Petrelis Files

SF Examiner Letter:
Reclaim Harvey Milk Plaza

(Photo credit: Rick Gerharter.)

 

For those of you who didn't find a print copy of Friday's Examiner, here is the text of my letter that ran in the paper. Nice to get the issue of the illegitimate control of a private merchants group over this crucial piece of city real estate before Examiner readers. From the Examiner's letters page of August 26:

It is time for the Department of Public Works to reclaim Harvey Milk Plaza for the citizens of San Francisco. This historic public space is now partially controlled by a private association, the Merchants of Upper Market and Castro.

The DPW has not been able to find a single written document granting authority over the plaza’s rainbow flag and pole to the merchants. The MUMC association allows no public input into when the flag is lowered or another flag is raised, and it maintains an unacceptably secretive vetting process.

What needs to be done is that the DPW should establish a community committee to process requests for flag honors in an open and transparent procedure.