Committee advances ordinance to allow outdoor handwashing, vacuuming and detailing in Geary Boulevard commercial district

The Land Use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 3-0 on Oct. 6 to send an ordinance to the full Board that would permit outdoor handwashing, vacuuming and detailing of automobiles as an accessory use at certain automotive service stations in the Geary Boulevard Neighborhood Commercial District.

The ordinance, as described by the clerk, affirms the Planning Department’s determination and makes findings of consistency with the General Plan and the eight priority policies in Planning Code Section 101.1, and findings of public necessity, convenience and welfare under Planning Code Section 302. Committee Chair Mirna Melgar moved the recommendation to forward the ordinance after the clerk read the item; no formal presentation or public comment was recorded on the item.

Committee members said there were no further questions, and Chair Melgar moved the item. "I'd like to make a motion that we, approve this item to go to the full board, with a recommendation today," Melgar said before the vote. Vice Chair Cheyenne Chen and Member Bilal Mahmood joined Melgar in voting to recommend the ordinance to the full Board. The clerk recorded the committee tally as three ayes; no no votes or abstentions were recorded.

Because the committee received no public comment and there was no presentation scheduled, staff said there were no immediate changes to the text discussed at the meeting. The clerk also reminded the public that items acted on by this committee are expected to appear on the full Board agenda of Oct. 21, 2025 unless otherwise noted.

If the ordinance proceeds at the Board, it will return with the Planning Department’s written determinations and required findings under the Planning Code. The committee record shows the item was continued previously for substantive amendments, but no additional amendments were proposed at this session and the committee forwarded the item with a positive recommendation.

Votes at a glance: The committee recorded a 3-0 recommendation to the Board of Supervisors (Melgar: aye; Chen: aye; Mahmood: aye).