Three New Entertainment Zones Advance as Committee Shapes Downtown Nightlife Future

The San Francisco Rules Committee moved aggressively to expand the city's entertainment zone model into three District 3 neighborhoods, trimmed a downtown liquor license program amid warnings of market oversaturation, and unanimously advanced three Police Commission appointments at a moment of institutional transition. The committee also hit pause on a state-mandated remote public comment requirement, with supervisors openly questioning why the legislature doesn't follow the same rules it imposes on cities.

• Three entertainment zones approved for North Beach, the Ferry Building, and Belden Place, with outdoor alcohol consumption starting at 11 a.m.; Embarcadero Plaza pulled for more community input

• Downtown liquor license cap cut from 15 to 12 under SB 395, as existing bar operators warn of oversupply and businesses "barely hanging on"

• Police Commission appointments sail through with broad support: Kevin Benedicto reappointed, Lawrence Lowe confirmed, Maddie Scott reappointed — all 3-0

• Remote public comment rules delayed as supervisors push back on SB 707, demanding guardrails against anonymous out-of-jurisdiction callers

North Beach, Ferry Building, Belden Place Win Entertainment Zone Status

Supervisor Sauter brought a package of four new entertainment zones to the committee, built in partnership with the North Beach Business Association, Downtown SF Partnership, Hudson Pacific Properties, the Port of San Francisco, and local small businesses. The zones would allow outdoor alcohol consumption beginning at 11 a.m. — an hour earlier than current rules — aligning with typical street fair schedules.

Why it matters: California's first entertainment zone on Front Street has already produced dramatic results for surrounding businesses, and the expansion could replicate that model across three more neighborhoods in District 3.

Where things stand: The committee stripped one of the four zones — Embarcadero Plaza — via amendment before advancing the remaining three. Supervisor Sauter told the committee the Embarcadero zone needed more time for community engagement on its proposed boundaries: "Before you, you have one amendment which I'm asking for your support on, which is a non-substantive amendment striking out the Embarcadero Plaza entertainment zone for this package."

The remaining three zones drew uniformly enthusiastic testimony. Claude Mbo, VP of the Downtown SF Partnership, pointed to the Front Street zone's track record: "We spoke with the bars there and they said that they had seen increases of sales upwards of 1,500%. Every time we have an event in Front Street, the businesses do extremely well." He added that an Oktoberfest event drew upwards of 10,000 people.

Stuart Watts, president of the North Beach Business Association, noted the neighborhood has been San Francisco's entertainment district since 1849 and committed to a careful, safe rollout. Lillian Chester of Hudson Pacific Properties said the Ferry Building has already hosted over 300 events and activations and welcomed the zone as a tool to support merchants and bring free, accessible events. Scott Lansdel of the Port of San Francisco voiced support for the Ferry Building zone covering port property.

Decisions: The amendment to strike Embarcadero Plaza passed 3-0 (For: Sherrill, Mandelman, Walton). The amended ordinance was sent to the full board as a committee report, also 3-0.

What's next: The full board will take up the three-zone package. The Embarcadero Plaza zone may return in a future legislative cycle after additional community engagement.

Downtown Liquor License Cap Cut to 12 as Operators Flag Oversupply

The committee advanced a companion measure implementing SB 395, the state bill by Senator Wiener enabling San Francisco to designate its downtown for issuance of new, non-transferable restaurant liquor licenses. The original legislation set a cap of 15 licenses, but this item reduced that number to 12.

The basics: Under state law, the ABC can issue up to 10 licenses in the first year and up to 5 in any subsequent year. Ben Van Houten from the Office of Economic and Workforce Development explained the application period starts in September, with awardees moving forward by October.

Why it matters: The program is designed to attract new restaurants to a struggling downtown, but existing operators say the market can't absorb more competition — and they have data to prove it.

Where things stand: Brian Sheehy, CEO of Future Bars, testified on behalf of downtown food and beverage operators. He appreciated the reduction from 20 to 12 but pushed for only six licenses in the first year — not the 10-of-12 allowed under state law. His warning was blunt: "There are still 40 full liquor licenses parked at the ABC, indicating that this is an oversupply of licenses and an undersupply of operators."

Sheehy said some downtown locations have been "barely hanging on" since COVID shutdowns and that flooding the market with new subsidized licenses could push existing businesses out.

Supervisor Sauter supported the reduction but stopped short of imposing geographic restrictions, saying performance data should guide future limits: "I know there's also requests for the geography. I think that's at this moment a bit too limiting. But I think it's a future option based on the performance."

Chair Walton emphasized the need to balance supporting existing businesses with downtown revitalization goals.

Decisions: The amendment reducing licenses from 15 to 12 passed 3-0. The amended ordinance was recommended to the full board, also 3-0.

What's next: The full board will vote on the amended ordinance. The ABC application window opens in September.

Three Police Commission Seats Filled Amid Broad Community Support

The committee heard three Police Commission items together, spending more than an hour on testimony and deliberation before unanimously advancing all three nominees: Kevin Michael Benedicto for reappointment, Lawrence Lowe for appointment, and Maddie Scott for reappointment — each to terms ending April 30, 2030.

Why it matters: The commission is navigating a leadership transition under a new mayor and new police chief, with over half its members relatively new. These appointments ensure continuity on DOJ reform compliance, discipline, technology policy, and community trust-building.

