By Christin Evans, HANC Board Member

As Phase 1 of the multi-year construction project along Haight street wraps up, local merchants are bracing for the more extensive impacts anticipated with Phase 2 and expressing their frustration with the City on its slow response to their concerns.

Phase 1 work was primarily located in the roadway with much needed sewer main and lateral replacements and repair.  But the SFMTA-funded project expected to kick off Phase 2 on June 3 will move the work onto the sidewalks with work planned to install conduit for new traffic lights, street lights and community wifi.  All the concrete between the buildings will eventually be replaced with new planter boxes and the removal of one third of the trees along the corridor.

But merchants are crying foul with what they feel has been a slow response to address their articulated concerns.  Communications have been strained with confusion over "No Parking" signs placed on blocks where no work was taking place for days.  The city eventually had a community liaison place temporary signs over the no parking signs when construction wasn’t planned for the day. 

An existential question

Merchants reported sales down 7% to 20% or more during Phase 1 which started in September 2018, that have many demanding the city listen to their concerns that more construction mitigation efforts be implemented during the longer, more disruptive work planned for Phase 2.  For many, it’s an existential question, with a fear that landlords won’t work with tenants that can no longer afford the rent.  Many businesses have already reduced staffing levels and feel they’ve done all they can to weather the sales slowdown.

With storefront vacancies at record levels due in part to the soft-story retrofit mandate and changing consumer purchasing trends, the Haight Street construction makes the corridor less welcoming to visitors and residents.  Although the construction work typically wraps up by 3 pm in the afternoon, no parking signs and construction equipment line the street making it a less likely stop for a casual passerby.  With foot traffic down, merchants have asked the City to work with them to tighten up the work zone and pace to speed the work through completion.  However, the city moves slowly.  A request for re-opening the former McDonald’s parking lot by the merchant association has received the commitment of Supervisor Brown but months have passed and fencing still keeps the lot’s 60 parking spots inaccessible (Editor's note:  parking reopened after this was written).

And, with three projects planned for the intersection of Haight and Stanyan during the summer months, merchants are discussing making a public protest.  Their requests for a Summer Moratorium similar to the December Holiday moratorium have been largely ignored, and businesses are asking themselves what more they have to do to communicate the financial hardship the construction is inflicting and how to get the city to deliver on their prior commitments to mitigate the construction impacts.