S.F.'s North Beach divided over proposal that could shake up retail in the historic neighborhood

In San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood, where espresso bars and old jazz clubs still echo the city’s bohemian past, new rules could soon change what types of businesses call the storied area home — stirring both hopes of renewal and fears about losing what has long made it special.

“It’s a really unique ecosystem that allows there to be, on one block, a record store next to a flower shop, a candle shop, a soufflé restaurant and a jewelry store,” said local business owner Stuart Watts, who is also the president of the North Beach Business Association — the organization’s board includes former North Beach supervisor and longtime neighborhood preservationist Aaron Peskin.

In recent months, Watts joined the chorus of more than 50 small business owners who opposed legislation authored by the area’s supervisor, Danny Sauter, that stands to set aside long-standing zoning restrictions meant to protect the diverse mix of small, locally owned businesses in North Beach and several surrounding neighborhoods, in favor of more permissive regulations.

The legislation, called “District 3 Thrives,” would, among other things, expand the types of commercial uses allowed in North Beach and the neighboring Nob Hill and Jackson Square neighborhoods and permit the merging of small storefronts into larger storefronts. It was passed with an 8-2 vote by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

LINK (paywall): https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/zoning-north-beach-21122722.php

QUOTES (from the link):

“Our supervisor doesn’t care,” said District 3 resident Romalyn Schmaltz during Monday’s hearing. “We know these changes will push a lot of us out in favor of larger, more corporate businesses, all while creating more vacancies. But he just stays the course.”

“Here again is our new supervisor trying to fix something that isn’t broken.”

“Why are we removing the protections now? What’s the urgency?”

“North Beach is not a struggling corridor. … Our commercial vacancy rate is 6%, among the very lowest in the city. These policies that have created that stability are the very policies that this legislation would undo.”

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ARE THEY FUCKING INSANE? THIS WOULD DESTROY NORTH BEACH!