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Commission denies Ocean Acupuncture’s request to extend hours after neighbors cite neighborhood character and advertising concerns
Summary
The commission took discretionary review and denied Ocean Acupuncture & Health Center’s request to extend hours to 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, citing neighborhood compatibility, the applicant’s advertising and neighborhood opposition; staff had recommended denial for the Ocean Avenue location.
The Planning Commission voted to take discretionary review and deny a request by Ocean Acupuncture & Health Center to extend operating hours from the existing 11 a.m.–8 p.m. schedule to 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily.
Planning staff (Elizabeth Waddy) told the commission that the Ocean Avenue neighborhood commercial district (NC2) is intended to support neighborhood‑serving uses and avoid activity that undermines residential livability; staff recommended denial after receiving ten letters of opposition and noting that other medical facilities in the immediate area do not typically operate late into the evening.
Neighborhood groups (Ingleside Terraces Homes Association, OMI Neighbors in Action and West of Twin Peaks Central Council) testified in force, saying extended hours would increase noise, traffic and late‑night activity adjacent to homes. Several speakers also noted advertising for the business in alternative press and online directories that suggested an eroticized depiction of massage services; neighbors said that advertising and the business’s marketing raised concerns about the nature of late‑night operations on a block frequented by families and schoolchildren.
The applicant’s counsel asked the commission to encourage dialogue and said the business is licensed, denies any illicit activity and that after‑hours presence at the premises to perform non‑client tasks (cleaning, sterilization) should not be treated as an operational violation. The commission majority said neighborhood preservation and the applicant’s advertising pattern weighed against granting extended hours. On a roll‑call vote the commission recorded a majority to deny the extended hours request and maintain the existing 8 p.m. closing time for the permitted medical use.
The commission directed staff to treat complaints about after‑hours activities through enforcement channels and encouraged the applicant and neighborhood groups to meet if the applicant seeks a future application.
