Welcome back to our weekly “Meet the Candidates” series, in which District 1 supervisorial candidates who have filed to run respond to a question in 100 words or fewer.
Answers are published each week, but we are also archiving each answer on this page for District 1, to make it easier for voters to browse.
Next week, I will be at Cafe Enchante at 6157 Geary Blvd. at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15. Drop by and share your thoughts, or reach me at junyao@missionlocal.com.
It’s the Outside Lands weekend! Chappell Roan, The Killers, Tyler the Creator — there’s something for almost everyone, if you’re willing to shell out $226.20 for a day pass, or $500-plus for the whole weekend.
Last year, almost a dozen driverless Cruise cars snarled traffic for blocks in all directions, and the company blamed Outside Lands for interfering with the cars’ comms. Cruise is no longer on San Francisco streets, but still, the festival has a big impact on the surrounding area.
We asked the candidates this week: During Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park, this year and in the future, how will you make sure the festival has a minimum negative impact on neighbors in the Richmond?
Marjan Philhour
- Job: Business owner, former advisor and fundraiser to London Breed
- Age: 50
- Residency: Homeowner, born in District 1 and moved back in 2006
- Transportation: Biking, walking, driving and public transportation
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley
- Languages: English
Ensuring the Outside Lands music festival has a minimal negative impact on Richmond District neighbors involves a combination of strategic planning, communication and enforcement. Additionally, organizers of Outside Lands have regularly continued investments into our community to demonstrate their commitment to the long term. I am committed to working closely with Rec and Park and the event organizers to ensure continued accountability and transparency in their support of the neighborhood. Neighbor feedback is critically important and must be addressed.
We all know how lucky we are to live in the Richmond, and during Outside Lands, thousands of other visitors know … read more here
Endorsed by: San Francisco Democratic Party, TogetherSF, San Francisco Police Officers Association … read more here
Jeremiah Boehner
- Job: Marketing specialist and U.S. Army veteran
- Age: 39
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 1 since 2006
- Transportation: Driving
- Education: University of San Francisco
- Languages: English
Most of the legitimate complaints about the festival tend to fall into a few different areas:
- Parking
- Road and park access
- The post-concert chaos
For parking, I would make sure that neighbors whose parking is temporarily removed are given priority to park at some of the school lots and other privately owned parking lots.
Road and park access: The park should remain open to the public up until a few days before the concert happens. We should also keep the great highway open during the concert to facilitate movement across the city. Also work with SFMTA to make sure we … read more here
Connie Chan
- Job: Incumbent District 1 Supervisor
- Age: 45
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 2011
- Transportation: Driving and walking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of California, Davis
- Languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin
I live in the Outer Richmond, and I share my neighbors’ concerns about the impact Outside Lands has on our neighborhoods. This is why I pushed the Recreation and Parks Department (RPD) to conduct meaningful outreach to our community and ensure our concerns are heard, while still bringing the benefits of a concert series to the Richmond District and the whole city.
While I voted against the mayor and RPD’s proposal for an additional weekend of concerts in Golden Gate Park after the Outside Lands Festival weekend, I knew these additional concerts would likely be approved so I worked with … read more here
Endorsed by: Nancy Pelosi, San Francisco Fire Fighters Local 798, San Francisco Labor Council, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, Local 21, Service Employees International Union 1021 … read more here
Sherman D’Silva
- Job: Owner of a laundromat on Geary Boulevard
- Age: 51
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 1973
- Transportation: Driving
- Education: Bachelor’s degrees from San Francisco State University
- Languages: English
Outside Lands and the city have made many improvements since the festival’s inception. There are still many concerns that need to be addressed.
Enforcement of the guidelines set by the city can still be improved. As I have stated, we intend to triple the number of officers in the district. That will help in enforcing the rules for concert attendees. There must also be more traffic control officers to assist in managing crowds and traffic. Installing traffic lights on all the blocks on Lincoln Avenue and Fulton Street will alleviate a lot of bottlenecks due to intersections without traffic lights.
Jen Nossokoff
- Job: Vice president of a healthcare company and physician assistant
- Age: 38
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 2020
- Transportation: Walking, biking, public transportation, driving
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and master’s degree from Samuel Merritt University
- Languages: English
Outside Lands is a world-class festival that brings tremendous pride to our neighborhood, but because it takes place in a public park, the city and festival organizers have a responsibility to leave it better than they found it. To ensure minimal impact on the Richmond neighborhood, I will advocate for several key measures:
- Transportation optimization: Work with city agencies and festival organizers to improve public transit options and optimize bike routes, reducing car traffic and parking burdens in the neighborhood.
- Noise control: Enforce strict noise level limits, especially during late hours, and implement soundproofing measures to minimize disturbance to nearby … read more here
Money raised by District 1 candidates
Candidates are ordered alphabetically and rotated each week. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at junyao@missionlocal.com.
Read the rest of the series here. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
I appreciated that Connie Chan voted against a second weekend of Outside Lands. However, both Planet Entertainment and the City do nothing to protect the property of people living in the immediate vicinity, at the entrances. I had illegal ticket scalpers and alcohol vendors take over part of my driveway with their vehicles, and they conducted business within my property line. They urinated into my garage. The police were present but did nothing to stop this behavior up and down 30th Avenue near Fulton. They seemed to find it amusing. The police need to do their jobs, and the city needs to hold them accountable.
Supervisor Chan’s answer is as insulting as it is indicative of classic San Francisco disfunction. It boils down to “I made a stink about opposing it, but I knew it was happening anyway, so I extorted a business for money to fund completely unrelated things like dahlias and ping pong tables.”
Instead of working collaboratively to solve problems (does the entire park need to be used as a parking lot as Richmondman points out? of course not; Outside Lands could bus staff in from Civic Center if they were made to), Chan’s approach is to shake the promotor down for a slush fund for vaguely defined “community benefits” and declare she’s done something useful.
That said, for what it’s worth, I stood at Lincoln and Great Highway during Outside Lands both days this weekend, and was shocked at how little of a problem there was. I don’t think I ever saw more than 10 cars at the light, and often just 0-2. The Uber pickup craziness is a problem, but one that could be addressed with a little better planning and a greater emphasis on getting people out of the event with mass transit.
I’m glad you put this question to the candidates. Outsidelands is a major pain for the people who live here in the Richmond. Changes need to be made, like keeping the Great Highway and Chain of Lakes Drive open.
The entire west side of the park past 36th Ave is used for parking lot. Nothing else.
That’s why its closed for weeks.