Supervisors send Ocean Avenue ordinance to full board to preserve small storefronts and add arts uses

SAN FRANCISCO — The Land Use and Transportation Committee on Wednesday voted to send to the full Board of Supervisors an ordinance aimed at preserving smaller storefronts on Ocean Avenue and legally recognizing arts activity as a ground-floor use.

The ordinance, brought by Supervisor Yee and presented by his chief of staff Jen Low, would require planners to consider smaller commercial spaces when large lots are created, limit lot frontages to 50 feet on Ocean Avenue’s Neighborhood Commercial Transit (NCT) district, create specified exceptions from neighborhood-notice procedures for certain uses, and affirm related planning findings. "This legislation aims to do two things," Jen Low said: to disincentivize lot mergers that create large storefronts and to streamline notifications for conditional uses so small, local businesses can more readily occupy spaces.

Planning Department staff told the committee that the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval with three modifications: removing a requirement that lot mergers greater than 50 feet create a corner lot when seeking conditional use; principally permitting flexible retail on all stories in the Ocean Avenue NCT; and clarifying that square footage references gross commercial square footage. Diego Sanchez of the Planning Department confirmed that "tobacco paraphernalia does require conditional use authorization" on Ocean Avenue ground-floor space and remains restricted on upper stories.

Committee members debated how the code treats lot mergers that would produce frontages larger than 50 feet. Chair Aaron Peskin asked whether removing certain neighborhood-notice triggers would leave potentially sensitive uses without sufficient neighborhood notification; planning staff explained that CU notice requires a 30‑day notice within a 300‑foot radius, while the existing neighborhood notice is a 20‑day notice within 150 feet. Vice Chair Supervisor Asha Safaee praised adding arts uses and said removing neighborhood-notice costs had helped small businesses elsewhere.

A public commenter, Tom Radulovich of Local City, urged the Committee to require a mix of storefront sizes in large developments, noting that large, single storefronts are more expensive to lease and reduce opportunities for local merchants.

Chair Peskin moved to forward the ordinance to the full Board with recommendation, subject to non‑substantive clarifying language to be drafted by the City Attorney if needed; the committee approved the motion in a roll-call vote, Supervisors Preston, Safaee and Peskin voting aye (3–0).

The ordinance will next appear on the Board's agenda, where members may consider the Planning Commission’s recommended technical edits or propose policy changes such as allowing mid‑block mergers with conditional use review.