A tax on fun? SF charging more for playing in parks

No more free parking in Golden Gate Park. Charges for reserving tennis and pickleball courts. Higher fees at golf courses.



These are just a few of the ways that having fun in San Francisco will get more expensive under a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/07/16/san-francisco-budget-mayor-daniel-lurie-supervisor-vote/">plan approved by the Board of Supervisors</a> last week, meant to cope with the city&#8217;s budget woes.



The board also approved higher surcharges on outdoor event spaces, picnic areas, and athletic fields. The proposed changes must be approved by Mayor Daniel Lurie.



Perhaps the most drastic change will be the launch of paid parking in Golden Gate Park. Starting in 2027, a spot in the park will cost about $3 per hour from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week. The <a href="https://sfgov.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&amp;ID=14313082&amp;GUID=1222AE7E-397F-4711-9556-4FD0609EF313">Recreation and Parks Department estimates</a> that the park’s 3,100 parking spots will net $4.9 million in six months.



For the first time, there will be a $6 charge to play 18 holes of golf, and it will cost $1 per hour to rent athletic fields. Picnic areas will run $5 to $25, and a 10% surcharge will be levied on the price of outdoor venues. These surcharges — which would take effect 30 days after Lurie signs the ordinance — are expected to bring in about $1.2 million this fiscal year, which will go toward covering 10% of the costs of power, water, and wastewater for these areas.



<div class="wp-block-sf-standard-related-posts-container">
<div class="wp-block-sf-standard-related-post"></div>



<div class="wp-block-sf-standard-related-post"></div>



<div class="wp-block-sf-standard-related-post"></div>
</div>



Residents are not thrilled.



&#8220;It just doesn&#8217;t make sense to charge everybody more for everything,&#8221; said Oxama Arafeh, 26, who was visiting Golden Gate Park. &#8220;Everybody&#8217;s struggling to begin with to afford rent and afford parking everywhere else. This just seems like a cash grab on people who can&#8217;t afford it.&#8221;



“I feel like most things are cost-prohibitive at this point for an average family,&#8221; said Anne Keller as she returned with her children from a day at the park. “Just going out for little outings, everything, everywhere. You&#8217;re paying for every little thing, and everything is hiking up.&#8221;



The charges don’t stop there. Tennis and pickleball players will pay $5 for reservations at 28 of the city’s 66 locations. (Previously, only the Goldman Tennis Center in Golden Gate Park charged for reservations.) If players make reservations more than a week in advance, the price goes up to $20-$40 per hour.



Greens fees at some city golf courses are going up. A round of 18 holes at Sharp Park on the weekend will cost city residents $60, up from $43. At TPC Harding Park, the marquee course that hosted the 2020 PGA Championship, the weekend price for residents jumps from $91 to $109. Additionally, the more expensive weekend rate will be extended to Fridays at all six city courses. The added charges are expected to generate $4 million over two years for the Recreation and Parks Department.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12162025_ggphomeless_aar_99.jpg?w=2500" alt="A serene pond scene with ducks and seagulls floating. The backdrop features lush greenery and a person standing near two green benches on the grassy shore." class="wp-image-363086" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12162025_ggphomeless_aar_99.jpg 7879w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12162025_ggphomeless_aar_99.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12162025_ggphomeless_aar_99.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12162025_ggphomeless_aar_99.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12162025_ggphomeless_aar_99.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12162025_ggphomeless_aar_99.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Lloyd Lake in Golden Gate Park.</figcaption></figure>



“We understand there is a budget crisis, but the golfers are being hit very hard,” said Richard Harris, president of the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance. “There are real affordability problems.”



The alternative to these fees would have been drastic service cuts, according to the Parks Department. Closing pools, shortening rec-center hours, and reducing park ranger positions have all been on the table.



“These modest, targeted fees are a critical step toward protecting the services San Franciscans love and rely on, Parks Department spokesperson Tamara Barak Aparton said. “They allow us to maintain safe, well-kept parks in every neighborhood, preserve cherished programs like summer camps and senior classes, and continue offering affordable, enriching activities for families across the city.”



All this is particularly painful for residents contending with <a href="https://www.sfmta.com/notices/muni-fare-changes-effective-january-1-2025">higher fares on Muni</a> and <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/recology-garbage-rates-about-to-go-up-20396166.php">higher costs for Recology</a> to pick up the garbage.



The city has previously prioritized eliminating some fees, which are shown to disproportionately hurt low-income and minority communities, through its Financial Justice Project, which is part of the Treasurer &amp; Tax Collector’s office.&nbsp;



San Francisco was the first county to eliminate fees for electronic monitors, probation, and jail bookings. Traffic fines can be reduced based on a person’s ability to pay.&nbsp;



The public library system stopped charging for overdue books, which has correlated with increased usage among lower-income and Black and Latino families, according to Amanda Fried, chief of policy and communications for the Treasurer &amp; Tax Collector’s office.



But to counteract the city’s bleak fiscal situation, significant spending cuts will be likely in future budgets, according to Nicole Neditch, the government and economy policy director for SPUR.



“There are a lot of things that are hitting residents now in terms of increased costs,” said Neditch. “The biggest thing is that they’re going to do permanent cost-cutting, and that is going to be difficult.”

The latest strategy by SF neighborhoods to avoid development? Be ‘historic’

When Donna Howe meets new friends in her cozy Ingleside Terraces neighborhood, she often quizzes them on the age of local Craftsman and revival-style homes.



Howe’s family has lived in the southwestern San Francisco neighborhood — known for its distinctive architecture and single-family homes — for five generations, since the 1940s.



But as the city faces a dire housing shortage and increasing pressure from state officials to build residential units, many locals are increasingly concerned that Ingleside Terraces could be targeted for rampant development.



“I have deep roots and deep love for this neighborhood,” Howe, 72, told The Standard. “I don’t want to see it go.”



<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_012.jpg?w=2500" alt="The image shows a hilly neighborhood with colorful houses and lush greenery. Cars line the street, and a foggy sky hovers above the distant hills." class="wp-image-413908" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_012.jpg 7632w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_012.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_012.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_012.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_012.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_012.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ingleside Terraces homeowners are seeking historic status for their neighborhood.</figcaption></figure>



San Francisco faces a state mandate to add tens of thousands of residential units over the next six years. To address that goal, Mayor Daniel Lurie last week released a zoning plan that would add more than 36,000 units in west-side neighborhoods, including Ingleside Terraces, where opposition to development has historically been strong.



To avoid that, the Ingleside Terraces Homes Association is pushing to designate the neighborhood as a “historic district,” a state-recognized status that critics see as a tool to stall development. The association hired an architectural consulting firm and three months ago submitted an application to the California Office of Historic Preservation.&nbsp;



The pursuit of a “historic” designation is an increasingly popular tactic in San Francisco and other California cities. Residents of St. Francis Wood successfully <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/housing/st-francis-wood-earns-historic-designation-sparks-backlash/article_bff67cf0-02e0-11ed-87c7-e3d2da717575.html">petitioned the state for historic status</a> in 2022, while a proposal submitted in 2024 by a coalition of North Beach residents is in the final stage of review at the State Historical Resources Commission.&nbsp;



Wealthy neighborhoods in <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/housing-nimby-historic-baywood-18450990.php">San Mateo</a>,<a href="https://padailypost.com/2022/03/21/city-takes-an-historic-approach-to-dealing-with-new-housing-law/"> Palo Alto</a>, and <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-puts-city-pasadena-notice-violating-state-housing-laws">Pasadena</a> have taken similar steps in recent years in attempts at avoiding new development.



The trend has generated criticism from groups that want California cities to build more housing. The North Beach proposal in particular has <a href="https://sfstandard.com/opinion/2024/03/29/a-modest-proposal-its-time-for-north-beach-to-secede-from-the-city/">sparked intense debate.</a>



Ryan Patterson, an attorney for the pro-housing groups YIMBY Law and YIMBY Action, called the movement “a last-ditch, desperate effort” to block development.



“The anti-growth NIMBYs are trying to create new historic districts just to avoid state housing laws,” Patterson said. “It&#8217;s very unfortunate that they&#8217;ve taken this approach, and I hope people recognize what they&#8217;re actually doing and say no to it.”



<div class="wp-block-group alignwide"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained">
<div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
<figure class="wp-block-video no-credit"><video autoplay loop muted preload="none" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/sequence-01.mp4" playsinline></video></figure>
</div>



<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1408" height="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_009_a45bfb.jpg?w=1408" alt="A beige stucco house with a tower-like structure and red tiled roof is partially visible, surrounded by lush greenery and tall plants." class="wp-image-413919" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_009_a45bfb.jpg 1408w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_009_a45bfb.jpg?resize=169,300 169w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_009_a45bfb.jpg?resize=768,1364 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_009_a45bfb.jpg?resize=865,1536 865w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_009_a45bfb.jpg?resize=1153,2048 1153w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A Mediterranean Revival-style home in Ingleside Terraces.</figcaption></figure>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>



Ingleside Terraces was built in the wake of the 1906 earthquake on the site of a former racetrack. The neighborhood of around 750 single-family homes is known for its architectural diversity and central 28-foot concrete sundial.



