shovel and headed off to Ocean Beach in San Francisco for Spring Hole Party 6, come rain or shine.
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