Committee advances Polk Street amendment to help legacy restaurants such as Bob’s Donuts expand

The Land Use and Transportation Committee on June 17 voted 3–0 to recommend a Planning Code amendment intended to help legacy restaurants in the Polk Street neighborhood merge storefronts and, in some cases, expand use sizes.

President Aaron Peskin said the change was aimed at preserving neighborhood character and helping legacy small businesses such as Bob’s Donuts, run by the Ahn family since 1977, secure renewed or relocated retail space. The ordinance would create an exception to existing storefront-merger prohibitions and, as Planning Department staff Veronica Flores reported, the Planning Commission recommended removing the prohibition and conditioning larger nonresidential uses (with suggested thresholds such as 2,500 square feet for certain allowances and removing a prior 4,000-square-foot cap).

Rebecca Ahn of Bob’s Donuts described the family business’s multi-generational history and thanked the committee and Peskin’s office for help obtaining permits to expand. Other small-business representatives and neighborhood supporters testified in favor of the amendment.

Peskin moved to send the ordinance to the full Board with a positive recommendation; the committee recorded unanimous approval and forwarded the item to the Board of Supervisors.

Next steps: The item will appear on the Board agenda for consideration. If adopted, the amendment may allow qualifying legacy businesses to merge adjacent storefronts to expand dining areas or relocate locally.