Homeowners have for decades contemplated petitioning for historic status, but their efforts recently gained momentum. And they’re not the only ones.



Woody LaBounty, president of the preservation group San Francisco Heritage, said more neighborhoods are exploring the historic designation route as the state intensifies pressure on cities to increase their housing supplies.



LaBounty said that until recently, historic status was largely a symbolic, apolitical achievement. But with a barrage of new state laws that aim to expedite housing production in areas previously immune to more construction, many locals became worried that “the whole decision will be taken out of my hands,” LaBounty said.&nbsp;



“You could see some big changes with unintended consequences that won’t add tons of housing,” LaBounty said. “But they may mess up the way a neighborhood looks and feels.”



<figure class="wp-block-video alignwide no-credit"><video autoplay loop muted src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/untitled_109cfc.mp4" playsinline></video></figure>



<div class="wp-block-group alignfull"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained">
<div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-2 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_004.jpg?w=2500" alt="A charming gray house with a sloped roof is surrounded by lush green bushes, colorful flowers, and a well-maintained garden path leading to the entrance." class="wp-image-413922" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_004.jpg 8002w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_004.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_004.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_004.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_004.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_004.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A craftsman-style home.</figcaption></figure>
</div>



<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_006.jpg?w=2500" alt="A yellow, two-story house with blue window frames and a red-tiled roof is surrounded by lush greenery and desert plants, with tiled steps leading up to it." class="wp-image-413923" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_006.jpg 7732w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_006.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_006.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_006.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_006.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_006.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A Spanish Revival-style home.</figcaption></figure>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-neighborhoods-be-both-pro-housing-and-historic">Can neighborhoods be both pro-housing and historic?</h2>



Individual properties and neighborhoods can achieve historic status across three levels: local, state, and federal. Local historic status in San Francisco offers protections against development because the designation requires that major remodels or construction be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission and the San Francisco Planning Department.



For example, the Jackson Square Historic District <a href="https://sfplanninggis.org/pim/map/">is under historic protection</a>, and City Hall and Fairmont Hotel are designated local landmarks.



St. Francis Wood Historic District is not recognized on the city level but is listed as historic on state and national lists. State and federal designation come with benefits such as tax credits for property restoration projects and, crucially, potential exemptions from certain state housing laws.



California lawmakers have over the last decade approved a slew of laws to streamline housing production and limit local authority to reject certain projects. Those include Senate Bill 423, which <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-07-04/california-affordable-housing-red-tape-san-francisco">cut the approval time for housing projects</a>, and Senate Bill 9, which allows homeowners to build up to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/homeless-housing/story/2021-12-02/facing-housing-crisis-l-a-voters-back-duplexes-in-single-family-neighborhoods">four units on single-family lots</a>.



Both laws provide limited protections for historical buildings and neighborhoods that exempt them from more construction. The state’s density bonus law, which allows developers to build more units in a project as long as they set aside a percentage for low-income residents, similarly carves out some exceptions for historic areas.&nbsp;



Historic status doesn’t necessarily stop housing but often makes it more difficult to construct homes or demolish an old house to replace it with a multi-family building.&nbsp;



Still, neighborhood preservation and new development can both be achieved, said Rachael Tanner, San Francisco’s director of citywide planning.&nbsp;



“Preserving our city’s historic resources doesn’t need to be the enemy of building new homes,” Tanner said. “Development and historic preservation can coexist in harmony.”



San Francisco Planning Commission President Lydia So said it’s possible to achieve a more tailored approach to preservation, such as designating individual buildings, rather than entire neighborhoods, as historic.



“People sometimes misunderstand ‘historic preservation.’ They think it means freezing things in time,” she said.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1406" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_020.jpg?w=2500" alt="Aerial view of a residential neighborhood featuring houses with varied architecture, lush trees, and parked cars lining the curved streets." class="wp-image-413935" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_020.jpg 3959w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_020.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_020.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_020.jpg?resize=2500,1406 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_020.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195468954_homeownersfight_020.jpg?resize=2048,1152 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-debate-continues">The debate continues</h2>



While Ingleside Terraces is the latest San Francisco neighborhood to apply for historic status, it’s hardly the most controversial.&nbsp;



The North Beach proposal, which faces a final decision by state regulators, has generated criticism from housing advocates who say exempting an entire neighborhood from development would worsen San Francisco’s housing crunch.&nbsp;



Pro-housing activists in April <a href="https://link.sfstandard.com/view/6436ea099b26044931999510nepz7.1af/34ef191a">hosted a satirical tour</a> in North Beach to highlight how an empty parking lot and burned building site would be listed as historic under the proposal.



Aaron Peskin, a former Board of Supervisors presidents who represented North Beach and is an advocate for preserving neighborhood character over development, said there is widespread support for designating North Beach as a historic district. He cited a <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/15iB44nLx_aCGWlT92n4psgLXm00YzEjw/view?usp=sharing">June poll</a> of 600 people that showed 63% of respondents supported the initiative.



“North Beach has been San Francisco’s historic living room for generations. It’s beloved and celebrated all over the city,” Peskin said.



Despite the pushback, interest in historic designation continues to grow. At a recent town hall in the Sunset, residents expressed interest in pursuing historic status as the neighborhood faces more development under Lurie’s zoning plans. A <a href="https://files.sfplanning.org/documents/preservation/sfsurvey-OuterSunsetParksideFindings-MapTable.pdf">city planning survey</a> identified a small portion of the area that could qualify as historic but determined that almost 800 properties were not qualified or ineligible.



Annie Fryman, director of special projects at the think tank SPUR, said westside neighborhoods with more single-family homes and homeowners are more ideal for denser development. 



&#8220;When these neighborhoods try to wiggle out of housing obligations by establishing historic districts,&#8221; Fryman said, &#8220;it pushes development pressure into areas where it could be more disruptive to renters and small businesses.&#8221;



LaBounty disagreed with criticism that preservation efforts are ill-intentioned, arguing that the process is “not something that can be casually abused.”&nbsp;



“People who do it are 99% trying to support and preserve special places,” the SF Heritage leader said.



He also noted that commercial corridors such as Clement Street in the Inner Richmond and Chestnut Street in the Marina, as well as Chinatown and Japantown, have historic value.



But designating large swaths of San Francisco as historic would almost certainly complicate Lurie’s goal of building tens of thousands of units across the city — a plan YIMBY groups have argued is not ambitious enough.



The movement for historic status adds another layer of complexity and sets the stage for a political battle in the months ahead.



“Everybody is in support of preserving the special places,” LaBounty said. “It&#8217;s how. And that&#8217;s where politics usually come in.”

Shedding staff, Urban Alchemy faces iffy future in SF’s Tenderloin

Hernandez gladly called the Tenderloin home for two decades. It was only when the pandemic hit, and fentanyl use surged, that she became appalled at the growing amounts of filth — needles, pipes, feces — her school-age daughters waded through by their door.



Even home was not an escape for Hernandez, who works as a janitor and wished to be identified by only her last name due to death threats from dealers. One evening in the spring of 2023, she stood at her stove, cooking garbanzos con pollo for the family. She looked down to see one daughter struggling to breathe.



The wafting scent of drug use from the sidewalk below had filled her lungs. Hernandez took her daughter to a local hospital. While she turned out fine, Hernandez shouted down the drug users outside her window, to no avail. They were there to stay.



The following year, the city contracted with Urban Alchemy to expand its unarmed ambassador patrols to Hernandez’s street.



Everything changed.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1667" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/8717806492_uanotl-08.jpg?w=2500" alt="A uniformed Urban Alchemy practitioner stands on a public street with a building behind him." class="wp-image-396248" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/8717806492_uanotl-08.jpg 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/8717806492_uanotl-08.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/8717806492_uanotl-08.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/8717806492_uanotl-08.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/8717806492_uanotl-08.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Urban Alchemy workers patrol the Tenderloin.</figcaption></figure>



The drug users thinned out. The family’s neighborhood walks felt safe.



But that sense of relief was tenuous. Hernandez had heard that Urban Alchemy’s contract to patrol San Francisco’s most downtrodden streets would end in July. She fears her children will once again be scared to go outside.



“I’m afraid if Urban Alchemy leaves, the situation will collapse again,” she said.



Hernandez can rest easy — for the moment.



Mayor Daniel Lurie is renewing the organization&#8217;s contract, The Standard has learned. The timeline is still being worked out, sources said, and little is certain beyond one fact: Urban Alchemy will not abandon the Tenderloin and mid-Market in July.



But the organization’s long-term viability patrolling the streets remains very much in doubt. In recent months, city officials have increasingly scrutinized Urban Alchemy’s management, as the nonprofit has regularly gone over budget and asked the city for advances as it sheds staff, records show. The organization filed its second layoff notice just this month, threatening to lose an additional 50 staff, though a spokesperson said they&#8217;re looking to place them in other roles.



