Mayor’s panda plans bogged down as supervisors question $25M fundraising ask

Mayor London Breed’s giant panda dreams are meeting some harsh political realities.



Citing concerns about potential conflicts of interest among the Mayor’s Office and major political donors, a three-person committee at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 2-1 Thursday morning to postpone Breed&#8217;s request to allow “behested payments” in her nascent efforts to raise $25 million for the San Francisco Zoo to host pandas leased from China.



The panda proposal stems from Breed’s April trip to China, where she secured an agreement to bring a pair of pandas to the city’s zoo. Housing and caring for the pandas is likely to cost the zoo tens of millions of dollars. Breed introduced a resolution to the board that would clear certain city departments to fundraise for a new enclosure and other needed infrastructure upgrades to the zoo.



Among these departments are the Recreation and Park Department, which owns the zoo, and the city-operated San Francisco International Airport and its commission. Breed’s resolution would allow these departments to receive unlimited donations, or behests, from individuals, charities or private-sector companies, even if donors have contracts or do business with the city.



Such an exemption from the city&#8217;s complex behested payment rules, <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2022/06/17/how-sfs-anti-corruption-law-is-causing-fundraising-headaches-in-all-the-wrong-places-and-spurring-backlash-from-mayor-breed/">tightened in 2022</a> because of the <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/02/01/san-francisco-city-hall-corruption-scandal-nuru/">Department of Public Works corruption scandal</a>, requires the Board of Supervisors’ approval. The proposed exemption would be only for panda purposes and would last six months, with the possibility of renewal.



At the Government Audit and Oversight Committee hearing Thursday, Breed&#8217;s Chief of Staff Sean Elsbernd said that no taxpayer dollars will be used for hosting the pandas, necessitating an aggressive fundraising campaign from the city.



“That&#8217;s why we continue to ensure only philanthropic [money] will go to support the pandas,” Elsbernd said.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5400" height="3600" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/xiao-qi-ji-01.jpg?w=2500" alt="A giant panda walks through grass near wooden structures, looking toward the camera." class="wp-image-237864" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/xiao-qi-ji-01.jpg 5400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/xiao-qi-ji-01.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/xiao-qi-ji-01.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/xiao-qi-ji-01.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/xiao-qi-ji-01.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/xiao-qi-ji-01.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 5400px) 100vw, 5400px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">China agrees to send a pair of pandas to San Francisco. But the city still needs to fundraise tens of millions of dollars.</figcaption></figure>



However, with the city facing budget cuts, Supervisor Ahsha Safaí, who is running to replace Breed for mayor, criticized the timing and nature of her proposal as a distraction to the city’s pressing priorities.



Safaí said he supported the pandas coming to the city but questioned how leaders could justify the attention paid to such fundraising while the city is also cutting millions of dollars from the multibillion city budget and defunding many programs, which could hurt nonprofits, families and children.&nbsp;



“This is about prioritizing children over pandas,” the supervisor said. “This is about prioritizing our future.”



Some donors are already expressing interest. Elsbernd said that United Airlines has reached out about donating toward the pandas’ costs, but Breed’s office has to wait until the city passes an exemption because the airline has contracts with the airport.



Supervisors Connie Chan and Dean Preston questioned the mayor’s top aide about the potential for corruption if airport commissioners were allowed to ask for unlimited donations from airlines.&nbsp;



“Is it necessary to include airport commissioners?” Chan asked, emphasizing that the behested payment rules aim to stop potential &#8220;pay-to-play&#8221; schemes. Preston also demanded more transparency from the Mayor&#8217;s Office about which donors it plans to approach.



In a statement, Airport Commission President Malcolm Yeung, a Chinese American who went to China with Breed, said that San Francisco hosting pandas was the dream of many mayors and he’s excited to help make it a reality, but he agreed that the commission should stay out of the fundraising campaign.



“While I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to help in this way,” Yeung said. “I understand the need to remove an airport commissioner from the behesting exemption.”



Another concern centered on the zoo’s ability to care for the pandas properly, in light of investigative reports by the San Francisco Chronicle detailing incidents involving a dangerous working environment and the death of a penguin.



Elsbernd parried these questions by suggesting that zoological experts from China and federal authorities will have a chance to assess the zoo’s safety and conditions. The city is currently engaged in discussions involving multiple international partners regarding the technical requirements for the zoo to receive the pandas, he said.



The committee eventually voted to shelve the resolution temporarily, with Chan and Preston voting to postpone, while Supervisor Catherine Stefani, a Breed ally, voted against the delay. Preston, the chair of the committee, would not commit to bringing up the item in the next meeting.



After the vote, Breed&#8217;s office released a statement saying the delay of the issue is not uncommon, and the office will amend the resolution based on the supervisors&#8217; feedback.



“This is an exciting moment and opportunity for our city,” the statement said. “Mayor Breed will continue to work across city departments and with the Board of Supervisors to ensure the private funding needed can proceed.”



The city and the zoo have not yet released a timeline or specific costs for the pandas’ arrival, and the $25 million is just an estimated number, based on previous costs incurred by U.S. zoos that have hosted China’s national animal. Breed can only start the fundraising effort when the resolution passes the board.&nbsp;



Several prominent and wealthy Chinese American leaders have told The Standard that they are interested in donating to the cause but said it is still too early for them to start considering the sizes of their checks.

Aaron Peskin to announce run for San Francisco mayor in Chinatown, sources say

After months of rumors and <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2024/01/26/san-francisco-progressive-supervisor-aaron-peskin-not-running-mayor/">guarded statements</a>, Supervisor Aaron Peskin is expected to announce his campaign for mayor of San Francisco this Saturday in Chinatown, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the event.



The Standard has confirmed details of the campaign kickoff with multiple political activists, retired leaders and Chinese community members. Peskin called and invited these people to the event, which will be held at Portsmouth Square at 11 a.m. Some said Peskin called them as early as last week to inform them of his plans.



Records provided by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department show that the Rose Pak Democratic Club, a progressive Asian American political group, reserved Portsmouth Square from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, paying a $360 permit fee for a “Chinatown Community Rally.” The applicant, Calvin Yan, is a member of the club and a staffer in Peskin’s office.&nbsp;



Yan declined to comment Wednesday, deferring to club president Jeremy Lee, who couldn’t be reached by press time.



