Planning Commission approves CVS at 1900 Nineteenth Avenue after extensive safety debate

The San Francisco Planning Commission on June 26 approved a conditional use authorization for a 14,170-square-foot CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic at 1900 Nineteenth Avenue, voting unanimously 7–0 after a lengthy public hearing and negotiations over safety and neighborhood conditions.

Staff said the site, a long-vacant former auto dealership and post office building, is appropriate for reuse and that the applicant had addressed earlier design and circulation concerns. "After analyzing all aspects of the project, Department staff has found the proposed CVS at 1900 Nineteenth Avenue to be, on balance, necessary and desirable," staff stated during the presentation.

Project representatives described design changes and community outreach. Andrew Junius, representing the sponsor, told commissioners the building has been vacant for years and said the project would "contribute to the vitality of the neighborhood." Holly Zavach, representing CVS and Landmark Retail Group, said CVS will include a MinuteClinic and would not sell alcohol or tobacco at this location.

Opponents focused on pedestrian and traffic safety along Nineteenth Avenue, a state-owned corridor managed by Caltrans. Multiple residents, neighborhood groups and the Lycée Français de San Francisco urged a continuance and raised concerns that the store’s size and a single-lane ramp for roof parking could generate queuing, double-parking and unsafe crossings for children and seniors. "This proposal to approve a massive retail space at Nineteenth and Ortega is going to hurt the local community," said Lily Sholdays during public comment. Another speaker, Steven Sabin, senior pastor of a nearby church, said the project could worsen conditions for preschool children and assisted-living residents in the area.

Supporters — including many nearby residents and the property owner Ron Greenspan — said the store will provide badly needed, walkable services for elderly neighbors and create jobs. "There are literally thousands of people in the Sunset, many of them elderly, that are underserved that will benefit from the goods and services that this CVS will provide," Greenspan said.

Commissioners pressed staff and the sponsor for operational details and mitigation. The planning department said the project would be required to pay about $125,000 in traffic-impact development fees, which may be used for pedestrian and safety improvements in the city’s WalkFirst five‑year capital program and could be coordinated with MTA to accelerate improvements at this corridor.

Commissioners also secured commitments from the sponsor on queuing measures for the single-lane ramp, restricted delivery hours, and a sign program to limit bright or oversized signage. Commissioner Sugaya moved to amend the motion to include the sponsor’s additional neighborhood conditions (pedestrian-safety signage, queuing controls, delivery restrictions, and the ban on alcohol and tobacco), which the maker and seconder accepted.

On the final roll call, the commission voted unanimously in favor. The motion passed 7–0 and the variance associated with off-street loading was taken under advisement.

What’s next: The conditional-use authorization includes conditions the sponsor agreed to; the variance for loading remains under advisement and may return with additional findings.

Speakers quoted above are drawn from the meeting record and are identified by the roles they used in testimony.