Meanwhile, the mayor’s office will soon restructure the city’s <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/10/15/homelessness-sprawling-nonprofits-crankstart-foundation/">myriad ambassador programs</a>, a source told The Standard. The multi-year plan would scale down Urban Alchemy patrols as the city ramps up other strategies, with the goal of making the nonprofit’s widely recognized ambassadors obsolete.



“Urban Alchemy is proud to continue our partnership with the city and Mayor Lurie to continue to bring more peace and safety to the Tenderloin and Mid-Market neighborhoods,” Urban Alchemy’s CEO, Lena Miller, said in a statement.



<div class="wp-block-sf-standard-related-posts-container">
<div class="wp-block-sf-standard-related-post"></div>



<div class="wp-block-sf-standard-related-post"></div>



<div class="wp-block-sf-standard-related-post"></div>
</div>



Charles Lutvak, the mayor’s spokesperson, declined to comment on the organization&#8217;s future. He confirmed that the contract would be extended past July, for an indefinite period.



“As we continue working across departments and nonprofit partners to keep our community safe and connect people to help right now, our administration is taking a hard look at how we can make the most of every tool available to make that work successful long-term,” Lutvak said.



Urban Alchemy isn’t just a neighborhood guardian; it boasts 10 San Francisco public agency contracts. Its staff serve as attendants at BART elevators and the San Francisco Public Library, walk kids to school, and provide security at homeless shelters. 



However, it is best known for its unarmed ambassadors — called “practitioners” — who patrol the streets of the Tenderloin and mid-Market, offering aid to drug users and clearing them from sidewalks, where they can impede residents.



Like Hernandez, hundreds of city residents have lauded the practitioners for their efforts — but as Urban Alchemy’s finances struggled, it has pulled many of those workers from the streets. Emails between city staff managing Urban Alchemy’s contract and Mid-Market Foundation, a middleman for Urban Alchemy, reveal the depth of the cuts.



In November, Supervisor Connie Chan delayed the disbursement of $7.7 million to Urban Alchemy while demanding proof of the organization’s efficacy. Urban Alchemy <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/11/19/urban-alchemy-san-francisco-tenderloin-layoffs/">filed a WARN Act notice</a> that it would soon lay off more than 300 workers, which it ultimately did not fulfill.



To shore up its accounts, the Mid-Market Foundation sought a $2.5 million advance on its payments from the city and another $2 million after the Board of Supervisors delayed promised funding.



The foundation needed the money immediately, executive director Steve Gibson wrote in a Nov. 12 email to the city’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development and Department of Emergency Management, because “our vendor, Urban Alchemy, is trying to make payroll.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/inlined02_urbanalchemyclaim11102022.jpg?w=2500" alt="A uniformed Urban Alchemy practitioner stands near a portable toilet as someone enters it." class="wp-image-396164" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/inlined02_urbanalchemyclaim11102022.jpg 5760w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/inlined02_urbanalchemyclaim11102022.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/inlined02_urbanalchemyclaim11102022.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/inlined02_urbanalchemyclaim11102022.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/inlined02_urbanalchemyclaim11102022.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/inlined02_urbanalchemyclaim11102022.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">City officials have increasingly scrutinized Urban Alchemy’s management.</figcaption></figure>



Chris Corgas, a deputy director with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, agreed. “I think, and Steve would need to confirm, that if those final amendments were advanced it could potentially get them through January and part of February,” he wrote in the thread.



Even so, the staff would need to be reduced, Urban Alchemy told the city. A review of the nonprofit’s reports show consistent budget overruns of at least $100,000 some months, reaching as high as $490,000 in November.



In a December report, Urban Alchemy wrote that it planned for “potential reductions due to amendment uncertainty and contract end date in June 2025.” In a January memo, the organization said it was prepared to eliminate “approximately 50 employees to balance budget without losing program coverage area.”



From September to January, Urban Alchemy staffers worked 44,000 to 50,000 hours a month. That costs the city roughly $2 million per month, reports submitted to the Department of Emergency Management show.



In February, those practitioner hours were down to 28,000.



Miller, Urban Alchemy’s CEO, said deployment, and therefore its spending, is dictated “by the city and its needs. We pride ourselves in being a nimble organization that can quickly adapt to any situation.”



Not everyone agrees.



Timothy Phillips has publicly alleged that he was wrongfully terminated when Urban Alchemy began firing practitioners for seemingly minor infractions in order to meet a budget deficit.



Phillips started as a practitioner with the group in 2023. Whereas eating lunch in your uniform vest once got you a verbal warning, this year, it might mean losing your job, he claims.



Phillips said he served seven years in federal prison for unarmed bank robberies in San Francisco and the East Bay to feed his addiction to powder cocaine. He later turned his life around and joined Urban Alchemy upon his release. He was fired after documenting a tense encounter with a former practitioner while he was on leave. His managers did not explain why he was terminated, Phillips said.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1667" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/8717806492_uanotl-24.jpg?w=2500" alt="A man stands on Market street in a black hoodie with his arms crossed." class="wp-image-396249" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/8717806492_uanotl-24.jpg 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/8717806492_uanotl-24.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/8717806492_uanotl-24.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/8717806492_uanotl-24.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/8717806492_uanotl-24.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Timothy Phillips, a former Urban Alchemy ambassador, says he was wrongly terminated by the nonprofit.</figcaption></figure>



In one city report, Urban Alchemy told the city there is “assurance February will show more reduction” in its workforce. That’s the month Phillips was terminated.



Phillips lost his apartment and is living in a halfway house.



“Practitioners rely on Urban Alchemy for their lives,” he said.



The Standard walked the Tenderloin and mid-Market in late March, speaking to roughly 20 practitioners on the job. A handful said they were aware of firings for minor infractions. All had seen their teams reduced in size, often by half.



Jackie Thornhill, spokesperson for the Department of Emergency Management, confirmed that there was “accelerated attrition” due to the Board of Supervisors’ funding disruption, with layoffs for “other reasons that impacted overall staffing.”



One insider who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal verified Phillips’ claims and said Urban Alchemy’s financial overruns are not unusual for a contracted organization dealing with budget uncertainty from the city.



“They were overstaffed. They were over budget. They [have] now tapered down to fit into the budget,&#8221; the source said. &#8220;It&#8217;s a little stricter management of their staff, yes that&#8217;s true.&#8221;



Miller said workers have been let go because they did not meet the “highest professional standards.”



“Like any workplace, accountability matters, and there are rules to follow. We are clear on what our standards are, and when issues arise, we address them quickly and directly,” the CEO said. “Decisions have consequences, and as a fast-growing, public-facing organization, we will keep improving our standards so we can deliver even more impact and success.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1666" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/featured_urbanalchemyclaim11102022.jpg?w=2500" alt="Uniformed Urban Alchemy staff carry dustbins walking through the Tenderloin." class="wp-image-396163" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/featured_urbanalchemyclaim11102022.jpg 5761w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/featured_urbanalchemyclaim11102022.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/featured_urbanalchemyclaim11102022.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/featured_urbanalchemyclaim11102022.jpg?resize=2500,1666 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/featured_urbanalchemyclaim11102022.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/featured_urbanalchemyclaim11102022.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Urban Alchemy workers say practitioners are being fired for seemingly minor infractions in order to meet a budget deficit.</figcaption></figure>



In the Tenderloin, Hernandez has noticed the number of Urban Alchemy practitioners begin to drop. Through tears, she said her family needs Urban Alchemy’s presence to feel safe.



For now, her daughters freely take the bus to Ocean Beach, where they sit on the sand to play guitar and sing. Their latest obsession is a 1978 song by child musician Pedro Fernandez, “La de la mochila azul,” or “the girl with the blue backpack.”



“What’s wrong with you, little one, what’s wrong with you?” they sing in Spanish. “They tell me at school, and they ask me at home. And until now — I suddenly knew.”



This, Hernandez knows: Without Urban Alchemy, or an alternative to replace its practitioners, the Tenderloin may become unlivable again.

‘Outrageous betrayal’: Lurie’s rezoning plan riles some west-side supporters

In the year and a half that Mayor Daniel Lurie has been in the public spotlight, his stance on housing has been a bit of a mystery. On other issues, he has been clear.&nbsp;Public safety? He wants more cops. Homelessness? More shelter. But housing development? His statements on the campaign trail were nebulous.



That changed Thursday, when San Francisco’s state-mandated rezoning plan was made public, with Lurie’s support. The plan calls for upzoning much of the city, including the west side, an area that hasn’t seen significant development for decades and holds a voter base that’s traditionally opposed to more housing.&nbsp;



Those same west-side voters in large part propelled Lurie, with his moderate messaging and tough-on-crime policies, into the mayor’s office. And some of them — <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/10/prop-k-lawsuit-great-highway-closure/">already riled by the closure of the Great Highway</a> that&#8217;s <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/01/22/great-highway-recall-signature-gathering-joel-engardio/">sparked a supervisorial recall</a> — feel they’ve been stabbed in the back.



