The legislation would make more than 100 changes to the planning code to allow flexible uses in vacant spaces and many other changes for new businesses.
The main focus of the rule changes is permitting “flexible retail” across the city. The proposal would allow new non-retail uses in ground floor spaces, like accounting firms and co-working spaces, to fill vacancies.
Katy Tang, the Executive Director of the Office of Small Business, describes the legislation as {QUOTE} “making it one step more permissive” around zoning and approvals.
The new legislation would remove that cap on newly authorized bars on Sacramento Street and allow new restaurants in Chinatown without conditional-use authorization.
Conditional-use authorization is a process that involves additional review by city bodies and neighbors, often means months of additional work — and untold dollars — on behalf of the business owner prior to opening.
As part of her budget proposal last week, Mayor Breed is pitching an extension of the First Year Free program, which waives registration and permitting fees for new businesses.