In a phone call Wednesday morning, Peskin told The Standard that he had mistakenly answered the phone and was taking part in a separate conference call. The line cut out when asked to confirm whether he will be holding a rally Saturday to announce his run for mayor. He did not respond to a follow-up call and text.



Jim Stearns, the supervisor’s longtime political consultant, also did not respond to a call and a text message requesting comment.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5187" height="3458" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SRO-CityFederal-092823_JY_001.jpg?w=2500" alt="Aaron Peskin listens intently in a crowd while Mayor London Breed speaks." class="wp-image-206546" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SRO-CityFederal-092823_JY_001.jpg 5187w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SRO-CityFederal-092823_JY_001.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SRO-CityFederal-092823_JY_001.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SRO-CityFederal-092823_JY_001.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SRO-CityFederal-092823_JY_001.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SRO-CityFederal-092823_JY_001.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 5187px) 100vw, 5187px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Supervisor Aaron Peskin has frequently sparred with Mayor London Breed during their time in office.</figcaption></figure>



Peskin, 59, is one of San Francisco’s most experienced politicians, but he has never won a citywide race. He was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2000 and served two four-year terms before rejoining the board in 2015. He is currently in his fourth term representing the district that includes North Beach, Chinatown and the Financial District.



Saturday’s event was first reported in a tweet by the Voice of San Francisco.



His entry into the mayor’s race will offer voters a clear-cut progressive candidate, as he will face off against moderate candidates in Mayor London Breed, former mayor and supervisor Mark Farrell and nonprofit founder and Levi’s heir Daniel Lurie. Supervisor Ahsha Safaí, who is also running, has positioned himself to the left of the field, but Peskin is a more clearly defined progressive. 



Last month, Peskin told The Standard he sees “a lane” to victory through the city’s ranked-choice voting system.



During his time as a supervisor, Peskin has wielded substantial power over City Hall, serving three terms as board president—a role that he currently holds. He has sparred with colleagues and city staff, leading to an acknowledgment during the pandemic that he had a drinking problem, and he also has enraged YIMBYs and pro-development groups in the city by blocking new housing projects.&nbsp;



Joe Arellano, a spokesperson for Breed’s campaign, compared Peskin to the fictional character The Terminator, saying his approach to governing is “intimidation, obstruction, and dysfunction.” 



“He is the person most-responsible for creating a city of haves and have nots, by limiting the amount of housing that gets built and freezing out young people from owning a home,” Arellano said in a statement. “He’s also a hypocrite—he masquerades as a progressive while owning hundreds of thousands of dollars in Amazon, CVS, and Bank of America stock and owning <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2024/04/02/san-francisco-mayor-finances-breed-peskin-safai-farrell-lurie/">millions of dollars of property</a> across town.”



Farrell issued a statement saying he would do everything in his power to stop Peskin from becoming mayor.



“Peskin is abusive, toxic, and a documented obstructionist to the progress San Francisco needs to make to get back on track,” Farrell said, adding that the board president has not been helpful in addressing public safety, housing or the local economy.



Laura Foote, the executive director of YIMBY Action, said that a Peskin mayoral victory would represent a “major step backwards” for the city.



“Aaron Peskin has a long track record of opposing housing and trying to freeze our city in amber—much to the detriment of everyday San Franciscans,” Foote said. “He does not believe we have a housing shortage that requires changing how we do things. He&#8217;s comfortable fiddling with conditional use permits while San Francisco&#8217;s housing shortage burns.”&nbsp;



Peskin was born and raised in Berkeley and graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz. In addition to serving as a supervisor, he runs a nonprofit with his wife called Great Basin Land and Water, which represents and negotiates with Native American tribes on water rights and land acquisitions in California, Nevada and Utah.

Marina boat owners shocked as city seeks 30% fee hikes

After a <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2024/01/29/marina-green-activists-harbor-plan-vote/">proposal to build a yacht harbor in front of Marina Green was squashed</a> by grassroots organizers, an effort is underway to raise the fees for berthing a vessel at the boatyard. The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department says the move will help make its operations there financially sustainable.



The department notified boat owners this week that it would like to bump berthing fees by a whopping 31.4% by summer 2025. If the fee increases are approved, it would affect about 600 vessels, the department said.



&#8220;It&#8217;s to make the marina self-sufficient,&#8221; department spokesperson Tamara Aparton told The Standard. &#8220;We can&#8217;t subsidize it. We think our funding should go toward recreation, not for subsidizing the marina.&#8221;



Keeping a boat at the marina currently costs $6,000 annually for the smallest, 25-foot slip and up to $30,600 for the largest, 100-foot slip



The new proposal comes after the city tried to use part of a $160 million settlement with PG&amp;E to redesign the harbor. The funds, which came as the result of a 2021 <a href="https://www.sfcityattorney.org/2021/01/15/city-secures-settlement-requiring-pge-to-pay-up-to-190-million-to-clean-up-and-reconstruct-the-marina-harbor/">legal settlement,</a> were intended to clean up pollution caused by a former coal gasification plant and help pay for some improvements to the area.



The department had proposed extending the harbor and adding a new breakwater, arguing that the project would have added funds to its coffers by allowing it to cut back on expensive dredging. The plan was put forward as the city contends with <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2024/01/17/san-francisco-budget-deficit-1-4-billion-cuts-london-breed/">a massive budget deficit</a> that has led to orders by Mayor London Breed to cut department costs.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3000" height="2000" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0348.jpg?w=2500" alt="People stroll by the water near Fort Mason, seagulls on the path, a clear blue sky overhead." class="wp-image-212206" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0348.jpg 3000w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0348.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0348.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0348.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0348.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0348.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">People walk along the San Francisco Bay Trail at Marina Green.</figcaption></figure>



An analysis by city staff suggested that additional boats could make the marina profitable to the tune of $1 million a year. But the project was <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2024/01/29/marina-green-activists-harbor-plan-vote/">spiked in late January</a> after an outcry from residents who argued that building anything in front of Marina Green would ruin a vital community space.



