Planning Commission approves Boys & Girls Club Mission District reopening with preservation review condition

The San Francisco Planning Commission approved a conditional use authorization for the Boys and Girls Club to restore its Mission District clubhouse at 901 Alabama Street and granted the requested variance, with an added modification to preservation review procedures.

Planning preservation staff presented the project as returning a neighborhood-serving community facility to its historic location; staff recommended approval with conditions and found the new gymnasium addition conforms to the Secretary of the Interior’s standards for additions (Preservation staff, SEG 966–983). Project counsel Mary Murphy Gibson and Rob Connolly, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs, described the organization’s history (in San Francisco since 1891; at the Mission site since 1928), the community need for programs serving ages 6–18, and urgent demand for reopening the clubhouse to serve teens (Mary Murphy, Rob Connolly, SEG 991–1066, SEG 1024–1033).

Several community speakers — parents, current clubhouse staff and members — testified in support and described the project as important for neighborhood safety and youth services (Tracy Brown, Susana Rojas, SEG 1070–1158). Commissioners emphasized balancing the social urgency with preservation obligations: several commissioners noted staff’s preservation expertise, while Commissioner Seguaya offered to review technical preservation submittals concurrently with staff review so as not to delay reopening.

The commission passed a motion to approve the conditional use and the variance with the modification that Condition 4 require submission of historic replacement window and entrance details and specifications for review and approval by Planning Department preservation staff and concurrent review by Commissioner Seguaya; the variance hearing was closed and the variance granted as part of the action (Motion and vote to approve, SEG 1390–1476).