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Board committee advances ‘CU Sooner’ rules to speed storefront approvals
Summary
The Land Use & Transportation Committee moved ordinances to speed conditional-use reviews and cut fees for certain ground-floor commercial uses, aimed at helping small businesses during COVID-19. Planning staff and small-business groups supported the changes; neighborhood advocates sought protections for liquor and sensitive uses.
The Land Use & Transportation Committee on July 27 advanced an ordinance package that would speed and simplify conditional-use review for many small storefront businesses and cut certain application fees, saying the changes are intended to help small businesses weather the COVID-19 economic crisis.
Chair Erin Peskin said the “CU Sooner” legislation would reduce the planning-commission hearing timeline to 90 days for qualifying ground-floor storefront conditional uses, and allow refund of fees if a 60-day extension is not exercised. Sponsors said the proposal would also halve certain fees and reduce the need for small business owners to hire permit expediters or lawyers during the pandemic.
Planning staff member Diego Sanchez told the committee the Planning Commission considered the ordinance and recommended it with modifications after a 4–3 vote. The commission’s recommended approach would principally permit some first-floor uses temporarily and keep controls for “sensitive” uses, Mr. Sanchez said.
Supporters called the reforms practical. The Golden Gate Restaurant Association’s director of public policy said the measures would save independent restaurants time and money; other callers representing neighborhood business associations and nonprofit leaders urged the committee to forward the item to the full Board.
Speakers representing residents raised questions about how the expedited review intersects with neighborhood notification and appeals by recognized neighborhood organizations. Several callers asked whether the streamlined process would apply to liquor-license conditional uses and whether smaller or newly listed neighborhood organizations could gain leverage to delay openings.
Committee members said the ordinance tracks earlier priority-processing programs the department adopted informally between 2013 and 2015. The committee adopted non-substantive technical amendments and voted unanimously to forward the ordinance to the full Board with a recommendation.
What’s next: The ordinance will go to the full Board of Supervisors for consideration. If approved, it would alter the Planning Code and shorten review timelines and reduce fees for qualifying ground-floor uses.
Speakers quoted: “Small business owners, particularly during this pandemic, should not have to be hiring lawyers and permit expediters to make their case,” Chair Peskin said. “This is common sense,” said a caller from the Golden Gate Restaurant Association.
Ending: The committee sent the ordinance to the full Board with a recommendation; the full Board will consider the item at a future meeting.
