Supes OK ban on new bars, restaurants in North Beach
By: Joshua Sabatini
Examiner Staff Writer
October 8, 2008
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| Places to eat: A proposal to ban new restaurants and bars in North Beach was approved by the Board of Supervisors. (Cindy Chew/The Examiner) |
SAN FRANCISCO — No more restaurants or bars will be allowed in North Beach, along with ATMs, after a new law was adopted Tuesday.
In recent years, North Beach has lost neighborhood-serving businesses such as hardware stores and seen an increasing number of bars and restaurants open.
The increase has brought along violence attributed to those partying at night in the area, creating a challenging problem for the Police Department.
Recent attempts to cut down on the rowdiness include banning the sale of pizza in the wee hours and assessing property owners a tax to pay for ramped up enforcement.
Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin’s legislation was adopted Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors by a 9-1 vote. Supervisor Jake McGoldrick was absent.
“The number of basic neighborhood-serving businesses have continued to be displaced to a level that I do not think makes a healthy neighborhood,” Peskin said. “[North Beach has] lost its hardware stores. It’s lost its shoe stores.”
The law allows new restaurants or bars to open for business in North Beach only if they occupy space once taken up by a restaurant or bar. The bill also stipulates that if a space once occupied by a restaurant is vacant for 18 months it can no longer be occupied by a new restaurant.
Supervisor Sean Elsbernd proposed an amendment to extend the timeline to 36 months.
“There are some sites in North Beach, if they went vacant, I think it would be a travesty if they were no longer restaurants,” Elsbernd said.
Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier voted against the bill and said a ban on additional restaurants along Union Street in her district has resulted in empty storefronts, prompting her to revisit that ban.
In other action
Naming names: In a 10-0 vote, the board adopted a law introduced by Peskin requiring political consultants who make lobbying contacts with city officials to report a wide array of information to the Ethics Commission, including the name of those contacted at City Hall.
Top of the list: Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi’s proposed law giving those displaced during the redevelopment of the Western Addition 40 years ago the first choice to move in to city-funded affordable housing was adopted by a 10-0 vote.
City hopes to lessen blow
With the financial crisis rattling the nation, The City’s lawmakers called for a hearing with top fiscal gurus and business owners to examine the financial hit to San Francisco and develop a plan to navigate the troubled economic waters.
Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin requested the full board meet Oct. 21 with the Mayor’s Budget Office, the Office of the City Controller, the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, among others.
Peskin said “all of our city’s revenue sources … are likely to be impacted.”
The City’s revenues are dependent on key sources including hotel taxes, property-transfer tax and sales tax.