“I think it is going to be perceived as an outrageous betrayal,” said Deidre Von Rock, president of the West Portal Merchants Association. “I don’t think there’s going to be a recall. But it will turn people off for another election.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1668" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8420072128_luriepublicsafety-9.jpg?w=2500" alt="Mayor Daniel Lurie is calling the state-mandated housing proposal that upzones neighborhoods &quot;family zoning.&quot;" class="wp-image-364423" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8420072128_luriepublicsafety-9.jpg 6000w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8420072128_luriepublicsafety-9.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8420072128_luriepublicsafety-9.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8420072128_luriepublicsafety-9.jpg?resize=2500,1668 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8420072128_luriepublicsafety-9.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8420072128_luriepublicsafety-9.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mayor Daniel Lurie earned much of his support during the November election from voters on the west side.</figcaption></figure>



Lurie said Thursday that the city has made it “easier to block new homes than to build them” and that the state provided “a clear mandate to build more housing, with real consequences if we don’t.” (In an apparent effort to make the plan more palatable, the mayor is avoiding the word “upzoning” and instead using “family zoning.”)&nbsp;



So, what does the <a href="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/rezoning.pdf">zoning proposal</a> entail?



The most significant change will allow more homeowners to divide their property into multiple dwellings. Previously, only property owners in certain pockets of the city could take advantage of this opportunity, but the rezoning will make it available en masse.



The other big difference will be in west-side commercial and transit streets, such as the Richmond’s California, Geary, Balboa, and Fulton corridors, where allowable building heights will be raised to six to eight stories. The same will apply to the Sunset on Lincoln, Irving, Judah, Noriega, and Taraval — heights on some corners could reach 14 stories. Other parts of the city, such as the Marina, Divisadero, Haight, Van Ness Avenue, Fisherman’s Wharf, and the southern part of Market, will also see height increases.&nbsp;



The proposal needs approval from the Planning Commission; it will then go to the Board of Supervisors and the mayor before the state gives it a final pass. Lurie’s statement Thursday alluded to “real consequences” if the city doesn’t reach a certain housing capacity, which means the potential for lawsuits or, in the worst-case scenario, the loss of local control over zoning.



The city has until January 2026 to send its blueprints to Sacramento. But little building is expected to happen immediately, considering that <a href="https://app.slack.com/client/T0296B09RBK/D06HDLEEXMJ#:~:text=were%20insanely%20bad-,https%3A//sfplanning.org/sites/default/files/resources/2025%2D04/2024_Housing%2520Inventory.pdf,-Gabe%20Greschler">construction has dramatically slowed in recent years</a> because of cloudy economic conditions and high interest rates.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/mg_6824.jpg?w=2500" alt="A woman with long hair stands near a concrete railing, overlooking a park and cityscape with a mix of buildings, including tall apartments and houses. The Golden Gate Bridge is visible in the background." class="wp-image-281878" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/mg_6824.jpg 6240w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/mg_6824.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/mg_6824.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/mg_6824.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/mg_6824.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/mg_6824.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Lori Brooke, a founder of Neighborhoods United SF, said Lurie&#8217;s predecessor, Mayor London Breed, faced backlash from voters over support for upzoning.</figcaption></figure>



Since taking office, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/04/san-francisco-yimby-mayor-daniel-lurie-rezoning/">Lurie has been lobbied by members of the YIMBY coalition</a>, who have cautioned him of the political liabilities that could come with a housing plan that isn’t aggressive enough. That includes scenarios where the city would have to commit to more rezoning in 2027, an inopportune time that would overlap with Lurie’s potential reelection bid.



The warnings appear to have worked. Lurie delayed the release of the housing plan until this week and got the help of the UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation <a href="https://link.sfstandard.com/view/65c28f2e664d5a5d7e0849a8ncna9.13l/36cc1fbc">after YIMBYs argued that the proposal wasn’t ambitious enough</a>.&nbsp;



Lurie also met with rezoning skeptics such as Neighborhoods United SF, one of the most visible groups fighting against the plans.



Katherine Petrin, a native west-sider and historic preservationist who has been critical of the rezoning plans, said she remains in support of Lurie, but neighbors are already feeling disappointed over his stance.



“The unveiling of the upzoning plan was the moment where Lurie had to take a hard stand that reveals his true position and alignment,” said Petrin, a founding member of Neighborhoods United SF. “Throughout his campaign, he seemed to understand the issues of concern of voters on the west side, housing and zoning being the biggest. Lurie made the decision to choose YIMBY over his constituents.”



<div class="wp-block-sf-standard-related-posts-container">
<div class="wp-block-sf-standard-related-post"></div>



<div class="wp-block-sf-standard-related-post"></div>
</div>



Lori Brooke, also a founding member of the organization, said she thinks former Mayor London Breed lost reelection partly because of her YIMBY stance. Breed introduced a map last year that is mostly the same as the one Lurie is backing.&nbsp;



“If the map was toxic to Breed, I think it could be tricky for Lurie to navigate how the perception of this map will be to his constituents,” said Brooke. “I think everyone was hoping he would push back on the state. … Lurie is caught between those two worlds: his constituents, and the state and their unrealistic demands.”



But not everyone is let down.&nbsp;



District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who supported Breed during the November election, called Lurie’s move a “courageous gamble.”



“He is going to piss off a bunch of people,” said Melgar. “And a bunch of people who supported him. So, it is courageous that he is standing up for doing what I think is right. Even though it is going to cost him.”

The bizarre $10K threat hanging over SF businesses

In February, Joseph Magidow’s soon-to-open restaurant in Glen Park was well on its way.&nbsp;



Before launching La Cigale, a 15-seat restaurant that will serve wood-fired Occitanian fare, he needed to add a sewer line: Cut open a few sidewalk squares, dig a small trench, and install a pipe. One to two days of work at most, Magidow said.&nbsp;



But then he received a puzzling note from the Public Works Department. The city needed to ensure that no “survey monuments” were being disturbed within 20 feet of the planned excavation, threatening $10,000 in fines if Magidow didn’t provide the proper documentation.&nbsp;



<aside class="wp-block-group alignright sushi-week-group"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained">
<div class="wp-block-media-text is-vertically-aligned-center"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1199" height="976" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicethings_02.png?w=1199" alt="A logo that says &quot;why we can't have nice things&quot;" class="wp-image-376882 size-full" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicethings_02.png 1199w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicethings_02.png?resize=300,244 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicethings_02.png?resize=768,625 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1199px) 100vw, 1199px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-baffling-maddening-and-sometimes-hilarious-encounters-with-san-francisco-government">Your baffling, maddening, and sometimes hilarious encounters with San Francisco government</h4>
</div></div>



<div class="wp-block-group sushi-week-group-styles"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained">
<style>
.sushi-week-group-styles {
 display: none !important;
}

.sushi-week-group {
 padding-right:1.5rem !important;
 margin-left:1rem;
 margin-top:1rem;
 margin-bottom:1rem;
 background-color:#FEFCE8;
}

.sushi-week-group .sushi-week-columns {
 gap:0;
 align-items:center;
}

.sushi-week-group button[aria-label="Expand image"] {
 display:none;
}

.sushi-week-group .sushi-week-description {
 font-weight:600;
}

.sushi-week-group .sushi-week-description a {
 text-decoration:none;
}

.sushi-week-group .sushi-week-read-more-heading {
 display:inline-block;
 font-weight:700;
 box-shadow:inset 0 -.1875rem #ffeb2d;
}

.sushi-week-group .sushi-week-read-more-heading a {
 text-decoration:none;
}

.sushi-week-group .sushi-week-stories-list {
 margin-bottom:0;
 margin-top:0.5rem;
}

.sushi-week-group .sushi-week-stories-list {
 font-weight:500;
}

.sushi-week-group .sushi-week-stories-list li:not(:last-child) {
 margin-bottom:0.5rem;
}

@media (max-width:767px){
 .sushi-week-group {
 margin-top: 1.75rem;
 margin-bottom: 1.75rem;
 margin-left:0;
 padding:1.5rem;
}

 .sushi-week-group .sushi-week-columns .sushi-week-left-column {
 width:120px !important;
}

 .sushi-week-group .sushi-week-right-column {
 margin:auto;
}

.sushi-week-group .sushi-week-columns {
 gap:1.5rem;
}
}
</style>
</div></div>
</div></aside>



Survey monuments? “Nobody has heard of this dang thing,” Magidow said.



He isn’t the first to experience the tortuous maze of getting restaurants, bars, or other businesses off the ground in San Francisco — or simply staying open. That’s why The Standard is launching a series, Why We Can’t Have Nice Things, highlighting the frustrating, sometimes comical encounters San Franciscans have with their government.&nbsp;



As it turns out, survey monuments are nearly invisible points that sort property lines, among other uses Public Works says are vital to keeping the city organized. You may have noticed them in a fleeting moment while walking: little, silver-colored metal tags or star-studded brownish caps installed flush on the ground.&nbsp;



Seth Boor, an architect of nearly 30 years who designed Sightglass Coffee, Black Bird Bookstore, and other businesses, had never heard of the requirement imposed on Magidow.



