The Great Falafel Debacle continues

An open letter to Supervisor Mandelman

Dear Supervisor Mandelman,

I was very disheartened today to read that Flying Falafel at 463 Castro faces new permitting woes. After narrowly escaping the DR process, the owner, Assaf, lost hope in getting permitted as a restaurant, so he changed business models to be a coworking space. However, a neighbor complained to the Planning department, who determined that the new business model is an entertainment use. Legalizing that would require going BACK to PlanCom to get a CU. As a pro-small business activist who organized supporters for Assaf’s Planning Commission hearing, it is both sad and infuriating that his business continues to offer a case study in how utterly broken our permitting process is. We really don’t want to have to go back to room 400!

Small business is dying. We need to take a less punitive approach to businesses trying their best to make things work in a tough environment, and instead focus on how we can create a more flexible approach so businesses can find a model that works for them. I urge you to take a stand for small business by supporting Flying Falafel and fighting for a saner, more modernized planning code.

Thank you,

Dana Beuschel

YIMBY Neoliberal