Members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors&#8217; Land Use and Transportation Committee agreed with opponents and passed an ordinance blocking the plans from moving forward. The committee vote was unanimous, and the ordinance was ultimately approved by the full board and signed by Breed.



Now, the Recreation and Park Department is looking for other ways to keep the boatyard afloat.



The proposal for the fee increases will be heard at the Budget and Finance Committee in the coming weeks. 









&#8220;We understand that any increase in fees may impact you, and we assure you that these adjustments have been carefully considered in light of our operational needs and commitments to maintaining high-quality facilities and services,&#8221; the he Recreation and Park Department said in a message to owners.



Joe Bravo, who has been boating at the harbor since the 1970s and currently docks a 35-foot sailboat there, said he understands that the city needs to find funding somewhere. But he worries that the cost increases could end up driving boat owners elsewhere, noting that the current rates are already expensive.



&#8220;You’re going to lose them,&#8221; Bravo said. &#8220;It&#8217;s too easy to go somewhere else. There are plenty of places to go to.&#8221;



Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the date when the Budget and Finance Committee will hear the proposal for fee increases.

Activists score victory in move to kill controversial San Francisco harbor project

A grassroots neighborhood movement to stop the construction of a yacht harbor in front of the Marina Green won a victory Monday when the San Francisco Board of Supervisors&#8217; Land Use and Transportation Committee approved an ordinance that would block the contentious plan.



Marina District neighbors began organizing their opposition last winter after learning that the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department wanted to spend some of a $160 million settlement with PG&amp;E to finance the harbor extension. The funds were intended to clean up the bay after decades of pollution from a former coal gasification plant.



Instead of just using the funds to clean up the pollution, the city proposed putting the money toward a wholesale redesign of the area’s waterfront. Most controversial, the proposal would expand the existing West Harbor in front of the Marina Green, a popular community green space.&nbsp;



If passed, the ordinance would prohibit the city from moving forward on any project that would extend the West Harbor Marina beyond the existing jetty, <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/12/15/san-francisco-wave-organ-exploratorium-oppenheimer/">home to the Wave Organ</a>, though other versions of the project would still be allowed.



The Recreation and Parks Department has argued that extending the harbor and adding a new breakwater would allow the city to cut down on costly dredging, avoid disturbing polluted sediment in the east harbor and make the marina more financially sustainable.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1607" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-1.jpg?w=2500" alt="A map shows a proposed redesign of the marina." class="wp-image-212201" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-1.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-1.jpg?resize=300,193 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-1.jpg?resize=768,494 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-1.jpg?resize=1536,987 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-1.jpg?resize=2048,1316 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A map outlines the proposed changes to the San Francisco Marina. The project would relocate boat slips from the southeast corner of the Marina to in front of Marina Green.</figcaption></figure>



But Marina District resident Evelyn Graham wasn’t buying it. She described the Marina Green as a gorgeous, peaceful and iconic piece of San Francisco where she walks every day. When she learned about the harbor extension proposal on a Nextdoor post, she joined a small but growing group of neighbors that eventually gathered at the local library in March 2023 to strategize on how to oppose the project.



“Everyone had enthusiasm and different ideas,” Graham said.



Her thought was to contact members of the Board of Supervisors to try to get the project changed.



“When you start at the top, it’s easier to get to the top,” she said.



Meanwhile, the group, which eventually took on the name Keep the Waterfront Open, began plastering the neighborhood with signs reading “No New Harbor.” That’s what first got the attention of fellow activist Erin Roach, another Marina resident who joined up.



Now, Roach brings pocket-size flyers every time she goes to the Marina Green and hands them out to passersby, she said. Those efforts have gathered supporters from across the city who travel to the space for boating, exercise and relaxation. That geographical diversity is the key to the activists’ strength, Roach said.



“If it were just the Marina people [opposing the project], it wouldn’t be persuasive enough,” she said.



The campaign has turned hundreds of people out to community meetings to hear local politicians speak about the issue.&nbsp;



That includes Supervisor Ahsha Safaí, who said the activists deserve tremendous credit for how much they’ve been able to raise the issue to city leaders.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3000" height="2000" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0123.jpg?w=2500" alt="Birds fly over the bay with the city in the background." class="wp-image-212203" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0123.jpg 3000w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0123.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0123.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0123.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0123.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0123.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Birds fly over the jetty separating the San Francisco Marina from the bay in October 2023.</figcaption></figure>



Safaí authored the ordinance that sailed through committee Monday with a unanimous vote from Supervisors Aaron Peskin, Myrna Melgar and Dean Preston.&nbsp;



“I think Rec and Parks had a predetermined design and idea, and they’re not interested in going through a robust community engagement and exploration of additional fundraising options, or additional ideas of design,” Safaí said.



Next, the ordinance will head to the full Board of Supervisors for a vote, then, if it passes, it&#8217;s on to the mayor’s desk.



The Mayor’s Office declined to comment on the ordinance.



The Recreation and Parks Department has warned that the ordinance could have negative impacts on the marina. For one, the project is still in its planning process, according to department spokesperson Tamara Aparton.



“This proposed ordinance would limit that process, closing off consideration of the full breadth of design options and blocking any analysis of their pros and cons,” Aparton said.



As a <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2024/01/17/san-francisco-budget-deficit-1-4-billion-cuts-london-breed/">budget deficit looms over San Francisco</a> and cuts are on the horizon, some observers, Safaí included, have speculated that the harbor extension proposal could be driven primarily by a desire to balance the Marina’s ledger by building pricier boat berths and saving money on dredging.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3000" height="2000" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/INLINED_MarinaFuture101623-0382.jpg?w=2500" alt="Boats float in the harbor." class="wp-image-212887" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/INLINED_MarinaFuture101623-0382.jpg 3000w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/INLINED_MarinaFuture101623-0382.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/INLINED_MarinaFuture101623-0382.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/INLINED_MarinaFuture101623-0382.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/INLINED_MarinaFuture101623-0382.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/INLINED_MarinaFuture101623-0382.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Boats float at the East Harbor at Gashouse Cove in San Francisco in October 2023.</figcaption></figure>



A recent <a href="https://sfgov.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&amp;ID=12624810&amp;GUID=F7C5337D-A96A-4027-88DE-8FA3F18695D6">budget analyst report</a> concluded that if the Marina project moved forward with expanding the harbor in front of the green, the Marina could become profitable, bringing in about $1 million each year.



