Supervisors Back Leland Avenue Neighborhood Commercial District; Committee Recommends Ordinance to Full Board

The Land Use and Transportation Committee voted 3-0 Monday to recommend to the full Board an ordinance to establish the Leland Avenue Neighborhood Commercial District (NCD) in Visitation Valley, rezoning parcels fronting Leland Avenue between Bayshore Boulevard and Cora Street.

Supervisor Shamann Walton presented the item as a community-driven effort that local merchants and residents led. Walton said the NCD is intended "to enhance foot traffic, foster a welcoming environment for small businesses, and create a corridor that maintains what makes Leland Avenue special while linking businesses to the Visitation Valley Greenway." The Planning Commission voted in favor of the proposal on Feb. 6 and recommended approval.

The ordinance would amend the zoning map and incorporate Leland Avenue NCD controls into the Planning Code, with provisions chosen by the community to emphasize pedestrian-friendly streetscapes, local small-business vitality and an annual review process for community engagement. Walton addressed a specific question about childcare land-use controls, saying the Office of Early Care and Education reports there are about 15 child care facilities in Visitation Valley and about eight within a half-mile of the proposed NCD; the office and the community asked that childcare in the three-block corridor remain subject to conditional use authorization rather than being principally permitted due to proximity to other uses.

Several local merchants and residents spoke in support. Kelly McCord, a business owner on Leland Avenue, said the merchant community "is deeply committed to seeing a more active and vibrant corridor.'' Wilbur Moy, co-owner of Greenway Learning, said the NCD "paves the way for the continued emergence of the Southeast as the gateway from San Francisco to the Peninsula and the Bay Area." Rebecca Miller, a longtime homeowner, asked the committee to "uphold the integrity of the original folks who authored this bill."

The committee recorded three ayes (Vice Chair Cheyenne Chen; Supervisor Bilal Mahmood; Chair Mirna Melgar) on the motion to forward the ordinance as a committee report. The ordinance will proceed to the full Board for final consideration. If adopted, any future projects in the NCD would be subject to the usual planning and permitting processes.