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Planning commission clears Polk/Haight NCD changes to allow health services on select storefronts
Summary
The Planning Commission on June 15 approved an ordinance to update Polk Street and Haight Street neighborhood commercial district rules to principally permit certain health services at ground floors (subject to mapping exceptions) and to clarify tobacco/cannabis definitions. Staff had suggested a small map refinement; the commission approved the ordinance without that modification.
The San Francisco Planning Commission voted on June 15 to adopt a Planning Code amendment adjusting how health‑service uses are regulated in the Polk Street and Haight Street neighborhood commercial districts.
Planning Department staff explained the proposal would principally permit health services on First‑Floor storefronts within the districts, while maintaining conditional use review for second‑floor and above locations. Staff also proposed code clarifications: explicitly excluding cannabis retail and temporary cannabis retail uses from the definition of “tobacco paraphernalia establishment,” and removing obsolete time‑frame references in that section of code.
Staff recommended a small refinement to the proposed ordinance to avoid unintentionally blocking health services at certain irregular corner or through‑lot storefronts. The sponsor’s office (Supervisor Aaron Peskin) reportedly did not accept that particular staff modification.
After brief questions, commissioners voted to approve the ordinance without the staff‑recommended modification. The motion passed 5‑1, with Commissioner Diamond voting no. Planning staff will finalize the ordinance language and follow normal transmittal steps. The change will affect the zoning permissions for storefront uses in the Polk and Haight NCDs and clarifies the planning code’s treatment of tobacco‑ and cannabis‑related businesses.
