Supervisors advance plan to add rooftop arts studio at 900 Kearney

The Land Use and Transportation Committee on May 6 advanced an amendment to the 900 Kearney Special Use District that would allow an enclosed rooftop addition restricted to arts activities and clarify use‑size thresholds in the Chinatown Community Business District. The committee voted 3‑0 to recommend the ordinance, as amended, to the full Board of Supervisors.

President Aaron Peskin, the item’s sponsor, said the changes are a “slight adjustment” requested by the project sponsor and include planning commission‑recommended clarifications on permitted use sizes. Audrey Maloney of the Planning Department told the committee the commission supports the ordinance with the recommended modifications.

Allen Lowe, attorney for Jackson Kearney LLC, said the rooftop element and related artistic work will bring creative space and murals to the corner of Jackson and Kearney and create a studio for local artist Jeremy Fish. Fish said the studio will allow him to create work in San Francisco and “hopefully…inspire other artists to do similar projects in the area.”

The clerk opened public comment and reported no speakers. President Peskin moved to amend the ordinance as distributed, send it as a committee report, and the clerk recorded unanimous approval from Vice Chair Dean Preston, President Peskin and Chair Mirna Melgar.

The committee’s action sends the ordinance to the full Board for consideration on the Board agenda. Specific code text in the ordinance sets the arts studio use size up to 2,500 square feet as permitted and requires conditional use for 2,501–5,000 square feet, per the amendments described during the hearing.