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Committee delays vote on arcade zoning change to give neighborhood review
Summary
The committee continued an ordinance that would allow amusement arcades in parts of the South of Market SLI district for one week after sponsors asked for additional edits and supervisors raised safety and district-specific concerns.
The Land Use Committee on Feb. 6 continued for one week an ordinance to update the planning code to allow amusement arcades in Market and certain Eastern Neighborhood mixed-use districts, narrowing the change to the South of Market (SLI) district.
April Vanarasian Ng of Supervisor Jane Kim—s office said the legislation would modernize a 1982 code that in some cases still prohibits arcade games and that the sponsor intends to limit the change to the SLI district while other Eastern Neighborhood changes will be handled later. The Planning Commission had recommended narrowing the change to the SLI after neighborhood stakeholders raised concerns.
Supervisor Aaron Peskin warned that arcades have been linked to serious crime in specific districts in the past, citing homicides on the 400 block of Broadway in the early 2000s, and urged district-specific controls rather than a blanket expansion. Multiple business owners and neighborhood residents spoke in favor of allowing arcades in SoMa—s SLI district, with Coin-Op Game Room owner Hassan Ramud describing the operation as a mixed-use bar-restaurant with arcade accessories and arguing the space is safe and helps neighborhood vitality.
Supervisor Katie Tang moved to continue the item for one week to provide a cleaned-up ordinance; Supervisor Peskin seconded and the motion passed by unanimous consent.
