UPDATED: Land Use Committee voting on Cafe Flore's off-site kitchen tomorrow

UPDATED: Land Use Committee voting on Cafe Flore's off-site kitchen tomorrowCafe Flore (credit: Eric Nielson)
Roy
Published on April 14, 2013
Cafe Flore (credit: Eric Nielson)
Cafe Flore (credit: Eric Nielson)
UPDATE (4/17/2013): The amendment unanimously passed the Land Use Committee with a positive recommendation. Supervisor Scott Wiener noted that he is optimistic it will pass the full Board of Supervisors next Tuesday. ------- Back in February, the Planning Commission voted 6 to 1 to approve an amendment to the city's planning code to allow Cafe Flore the continued operation of their off-site kitchen in order to serve a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu. Cafe Flore has been operating the off-site kitchen for several decades now, ever since their original owner used their personal kitchen to prepare meal basics. Owner JD Petras purchased the space (across the street from the restaurant) that housed the kitchen and worked with the Department of Public Health to bring the kitchen up to code. The DPH is ready to sign off on the upgrades, but not before the modification to the planning code is passed. There is broad support for this exception to the planning code and exceptions to the planning code are many due to the bluntness of its verbiage. There are some dissenters though, mainly the Castro/Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association and the Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association. When asked why the DTNA would oppose the amendment, President Pat Tura compared Cafe Flore's situation to someone building "a shoddy and illegal in-law apartment in [their] garage" in order to make mortgage payments on the house. An interesting comparison, but a silly one. Supervisor Scott Wiener wrote and championed the legislation which will go before the Land Use Committee tomorrow at 1:30. If approved it will go before the Board of Supervisors for final approval.