Commission recommends one-year moratorium and study to shrink Polk Street retail unit size

San Francisco — The Planning Commission recommended that the Board of Supervisors adopt an ordinance to reduce the permitted nonresidential use size in the Polk Street Neighborhood Commercial District and asked that the change include a one‑year sunset and study period.

Tara Sullivan, planning staff, told the Commission the proposal — introduced by Supervisor Peskin — would lower the threshold from 2,999 square feet to 2,000 square feet for retail uses inside the Polk Street NCD, a limit originally designed to keep storefronts compatible with neighborhood scale. Sullivan said department records showed relatively few conditional-use applications historically and recommended a one‑year study clause so staff could analyze impacts before making the lower limit permanent.

Supervisor Peskin, who addressed the Commission in support, said the proposal was modeled on earlier neighborhood protections and that a temporary period would allow staff to survey business sizes and protect vulnerable small storefronts. “What I hope by embracing your staff's recommendation is to provide a not to exceed 1 year period where we could do that statistical analysis,” Peskin said.

Local merchants and a neighborhood coalition spoke in support during public comment, and one neighborhood representative urged the Commission to protect longstanding businesses against unit consolidation. The Commission moved to approve the ordinance with the staff amendment calling for a one‑year sunset and study; the motion passed on roll call.

What’s next: The Commission will forward its recommendation (including the one‑year sunset) to the Board of Supervisors for final action.