Before testimony began, Chair Walton paused to note that an SFPD officer had been shot the previous night and was in surgery: "I had a chance to go to the hospital with the mayor very, very late last night, early in the morning as she was going into surgery. And so our prayers are with her."

Benedicto: Reform Continuity

Police Commission Vice President Kevin Michael Benedicto, the second-most tenured commissioner, detailed a reform record that drew support from groups rarely on the same side. He pointed to the commission's completion of DOJ collaborative reforms: "SFPD in these last four years completed the Department of Justice collaborative reforms and updated and modernized more policies that have had real results than at any other time in the Commission's history."

He highlighted a landmark policy deprioritizing certain pretextual traffic stops, which he said produced measurable results: "We've seen for the first time in decades a reduction in racial disparities at the same time that crime has gone down and total stops has gone up."

Board President Rafael Mandelman noted the unusual breadth of Benedicto's support: "Someone who can have the POA, Officers for Justice, and Connected SF all saying nice things about him is clearly doing outreach in all sorts of places and open to dialogue."

Public comment was extensive. Paul Chignell, legal defense administrator for the San Francisco Police Officers Association, praised Benedicto's professionalism on discipline cases. Yolanda Williams, retired SFPD captain and NAACP SF Branch leader, and Sylvia Harper, retired SFPD commander, both testified on behalf of Officers for Justice, citing his listening skills and commitment to reform. Crystal Van and Jose Un of Chinese for Affirmative Action credited Benedicto and Scott for securing improvements to SFPD's language access policy, which Un described as especially critical amid federal threats to immigrant communities.

Lowe: Governance and Conflict Resolution

Lawrence Lowe, nominated by Mayor Lurie, presented as a longtime San Francisco resident, UC Berkeley graduate, and experienced attorney and nonprofit leader. His father, Justice Harry Lowe, was a prominent San Francisco jurist.

Supporters emphasized his temperament and governance skills. Dale Manami, attorney and co-founder of the Asian Law Caucus, said he has known Lowe for 50 years and compared him favorably to his father. Celia Lee, attorney at Goldfarb and Littman, praised his leadership style of calmness and empathy. Buck Gee, former VP of Cisco Systems, attested to Lowe's calm conflict-resolution skills from their work together on the Angel Island board during a financial crisis. Corrine Ruiz Hester, former head of school at Hamlin School, praised his ethical standards and negotiation ability.

Scott: Three Decades of Anti-Violence Work

Commissioner Maddie Scott spoke of the personal loss that shaped her career: "It'll be 30 years this year that I lost my youngest son to gun violence and have served as the California Brady president in gun violence prevention and legislation and helping to curve and make our streets safer."

She emphasized bridging gaps between law enforcement and communities, accountability on both sides, and recruiting diverse officers.

Supervisor Connie Chan voiced support for all three nominees and thanked outgoing Commissioner Larry E.

Decisions: All three advanced unanimously as committee reports — Benedicto 3-0, Lowe 3-0, Scott 3-0 (For: Sherrill, Mandelman, Walton).

What's next: The full board will vote on all three appointments.

Remote Public Comment Rules Delayed as Supervisors Challenge State Mandate

SB 707 requires the Board of Supervisors to offer remote public comment at full board meetings starting July 1, 2026. Board Clerk Angela Calvillo presented a rules package to comply, but supervisors had sharp questions — and sharper objections.

The basics: The proposed changes would amend board rules to allow remote participation alongside in-person comment at full board meetings (not committees), create a disruption policy requiring a one-hour recess if remote systems fail, establish authority to remove disorderly remote commenters with a warning, and codify the existing practice that committees cannot limit total public comment time — which in turn would allow the full board to exclude public comment on items already heard in committee.

Why it matters: The pandemic-era experience with remote public comment left deep marks on the board. Supervisors now face a state mandate to reopen the same channels, and they want guardrails the law may not clearly permit.

Where things stand: Chair Walton was the most forceful critic: "We have sat in this chamber past two in the morning hearing public comment remotely from people who are in other countries." He questioned the legality of the state imposing rules it does not follow itself, and asked what consequences the city would face for non-compliance.

Deputy City Attorney Brad Reski explained that a member of the public denied access could file a Brown Act lawsuit and recover attorneys' fees.

The other side: Board President Mandelman acknowledged the state legislature made this decision but expressed his own concerns: "I'm not thrilled about this legislation from the state. I don't believe that they subject themselves to similar requirements for remote public comment." He noted, however, that guardrails are better than the pandemic-era unlimited remote comment.

Vice Chair Sherrill explored whether the board could require remote commenters to state a basis for needing the accommodation, drawing a comparison to vote-by-mail accommodations.

Calvillo suggested exploring a pre-registration system: "If we had the proper technology, could we get individuals to sign up in advance, if they wanted remote public comment access, that they would give us some identifying feature."

Decisions: The committee voted 3-0 to continue the item to the call of the chair, allowing time for further legal research from the city attorney's office.

What's next: The committee will take up the item again at a future meeting. The July 1 state compliance deadline looms, and further delay risks Brown Act liability.

Minor Items

• Chair Walton announced an SFPD officer was shot the previous night and was in surgery during the meeting.

• David Albert Angel, who had also applied for the Police Commission seat ultimately filled by Benedicto's reappointment, withdrew his application prior to the hearing.