Board conditions mobile‑food permit in Union Square: size and Sunday‑hour limits set

The San Francisco Board of Appeals on July 11, 2018 resolved a contested permit for a mobile‑food operation planned for 281 Gary Street near Powell and Market, issuing the permit with city‑imposed limits intended to reduce pedestrian and sidewalk congestion.

The item drew sustained attention from commissioners and public speakers who questioned whether Union Square satisfied the mobile‑food program’s intent to serve underserved neighborhoods. Commissioner Daryl Honda and others said Union Square is well‑served and congested; advocates for the permit argued a small, tightly constrained vehicle and limited hours would mitigate impacts and allow the operator to run a viable business. The board first considered motions to deny the permit for congestion; those failed for lack of a supermajority. The board then adopted a compromise motion to grant the appeals but condition the permit on two key requirements: the permitted vehicle must not exceed the dimensions of the proposed 1978 Volkswagen Vanagon, and Sunday operating hours will be restricted to 3 p.m.–11 p.m. Public Works staff will record the permitted vehicle dimensions and include them as the maximum allowable dimensions for the permit.

Why it matters: Union Square is a high‑foot‑traffic, tourist and retail corridor where added street vendors can intensify sidewalk crowding and delivery conflicts. The board’s decision attempts to balance the permit holder’s business interests against congestion concerns by tying the permit to a specific vehicle footprint and narrowing Sunday hours. The board directed San Francisco Public Works to verify vehicle dimensions and implement permit language reflecting the restriction.