Trans groups stepping up with new sense of urgency
Two Bay Area organizations, Bloom and Peacock Rebellion, held a legal clinic last month for transgender people. For eight hours, in a small space off 23rd Avenue in Oakland, walk-ins could meet with volunteer lawyers to sort through the ins and outs of getting their name changed and gender corrected on government documents.
By the time the clinic had ended, the volunteers had helped nearly 75 people with their paperwork. Some of them had also received financial assistance.
“I think a lot of people take the documentation for granted if they’re not trans,” said Lexi Adsit, a trans woman who works with both of the organizations. “There’s a number of instances where your identification can come into play. When you’re at the DMV, when you’re pulled over by the police, when you’re applying for a job ... the list is endless.”
Adsit had only recently applied
799 square feet.
When replacing a space previously occupied by a citydesignated “legacy business” — one that has been in operation for at least 30 years and has made significant contributions to the neighborhood.
The legislation would also ban new eating and drinking establishments if they’re in a 300-foot diameter in which restaurants and bars make up more than 35 percent of the retail businesses.
While most of the focus in the Mission has been on the rising cost of housing, Ronen said business displacement has also torn at the neighborhood fabric.
“The Mission is the heart of San Francisco’s Latino community, and Calle 24 Cultural District is the center of that heart,” Ronen said. “We wanted to create a tool that will help stabilize existing businesses and create a framework for bringing in new businesses that will enhance the cultural district.”
Commercial establishments wanting to move into the district will have their work cut out for them. To be granted conditional-use authorization, the new establishments would have to demonstrate their contribution to the Latino cultural district by meeting four of six guidelines.
The guidelines include preserving neighborhood character, supporting Latino or local arts and crafts, preserving legacy businesses, offering goods and services accessible to diverse households, partnering with local vendors, and addressing local workforce needs.
“We are trying to articulate what type of businesses will help enhance and strengthen the cultural district, as opposed to disrupting the neighborhood and creating further displacement,” Ronen said.
The Calle 24 Latino Cultural District was established in 2014 as longtime Latino businesses were being squeezed out to make room for high-end restaurants and cafes. Lee’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development worked with Ronen’s predecessor, Supervisor David Campos, to bolster the district through special zoning. Before being elected, Ronen was an aide to Campos.
Joaquin Torres, a deputy director at the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, said the proposed zoning changes are the result of two years of discussions with residents and business owners.
“We have been focused on nuanced and specific ways of supporting outcomes we wanted to see, both tangible and intangible,” Torres said. “Strengthening the cultural district will create an anchor that will benefit new and old residents alike.”
Erick Arguello, Calle 24 Latino Cultural District Council president, said he wished the legislation had been introduced a few years ago.
“We have been working on this for a few years, but it’s been slow going,” said Arguello. “It would have made a difference. It would have helped us with some businesses that we lost.”
Arguello said the neighborhood fought several attempts to combine small storefronts to create enough space for high-end restaurants, some successfully and others unsuccessfully. In early 2015, Sous Beurre Kitchen, a French restaurant with an $85-per-person tasting menu, moved into 2704 24th St., replacing two small businesses, a grocer and a space that had been a pet store and bakery. Less than a year later, the restaurant closed.
“There were several places where Realtors and investors attempted to merge small storefronts for high-end restaurants,” Arguello said.
Torres said the intent of the guidelines is not to punish businesses that want to move into the district, but “provoke reflection on a variety of things that we want them to consider” before moving into a historic commercial district.
“They represent a united vision of what is important to the district,” he said. “If your project is going to trigger a (conditional-use authorization), there are certain things we want you to consider.”
Diana Ponce De Leon, project manager at the mayor’s workforce office, stressed that the agency is committed to helping businesses thrive in the district, whether new or old. The agency recently worked with the owner of L’s Caffe, which was facing tough lease negotiations. The city provided technical advice needed for the 40-year-old cafe to secure a long-term lease at an affordable rent. The legislation will help other businesses like L’s, owner Gabby Lozano said.
“These regulations will mean protections for small mom-and-pop businesses and the preservation of the Latino culture, including its food and products,” Lozano said.