Yesterday, the Examiner reported that Supervisor Scott Wiener had introduced a measure to move Chaac Mool onto the end of 19th Street where it dead-ended in the park, converting the nubbin of street into Rec and Park land.
[where the street] indents into the park, so that we can place the cart there and it's still effectively in the park."
"The other unique thing here," Wiener continued, "is that the vendor requested this location. The park is going to start a major renovation, which is going to be phased. This way, the vendor would not constantly have to move his cart around the park as the phasing happened."
"If you're taking all these steps to move Chaac Mool onto the curb, why shouldn't they just apply for a street food permit from the Department of Public Works?" SFoodie then asked Wiener. "That would be much cheaper than paying rent to the Parks Department."
"That wouldn't work," Wiener argued. "We all through it was important for Rec and Park to continue to earn income, especially in this budget environment. I don't think DPW would issue a permit for the edge of the park, since it's a residential area." Wiener claims there are no current street-food permit applications requesting curbside spots around Dolores Park.
As for Chaac Mool, spokesperson Margarita Hernandez says that owners Luis and Maria Vazquez weren't exactly excited about the move, as Wiener suggested. "We are willing to compromise," she says, diplomatically. "We're just excited to keep serving Dolores Park and the community. That's the most important part."
Apparently, everybody wins in this situation: The park is now a 100% capitalism-free area, except for the Hong Kong-like designated commercial zone at the edge of it. The Parks Department gets to charge rent to a vendor now parking on the street. And Chaac Mool -- well, at least we still get to buy its great cochinita pibil tacos to take up with us on the hill, where we can purchase everything else we need for a picnic in the sun from the activist-approved vendors roaming the slopes.
