Jones owner asks commission to broker mediation after 29 noise complaints

Jordan Langer, one of the owners and partners at Jones, told the San Francisco Entertainment Commission on May 21 that the venue has received 29 complaints in the last year and asked the commission to help arrange mediation with two primary neighbors.

"Jones has been around for just about 10 years now," Langer said, describing the venue as a long-standing indoor‑outdoor space that recently increased programming after a partner returned to day‑to‑day management. He said the uptick in activity coincided with a rise in complaints and that some messages received via 311 and other channels were anonymous and not always traceable to Jones activity.

Langer described several mitigation steps the venue has taken: paying for window replacements in the Gaylord building for larger events, distributing flyers and contact information to neighbors, and buying thick sound curtains for residents when full window replacement was not feasible. He said Jones has stopped the drag‑brunch programming that had produced complaints and that the number of complaints "have subsided" since those changes.

Langer also told commissioners that in some cases neighbors had proposed payment in exchange for stopping complaints. "There’s been a number of times where folks are saying, ‘oh, if you pay me $500 a month, they’ll stop complaining,'" he said, calling that demand "tough" for a business to accommodate.

Deputy Director Azevedo confirmed staff had corrected an earlier miscount and that there were 29 complaints (not 41) in the enforcement timeline. Staff advised that several entries on the timeline were anonymous and that the commission and staff have contact information for two named complainants; Azevedo said inspectors had issued notices of violation and in some cases citations when venues operated outside permit conditions.

Commissioners pressed Langer on specific steps he wanted from the commission. Langer requested that staff facilitate a face‑to‑face meeting with Jones management (including owner Pete), the two complainants if they agreed to participate, Deputy Director Azevedo and Director Wyland. He said the meeting would show Jones’ good‑faith efforts to resolve neighborhood concerns and would help determine whether the complaints were caused by Jones or other nearby activity.

Commissioners acknowledged Jones’ outreach but stressed the limits of the commission’s role when clear permit violations occur. Several commissioners said the commission would continue to respond to complaints in the field and that staff would attempt to convene mediation; staff said if complainants remain nonresponsive, enforcement actions documented in the record would remain the primary tool.

The commission did not take formal enforcement action at the hearing. Staff said they would continue outreach and work to organize mediation if complainants engage. The meeting closed with the commission encouraging both sides to pursue direct communication and to use the commission’s mediation offer.

Next steps: staff will attempt to facilitate a mediation meeting including Jones management, Deputy Director Azevedo and Director Wyland; no date was set at the meeting.