Board upholds Public Works revocation of 250 Post Street flower-vending permit

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday upheld the Department of Public Works’ decision to revoke the flower vending permit for a stand at 250 Post Street, a sidewalk kiosk that has been associated with Union Square area flower sellers for decades.

The board voted 10–1 to approve the director of public works’ order to revoke the permit after hearing testimony from the department, the permit holder’s representative and neighborhood stakeholders. Supervisor Aaron Peskin moved to approve the revocation; Supervisor Sheehy cast the lone no vote.

The central factual dispute at the hearing was whether the kiosk had been “abandoned” under the Public Works Code’s requirements for flower stands. Public Works told the board it had photographic evidence showing the stand had been non-operational and in disrepair for more than a year. “A notice to repair … was issued on 09/01/2016,” Michael Lennon, speaking for Public Works, said. He cited violations of Director’s Order No. 175,880 and the operational minimums in section 2(g) of the street flower market rules, which require a permit holder to maintain “a minimum of 35 operating hours per week and 46 weeks per calendar year.”

The stand’s representative disputed the characterization of abandonment and described a long history of conflict with a neighboring property manager, including interrupted access to utilities and alleged interference with operations. He told the board the stand and family business trace back to the 1950s and asked the supervisors for “fair consideration of the…