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Commission approves loudspeaker permit for Feb. 5 Art Institute event with added security and neighborhood notification
Summary
The commission approved a loudspeaker permit for a Feb. 5 event at the San Francisco Art Institute (Ok Go concert) after applicants detailed a sound-control plan and agreed to enhanced security staffing and a required neighborhood notification within a 500-foot radius.
The San Francisco Entertainment Commission approved a loudspeaker permit for an all-day Feb. 5 event at the San Francisco Art Institute with amplified sound between roughly 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., contingent on strict sound mitigation, crowd-control and neighborhood-notification measures.
Staff recommended approval with conditions after reviewing the applicants’ sound plan and security arrangements. Patrick Kelly, representing Goodby Silverstein Partners, said the event is part of a citywide Bus Stop Derby promotion and that organizers intend to cap attendance at 1,000 people even though the fire department approved an occupancy up to 1,153. Kelly said the promoters planned to encourage transit and bicycles, provide bike parking and limit public advertising so attendance would be primarily people engaged in the contest.
Technical contractors described the measures to limit off-site noise: Tim Fishner of Top Productions said his team would provide staging and manage operations and Gutierrez Security would run security; Gabe Nashon of Delicate Productions described a high‑Q (narrow-dispersion) speaker layout, 12-foot draping on hard surfaces and the band's use of in-ear monitors to reduce on-stage loudspeaker output. Nashon said there would be three main speaker elements per side, small fill speakers for overflow levels, and a front-of-house mix engineer using near-field monitors to balance audience and neighborhood levels.
Commissioners pressed applicants on the potential for viral attendance and neighborhood spillover, parking impacts, and security staffing. Staff noted a typical requirement of one security guard per 100 people; promoters agreed to increase guards and the Commission added a condition to distribute a notification letter to all neighbors within a 500-foot radius that includes a phone number answered during the event. Commissioner Mico moved to approve with those modifications; the motion passed with a second and recorded ayes.
Kathleen Courtney, representing the Russian Hill Community Association's Housing and Zoning Committee, urged earlier and broader community outreach given the scale and potential for “viral” interest.
The permit was approved with conditions including strict adherence to the sound plan, EC staff on-site for sound checks, specified security staffing, and a neighbor hotline to be answered during the event.