But if the west harbor stays the same size, the city would have to turn to other options to balance the budget, either by raising boat berthing fees by 15% to 20% over already-planned increases or by charging for parking at the Marina, the report concluded.



It currently costs about $11,700 a year for a 40-foot slip in the West Harbor, the most common size. A 25-foot slip, the cheapest, is $6,000, while the priciest 100-foot slip runs $30,600 annually.



“We remain concerned that if rates are raised so much that they drive people away, that will jeopardize the marina’s ability to operate independently,” Rec and Parks official Sarah Madland said during Monday’s meeting.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Peskin was unmoved by that argument. Shortly before voting to move the ordinance forward, he said that the department exists to provide the public with parks, not make money.



“The Recreation and Parks Department is, by design, a money loser,” Peskin said.

Yachts could block an iconic Marina District view. Residents are not happy

San Francisco just moved one step closer to a controversial redesign of a Marina District harbor that would place yachts in front of one of the city’s most iconic views and clean up only some of the pollution the project was initially funded to deal with.



The San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission voted Thursday to move the project forward after an hourslong, sweltering hearing in front of a standing-room-only crowd that booed city staff as they laid out plans.&nbsp;



The vote came despite an effort by two city leaders to pause the project until more members of the public have a chance to weigh in.



The project would add new, larger boat slips to the harbor, placing parked yachts directly in front of the popular Marina Green promenade. Dozens of people who spoke during public comment at Thursday’s meeting balked at that idea, saying the harbor extension would block the beautiful view of the Marin Headlands and Golden Gate Bridge, transforming one of the city’s most iconic public spaces into an enclave for wealthy yacht owners.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3000" height="2000" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0329.jpg?w=2500" alt="" class="wp-image-212205" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0329.jpg 3000w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0329.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0329.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0329.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0329.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-0329.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A man walks along the San Francisco Bay Trail at Marina Green, which currently offers an open view of the bay.</figcaption></figure>



“It’s not just for the rich people,” 70-year-old Lower Pac Heights resident Sharon Wong said about the Marina Green.&nbsp;



Boaters, meanwhile, mourned the potential loss of a training ground for young sailors, while environmental advocates said the project failed to clean up enough pollution on the site.



Wong, who grew up near the city’s densely populated Chinatown, said those open bay views have offered her a lifelong connection to nature. She lamented the potential loss of one of the best places people can come to escape the hustle and bustle of Downtown, where, Wong said, “we don’t have this big expansive nature.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1607" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-1.jpg?w=2500" alt="" class="wp-image-212201" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-1.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-1.jpg?resize=300,193 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-1.jpg?resize=768,494 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-1.jpg?resize=1536,987 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MarinaFuture101623-1.jpg?resize=2048,1316 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A map outlines the proposed changes to the San Francisco Marina. The project would relocate boat slips from the southeast corner of the Marina to in front of Marina Green.</figcaption></figure>



The marina redesign stems from a decadeslong legal battle between San Francisco and PG&amp;E.&nbsp;



The utility’s former coal gasification plant near the harbor polluted the bay for years, and the city sued in 2001 over chemical compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons discovered in the sediments of the East Harbor, <a href="https://www.sfcityattorney.org/2021/01/15/city-secures-settlement-requiring-pge-to-pay-up-to-190-million-to-clean-up-and-reconstruct-the-marina-harbor/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to the City Attorney’s Office</a>. In 2021, PG&amp;E settled with San Francisco, committing to pay up to $160 million to clean up harbor pollution. The settlement set off a multiyear discussion about how, exactly, to spend the money.



The proposal that came out of the process and went before the commission Thursday would radically change the marina. Many of the boat slips in the East Harbor, also known as Gashouse Cove, would be demolished, leaving a new shallow-water basin open to small boats like kayaks and canoes. Those boat slips would move to an expanded West Harbor, protected by a new breakwater, that would sit directly in front of the Marina Green.



The Recreation and Park Department argues that removing toxic pollutants from the lower East Harbor and rebuilding its boat slips, as many advocates want, would actually increase pollution because there’s natural sediment that covers the toxic material, according to department spokesperson Tamara Aparton.



“Rebuilding rather than relocating the harbor would require this natural sediment cover to be removed to accommodate the dredging required for the return of boats to the area,” Aparton told The Standard. “Removing the sediment cover would generate significant sediment pollution during construction.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3000" height="2000" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/INLINED_MarinaFuture101623-0382.jpg?w=2500" alt="" class="wp-image-212887" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/INLINED_MarinaFuture101623-0382.jpg 3000w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/INLINED_MarinaFuture101623-0382.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/INLINED_MarinaFuture101623-0382.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/INLINED_MarinaFuture101623-0382.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/INLINED_MarinaFuture101623-0382.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/INLINED_MarinaFuture101623-0382.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Boats float in the East Harbor at Gashouse Cove in San Francisco.</figcaption></figure>



But critics of the project, including city supervisors Aaron Peskin and Ahsha Safaí, speculate that the decision to leave the toxic material untouched is driven by dollar signs. That’s because the proposed slips in front of the Marina Green would be larger, allowing the department to charge more to park. And the new breakwater would reduce the costly dredging needed to maintain the harbor.



“This can’t be driven by the desire just to make money,” Safaí told The Standard.



Currently, dredging the harbor costs millions, Recreation and Park Department Project Manager Monica Scott said during the meeting. As a result, the department subsidizes the marina with money from its general fund each year, Scott said. That subsidy has totaled $5 million over the last five years, according to Aparton.



“That is truly the goal that we’re trying to move away from when we talk about financial sustainability for the marina,” Scott said.



The project, as proposed, would spend about $68 million cleaning up pollution and $54 million on harbor renovations, Scott said.



