By Christin Evans, HANC Board

In anticipation of the 50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love celebrations in 2017, the Haight Ashbury Merchants Association requested a moratorium on non-emergency road work. However, the notorious water/sewer repair line project which plagued the 1400 block of Haight street for good parts of 2015 and 2016 is still not complete. Multiple gas leaks leading to evacuations and shelter-in-place orders, as well as, sinkholes and safety violations, led the city to terminate the sub-contractor overriding the primary contractor Ghilotti Brothers’ objections.

Poor communication from DPW Spokesperson Alex Murillo led to an unwelcome surprise that work would continue this month through at least May. This has already included two Saturday mornings with unusually early start times, disrupting neighbors from having a restful weekend snooze. In spite of pleas from merchants, Supervisor Breed and DPW heads wrote back that the work must proceed as the project’s funding is set to expire before the end of the year. Merchants responded with a demand for commitments the work will be wrapped before the end of May, as numerous June celebrations have been planned for the street. Time will tell what the City prioritizes.