SAVE S.F. NEIGHBORHOOD MOVIE THEATERS: CINEMA 21

PETITION TO SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING COMMISSION TO MAINTAIN CINEMA 21 AS MOVIE THEATER


We the undersigned believe that San Francisco neighborhood movie theaters make important contributions to the unique character of the Citys neighborhoods and significantly enhance the quality of life of the City's residents. Neighborhood movie theaters are also important economic engines for neighborhood commercial districts that help to ensure the vitality of surrounding retail stores, restaurants and other small businesses. According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, however, in the last 20 years San Francisco has lost over 35 movie theaters and today the future of many of the few remaining neighborhood movie theaters is at risk. San Francisco must make every effort to preserve and maintain the City's last remaining neighborhood movie theaters.

The San Francisco Planning Commission is considering a proposal to convert the Cinema 21 Theatre on Chestnut Street (formerly the Marina Theatre) into a Walgreens superstore. The proposed Walgreens would be completely out of scale with the rest of Chestnut Street and is not appropriate for a small neighborhood commercial district. The new Walgreens would replace an existing Walgreens already located next door to the Cinema 21 and would be located only three blocks away from another existing Walgreens on Lombard Street.

Therefore, we the undersigned urge the San Francisco Planning Commission to reject the Walgreens proposal and insist that a theater use be considered for the Cinema 21 site.