“We’ve painted ourselves into a corner with so many codes,” he said. “It is hard for any entrepreneur to get any business done in the city.”



<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1875" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/img_5453-1.jpeg?w=2500" alt="A concrete sidewalk with a textured grip pattern contains a small metallic disk labeled &quot;Control&quot; and &quot;CCSF,&quot; with faint numbers and a red circle nearby." class="wp-image-376169" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/img_5453-1.jpeg 4032w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/img_5453-1.jpeg?resize=300,225 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/img_5453-1.jpeg?resize=768,576 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/img_5453-1.jpeg?resize=2500,1875 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/img_5453-1.jpeg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/img_5453-1.jpeg?resize=2048,1536 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A survey monument in SoMa.</figcaption></figure>



Magidow was presented with options. He could pay the city $4,455 for workers to ensure that no monuments were in the area or hire a third-party surveyor to do it for potentially less.



But Magidow was certain there were none of the markings near the small area he was digging up. To prove it, he and his team found a Public Works map called <a href="https://bsm.sfdpw.org/subdivision/monumental/Viewer.aspx">Mon-U-Mental</a> that shows the locations of the city’s survey markers.



It was clear to them from the map that none appeared within 20 feet of their construction site.&nbsp;



All set, said Magidow’s team. Not so fast, said Public Works.&nbsp;



Even though the department maintains that map, it would not accept it as sufficient evidence, Magidow was told. To ensure his business didn’t face further delays, he paid $800 for a private surveying firm to do the work.



The surveying firm’s submission to Public Works was a single-page, 58-word statement confirming what Magidow already knew: His business was in the clear. Public Works accepted the document.



<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="2500" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/8608045701_canthavenicethings-1872-1-edited.jpg" alt="A man in a blue sweater, with tattoos, stands against a wall holding a bottle. Two other people are partially visible, one with a clipboard." class="wp-image-376746" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/8608045701_canthavenicethings-1872-1-edited.jpg 3000w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/8608045701_canthavenicethings-1872-1-edited.jpg?resize=150,150 150w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/8608045701_canthavenicethings-1872-1-edited.jpg?resize=300,300 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/8608045701_canthavenicethings-1872-1-edited.jpg?resize=768,768 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/8608045701_canthavenicethings-1872-1-edited.jpg?resize=2500,2500 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/8608045701_canthavenicethings-1872-1-edited.jpg?resize=1536,1536 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/8608045701_canthavenicethings-1872-1-edited.jpg?resize=2048,2048 2048w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/8608045701_canthavenicethings-1872-1-edited.jpg?resize=180,180 180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Joseph Magidow plans to open his restaurant, La Cigale, in the spring.</figcaption></figure>



Public Works spokesperson Rachel Gordon said the department informs permit applicants that construction can trigger the monument survey requirement. She said the city is responsible for enforcing state law in preserving the monuments, and that surveys must be completed be a licensed surveyor, but acknowledged that “a smoother, more transparent process to successfully open a business in San Francisco is in everyone’s interest to build on the City’s comeback.”&nbsp;



According to Gordon, 155 surveys conducted by third parties in 2024 found the need to preserve some monuments. In 61 cases, no monuments were found in the&nbsp; proximity of a proposed excavation.&nbsp;



It appears that builders are overwhelmingly choosing not to pay the city’s high price for a survey. Last year, just two projects hired Public Works to conduct the monument work.&nbsp;



And that $4,455 fee? Gordon said Public Works is considering changing the price “to better reflect the complexity of the field survey required for a particular project.” She said the work from the city currently involves “office research and, if needed, field surveying.”



Other business owners have had similar encounters with city bureaucracy.



<div style="width:100%;height:500px;" data-fillout-id="hkSxSzrLr1us" data-fillout-embed-type="standard" data-fillout-inherit-parameters data-fillout-dynamic-resize></div><script src="https://server.fillout.com/embed/v1/"></script>



The Center, a yoga hub in the Lower Haight, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/06/01/the-center-sf-permit-issues-tea-zoning/">had to stop selling tea in June</a> after the city found it didn’t hold the proper permits — fixes the business said could cost $50,000 and months of renovations. Businesses that have faced break-ins <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/12/20/san-francisco-business-break-in-roll-down-gate/">have described a challenging permit process for installing roll-down gates</a> to prevent theft. Naz Khorram, who founded the wine bar Arcana in 2021, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/opinion/2024/04/20/small-business-red-tape/">wrote in The Standard last year</a> about a “year-long journey” to overcome “pressure groups abusing the [city’s] <a href="https://sfplanning.org/sites/default/files/forms/CUA_SupplementalApplication.pdf">conditional use authorization</a> process.”



Mayor Daniel Lurie alluded to the issues in his inauguration speech in January. “To our small businesses, who I know have been suffering: The era of a new restaurant going through 40 inspections and receiving 50 different answers is over,” he said. “That’s our promise to you.”



Magidow said his strategy throughout the ups and downs of launching his restaurant has been to remain calm.



“If you get stressed out about it, you’re not going to do anything in San Francisco,” he said.

YIMBYs on their heels as race for mayor heats up

After a March primary election that was <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2024/03/05/election-night-winners-and-losers-who-came-out-on-top-in-tuesdays-primary-contest/">dominated by public safety</a>, the upcoming mayoral contest appears to be quickly pivoting to another issue San Franciscans often disagree on.



You guessed it: Housing. And, for now, the people clamoring to build more of it are on the back foot.



On Tuesday, seven supervisors stood behind Board President Aaron Peskin and his legislation that seeks to preserve a handful of blocks in Telegraph Hill, an area home to some buildings dating back to the Gold Rush era. 



The supervisors who <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2024/03/04/aaron-peskin-san-francisco-mayor-race/">supported the expected mayoral candidate</a> in his housing bill—and struck down an earlier veto from Mayor London Breed—included those who are not even staunch allies of Peskin.&nbsp;



“All politics and no policy,” Supervisor Rafael Mandelman described the situation during Tuesday’s meeting—a surprising barb thrown at the mayor. “The area actually at issue here is tiny.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3000" height="2001" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/20240326-mayorveto_eg_017.jpg?w=2500" alt="A man in glasses, focused and resting his chin on his hand, sits amidst blurred figures in a formal meeting room setting." class="wp-image-262729" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/20240326-mayorveto_eg_017.jpg 3000w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/20240326-mayorveto_eg_017.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/20240326-mayorveto_eg_017.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/20240326-mayorveto_eg_017.jpg?resize=2500,1668 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/20240326-mayorveto_eg_017.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/20240326-mayorveto_eg_017.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman was among the lawmakers who sided with Board President Aaron Peskin&#8217;s effort to restrict density in part of his district. </figcaption></figure>



The moment was a defeat for Breed, who promised in her State of the City speech this month that she would block any legislation that crossed her desk she deemed as “anti-housing.” For Breed, the veto may go down as a political gamble that offers Peskin—or another progressive challenger in the mayoral race—a leg up this November.



It also marked a setback for YIMBYs, who have racked up considerable political wins in recent years but are now facing more resistance—even from some lawmakers in the city’s moderate camp.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happened">What happened?</h2>



At the end of February, the board approved Peskin’s housing legislation in an 8-3 vote, with Supervisors Joel Engardio, Myrna Melgar and Matt Dorsey dissenting.&nbsp;



The legislation comes after Peskin and Breed last summer teamed up to encourage <a href="https://sfplanning.org/project/downtown-adaptive-reuse-program#:~:text=New">housing development in the northeastern corner of the city</a> through the streamlining of office space to residential conversions.



However, Peskin says state law would have allowed for extra-large residential towers to bulldoze areas he considers vital to the city’s past: the Jackson Square and Northeast Waterfront historic districts. His efforts come after a spate of moves that have angered his critics, <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2024/02/07/supervisors-strike-down-challenge-to-pacific-heights-library-redevelopment/">including being the sole vote in favor of blocking a redevelopment project in Pacific Heights in February.</a>



“Housing will get built, developers will still make sizable profits, but the reality is that they won’t be able to destroy the very things that make San Francisco so special. Today good planning won out over bad politics,” Peskin wrote in a statement after Tuesday’s vote.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Peskin&#8217;s critics see his recent housing moves as an effort to appeal to a still-sizable constituency in San Francisco: preservation-minded residents who feel that denser housing taxes infrastructure and tarnishes neighborhood character, even if they agree with moderates on issues like public safety. 



