SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — These days, the word “streamlining” seems to be the “in” word at City Hall. As you may have heard, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie wants to make it easier for small businesses to go through the permitting process.
On the day of his inauguration, Lurie mentioned several changes coming to San Francisco – including this one.
“The era of a new restaurant going through 40 inspections and receiving 50 different answers is over,” he promised on the steps of City Hall.
If anyone had a reason to complain about government bureaucracy, it’s Jose Castillo, owner of Cielito Lindo Taqueria in San Francisco’s Outer Richmond neighborhood.
There was nothing “lindo” or pretty about the restaurant’s permitting process, which took nearly four years and thousands of dollars in fees while trying to meet the required building and planning codes.
“They put obstacles and obstacles and make your life impossible,” complained Castillo.
When it came to upgrading the electrical system, he was forced to add two meters, one for his business and another for the entire building.
Each time he had to modify the plans, it cost him more money. All along, he continued to pay for rent while he was still closed.
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Mayor Lurie wants residents and business owners to navigate the permitting process more easily by having most of it accessible online.
Katy Tang of the Office of Small Business is part of the PermitSF reform team.
“We want to have that kind process for anyone who is applying for any kind of permit to be able to see that journey, the status and also have timelines,” insisted Tang.
But there’s another reason why the process is so complicated. The planning code consists of three binders with 2,500 pages. There are layers, and layers, and layers of codes added through the years mainly by San Francisco supervisors.
So, let’s take someone currently going through the permitting process just to get a license to “serve” wine at the store where bottles of wine are already sold.
How could that be complicated?
“It’s not a nuclear waste site, it’s a wine bar!” said Bastian Schoell, who owns The Spanish Table.
He showed us where in the store he would like to serve some wine. “So we’re thinking about subdividing about right here, moving the retail items toward the front of the store, maybe move some of the wine back here and what you see is being occupied by various things, would become a little bistro,” he explained.
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Schoell thought it would be an easy process, because of Proposition H which is meant to streamline the approval process for small business permits. Some taking only 30 days.
“We went through a permitting application process with the city thinking we could get it done quickly and then hit this wall of like, this is going to take six months and I can’t figure out these forms. I think we’re going to have to hire somebody,” he added.
Right off the bat, he was met with 11 steps just to apply for a conditional use permit, including providing architectural plans, submitting the plans, reviewing the plans and a public hearing where anyone can weigh in. Then there are these next steps.
He already has a type 20 license to sell wines at his store, but to serve a glass of wine with, let’s say, a little bit of cheese on the side, he needs a type 42 license, mandated by the state.
But there’s more.
“When that conditional use permit is granted, the issuance of the alcohol license then is subject to the Board of Supervisors and mayoral sign off, like get that for a minute,” said Schoell.
It’s been six months already and Schoell has decided to hire a consultant who knows the permitting process inside and out.
“I think it will cost us, between the consultant and architect, it’s probably going to somewhere close to $10,000,” he revealed.
Meanwhile, remember Castillo, the owner of Cielito Lindo? He’s still paying off his debt. But now that he has a business to run, Castillo admits he’s a much happier man.
“I did it! That’s what I felt that time. I told the city, you know, I did it, no matter what!” said Castillo.
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