Supervisor Preston Passes Legislation to Limit New Smoke Shops in the Tenderloin in Unanimous Board Vote

Supervisor Preston Passes Legislation to Limit New Smoke Shops in the Tenderloin in Unanimous Board Vote

In response to community concerns about the proliferation of smoke shops in the Tenderloin, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Supervisor Preston’s legislation to restrict the opening of new Tobacco Paraphernalia Establishments in the neighborhood.

This legislation prohibits new Tobacco Paraphernalia Establishments (TPEs) to open in the North of Market Residential Special Use District (SUD) and Lower Polk Street Neighborhood Commercial District (Lower Polk NCD). The legislation mirrors strict controls in place in nearby areas. In the adjacent Polk Street Neighborhood Commercial District (Polk NCD), legislation passed over a decade ago to limit these TPEs has proven effective in curbing illicit street activity.

“We have hundreds of amazing businesses in the Tenderloin, including many immigrant-owned and operated businesses, and this legislation doesn’t impact them,” said Supervisor Preston. “Our legislation, as requested by Tenderloin residents, prevents more of these smoke shops from opening up in a neighborhood that’s already saturated. We are proud to deliver this change for our constituents.”

“The Tenderloin has some unique challenges which sometimes makes it difficult to find a medium which serves the needs of all who live within our neighborhood,” said Gregg Johnson, special projects organizer at Central City SRO Collaborative. “We have spent a great deal of time working on this legislation with Supervisor Preston’s office, the Planning Department and the Planning Commission. This will be a definite game changer moving forward and though there is other work that must be done – this is certainly a good start.”

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