As expected SF Planning Commission votes 6-0 to approve a cannabis retail license at 2490 San Bruno Avenue in Portola

(SAN FRANCISCO) As expected, the San Francisco Planning Commission voted 6-0 on May 4 to approve a cannabis license at 2490 San Bruno Avenue in Portola neighborhood, although several dozen members of the Chinese community came to speak at the public hearing to voice their concern of the impacts to the children.

The protests from the Chinese community also focused on preschools and learning centers for the younger age children being too close to the proposed cannabis retail store, similar to the situation of Green Mirror dispensary which was proposed to open at 800 Taraval Street, the border of the Sunset District. Green Mirror’s license was reaffirmed by the Board of Supervisors 9-2 in an appeal hearing held two weeks ago on April 18.

The proposed brand new cannabis dispensary, Portola Pipeline, is located at the heart of the busy San Bruno Avenue business corridor in Portola. It was a vacant commercial space before Pacific Pipeline Corp. rented the 1908 square feet storefront for the proposed new cannabis store.

If it is open, Portola Pipeline will be adjacent to Star Learning Center to the right and Walgreen Pharmacy to the left. There is a crowded bus stop, which functions as a hub of public transits for the local neighborhood, in front of the future dispensary.

According to the data released by the Planning Department, 9 locations have been identified by the department as potentially sensitive sites that do not disqualify Portola Pipeline from being used as a cannabis dispensary under the 600-foot buffer rule.

Those 9 locations include Star Learning Center adjacent to the dispensary, Family Connections Center which is also located on San Bruno Avenue and 312 feet away from the dispensary, Chinese American-owned Dong Dong Home Day Care 527 feet away, Burrow Pocket Park 529 feet, and Dr. Martin Luther King Academic Middle School 667 feet.

The Planning Department clarified that the current 600-foot buffer rule in the City's planning codes has only restricted any cannabis retail businesses to be located within a 600-foot radius of any existing public or private schools.

The Planning Department recommended the approval of Portola Pipeline license application.

The Planning Commission discussed the matter in a public hearing on May 4 and voted 6-0 in favor of the cannabis retail, despite continued protests from the Chinese community.

"There shall be no minimum radius from a cannabis retail use to an existing day care center or youth center unless a State licensing authority specifies a minimum radius," the Planning Department stated in the executive summary of Portola Pipeline license application.

Portola is one of the largest Asian neighborhoods in San Francisco with over 50% of its residents who are Asians and predominantly Chinese immigrants.

Members of the Chinese community, who were mostly residents of Portola, had protested against the cannabis dispensary in front of the proposed store and in the virtual community outreach meeting held by the owners of Portola Pipeline.

At the May 4 Planning Commission meeting, several dozen Chinese American residents and seniors attended and spoke publicly to voice their opposition against the Portola Pipeline dispensary.

"I was raised in Portola. I have lived in this neighborhood for over 30 years. My son is a third grade student," said Mindy Chow whose home is close to the proposed dispensary. "We always walk on the San Bruno Avenue. I don't know how to answer my son's questions when he asks me why there are people lining up in front of the store."

Hazel Lee, President of San Francisco and Shanghai Association which is based in Portola, urged the city to deny the license application by Portola Pipeline. "Our community is out of balance by having two cannabis stores in the neighborhood, while there is only one pharmacy, Walgreen, to serve us."

Several speakers, who are seniors living in the Tenderloin, spoke against the Portola Pipeline and compared its situation with Tenderloin. They said a number of cannabis stores had been open in Tenderloin and the widespread drug issues have been out of control in their neighborhood. They tried their best to prevent any other neighborhoods from becoming another Tenderloin.

Ms. Huang, a leader among the Chinese seniors, asked the city to listen to the Chinese community and stop issuing more licenses for cannabis stores in the Asian neighborhoods.

"This is my fourth time to come to City Hall for public hearings on cannabis in recent months. Most of us are over 70 and 80 years old. We stayed in City Hall for many hours, no matter if it was sunny or rainy. Sometimes the meetings lasted until late evenings. We all share the same concerns that cannabis would have very negative impacts on our children," Huang spoke in Chinese." Please listen to us."

Before voting to approve the license, Planning Commission President Rachael Tanner, who made public comments in the past to imply the opposition from the Chinese community on cannabis licenses related to racial equity targeting African and Mexican Americans, did not mention about the learning center and preschools surrounding the cannabis retail. She wanted the owner of the Portola Pipeline to elaborate more about their safety measures.

Brendan Hallinan, owner of the Pacific Pipeline Corp., assured that private security would be hired and surveillance cameras would be installed at the dispensary.

Portola Pipeline is the company's third cannabis retail business in San Francisco. He submitted his first cannabis retail license, Sunset Pipeline, in 2017 and has been operating on Irving Street in the Sunset District for over three years. His second retail, North Beach Pipeline, was opened in the North Beach neighborhood last year in 2022.