June 23, 2025 Small Business Commission Meeting

The Commission will discuss and possibly take action to approve Legacy Business Registry applications.

a. Haystack Pizza (Application No.: LBR-2024-25-060)

b. Kilowatt (Application No.: LBR-2024-25-018)

c. Mo’s Grill (Application No.: LBR-2024-25-022)

d. O'Keeffe's Bar (Application No.: LBR-2024-25-055)

e. Phil’s Electric Company (Application No.: LBR-2024-25-026)

f. San Francisco Children's Arts Center (Application No.: LBR-2024-25-029)

g. Shaws San Francisco (Application No.: LBR-2024-25-001)

h. Steppin' Out Dance Studio (Application No.: LBR-2024-25-025)

i. Studio on Chestnut (Application No.: LBR-2024-25-057)

j. Tokaido Arts (Application No.: LBR-2024-25-031)

k. Unity Mutual Benefit Association (Application No.: LBR-2024-25-062)

Presenter: Richard Kurylo, Legacy Business Program Manager, Office of Small Business

The Commission will hear brief presentations from San Francisco merchant groups on the challenges, priorities, and opportunities in their corridors.

The Commission will hear and may take action on an Ordinance amending the Police Code to 1) increase the filing fee for One Time Outdoor Amplified Sound Permits; 2) eliminate permit requirements for ball or ring throwing games, dance halls, and masked balls; 3) eliminate referral of Place of Entertainment Permit applications to the Department of Building Inspection (“DBI”); 4) eliminate referral of Limited Live Performance and Fixed Place Outdoor Amplified Sound permits to the Planning Department; 5) relax public notice requirements on the applicant and the Entertainment Commission with respect to applications for Place of Entertainment, Limited Live Performance, and Fixed Place Amplified Sound permits; 6) require the Entertainment Commission to hold a hearing on any application for a One Time Event Permit or One Time Outdoor Amplified Sound Permit in cases where an applicant has previously obtained 12 or more such permits in the same calendar year, rather than the preceding 12 months; 7) for Extended-Hours Permits, eliminate referral to DBI, and eliminate referral to the Department of Public Health and the Fire Department in cases where the applicant or permittee already holds valid permits from those departments; and 8) amend definitions relevant to noise limit enforcement.

BOS File 250537

The Commission will hear and may take action on an Ordinance amending the Planning Code to update eligibility requirements for the priority processing program for certain commercial uses, including enabling eligible uses in the North Beach Neighborhood Commercial District, the North Beach Special Use District, the Calle 24 Special Use District, and Formula Retail uses with fewer than 20 establishments to participate in the program, and updating scheduling and extension requirements for the priority processing program; reaffirming the Planning Department’s determination under the California Environmental Quality Act; making findings of consistency with the General Plan, and the eight priority policies of Planning Code, Section 101.1; and making findings of public necessity, convenience, and welfare pursuant to Planning Code, Section 302.

BOS File 250538

The Commission will hear and may take action on an Ordinance amending the Building and Planning Codes to extend the Awning Amnesty Program to apply to existing unpermitted Signs and Gates; amending the Planning Code to remove design standards for gates, railings, and grillwork on ground floor street frontages of non-historic buildings in Neighborhood Commercial, Residential-Commercial, Commercial, and Mixed-Use Districts; affirming the Planning Department’s determination under the California Environmental Quality Act; making findings of consistency with the General Plan, and the eight priority policies of Planning Code, Section 101.1; and making findings of public necessity, convenience, and welfare pursuant to Planning Code, Section 302.

BOS File 250539

The Commission will hear and may take action on an Ordinance amending the Planning Code to streamline and simplify the process for obtaining and extending temporary use authorizations, implement standard requirements for any temporary use authorization, and permit as temporary uses seasonal political campaign offices for up to one year, and extend the maximum time period for a Pop-Up Retail temporary use to three years; affirming the Planning Department’s determination under the California Environmental Quality Act; making findings of consistency with the General Plan, and the eight priority policies of Planning Code, Section 101.1; and making findings of public necessity, convenience, and welfare pursuant to Planning Code, Section 302.

BOS File 250540

The Commission will hear and may take action on an Ordinance amending the Public Works Code to streamline the approval of certain encroachments in the public right-of-way, to establish a registration requirement in place of all permit requirements and fees for café tables and chairs and display merchandise, and to eliminate minor encroachment permit requirements and right-of-way occupancy fees for appurtenant building features; amending the Administrative Code to exempt café tables and chairs and display merchandise from the Shared Spaces Program; and affirming the Planning Department’s determination under the California Environmental Quality Act.

BOS File 250541

The Commission will hear and may take action on an Ordinance amending the Planning Code to 1) principally permit certain non-retail sales and service uses, including general office, design professional, business services, non-retail professional services, and trade offices, on the ground floor in the C-3 (“Downtown Commercial”) Districts through December 31, 2030, after which such uses will be conditionally permitted; 2) principally permit retail sales and service uses on the second floor and above in the RC (“Residential-Commercial”) Districts; 3) principally permit non-retail sales and service uses on the second floor and above in the RC Districts; 4) update transparency and fenestration requirements for ground floor actives uses and exempt child care facilities, homeless shelters, mortuaries, religious institutions, reproductive health clinics, and school uses from those requirements; 5) define an Interior Sign and the applicable standards for Interior Signs; 6) exempt Interior Signs of six square feet or less and Business and Identifying Signs painted on building facades from a permit under the Planning Code; 7) modify the definition of a Non-Residential Use for the purposes of certain development impact fee waivers; affirming the Planning Department’s determination under the California Environmental Quality Act; making findings of consistency with the General Plan, and the eight priority policies of Planning Code, Section 101.1; and making findings of public necessity, convenience, and welfare pursuant to Planning Code, Section 302.

BOS File 250542

The Commission will discuss and possibly take action to approve the draft 5.12..25 meeting minutes. 

Allows members of the public to comment generally on matters that are within the Small Business Commission’s jurisdiction but not on today’s calendar, and suggest new agenda items for the Commission’s future consideration.

Update and report on the Office of Small Business and the Small Business Assistance Center, department programs, policy and legislative matters, announcements from the Mayor, and announcements regarding small business activities.

Allows President, Vice President, and Commissioners to report on recent small business activities, make announcements that are of interest to the small business community, and make inquiries of staff. Allows Commissioners to introduce new agenda items for future consideration by the Commission.