“There’s a piece of the moderate coalition that’s at stake here,” said longtime San Francisco political consultant Jim Ross. “Which are homeowners.”&nbsp;



Breed sees things differently, describing Peskin’s recent moves as anathema to her goal to build more housing in the city—she even stated she was “tired of his shenanigans” at a rally in front of City Hall. She vetoed Peskin’s bill this month with the hopes that one supervisor may have sided with her to keep her blockade intact.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3000" height="2001" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/powerplaynewsletter-07.jpg?w=2500" alt="A woman in a blue jacket speaks into a microphone with blurred figures and vehicles in the background." class="wp-image-261097" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/powerplaynewsletter-07.jpg 3000w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/powerplaynewsletter-07.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/powerplaynewsletter-07.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/powerplaynewsletter-07.jpg?resize=2500,1668 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/powerplaynewsletter-07.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/powerplaynewsletter-07.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mayor London Breed solidified her partnership with pro-housing voters when she vetoed a controversial ordinance to change density limits in a chunk of the waterfront. </figcaption></figure>



That gambit failed Tuesday after an identical 8-3 vote took place—with supervisors who sided with Peskin claiming Breed’s move was purely political, the legislation was small in scope and the Planning Commission had given its thumbs up.



The squabble even plunked itself into state politics, with state Sen. Scott Wiener claiming in an opinion piece <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/opinion/2024/03/25/letting-aaron-peskin-pass-another-anti-housing-law-would-be-a-slap-in-the-face-for-sf/">penned for The Standard</a> that Peskin’s bill was the latest in a long line of efforts to skewer housing production in the city.&nbsp;



Former Mayor Art Agnos fought back in an article <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/forum/aaron-peskin-housing-criticism-misses-mark-art-agnos-says/article_e578420e-ebac-11ee-b800-d717bca05a0f.html">with the Examiner</a>, claiming YIMBYs like Wiener were pushing for “a radical one-size-fits-all approach promoted by calculating special interests in Sacramento who care nothing about our city.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-housing-emerges-as-a-key-wedge-in-november-nbsp">Housing emerges as a key wedge in November&nbsp;</h2>



Tuesday’s vote was a speed bump for Breed, who is facing low poll numbers and a tough reelection battle.&nbsp;



The beginning of March offered her momentum when three of Breed’s propositions during the March primary saw success—while a rousing win for moderates at the local Democratic County Central Committee further solidified her political base.



“I’m disappointed, but not surprised,” said Jake Price, an organizer for the YIMBY-oriented Housing Action Coalition in San Francisco, in an interview after the vote. “If we can’t agree to build housing in affluent neighborhoods adjacent to the downtown we want to revitalize, where can we build housing?”



Breed’s veto—and her promise during her State of the City address—firmly validated her allyship with the YIMBY coalition, which has historically backed Breed but hasn’t yet made endorsements for November.



But in a crowded field of contenders, Breed’s moderate opponent, former Supervisor Mark Farrell, may see a path to victory without the backing of dedicated pro-housing voters.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3000" height="2001" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240210-sfluxurymarketfeature_-0466.jpg?w=2500" alt="A cityscape with Coit Tower atop a hill, flanked by trees and terraced modern houses under a clear sky." class="wp-image-250247" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240210-sfluxurymarketfeature_-0466.jpg 3000w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240210-sfluxurymarketfeature_-0466.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240210-sfluxurymarketfeature_-0466.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240210-sfluxurymarketfeature_-0466.jpg?resize=2500,1668 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240210-sfluxurymarketfeature_-0466.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240210-sfluxurymarketfeature_-0466.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Supervisor Aaron Peskin&#8217;s Telegraph Hill neighborhood emerged as a flashpoint for disagreements on housing policy. ...

Books on drug addiction are the most stolen from San Francisco libraries

The most stolen books from San Francisco public libraries&#8217; shelves are not the hottest new novels or juicy memoirs; they are books about recovering from addiction. Now, city officials want to provide universal access to free drug recovery books, including Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-step recovery book.



San Francisco City Supervisor Matt Dorsey on Tuesday introduced legislation to create a program to distribute addiction recovery books for free at the city&#8217;s 27 public libraries. If approved, San Francisco would be the first city in the nation to do so as communities coast to coast confront an unprecedented fentanyl crisis.



Dorsey said library workers noticed they had to keep replenishing books about recovering from substance abuse, especially Alcoholics Anonymous&#8217; 12-step program, known as the “Big Book.”



“Drug and alcohol treatment can certainly save lives, but recovery programs are what truly change lives for the long term,” said Dorsey, a recovering meth addict.







The library launched a pilot program last April to distribute such materials at three public library branches. Since then, they have distributed more than 2,600 books about beating addiction.



The books offered will include AA&#8217;s 12-step program, as well as publications by Narcotics Anonymous and Crystal Meth Anonymous. The texts will be offered in all available languages, and those who want them won&#8217;t be required to have a library card, according to Dorsey&#8217;s proposed legislation.



San Francisco, like many other U.S. cities, is in the throes of a fentanyl drug crisis. Last year, a record 806 people died of a drug overdose.



Drug-addicted people in San Francisco have access to free lifesaving Narcan, as well as clean syringes and other drug paraphernalia to prevent the transmission of diseases.



Having access to recovery literature could be an entry point to one of the dozens of in-person recovery programs offered in San Francisco, where there are more than 560 weekly AA meetings, recovery experts said.



“There are many pathways to recovery, and this admirable program will help more addicted people find the one that works for them,” said Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry at Stanford University and former White House senior drug policy adviser in the Obama Administration.

San Francisco reverses hundreds of overdoses a month: what happens next?

Casper Green, a homeless man in San Francisco who struggles with addiction, says he was 10 years old when he first overdosed on drugs. Miraculously, he survived with little recollection of what happened. Since then, Green, who now uses fentanyl, claims he would have died four more times—if it hadn’t been for the overdose-reversal medication Narcan.



For many people, a near-fatal overdose would serve as a wake-up call to change their behavior. But for Green, and for an untold number of other people using drugs on San Francisco’s streets, an overdose is more likely to send them deeper into the cycle of addiction.



“You just OD’d, and you’d think, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t do this drug no more,’” Green told The Standard. “But it makes you want to get high again.”



Once Narcan—the brand name for the opioid antagonist naloxone—is administered after an overdose, a drug user’s brain quickly stops feeling the effect of any opioid they ingested, according to physician and University of California San Francisco addiction expert Ayesha Appa. That rapid de-escalation of the high sends victims into a state that’s known as “feeling sick.”



“There’s this emotional roller coaster,” Appa said. “Some people have described to me being grateful to be alive. … It can also be really traumatic.”



San Francisco has embraced Narcan as a tool to combat an overdose crisis that reached unprecedented levels in 2023. A record-breaking 752 people died of drug overdoses through the end of November. (City data for December is not yet available.)&nbsp;



Between January and September 2023, the Department of Public Health distributed 106,168 doses of Narcan, according to city data. Over the first seven months of last year, ambulances in the city responded to 3,497 likely overdoses, according to data provided by the Department of Emergency Management. Narcan is also available at pharmacies without a prescription.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2560" height="1707" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-scaled.jpg?w=2500" alt="Paramedics attend to a person on a stretcher beside an ambulance on a city street at dusk." class="wp-image-164573" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-300x200.jpg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-2500x1667.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-768x512.jpg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-650x433.jpg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-370x247.jpg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-450x300.jpg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-20x13.jpg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-185x123.jpg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-740x493.jpg 740w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-400x267.jpg 400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-1600x1067.jpg 1600w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-225x150.jpg 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-900x600.jpg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FEATURED_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023-72x48.jpg 72w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A person who overdosed is wheeled away on a stretcher toward an ambulance by emergency medical technicians on Willow Street in San Francisco&#8217;s Tenderloin neighborhood.</figcaption></figure>



The Department of Public Health said in a statement that it’s working aggressively to make drug treatment more available by expanding hours at its Downtown drop-in center, adding hundreds of new treatment beds and broadening access to withdrawal medications.



But what happens after a potentially deadly overdose is reversed is a fraught public health question.



When city paramedics respond to an overdose call, there is no requirement to take the person to a hospital if the person refuses, is capable of understanding their decision and is considered not a danger to themselves or others, according to city policy reviewed by The Standard. Ordinary citizens who reverse an overdose are also not required to contact local health authorities.



The city’s Street Overdose Response Team—a program made up of a paramedic, a clinician and peer counselors tasked with connecting overdose survivors to medical care—followed up with survivors 36% of the time between October 2021 and June 2023, according to the most recent publicly available data.



Of 1,439 interactions the response team had with overdose survivors during that period, 5% of victims were referred to withdrawal management, 42% were &#8220;assisted with services&#8221; and 56% were provided harm reduction education. A total of 13% were prescribed buprenorphine, a withdrawal management drug, and 15% were already using the medication. The health department noted in a statement that other street care teams provide ongoing support to homeless people with the goal of connecting them to treatment.



<iframe title="Overdose Survivor FollowUp Outcomes" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-utWxb" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/utWxb/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="634" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script>



A nonfatal overdose may be the strongest indicator that a person is at high risk of facing serious harm from their drug use. At the same time, mishandling the moments following their revival can erode a victim’s trust in the medical system, making them less likely to seek help in the future.



