City Hall inexplicably declares war on lovely Bernal Heights sidewalk benches

City Hall inexplicably declares war on lovely Bernal Heights sidewalk benchesImage: Joe Kukura, Hoodline
Joe Kukura
Published on February 02, 2023

A small, two-block-long Bernal Heights street called Mirabel Avenue could be described as the peak of family-friendly San Francisco adorableness. Houses have murals on their garages, there’s a little wooden “lending library” of paperback books, and many residents maintain sidewalk botanical gardens to further beautify an already beautiful street.

Image: Joe Kukura, Hoodline

 

About a half-dozen of these sidewalk attractions have small wooden benches, some of which have been there for 20 years. But out of the blue this week, SF Public Works has declared these sidewalk benches as "unpermitted encroachments," according to a report on KGO, and the city is demanding that residents either pay up, or tear the benches down.

Image: Joe Kukura, Hoodline

 

"The city asked us to apply for an encroachment permit on the sidewalk or remove the benches," resident Josh Crandall, who has two benches, told KGO.

Image: Joe Kukura, Hoodline

 

Public Works sent notices demanding the residents either apply for an “encroachment permit” — which carries a staggering $1,400 fee — or tear the benches down.

"No way am I going to pay $1,400,” resident Gail Wilson told KGO. “I'll just take it down if I have to." 

Image: Joe Kukura, Hoodline

 

Public Works tried to explain themselves. "The big thing we want to make sure is that there's going to be no hazards at all, particularly for people who are visually impaired, if they are using a wheelchair, we want to keep the path of travel safe for all users," Public Works spokesperson Rachel Gordon told KGO.

That explanation sounds fine on paper, but these sidewalks are exceptionally wide. KGO estimates them at 14 feet wide, and mind you, this is in a town where encampments and scooters legitimately obstruct sidewalks all the time, all over town. There is no real obstruction on Mirabel Avenue.

Image: Joe Kukura, Hoodline

 

And what qualifies as an “encroachment” here, Public Works? The tiny, removable picnic table seen above? The little log benches seen below?

Image: Joe Kukura, Hoodline

 

The district’s supervisor Hillary Ronen sounds like she wants the benches to stay. "My office is working with DPW to maintain the community atmosphere on Mirabel which means keeping the benches where they are," Ronen said in a statement to KGO.

We’ll hope common sense wins out on this. Because right now, $1,400 for permits for benches that have already been there for decades just doesn’t sit well with Bernal Heights residents.