Committee advances ordinance to protect shared-space patios in Mission commercial parking lots

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Land Use and Transportation Committee on May 22 voted to send to the full Board an ordinance amending the planning code to clarify that use of a portion of a public parking lot as a shared-spaces patio in the Mission Neighborhood Commercial Transit District will not trigger abandonment of the underlying vehicular parking use.

Anna Herrera, legislative aide to Supervisor Hillary Ronen, told the committee the amendment is narrow and intended to let at least one neighborhood business continue to operate an outdoor shared-space patio. "This amendment is necessary in order for at least 1 beloved small business in our district, Casement's Bar, to continue to operate their shared spaces patio," Herrera said.

A planning department representative told the committee that the planning commission reviewed the measure on April 20 and recommended approval. During public comment Jillian Fitzgerald, co-owner of Casement's Bar, thanked the committee and said she hoped the ordinance would 'go through.' No callers were on the remote comment line.

Acting Chair Supervisor Dean Preston moved to send the ordinance to the full Board of Supervisors; the clerk recorded Supervisors Matt Dorsey, Aaron Peskin, and Dean Preston voting "aye," and the motion passed 3-0. Committee members did not request amendments during the hearing. The clerk noted items acted on by the committee are expected to appear on the Board agenda of June 6.

The ordinance would change how the Planning Code treats the temporary or ongoing use of parking-lot space as shared-space patios in the specified Mission transit-commercial district; the committee advanced the measure to the full Board for further consideration.