Small Business Commission Hosts Meeting on Legacy Business Protection Legislation

The Small Business Commission of San Francisco convened on August 25, 2025, at City Hall to discuss key issues affecting local businesses. The meeting, held in person and broadcast live on SFGovTV, began with a roll call, confirming a quorum despite the absence of three commissioners.

A significant portion of the meeting focused on an ordinance concerning legacy businesses in neighborhood commercial districts. Supervisor Connie Chan, representing District 1, presented the legislation aimed at protecting these businesses from being replaced by new non-residential uses without proper authorization. This ordinance seeks to amend the planning code to require conditional use authorization before any changes can be made to legacy businesses in designated areas, including Chinatown.

The commission acknowledged the importance of this legislation, which had previously been voted on in the past year under former supervisor Aaron Peskin. The discussion highlighted the commission's role as a public forum for addressing policies that impact the economic vitality of small businesses in San Francisco.

Public comment was welcomed at the end of the meeting, allowing community members to voice their opinions on the discussed items. The commission emphasized its commitment to representing the interests of small businesses and acknowledged the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone, recognizing their historical significance and ongoing stewardship of the land.

As the meeting concluded, the commission's actions and discussions underscored its ongoing efforts to support and protect small businesses in the city, particularly those with deep-rooted community ties.