Thursday’s commission vote directed city staff to conduct an environmental analysis of the project, which could take up to two years. In an apparent nod to the overwhelming public opposition to the project, commissioners also directed city staff to look into the financial feasibility of minimizing the number of slips in the West Harbor, where they have the potential to block views.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3000" height="2000" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FEATURED_MarinaFuture101623.jpg?w=2500" alt="" class="wp-image-212886" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FEATURED_MarinaFuture101623.jpg 3000w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FEATURED_MarinaFuture101623.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FEATURED_MarinaFuture101623.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FEATURED_MarinaFuture101623.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FEATURED_MarinaFuture101623.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FEATURED_MarinaFuture101623.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A person looks out at boats at the San Francisco Marina.</figcaption></figure>



That consolation, however, didn’t sate Marina District resident Erin Roach, who has led opposition to the project.



“At the end of the day, [the Recreation and Park Department] is still trying to divert funds from this settlement to solve a separate issue with the West Harbor,” Roach said. “And in doing so, San Franciscans stand to lose a beloved landmark.”



Thursday’s vote did not bind the project to the current design, and it will come before the commission again once the environmental review wraps up. If it stays on track, construction would be...

Get ready, San Francisco: More huge concerts coming to Golden Gate Park

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved permits for more concerts in Golden Gate Park to be run by <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/08/11/outside-lands-2023-san-franciscos-own-la-dona-kicks-off-festivals-15th-anniversary/">Outside Lands</a> organizer Another Planet Entertainment Tuesday, clearing the way for new, separately branded, “headliner-driven” shows at the park’s Polo Fields the weekend after the music festival for at least the next three years.&nbsp;



The board voted 10-1 to approve the concert permits, which proved controversial, with some <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/08/11/san-franciscans-sound-off-about-expanding-outside-lands-in-2024/">west-side residents concerned about additional traffic impacts</a> around the park, after the proposal was forwarded to the full board by the Budget and Finance Committee.&nbsp;



“This is great news for San Francisco, which has long been a destination for music, festivals and entertainment,” said Mayor London Breed in a statement. 



Supervisor Connie Chan, who represented the Richmond District, was the sole vote against the permits. She reiterated concerns she raised at the budget committee about adverse impacts to the neighborhood.&nbsp;



“I do not plan to delay or derail this project and these benefits, but I do want to say on behalf of the Richmond district, I continue to have serious concerns that the department doesn&#8217;t really have a plan to address,” Chan said before the vote.



San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Department has projected the new concerts would generate up to $2.1 million in additional revenue for the city, plus peripheral economic benefits. At the budget committee, department policy director Sarah Madland presented them as “a key budget-balancing strategy for the department.”&nbsp;



The concerts, each featuring a single headline act plus supporting acts, would use the existing stage footprint of the Polo Fields, which is one-third the size of Outside Lands. Unlike the Outside Lands festival, the smaller concerts would not be accompanied by the closure of Chain of Lakes Drive to vehicular traffic.&nbsp;



But the idea of adding more concerts at Golden Gate Park was met with pushback from some residents of the city’s west-side neighborhoods.&nbsp;



Those concerns were reflected in the fact that the permits were referred to the full board without recommendation. Richmond District Supervisor Connie Chan, who chairs the budget committee, is the most vocal opponent of the permits on the board.&nbsp;



“It is not my intention to hold up this item today because of the benefits it will bring to the city budget,” Chan said at a Sept. 6 committee meeting but added that she still had “serious concerns” and that Rec and Parks had “yet to come up with a concrete plan to address the concerns of residents. … We still have a long ways to go.”



Supervisor Joel Engardio, who represents the Sunset District on the opposite side of Golden Gate Park, said he backed the plan for more concerts. 



&#8220;I support the additional ticketed concerts following Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park because they will pay for the free concerts downtown, keep our parks from facing a deficit, and offer more community benefits for Sunset residents,&#8221;&nbsp;Engardio said in a statement.



The overall legislative package around the Polo Fields concerts includes several perks for the city, some of which were negotiated by Chan.&nbsp;



Those include free outdoor concerts in Union Square and at Civic Center and Embarcadero Plazas to help <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/07/20/the-people-want-outside-lands-to-pull-san-francisco-out-of-doom-loop/">reinvigorate those districts</a>, free public transit for concert ticket holders, as well as further donations to the community benefit fund established by Outside Lands, which helps to fund local community groups.&nbsp;

Laser light show for San Francisco’s Coit Tower likely to get approved after weird political dispute

A simmering dispute over <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/san-francisco-city-halls-biggest-fight-this-week-is-over-lasers/">shooting lasers out of the top of Coit Tower</a> appears to be nearly settled, as San Francisco officials are now saying they expect next week’s light show to receive final approval.



The light display—dubbed “The Candle” by the arts nonprofit <a href="https://illuminate.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Illuminate</a>—is slated to begin July 14 and run three nights as part of the organization&#8217;s “Summer of Awe” campaign.&nbsp;



In an email Thursday, Recreation and Park Department spokesperson Tamara Aparton said the agency expects to grant final approval as long as measures are taken to protect murals at the art deco landmark on Telegraph Hill.



Ben Davis, the founder of Illuminate, was thrilled to hear the project is expected to move forward.



“We’re an arts organization, and we love San Francisco,” Davis said. “We deeply respect the need to do things safely, and we have a perfect track record of doing it.”



Davis gained notoriety with <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/arts-culture/the-bay-bridge-lights-are-one-step-closer-to-returning/">The Bay Lights project</a>, which installed twinkling and cascading lights along the Bay Bridge for the better part of the last decade. Illuminate’s more recent light displays include the laser rainbow installation for Pride and a current <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/arts-culture/utro-tower-laser-light-show-july-4/">installation at Sutro Tower</a>. But the Coit Tower project has met unusual resistance, and city officials have offered different narratives as to why.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="900" height="1200" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_4192-1.jpg?w=900" alt="" class="wp-image-180296" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_4192-1.jpg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_4192-1.jpg?resize=225,300 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_4192-1.jpg?resize=768,1024 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A laser light installation at Sutro Tower began on July 2, 2023, to celebrate the tower&#8217;s 50th anniversary. | Courtesy Illuminate</figcaption></figure>



Last week, Aaron Peskin—the president of the Board of Supervisors who represents North Beach, the neighborhood where “The Candle” is set to take place—told The Standard that he had not received or relayed any complaints from neighbors or residents about the laser show.&nbsp;



“I have not heard anything for or against from any neighborhood organizations,” Peskin said.



