Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Resident urges commission to review Pacific Islander cultural district boundaries before ordinance is finalized
Loading...
Summary
A public commenter told the Preservation Commission that proposed Pacific Islander cultural district boundaries include areas outside San Francisco and portions of McLaren Park that may not meet the city charter’s definition; she asked the commission to scrutinize the ordinance when it is formally introduced.
A public commenter told the San Francisco Preservation Commission on Feb. 18 that the proposed Pacific Islander cultural district ordinance needs closer review, saying current maps appear to include parts of McLaren Park and even a sliver of Daly City.
Anna Abeyta, who said she was representing Supervisor Walton’s Office for District 10, told commissioners the ordinance has been delayed at the city attorney’s office and that she had questioned the district’s boundaries after seeing signage near McLaren Park. She urged the commission to examine whether all areas included in the proposal satisfy the city charter’s three criteria for a cultural district: (1) that areas be located within the city and county of San Francisco, (2) that they embody a unique cultural heritage, and (3) that a significant portion of residents or people who spend time there identify with a culture that has experienced historic discrimination or displacement.
"These boundaries include a large portion of McLaren Park, about 150 acres of it and a bit of Daly City," Abeyta said, and asked commissioners to take a "close look at the boundaries when the ordinance comes before you to make sure that all areas within the PICD meet the definition of cultural district as defined by the city charter." She said she would submit additional information to staff.
No substantive staff response or commission directive addressing boundary changes was recorded in the hearing transcript. Planning staff told the commission earlier that an ordinance to establish the Pacific Islander cultural district would be introduced "as soon as possible," and that the city attorney’s office was reviewing the draft.
What’s next: Abeyta said the ordinance was expected to be introduced by late January (staff said January 27 in her remarks) and that public input should be considered before the ordinance is finalized. Commissioners did not vote or take formal action on the district at this hearing.
