Supervisors approve amendment to Chinatown zoning changes, move final technical fixes to next week

The Land Use & Transportation Committee on Sept. 20 approved a targeted amendment to an ordinance that would adjust small‑business zoning controls in Chinatown, North Beach and on Polk Street and moved remaining technical changes to a Sept. 27 hearing. Supervisor Aaron Peskin, the item’s sponsor, said the measure is the product of extensive community deliberation and would "support legacy businesses" while allowing some community‑serving and professional uses where appropriate.

Why it matters: Supporters said the ordinance protects longstanding Chinatown institutions while creating space for arts, cultural and social‑service uses that community groups say are necessary for neighborhood recovery. Planning Department staff and the Planning Commission recommended language changes aimed at ensuring conditional use authorizations are issued only when a proposed use "primarily serves Chinatown" and that nonconforming uses and use sizes are reestablished properly after abandonment periods.

Details: Veronica Flores of the Planning Department summarized three Planning Commission recommendations: require the commission to find that a social‑service or philanthropic facility primarily serves Chinatown before allowing an increase in use size; retain a three‑year abandonment period for use sizes in Chinatown districts; and adopt a technical correction clarifying how restaurants or institutional uses reestablish a nonconforming use and associated size after the abandonment period.

Public testimony: Dozens of callers representing Chinatown organizations urged approval. "CMAC is dedicated to social justice, anti‑discrimination, and Chinatown's recovery through arts and education," said Mabel Tang, interim executive director of the Chinatown Media and Arts Collaborative. The Chinatown Community Development Center and the Chinese Culture Center also voiced support, saying the ordinance would help preserve banquet halls, cultural venues and legacy merchants.

Action taken: Supervisor Peskin moved a narrow amendment (replace the code term "institutional use" with the code term "institutional community use" at the cited lines) and the committee approved that amendment by roll call. The committee then voted to continue the remaining technical amendments to the Sept. 27 meeting so the City Attorney and staff could finalize drafting; the votes were recorded as Peskin — aye; Preston — aye; Melgar — aye.

What’s next: The committee continued the item to the Sept. 27 meeting for final drafting. The ordinance will return with the technical edits and, if approved again, will be sent to the full Board of Supervisors.