However, Aparton wrote in an email Thursday that Rec and Parks officials met almost a month ago with Peskin and his staff, and issues were raised.



“We briefed Supervisor Peskin and his staff on June 12 and at that time the supervisor told us his constituents had concerns about excess light, crowds and traffic,” Aparton wrote. “He did not specify the number of complaints. His office forwarded us one email from someone who didn’t want the lights. Separately, we received an email from someone concerned about the safety of the murals.”



Peskin declined a follow-up interview request Thursday asking him to explain the different version of events between him and city staff.



“In back to back meetings,” Peskin texted. “Not on my list of priorities.”



&#8220;The Candle&#8221; will shoot between eight and 10 “laser space cannons” directly up into the sky to create a unique light display that should be visible across much of the city, Davis said.



“We’re learning a lot from the installation at Sutro Tower and the relationship to fog at that level,” Davis said. “One project informs the next, and we keep refining that for beauty.”



As for the dispute with Peskin, he looked at the bright side.



“I’ve not had any direct conversations with Supervisor Peskin, but I’m excited that we’re going to move forward,” Davis said. “I think that’s good for San Francisco.”

Will San Francisco’s Coit Tower get this laser light display?

Over the last month, a high-stakes power struggle has quietly been waged at San Francisco’s City Hall, and the fight predictably centers on … <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/arts-culture/welcome-is-the-4-mile-long-rainbow-flag-light-installation-that-sf-needed-for-pride-weekend/">lasers</a>?



The tussle has focused on a light installation slated for the middle of this month at Coit Tower. The players include San Francisco’s second-most powerful elected official, a cagey Recreation and Park Department and a nonprofit executive who occasionally wears neckerchiefs and speaks aspirationally about the power of light in these dark times.&nbsp;



Who among these players is acting in good faith is a question that, for the time being, remains unanswered.



Ben Davis, the founder of Illuminate, a nonprofit known for the <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/arts-culture/the-bay-bridge-lights-are-one-step-closer-to-returning/">Bay Bridge Lights</a> and other art installations, has spent the better part of this year preparing a series of laser light displays as part of a program called “Summer of Awe.”



“Light finds its higher purpose in dark times, and this is a great antidote—the whole Summer of Awe—to the &#8216;doom loop&#8217; stories that have been dominating the media,” Davis said. “It’s kind of the most organic and beautiful way to reflect, in an authentic way, the power and majesty of San Francisco.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2192" height="2186" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-177591" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23.jpg 2192w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-300x300.jpg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-150x150.jpg 150w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-768x766.jpg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-1536x1532.jpg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-2048x2042.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-650x648.jpg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-180x180.jpg 180w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-90x90.jpg 90w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-370x369.jpg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-800x798.jpg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-450x450.jpg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-20x20.jpg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-185x184.jpg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-740x738.jpg 740w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-400x399.jpg 400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-1600x1596.jpg 1600w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-225x224.jpg 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-900x898.jpg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-24x24.jpg 24w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-48x48.jpg 48w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Hat_WelcomeSF23-96x96.jpg 96w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2192px) 100vw, 2192px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A person looks out at the laser installation known as &#8220;WELCOME,&#8221; which took place during Pride Weekend 2023. | Courtesy Illuminate</figcaption></figure>



Most recently, Davis and his team created the 12-beam rainbow that shot out of the Ferry Building over <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/arts-culture/san-francisco-pride-lgbtq-culture-june-2023-final-weekend/">Pride weekend</a>, carrying on from a similar installation in 2022. Another laser display is scheduled to go live at Sutro Tower on the Fourth of July and run five days to celebrate the landmark’s 50th anniversary.



But the project causing strife and consternation at City Hall is known as “The Candle,” a light installation that will shoot lasers directly up out of Coit Tower from July 14-16 to celebrate the Telegraph Hill landmark’s 90th anniversary.



Davis said his group raises private donations to create its light installations and other programs—although the city has approved more than $1.4 million in grants for Illuminate in recent years—and he received federal permission for all of the aforementioned projects. However, the Rec and Park Department has yet to sign off on final approval for Coit Tower.&nbsp;



Aaron Peskin, the president of the Board of Supervisors, whose district includes all of the North Beach neighborhood, is not exactly a fan of the project—or its organizer, for that matter. And Davis suspects the supervisor is leaning on Rec and Parks to hold off on granting final approval.



Rec and Parks officials issued a somewhat confusing statement late Friday, saying they were still reviewing the Coit Tower project’s permit after “they had received concerns about how the lights at Coit Tower would impact nearby residents and neighbors.” Peskin said he has played no role in the laser “hullabaloo” and hadn’t heard of any residents’ concerns, but Rec and Parks officials on Friday said they had briefed Peskin’s office. 



“I’m not exactly sure what this is all about, other than I keep getting text messages from Ben Davis and his brother saying, ‘You need to authorize this,’” Peskin said. “But there&#8217;s nothing for me to authorize, so I don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about.”



<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-081-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-161654" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-2500x1667.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-300x200.jpg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-768x512.jpg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-650x433.jpg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-370x247.jpg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-800x533.jpg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-450x300.jpg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-20x13.jpg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-185x123.jpg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-740x493.jpg 740w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-400x267.jpg 400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-1600x1067.jpg 1600w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-225x150.jpg 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-900x600.jpg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05162023BOSRoundup-081-72x48.jpg 72w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Supervisor Aaron Peskin listens to public comment at a board meeting at the Supervisor&#8217;s Chamber at City Hall in San Francisco on May 16, 2023. | Justin Katigbak for The Standard</figcaption></figure>



Peskin wields considerable power as board president, and he is frequently accused of exacting revenge on departments and political opponents that dismay him. But with respect to lasers, it’s true he does not hold authority over the Rec and Park Department in granting final approval on such projects.



