Commission green-lights Annie Alley pilot for Yerba Buena neighborhood

The San Francisco Entertainment Commission approved a pilot program to activate Annie Alley in the Yerba Buena neighborhood, a curb-to-curb alley roughly 80 feet long and 16 feet wide, with two to three short public events per week.

Andrew Robinson, speaking for the Yerba Buena Community Benefit District (YBCBD), said the pilot grew out of a community street-life plan and that the program will host lunchtime music, occasional evening screenings and small public gatherings. Robinson said the YBCBD has coordinated outreach with neighborhood groups and partner organizations, and that storage and setup would be handled with local partners such as Spur.

Rick Smith, a nearby resident and member of Friends of Annie Alley, told the commission the experiment is community‑driven and that he supports the pilot so long as the project continues to solicit neighborhood feedback and adjust programming. Robin Abad of the Planning Department also endorsed the application and described the department’s role facilitating the Pavement to Parks program.

Commissioners discussed logistics, storage and how the pilot had addressed early fire‑department feedback; a motion to approve the pilot carried with the commission’s assent. Staff said events would be free to the public and that alcohol would not be served as part of standard programming (any event with alcohol would require separate permitting).

The pilot is intended to start in September after final technical approvals and to run under a single pilot fee similar to previous temporary placemaking projects. Commissioners asked staff to monitor impacts and report back as the program proceeds.