Rob Weber, a longtime San Francisco drug user, said he accidentally overdosed on fentanyl about a year ago after he used a stranger’s crack pipe near the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library. He recalled waking up in San Francisco General Hospital with chest pain but said hospital staff rushed him back to his homeless shelter in an Uber. He said no health officials ever contacted him to follow up.



“I didn’t even know where I was, but they just wanted me out of there,” Weber said. “There’s a lot of people in the medical field who have a disdain for people who use drugs.”



Some overdose survivors said they were simply left on the city’s streets after being revived. Others recalled waking up in a hospital and quickly taking the bus, or hitching a ride, to the closest drug dealer.



“Imagine people around you yelling at you, and you don’t know how to react,” said Brian Rain, who said he’s overdosed five times on fentanyl. “You realize that you could’ve died. But you need your drugs.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-deep-dark-hole">‘A Deep, Dark Hole’</h2>



Some drug users said the profound discomfort of their withdrawals overshadowed the implications of their close call with death. Rather than contemplate the consequences of their drug use at that moment, they said the pain of withdrawals sent them into a frantic search for their next high, a feeling they called “getting well.”



“I remember coming out of it, not understanding what happened and just being horribly sick,” Green said. “It’d be better to be dead than sick.”



A study <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196064419303439">conducted in Massachusetts</a> in 2020 found that 5.5% of people who were revived from overdoses in the hospital died within a year of the incident. About 67% of those deaths came from a subsequent opioid overdose.



According to Appa, an opioid overdose effectively causes a person’s body to forget to breathe on its own. She said Narcan works by quickly emptying the brain’s receptors of opioids, allowing bodily functions to continue but causing severe withdrawals.



“Reversing overdoses is not what we want. Optimally, what we want is preventing the overdose in the first place,” Appa said. “The cumulative effects of [lack of oxygen] on the brain are obviously not great.”



Even hours after an overdose is reversed with Narcan, the brain may be unable to feel the effects of opioids fully. It’s not until long after he gets high again, Green said, that he realizes the gravity of his brush with death.



“There’s no light at the end of the tunnel. There’s nothing,” Green said. “It’s scary.”&n...

Pandemic-era internet access for San Francisco students in limbo

Federal funding that paid for students to have internet access during the pandemic is set to end this month, raising questions about how San Francisco can afford to continue offering digital support for families who need it.&nbsp;



Spurred by the government’s formal end to the Covid public health emergency in May, federal funds will soon run out for emergency connectivity, kicking the bill for such services to localities like San Francisco Unified School District.&nbsp;



The district, which has roughly 49,000 students, said it currently has about 8,000 internet hot spots lent out, and it would cost around $2.5 million to continue providing them to students for the rest of the current school year. This would amount to a new unbudgeted expense for a service the district did not provide before the pandemic.



Families and staff were told ahead of the current school year that hot spot connections <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TVlsO4Lxl4uKtXHOMxCMMXIj-H9vJbYX49qfStquxoQ/preview" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">would cease on Sept. 30</a> and asked to return their devices within the month. But in late August, the district backtracked and told The Standard that the service would be extended for another three months.



“We recognize reliable internet access at home is crucial for bridging the homework gap,” said district spokesperson Laura Dudnick. She added that the district is exploring alternative options to offer a long-term solution for home internet access.



One of those options is the federal <a href="https://sf.gov/connectsanfrancisco" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Affordable Connectivity Program</a>, which can knock off $30 from the internet bills of those who qualify. The city and district have teamed up to let families know about this option.&nbsp;



Thomas Reddy, a teacher at George Washington High School, estimates that a quarter of his students are learning with the help of free hot spots from the district.&nbsp;



A survey early in the pandemic <a href="https://www.sparksfpublicschools.org/sfunifiedaccess" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">indicated that 25%</a> of the district’s students lacked reliable home internet access. More than half live at or below the poverty level.&nbsp;



Reddy said even with kids back at school, the problem remains big enough that it severely limits the amount of homework he assigns his students. Even among those who are online at home, the connections are sometimes not strong enough to allow students to download large files or watch videos.&nbsp;



Without ensuring students have access to reliable internet service, “They cannot pretend to be teaching all students,” Reddy said. “In the city, the digital divide is huge.”



Universal internet has long been a goal of the state and the city&#8217;s government. In 2019, San Francisco charted a vision for broader access <a href="https://sfmohcd.org/sites/default/files/SF_Digital_Equity_Strategic_Plan_2019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">over a five-year plan</a>.&nbsp;



Strategies the city has tapped is bringing free fiber internet to affordable housing, offering computer and Wi-Fi access through the public library system, and maintaining service for some 12,000 housing units, beds, trailers, tents and community rooms, according to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development.&nbsp;



Remote learning, of course, <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/culture/article/Can-San-Francisco-realize-the-dream-of-public-15464760.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">crystallized the consequences of the digital divide</a>. The district <a href="https://www.sfusd.edu/about/news/current-news/eliminating-digital-divide-more-urgent-ever-schools-reopen-distance-learning" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">found itself raising $25 million</a> to <a href="https://www.sparksfpublicschools.org/closing-the-digital-divide" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">provide over 16,000 hotspots and 41,000</a> Chromebooks and iPads to students.



As of 2021, a 10th of households in San Francisco lack internet connections of any kind, <a href="https://sanbamdata.blob.core.windows.net/bbusa/BBUSACommReports/202106/Counties/06075.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration</a>. Around 7% don’t have a computer, smartphone or tablet.

Only 1 person at SF City Hall knows the answer to this simple question

In the process of reporting a <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/london-breed-mayor-san-francisco-drugs-homelessness-crime-economy-election/">long story about Mayor London Breed</a>, one seemingly routine question proved to be exceptionally difficult to answer: How many departments, commissions and advisory boards are there in San Francisco?



This seems like a straightforward question. Hardly.



Dozens of calls, emails and texts were sent asking the same question, but no one at City Hall was willing or able to give a definitive answer. Staff at the Mayor’s Office said they once knew the numbers—an intern apparently had been assigned the unenviable task of counting—but the report couldn’t be located.&nbsp;



Instead, the mayor’s team, a majority of supervisors and multiple city departments sent along a string of incomplete or <a href="https://sfbos.org/sites/default/files/Maddy_Act_Report_2023.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">regional reports</a> and suggested I give so-and-so a call, only to have that person send me the same reports and refer me back to the places from which I came.&nbsp;



Weeks went by without a single person at City Hall willing to offer hard numbers. For anyone who pays taxes in San Francisco, this may be a bit troubling considering it’s the equivalent of asking a parent how many children they have.&nbsp;



“Who, him? I think that’s Gary, number eight. Or is it nine?”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1668" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-2500x1668.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-133148" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-2500x1668.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-300x200.jpg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-768x512.jpg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-650x434.jpg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-370x247.jpg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-800x534.jpg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-450x300.jpg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-20x13.jpg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-185x123.jpg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-740x494.jpg 740w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-400x267.jpg 400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-1600x1067.jpg 1600w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-225x150.jpg 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-900x600.jpg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PoliceCommision010323_920-72x48.jpg 72w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Commissioner Jim Byrne, right, and Paul Henderson, left, attend a Police Commission meeting at San Francisco City Hall on March 1, 2023. | Benjamin Fanjoy for The Standard</figcaption></figure>



It wasn’t until I circled back to the City Attorney’s Office that a knight in shining armor emerged. Jen Kwart, a spokesperson for the office, hand-counted city departments—based on statements of economic interest filed by department heads—to come to the conclusion that San Francisco has 53 departments, 56 boards and commissions, and 74 more advisory bodies, bringing the grand total to 183 different entities. And that doesn’t even include other informal groups created by the mayor and city agencies.



GET THE INSIDE SCOOP: Power Play is The Standard&#8217;s insider email newsletter covering City Hall and politics. Sign up&nbsp;<a href="https://mailchi.mp/sfstandard/powerplay_signup/">here</a>.



If that seems like a lot, that’s because it is a lot <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/city-hall/explanier-san-francisco-boards-and-commissions/">compared with other cities</a>. So much so that San Francisco currently has more than 180 vacancies for members of the public to serve across an array of boards, commissions and advisory bodies.



“San Francisco has so many commissions the number is almost farcical,” Joel Engardio, a first-year supervisor for the Sunset District, said in a text message. “There are probably 60 or 70 commissions the public has never heard of. Many of these commissions have vacancies or large numbers of absences, which means even the people who know about them don’t care enough to fill the seats or show up. We have to ask, &#8216;What’s the point of all these commissions if they’re only catering to a small group of political insiders talking to each other?&#8217;”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1667" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-161673" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-2500x1667.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-300x200.jpg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-768x512.jpg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-650x433.jpg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-370x247.jpg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-800x533.jpg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-450x300.jpg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-20x13.jpg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-185x123.jpg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-740x493.jpg 740w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-400x267.jpg 400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-1600x1067.jpg 1600w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-225x150.jpg 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-900x600.jpg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-183-72x48.jpg 72w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Supervisor Joel Engardio speaks during a board meeting at San Francisco City Hall on May 16, 2023. | Justin Katigbak for The Standard.</figcaption></figure>



Engardio isn’t alone in admitting that San Francisco’s unique brand of participatory democracy has become unwieldy and expensive. Even though most of the commission and advisory board positions are unpaid, there is a cost to hunting down appointees and staffing them.



