Supervisors amend Irish Cultural Center special-use ordinance after Coastal Commission concerns; item continued to Nov. 27

The Land Use and Transportation Committee on Oct. 30 amended an ordinance to create a Wawona Street and 40 Fifth Avenue Cultural Center Special Use District that would facilitate redevelopment of the United Irish Cultural Center but delayed final action after coastal-permitting questions raised by public commenters and Coastal Commission staff.

Supervisor Joel Engadio, sponsor of the ordinance, presented the proposal and described the center at 2740 5th Avenue as “a storied neighborhood gathering space” that has served the Sunset District for decades. Planning Senior Planner Gabriela Pantoja told the committee the proposed special-use district would permit uses beyond the first and second floors in the NC-2 district and allow conditional-use review for bulk and rear-yard amendments. Project representative John Kevlin said the sponsor and neighborhood have been supportive and noted prior reviews by the Rec & Park and Planning commissions.

During public comment, Eileen Bogan — identifying herself as a Coastal Commission district director — urged the committee to table the special-use district (SUD). She said Planning had issued a coastal zone permit that, in her view, improperly relied on a future Local Coastal Program (LCP) amendment. Bogan read an excerpt from an email by the Coastal Commission’s district director stating, “the appellant is correct,” and said the Coastal Commission reiterated that position in an email dated Oct. 30.

Evan Rosen told the committee the issue was one of statutory procedure rather than support or opposition for cultural centers, saying the Planning Department had “totally botched” the plan check and that the coastal zone permit cannot be conditioned on a local coastal program amendment. Several speakers urged the committee to give Planning an opportunity to fix permitting procedures before the board took final action.

President Aaron Peskin said he could not make the necessary findings without reviewing an Oct. 30 letter from the Coastal Commission; Deputy City Attorney Anne Pearson confirmed the letter was sent to committee staff earlier that afternoon. Supervisor Engadio read most proposed amendments into the record; he specifically omitted one finding on which he said he could not in good faith rely.

Chair Mirna Melgar moved to adopt the amendments read into the record and the committee approved the technical amendments on a roll-call vote. The committee then voted unanimously to continue the amended file to the Land Use Committee meeting on Nov. 27, 2023, to allow members and the public time to review the Coastal Commission correspondence and receive city-attorney guidance.

The committee did not adopt the disputed finding that the sponsor had asked to delay. The continuation preserves the ordinance as amended for further review and possible certification steps, including submission to the California Coastal Commission for LCP certification as required by the amendments read into the record.

The item is scheduled to return to the committee on Nov. 27, 2023.