Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting – July 13, 2023
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Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee Regular Meeting – July 13, 2023
This regular meeting of the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee, chaired by Supervisor Catherine Stephanie, was held on July 13, 2023, with Vice Chair Engardio and Supervisor Dorsey present. The committee considered three agenda items: two liquor license transfers (type 20 and type 42) and an ordinance to expand prohibited places for firearms. Both liquor license transfers received unanimous approval, while the firearm ordinance was continued to the call of the chair due to pending state legislation.
Consent Calendar
- No items were designated as consent calendar; all agenda items were considered individually.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were received in person or remotely on any agenda item.
Discussion Items
- Item 1 – Liquor License Transfer (Type 20) – Blue Stream Gallery and Gifts
Officer Salmonson (SFPD ABC liaison) reported zero letters of protest or support. The location (census tract 117) is a high saturation area and high crime area (plot 160). Central Station had no opposition, and the Alcohol Liaison Unit recommended approval. The applicant, a co-founder of Blue Stream Gallery, explained that the business is an art gallery in Chinatown, and the license would allow off-sale beer and wine to promote Asian-owned Napa wineries. No public comment was received. The committee voted unanimously to recommend approval. - Item 2 – Liquor License Transfer (Type 42) – Ales Unlimited
Officer Salmonson reported zero letters of protest or support. The location (census tract 135) is a high saturation area but low crime area (plot 525). Northern Station had no opposition, and the Alcohol Liaison Unit recommended approval. The applicant, Steve Smith (owner of Ales Unlimited), stated that the business had a small downtown bar that was evicted during COVID. They now have a location in Pacific Heights after a seismic retrofit and wish to transfer the license to offer tastings and generate sales. Vice Chair Engardio noted the business is popular in District 2. No public comment. The committee voted unanimously to recommend approval. - Item 3 – Ordinance Amending Administrative Code – Firearms Prohibited Places
Chair Stephanie introduced the ordinance to expand prohibited firearms places (including childcare facilities, city property, election facilities, medical facilities, private parks/playgrounds, places of worship, and private commercial establishments without express consent), in response to the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision and over 200 CCW applications pending. She noted that state Senate Bill 2 (SB2) addresses similar issues and is moving forward; therefore, she proposed continuing the item to the call of the chair to avoid conflict with state law. No public comment was received. The committee voted unanimously to continue the item to the call of the chair.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1 (Blue Stream Gallery and Gifts): Unanimous motion (3-0) to prepare a resolution supporting the license transfer and send to the full Board with a positive recommendation. (Vice Chair Engardio aye, Member Dorsey aye, Chair Stephanie aye)
- Item 2 (Ales Unlimited): Unanimous motion (3-0) to prepare a resolution supporting the license transfer and send to the full Board with a positive recommendation.
- Item 3 (Firearms Prohibited Places Ordinance): Unanimous motion (3-0) to continue the item to the call of the chair, pending developments with state legislation (SB2).
Meeting Transcript
This meeting will come to order. Welcome to the July 13th, 2023 regular meeting of the public safety and neighborhood services committee. You are unmuted. Madam Chair, I'm sorry, it turns out SFGov TV hadn't unmuted. If we could start over, my apologies. No worries. This here. This meeting will come to order. Welcome to the July 13th, 2023 regular meeting of the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee. I'm Supervisor Catherine Stephanie, Chair of the Committee. To my right is Vice Chair Engardio, and to my left is Supervisor Dorsey. The clerk is Mr. John Carroll, and I'd also like to thank James Kawana at SFGov TV for staffing this meeting. Mr. Clerk, do you have any announcements? Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. The Board of Supervisors and its committees are convening hybrid meetings that allow in-person attendance and public comment while still providing remote access and public comment via telephone. The board recognizes that equitable public access is essential. We'll be taking public comment as follows. First, public comment will take in on each item on today's agenda. Those attending the meeting in person will be allowed to speak first, and then we will hear from those who are waiting on the telephone line. The public comment call-in number is 415-65501. The meeting ID for today's meeting is 2664-323-0175. This information is streaming across the screen if you are watching the meeting on SFGov TV or on your cable service. When your item of interest comes up and public comment is called, those joining us in person should line up to speak along the curtain wall. And those on the telephone should dial star three to be added to the speaker line. If you are on your telephone, please remember to turn down your television and all listening devices you may be using to access today's proceedings. Alternatively, you may submit public comment in writing. You may email them to me, email your comments to me. I'm the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee Clerk. My email address is J-O-H-N, period C A R R O L L at SFGO V dot O R G. Or you may send your written public comments via U.S. Postal Service to our office in City Hall. That is one, Dr. Carlton. B. Goodlick Place, the clerk's office, room 244, San Francisco, California, 94102. If you submit public comment in writing, I will forward it to the members of the committee and include your comments as part of the file on which you are commenting. And finally finally, Madam Chair, items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda of July 25th, 2023, unless otherwise stated. Thank you. Mr. Clerk, will you please call the first item? Agenda item number one is a hearing to consider that the premise-to-premise transfer of a type 20 off-sale beer and wine liquor license to SBL Living Assets 2018 LLC to do business as Blue Stream Gallery and Gifts located at 555 Grant Ave will serve the public convenience or necessity of the city and county. Thank you. I believe we have Officer Salmonson from the SFPD ABC liaison unit. Good to see you. Good morning. Okay, so you have before you a PCN report for uh living assets 2018 LLC to operate as Blue Stream Gallery and Gifts. They have applied for type 20 license, and if approved, this would allow them to operate an off-sale beer and wide premise. I have zero letters of protest, zero letters of support.
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