Of course, many commissions are established by the City Charter and make good sense. San Franciscans want citizen oversight for obvious things like <a href="https://sf.gov/departments/police-commission">police</a> and <a href="https://sfplanning.org/hearings-hpc-grid">historic preservation</a>. Getting rid of these or altering them would require voter sign-off to update the City Charter.



But critics of the vast number of advisory boards and oversight commissions say that, ironically, they lead to opacity instead of the transparency they’re meant to provide. Many groups have been created as the result of ballot measures being passed, which package taxes and updates to the law with task forces.&nbsp;



One City Hall insider suggested the work of a group like the Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax Advisory Committee could be overseen by the Health Commission, but <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/San_Francisco,_California,_Soda_and_Sugary_Beverages_Tax,_Proposition_V_(November_2016)" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a 2016 ballot measure</a> that slapped a tax on sweet drinks—San Francisco’s attempt to take on Big Soda—created the committee. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1790" height="1194" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/1022723BOSRoundup-62.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-132339" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/1022723BOSRoundup-62.jpg 1790w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/1022723BOSRoundup-62.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/1022723BOSRoundup-62.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/1022723BOSRoundup-62.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1790px) 100vw, 1790px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">President Aaron Peskin oversees the Board o...

Asian Art Museum

Office of the City Administrator

Adult Probation Department

Airport

Arts Commission

Office of the Assessor-Recorder

Board of Appeals

Office of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

Office of the City Attorney

Department of Children, Youth and Their Families

Controller's Office

Planning Department

Civil Service Commission

District Attorney's Office

Department of Building Inspection

Department of Early Childhood

Department of Emergency Management

Department of Police Accountability

Department of Public Health

Department of Public Works

Office of Economic and Workforce Development

Environment Department

Ethics Commission

Fine Arts Museums

Fire Department

Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing

Human Rights Commission

Department of Human Resources

Human Services Agency

Health Service System

Juvenile Probation Department

Public Library

Municipal Transportation Agency

Office of the Mayor

Public Defender's Office

Police Department

Port

Public Utilities Commission

Recreation and Park Department

Department of Elections

Retirement System

Rent Board

Sheriff's Department Office of Inspector General

Sheriff's Department

Department of Technology

Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector

War Memorial

Department on the Status of Women

General City Responsibilities

General Administration & Finance

Culture & Recreation

Community Health

Human Welfare & Neighborhood Development

Public Works, Transportation & Commerce

Public Protection

SF Civil Grand Jury

The Abatement Appeals Board provides a final review process for City permitting decisions. It ensures fair and efficient adjudication of permit-related disputes before an impartial panel. The board holds authority to make binding decisions on appeals concerning notices of abatement.

Abatement Appeals Board

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 1

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 2

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 3

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 4

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 5

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 6

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 7

The Access Appeals Commission provides final reviews for a wide range of City permitting decisions. It ensures an efficient, fair, and expeditious permit issuance process through an impartial panel. The commission holds authority to make binding decisions on appeals related to City permits.

Access Appeals Commission

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 1

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 2

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 3

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 4

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 5

The Adult Day Health Care Planning Council advises on the development and improvement of adult day health care services. It provides expertise in healthcare planning, policy recommendations, and program evaluation. Key responsibilities include assessing community needs and advising on service delivery enhancements.

Adult Day Health Care Planning Council

Adult Probation Department supervises individuals on probation and facilitates their reintegration into the community. It provides reentry and rehabilitative services, including victim restitution and financial assistance for crime victims. The department values public safety, offender rehabilitation, and community partnerships.

Cristel Tullock

The Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Crafts Examiners evaluates arts and crafts applicants and monitors program compliance. It conducts studio visits and public screenings to ensure adherence to established criteria. Members also revise program criteria and undertake additional tasks as needed.

Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Crafts Examiners

The Advisory Council on Human Rights advises on anti-discrimination laws and racial equity initiatives. It provides expertise on reparations and public policy impacts on Black communities. It guides efforts to establish partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities in San Francisco.

Advisory Council on Human Rights

San Francisco Airport manages air traffic operations and ensures safe aircraft movement. It provides parking facilities and maintains airport infrastructure to accommodate travelers and staff. The department oversees ground transportation and coordinates with airlines for efficient passenger services.

Mike Nakornkhet

The Airport Commission oversees policy and strategic planning for San Francisco International Airport. It makes key decisions on airport development projects and financial management. It ensures compliance with regulations and collaborates on initiatives like terminal naming.

Airport Commission

Airport Commission Commissioner 1

Malcolm Yeung

Jose F. Almanza

Mark Buell

Susan Leal

Airport Director

Animal Care and Control Department manages animal sheltering, adoption, and emergency response services. It enforces animal-related laws and regulations, ensuring the humane treatment and safety of animals. The department also provides public education on responsible pet ownership and animal welfare.

Animal Care and Control Department

Virginia Donohue

Animal Care and Control Department, Director

The San Francisco Arts Commission oversees the integration of arts into city life and ensures public access to cultural experiences. It makes decisions on public art programs and allocates grants to support local artists and performances. The commission actively shapes policies affecting the arts ecosystem in San Francisco.

Arts Commission Commissioner 1

Arts Commission Commissioner 2

Arts Commission Commissioner 3

Arts Commission Commissioner 4

Debra Walker

Suzanne Ferras

Jessica Rothschild

Seth Brenzel

JD Beltran

Marcus Shelby

J Riccardo Benavides

Nabiel Musleh

Charles (Chuck) Collins

Lydia So

Arts Commission Commissioner 15

San Francisco Arts Commission invests in a vibrant arts community and shapes cultural policy. It enlivens the urban environment through public art programs and supports diverse artistic expressions. The commission facilitates meetings and discussions to engage the community in cultural development.

Ralph Remington

Arts Commission, Director of Cultural Affairs

The Asian Art Commission determines policy and administers the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. It oversees museum operations and collaborates with the Asian Art Museum Foundation on fundraising efforts. Commissioners ensure the museum's strategic direction and financial sustainability.

Asian Art Commission

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 1

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 2

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 3

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 4

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 5

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 6

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 7

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 8

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 9

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 10

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 11

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 12

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 13

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 14

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 15

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 16

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 17

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 18

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 19

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 20

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 21

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 22

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 23

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 24

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 25

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 26

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 27

Asian Art Museum showcases Asian art and culture through exhibitions and educational programs. It offers diverse collections and hosts special events to engage the community. The museum fosters cultural appreciation and understanding by providing access to its extensive art collections.

Dr. Soyoung Lee

Asian Art Museum, Director

The Assessment Appeals Board #1 hears property tax assessment appeals in San Francisco. It evaluates evidence presented by taxpayers and the Assessor to determine property values. The Board has the authority to make final decisions on assessments regardless of property type or value.

Assessment Appeals Board #1

Assessment Appeals Board #1 Commissioner 1

Assessment Appeals Board #1 Commissioner 2

Richard Lee

Stephen Wasserman

Adena Gilbert

Paul Bellar

Quirina Mitchell

Hilary Winslow

The Assessment Appeals Board #2 adjudicates property tax assessment appeals for San Francisco taxpayers. It evaluates evidence presented by taxpayers and the Assessor to determine accurate property values. The Board exercises authority to render final decisions on residential properties and specific real estate assessments.

Assessment Appeals Board #2

Assessment Appeals Board #2 Commissioner 1

Assessment Appeals Board #2 Commissioner 2

Assessment Appeals Board #2 Commissioner 3

Claire Ervin Lee

Louisa Mendoza

Joyce Lewis

Nicholas Goldman

Michelle Domingo

The Assessment Appeals Board #3 provides a platform for San Francisco taxpayers to contest property tax assessments. It conducts hearings where evidence from both taxpayers and the Assessor is evaluated. The Board makes binding decisions on property assessments based on presented evidence.

Assessment Appeals Board #3

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 1

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 2

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 3

Marc Dickow

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 5

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 6

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 7

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 8

Assesses property, applies exemptions, collects transfer taxes, and records official documents.

Assessor-Recorder

Joaquín Torres

The Ballot Simplification Committee ensures voter materials are clear and understandable. It reviews and revises ballot language to accurately reflect propositions and measures. The committee advises on simplifying complex legal and technical terms for voter comprehension.

Ballot Simplification Committee

The Bayview Hunters Point Citizens Advisory Committee provides policy advice on planning and land use matters in Zone 2 of Bayview Hunter's Point. It offers expertise in land use policies, zoning issues, and urban development. The committee advises the Board of Supervisors, City Boards, and commissions on relevant projects and initiatives.

Bayview Hunters Point Citizens Advisory Committee