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Committee recommends waiver to keep Lovejoy's Tea Room parklet on Clipper Street
Summary
The committee voted to send an ordinance to the Board waiving sections of the Administrative Code so Lovejoy's Tea Room's curbside shared space can occupy both the parking lane and a portion of sidewalk on the 100 block of Clipper Street; owner Celine O'Driscoll credited the parklet with helping the business survive the pandemic.
The Land Use and Transportation Committee on June 3 recommended an ordinance that would waive specified requirements in the Administrative Code to allow Lovejoy's Tea Room's curbside shared space to occupy both the parking lane and a portion of the sidewalk on the 100 block of Clipper Street at Church. The committee sent the item to the full Board as a committee report.
Adam Tonkseva, legislative aide to Supervisor Mandelman, said Lovejoy's—an immigrant‑ and woman‑owned business in Noe Valley—was initially issued a pandemic shared‑space permit in June 2020 and that the city’s legislative shared‑space program (August 2021) required some parklets to relocate. Lovejoy's parklet had to be moved from Church Street to Clipper Street because the original location did not meet required pedestrian visibility at the intersection; Tonkseva said the removal and rebuild cost "in the tens of thousands." He described the Clipper Street sidewalk as 15 feet wide and said the existing configuration preserves a roughly 10‑foot pedestrian clearance.
Celine O'Driscoll, co‑owner of Lovejoy's, told supervisors the parklet allowed the business to employ and retain more San Franciscans and to add outdoor seating that made the business more sustainable amid rising costs. "The extra space the parklet affords us is part of what has made it possible for Lovejoy's to survive the difficult time of higher prices and increasing costs," O'Driscoll said.
Brief public comments followed in support, and Chair Mirna Melgar moved to send the ordinance with a positive recommendation as a committee report. The motion passed with recorded ayes from Vice Chair Dean Preston, Member (recorded in transcript as) Paskin, and Chair Melgar. The item is scheduled for Board consideration on June 11, 2024.
The Planning Department and City Attorney staff worked on the ordinance; the committee record notes the legislative shared‑space program and pedestrian‑visibility requirements in Administrative Code Chapter 94.
