Land Use and Transportation Committee Regular Meeting - October 16, 2023

The Land Use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met on October 16, 2023, at 9:45 AM, chaired by Supervisor Mirna Melgar, with Vice Chair Dean Preston and Member Aaron Peskin. The committee considered seven agenda items, including commemorative street naming, cultural heritage plaques, a street plaza resolution, a zoning change for the Castro neighborhood, and a major housing production ordinance. Public comment was heard on each item, with the chair limiting comments to one minute for the housing item due to prior hearings. Multiple items were approved and forwarded to the full board, while the Castro zoning item was amended and continued, and the housing ordinance was continued to October 30 for further technical cleanup.

Consent Calendar

• None. All items were discussed individually.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Item 1 (Elsie Tonelli Street): Family members and supporters testified in favor, highlighting her 73 years of operating Central Drugstore, her community service, and the fact that only 7% of San Francisco streets named after individuals honor women. Speakers included Paul Tonelli (son), Diane Tonelli Ryan (daughter), Bridget Peterson (granddaughter), and others. One speaker, Michael Petrellis, criticized the 2-minute public comment limit, arguing it was insufficient for such a significant tribute.
• Items 2-4 (Cultural Heritage Plaques): Representatives from the Transgender District, SoMa Pilipinas, and the Lodginghouse District spoke in support, emphasizing the importance of permanent markers for LGBTQ+ and Filipino history. Several speakers noted that this was the first permanent public recognition of Filipino contributions on Sixth Street. Michael Petrellis again objected to combining three items into one public comment period, calling it a reduction of public participation.
• Item 5 (Eagle Plaza): Lex Montiel (owner of Eagle Bar) and Angel Audio High (Folsom Street) spoke in favor of establishing a formal plaza with a steward, noting community events held there. Michael Petrellis raised concerns about flagpole policies, urging flexibility for raising LGBTQ+ flags and lowering flags on days of remembrance. A caller, Joe Consler, also supported the plaza but called for additional street plaques honoring city heroes.
• Item 6 (Castro Nighttime Entertainment): Supporters included Andrea Ayala (Castro CBD), Mike Murray (Neighbors for Restored Castro Theater), Ralph Hibbs (Castro CBD), and Andrew Bennett (IATSE Local 16). They argued the zoning change would revitalize the Castro, reduce vacancy rates (from 24% to 17% in 2023), and allow the Castro Theater to operate fully. Opponents included M Rocket and representatives from the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, who requested studies on noise, housing impacts, and limits on hours of operation. Michael Petrellis mourned the loss of the theater as a movie palace and criticized the lack of community meetings.
• Item 7 (Housing Production Ordinance): Public comment was limited to one minute per speaker. Supporters (e.g., Annie Freiman from SPUR, Jake Price from Housing Action Coalition, Steve Marzano, Mike Chen, Jeff Gumpola, Robert Fruckman, and others) urged compliance with the state Housing Element to avoid loss of funding and land-use authority. Opponents (e.g., Francesca, Anastasia Vinopoulos from Tenants Union, and others) argued the bill would weaken rent control protections and benefit developers. Some speakers noted that the Mayor’s office had not yet clarified its position on streamlining demolition of rent-controlled units. One caller warned of losing transit funding if the city fails its housing element.

Discussion Items

• Item 1: Commemorative Street Name – Elsie Tonelli Street – Supervisor Safai presented the resolution to add a commemorative street name on Mission Street between Santa Rosa and Excelsior Avenues, honoring Elsie Tonelli, who owned Central Drugstore for 73 years. He noted that only 7% of San Francisco streets named after individuals are named after women. The committee unanimously approved and forwarded to the full board.
• Items 2-4: Cultural Heritage Plaques (Lodginghouse, SoMa Pilipinas, Compton’s Transgender Districts) – Arun Bhatia from Public Works presented the plan to install 18 bronze plaques (two-foot by two-foot) along the Sixth Street corridor between Market and Howard, as part of the $10 million Sixth Street Pedestrian Safety Project. Each block will have three plaques, one for each district. The plaques will honor Filipino WWII veterans, the lodginghouse district’s history, and transgender trailblazers. The committee unanimously approved and forwarded to the full board.
• Item 5: Eagle Plaza Street Plaza – Brian Dahl from Supervisor Dorsey’s office presented the resolution to establish Eagle Plaza at 383 12th Street as a formal street plaza under Administrative Code Chapter 94, and to urge Public Works to solicit a plaza steward. The plaza has been used since 2020 for events and a pop-up vaccine clinic during the MPOX outbreak. The committee unanimously approved and forwarded to the full board.
• Item 6: Castro Street NCD – Nighttime Entertainment Zoning – Supervisor Mandelman and Planning Department staff presented an ordinance to allow nighttime entertainment with conditional use authorization on the second floor of the Castro Street Neighborhood Commercial District. The Planning and Historic Preservation Commissions recommended approval with a modification to remove non-residential use size limitations for Article 10 landmarks. The committee adopted that amendment and then continued the amended item to the next land use meeting on October 23 (or next week) for a final vote.
• Item 7: Housing Production Ordinance – Chair Melgar noted that the legislation is complex and requires technical cleanup to align with previously passed special-use district rules. She proposed continuing the item to October 30 to allow staff to address discrepancies in definitions, rear setbacks, open space, and other technical issues. Supervisor Mandelman indicated he would introduce amendments to preserve monster home provisions and protect rent-controlled housing citywide, which may require re-referral to the Planning Commission. Supervisor Preston pressed the Planning Director on why the proposal initially allowed streamlining of rent-controlled demolition, contrary to the Housing Element. The committee voted to continue the item to October 30.

Key Outcomes

• Item 1: Approved unanimously (3-0) and forwarded to the Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation.
• Items 2-4: Approved unanimously (3-0) and forwarded to the Board of Supervisors.
• Item 5: Approved unanimously (3-0) and forwarded to the Board of Supervisors.
• Item 6: The committee adopted an amendment (3-0) to remove non-residential use size limits for Article 10 landmarks in the Castro NCD, then continued the amended ordinance to the next committee meeting (October 23, 2023).
• Item 7: Continued to the October 30, 2023, Land Use and Transportation Committee meeting for further amendments and technical cleanup.