“Personally, I’m not enamored with the idea, but it doesn’t really matter what I think because it’s not under my jurisdiction,” Peskin said. “Look, I wasn’t a big fan of the Ferris wheel in the middle of Golden Gate Park, but they went ahead and did it. They didn’t care what I thought.”



In a second interview, Davis sounded pleased to hear Peskin is not actively opposing the project, even if he was dubious about the sincerity of the supervisor’s statements.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76CjtzE7dEs
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Illuminate founder Ben Davis appears on KRON 4 to discuss the return of laser light installations in San Francisco in 2023.</figcaption></figure>



“All of San Francisco seems committed right now to helping the city rebound, and we’ve had nothing but a warm response,” Davis said. “It is good news to hear that Aaron Peskin is not standing in the way of this vision for San Francisco.”



If the lights do take flight at Coit Tower, Peskin seems unlikely to attend the show.



“Of all the shit going on in my life,” he said, “this is not on th...

San Francisco’s UN Plaza cleaned up ahead of mayor’s remarks on drug crisis

Ahead of a rare open-air hearing on the city’s drug crisis, San Francisco agencies cleared and swept United Nations Plaza—normally a hot spot for drug use and petty crime—to set the stage for an unusual open-air hearing on the city’s drug crisis.&nbsp;



At around 10 a.m. Tuesday, a group of more than two dozen people near the east side of the plaza were engaged in <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/un-plaza-heres-what-san-francisco-politicians-wont-see-at-rare-public-hearing/">street vending and drug use</a>. An Urban Alchemy worker approached the crowd and told them that they would soon need to move because the mayor was coming.



<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/H61A9873-2500x1667.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-163301" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-2500x1667.jpeg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-2048x1366.jpeg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-650x434.jpeg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-370x247.jpeg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-800x534.jpeg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-450x300.jpeg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-20x13.jpeg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-185x123.jpeg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-740x494.jpeg 740w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-1600x1067.jpeg 1600w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-225x150.jpeg 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-900x600.jpeg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/H61A9873-72x48.jpeg 72w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">City employee Mason Newt power-washes the United Nations Plaza in San Francisco ahead of a Board of Supervisors hearing scheduled to be held in the area later in the day on Tuesday. | Benjamin Fanjoy for The Standard</figcaption></figure>



The <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/political-theater-mayor-london-breed-drug-crisis-united-nations-plaza-aaron-peskin/">open-air Board of Supervisors hearing</a>—likely the first of its kind in the board’s history—involved coordination from multiple departments and agencies that collectively shooed away the plaza’s normal denizens and disrupted the typical daily flow of drug sales and use.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Throughout the day, Urban Alchemy workers and staff from the BART Police Department and the Recreation and Park Department were seen periodically roaming the area as workers from the Department of Public Works cleaned the surrounding sidewalks.&nbsp;



&#8220;Gonna clean it up for the mayor,&#8221; said a Public Works sanitation worker, who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak with the press.



In addition to cleaning crews, the city spent $4,650 on media services and logistics to set up a broadcast for the hearing—all for a Q&amp;A session that normally takes between 15-20 minutes of Board of Supervisors time.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1875" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-2500x1875.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-163478" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-2500x1875.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-300x225.jpg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-768x576.jpg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-650x488.jpg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-370x278.jpg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-800x600.jpg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-450x338.jpg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-20x15.jpg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-185x139.jpg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-740x555.jpg 740w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-400x300.jpg 400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-1600x1200.jpg 1600w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-225x169.jpg 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-900x675.jpg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_121116_HDR-64x48.jpg 64w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">United Nations Plaza appeared quiet shortly after noon on Tuesday, hours before the mayor and supervisors’ scheduled Q&amp;A to discuss the drug crisis in the city. | Garrett Leahy/The Standard</figcaption></figure>



The mayor is expected to answer questions on the drug crisis from Board President Aaron Peskin and others; the board will then take a break and reconvene at City Hall for the remainder of the meeting.&nbsp;



On Monday, Peskin <a href="https://sfbos.org/sites/default/files/Letter_to_Mayor_Breed_re_May_23_Question_Time.pdf">sent a letter</a> that previewed his demands of Breed.&nbsp;



In the letter, &nbsp;Peskin asked the mayor to “stand up a sustained Emergency Operations Center that will coordinate daily all of the many agencies and departments that can address this crisis,” calling on her to coordinate multiple parties involved in shutting down public drug-dealing.&nbsp;



On Tuesday, the Department of Emergency Management confirmed a pilot program, intended as part of Breed’s upcoming budget proposal, that could allow for the enforcement of laws against open-air drug use.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1875" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-2500x1875.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-163509" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-2500x1875.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-300x225.jpg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-768x576.jpg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-650x488.jpg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-370x278.jpg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-800x600.jpg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-450x338.jpg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-20x15.jpg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-185x139.jpg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-740x555.jpg 740w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-400x300.jpg 400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-1600x1200.jpg 1600w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-225x169.jpg 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-900x675.jpg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_125234-64x48.jpg 64w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">City Hall workers place the Board of Supervisors tablecloths on a table outside the Federal Office Building at U.N. Plaza. | Garrett Leahy/The Standard</figcaption></figure>



About two hours before the mayor&#8217;s arrival, U.N. Plaza was unusually quiet. The clean-up crews had gone, and only a small number of people walked through the area, with no one visibly using drugs. Shortly before 1 p.m., workers cordoned off an area in front of a federal office building at U.N. Plaza as others set up tables and chairs.&nbsp;



Along Natoma and Minna streets near Seventh Street and outside the San Francisco Federal Building, several people said that they had been moved from U.N. Plaza around 7 a.m. But they said they knew nothing about the mayor’s appearance.&nbsp;



&#8220;I don’t know about anything being different with the mayor coming,&#8221; Trevor Pearsoa said. &#8220;They always move us around like that.&#8221;
...

