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Commission approves rezoning of 170 Valencia to protect historic community facility for SF Gay Men's Chorus
Summary
The Planning Commission voted to apply uniform NCT3 zoning to 170 Valencia Street to preserve continued community-facility use by the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, after neighbors raised concerns about residential impacts on Elgin Park and hours of operation.
The San Francisco Planning Commission voted to approve a zoning map amendment to make the entire parcel at 170 Valencia Street uniformly zoned NCT3, a change staff and sponsors say will preserve the historic Art Deco building as a community facility and allow the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus to establish a permanent home.
Kyle Smiley, representing Supervisor Rafael Mandelman’s office, told the commission the move would apply a single zoning designation "in order to continue the tradition of using the space as a community facility" and to preserve the building’s architectural integrity. Planning staff recommended approval, noting the building’s listing on the National Register and that the front half already allowed community-facility use while the rear half required a conditional use authorization under RTO zoning.
Neighbors from Elgin Park and adjacent properties urged caution. Josh Horowitz said he is "a big fan of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus" but worried that rezoning the Elgin Park side to NCT3 would change the character of the red-brick residential street and allow future owners broader commercial uses and hours. Sharon Hoff, a nearby resident and trained planner, warned that an NCT3 rezoning could increase land value and permit more intensive uses in the future, potentially threatening the historic building if it were sold.
SFGMC and the building owner responded: Keith Pepper, chairman and CEO of Golden Gate Performing Arts, said the Elgin Park door is an emergency/service exit and that "we have no intention" of using it as a public entrance; he added the chorus typically concludes events by 10 p.m. Staff and the city attorney explained that although conditional use could run with the land, gaps in continuity (abandonment) and the building’s historic nature supported a legislative rezoning to protect long-term institutional use.
After extended discussion about notices of special restrictions, hours of operation and possible legislative conditions, a motion to approve the rezoning passed on a roll call. Commissioners and staff said they would include recommendations in the commission’s resolution to the Board of Supervisors about neighborhood communication and potential special restrictions in the legislation.
The commission recorded the motion as approved by a unanimous vote.
