TO: RULES AND OPEN
GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
FROM: Councilmember Bien Doan
Councilmember George Casey
Councilmember Rosemary Kamei
Councilmember Anthony Tordillos
SUBJECT: Enhanced Street Closure
Noticing Policy
DATE: September 4, 2025
Approved Date:
September 4, 2025
SUBJECT: Enhanced Street Closure Noticing Policy
RECOMMENDATION
Direct the City Manager to return to the Community and Economic Development Committee (CED) within six months with recommendations to improve the special event process, especially along highly congested roadways and in heavily populated areas of our city, by reviewing existing guidelines and developing recommendations in the following areas:
1. Improving the effectiveness of noticing requirements including, but not limited to, direct, multilingual outreach to residents and businesses, use of physical mailers or flyers, and coordination with businesses.
2. Improving strategies to improve operational efficiency and minimize negative impacts on traffic flow, residents, and businesses during and after street closures.
3. Providing any additional recommendations to enhance events.
BACKGROUND
In recent months, District 7 has experienced multiple large-scale street closures, which caused severe disruptions. Based on community feedback and active engagement, RULES COMMITTEE: 9/10/25
ITEM: C.1
RULES AND OPEN GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
September 4, 2025
Subject: Enhanced Street Closure Noticing Policy
improvements in official notifications to residents and businesses would have mitigated such disruption.
The King and Story Car Show and Hop (July 13, 2025) closed major portions of King Road and Story Road from 10PM the night before until 10PM the day of the event.
Despite efforts by the Council Office to share information via social media as an extra means of communication, the lack of comprehensive official outreach left many residents and business owners unaware of the extent and duration of closures.
Businesses reported lost revenue from customers unable to reach them due to gridlocked traffic, and frustrated residents directed their complaints toward the Council Office, which had no role in the permit process, approval, planning, or official noticing.
Many of the affected businesses are Hispanic and minority owned, meaning these disruptions had a disproportionate impact on already vulnerable economic sectors.
Similarly, during the most recent Viva Calle event in District 7, Story Road was closed for hours, and even after reopening, traffic remained at a standstill for extended periods.
Some motorists reported taking over an hour to travel half a mile, and tensions escalated into road rage incidents.
Large scale events have the potential to enhance community life and boost local commerce. However, without robust outreach and efficient traffic management, they can instead create significant hardship, disproportionately harm minority-owned businesses, and erode public trust. A well-defined policy framework is needed to ensure such events are planned and communicated in a way that balances community enjoyment with minimal disruption.