Battle over SF’s Castro Theatre comes to a head in pivotal board vote

This week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will hold a pivotal vote in the ongoing saga over the Castro Theatre. The board will also vote to approve a labor agreement with the city’s firefighters and urge a name change for one of Golden Gate Park’s more charming attractions.&nbsp;



Apart from regular business, supervisors may also address the closely-watched Banko Brown case: Board President Aaron Peskin said Monday that he&#8217;ll be introducing a resolution <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/push-for-state-federal-investigations-into-banko-browns-killing-after-da-declines-to-charge-shooter/">urging the California Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Justice</a> to review the evidence after District Attorney Brooke Jenkins reaffirmed her initial decision not to charge Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony, a Walgreens security guard who <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/walgreens-shooting-guard-who-killed-banko-brown-gives-interview/">fatally shot Brown last month.</a>



Later in the week, the board’s Government Audit and Oversight Committee is scheduled to hold multiple hearings on some of the city’s hot-button topics, ranging from police overtime to the political antics of one of San Francisco’s most influential affordable housing operators.&nbsp;



As always, the wonks can sift thoroughly through the details in this week’s <a href="https://sfbos.org/event/2023/bag051623_agenda" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">agenda</a>.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-castro-drama-premieres-at-the-full-board">Castro Drama Premieres at the Full Board&nbsp;</h2>



On Tuesday, a pivotal vote on the future of the Castro Theatre will likely dominate the board’s regular agenda.&nbsp;



At issue is one in a number of planned changes to the landmark status and zoning uses of the legendary cinema—in this case, what changes the operator Another Planet Entertainment can make to the main level. Another Planet is seeking to modify the floor to accommodate uses other than film screenings.



Preservationists <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/arts-culture/take-a-seat-the-castro-theatre-is-about-to-become-very-expensive/">have other ideas</a>, and the result has been public comment marathons at the <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/arts-culture/massive-crowd-of-angry-cinephiles-show-up-for-public-meeting-on-castro-theatre-plan/">Historic Preservation Commission</a> and the supervisors’ Land Use and Transportation Committee.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2048" height="1536" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Castro-INLINE-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-67931" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Castro-INLINE-1.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Castro-INLINE-1.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Castro-INLINE-1.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Castro-INLINE-1.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The 100-year-old Castro Theatre was the site of raucous town hall on Aug. 12, 2022, as cinema fans and LGBTQ+ community members voiced opinions about Another Planet Entertainment’s planned changes to the venue. | Peter-Astrid Kane/The Standard</figcaption></figure>



The commission approved the proposed changes. But Board President Aaron Peskin and District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston, both members of the land use committee, amended the plan to mandate fixed seating and sent it to the full board. Peskin also has a beef with Another Planet over promised renovations to the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium <a href="https://sfstandard.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50fb12e8d6fcc1c2439de9265&amp;id=923870e582&amp;e=a68fe5a60e">that reportedly haven’t materialized</a>.&nbsp;



Committee chair and District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar opposed the amendment, and the Castro’s home supervisor, Rafael Mandelman, isn’t a fan either. He’s announced that <a href="https://hoodline.com/2023/05/supervisor-mandelman-to-propose-removing-castro-theatre-fixed-seating-language-at-tuesday-s-full-board-meeting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">he will offer amendments to change the legislation back</a>.&nbsp;



“It has been my hope all along to find a resolution that [&#8230;] activates the Theater as much as possible, contributes to the neighborhood economy and allows for much-needed and long-deferred investments in the building,” said Mandelman in a statement.&nbsp;



Given the number of people who have been organized over this issue, the Castro Theatre discussion will likely take up most of the board’s time on Tuesday. The vote on the matter will also be close. Hopefully, there will be an intermission, but you’ll have to bring your own popcorn.&nbsp;



And in case you thought this was the end of the Castro Theatre saga, there’s almost certain to be sequels. The Planning and Historic Preservation Commissions <a href="https://sfplanning.org/sites/default/files/agendas/2023-05/20230518_jnthpc_cal%20%28ID%201368618%29.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">are holding a joint meeting Thursday</a> to discuss more changes to the theater, including zoning changes to allow nighttime entertainment and bar uses on the first and second floors. Stay tuned.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-firefighters-agreements-stow-lake-name-change">Firefighters’ Agreements, Stow Lake Name Change</h2>



<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/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-2500x1668.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-124601" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-2500x1668.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-300x200.jpg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-768x512.jpg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-650x434.jpg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-370x247.jpg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-800x534.jpg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-450x300.jpg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-20x13.jpg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-185x123.jpg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-740x494.jpg 740w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-400x267.jpg 400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-1600x1067.jpg 1600w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-225x150.jpg 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-900x600.jpg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SunsetHouseFire02092023-21-72x48.jpg 72w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Firefighters carry equipment along 22nd Avenue. | Michaela Vatcheva for The Standard</figcaption></figure>



The board is also set to approve new labor agreements <a href="https://sfstandard.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50fb12e8d6fcc1c2439de9265&amp;id=a140fb9edc&amp;e=a68fe5a60e">for the city’s firefighters</a> Tuesday. The agreement includes wage increases of 10.75% over three years, retention and holiday premiums, and a pilot program for emergency childcare reimbursement for those working mandatory overtime.&nbsp;



The agreements were recommended unanimously by the board’s oversight committee on May 4, despite concerns over yet another major department relying on mandatory overtime to provide full service. During public comment, firefighters testified to retention and staffing issues.



The board approved $65 million for additional overtime for ambulance personnel <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/sf-supervisors-question-shooting-charges-5-day-power-outage/">May 2</a>, and $25 million in additional overtime for police <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/supervisors-pass-police-overtime-bill-hear-qualms-over-shelter-policy/">March 21</a> after <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/sf-mayor-supervisors-set-for-showdown-over-police-funding/">a long political fight</a>.&nbsp;



Another notable vote Tuesday is <a href="https://sfstandard.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50fb12e8d6fcc1c2439de9265&amp;id=2fd079b6ab&amp;e=a68fe5a60e">a long-percolating resolution</a> urging the Recreation and Park Department to come up with a new name for Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park.&nbsp;



The lake’s namesake, 19th century Assemblymember William Stow, was a virulent antisemite who <a href="https://jweekly.com/2022/10/19/s-f-supes-resolution-would-rename-golden-gate-parks-stow-lake-named-for-politician-who-proposed-jew-tax/?utm_source=The+San+Francisco+Stand...

Asian Art Museum

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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