SF appeals board lets Chinatown lion dance go on — with conditions

After a four-hour hearing, the San Francisco Board of Appeals offered a temporary solution to the conflict between LionDanceME and Chinatown merchants that will allow lion dance performances on Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. on one block of Grant Avenue.

The temporary permit approved Wednesday extends only through June 30, and is limited to the 700 block of Grant Avenue.

Originally, the permit allowed the dancers to take over three blocks from 600 to 900 Grant Ave., anytime between 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays until March 30, 2025. 

The temporary permit will allow the company to dance as it restarts the application process — this time with sufficient community input, the commissioners said. 

The motion was granted by the Board of Appeals with a 4-1 vote. President Jose Lopez, Vice President Alex Lemberg, Commissioner J.R. Eppler, and Commissioner Rick Swig favored the motion, while Commissioner John Trasviña voted against it.

“I would prefer that the parties, all sides, go out, try to resolve this, come back as quickly as possible,” said Trasviña, who pointed out that the dance group already has a permit for street closure from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency that covers three blocks on both Saturday and Sundays. 

Julie C. Rosenberg, the executive director of the Board of Appeals, acknowledged the limitations of the motion, but said it at least reflects “some of the agreement of the parties.” 

And, after hours of testimony, that was enough. 

Moreover, Norman Lau, the founder of LionDanceME, told the board that he was willing to make changes to the SFMTA permit. 

Nick Chapman, the SFMTA’s manager of special events and street closures, joined the hearing via Zoom and said that if Lau seeks to reduce the scope of the permit, he could issue a new permit immediately. “I could do that administratively without needing to go back to the committee,” said Chapman. 

Lion dance, an art form that has been widely regarded as the symbol of Chinese culture in America, is a regular feature at San Francisco political rallies and City Hall. When aspiring politicians hire makeshift lions to woo their increasingly influential Chinese American voters, LionDanceME is a popular choice. 

The group put on 300 shows around this year’s Lunar New Year period, according to Lau. Outside of politics and Chinatowns, the troupe has also been a guest of honor among Silicon Valley tech giants. “Pretty much any tech company you could name — Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, Lyft, Uber — I would say that, 95 percent, we have done it,” he said. 

The conflict between Lau and Grant Avenue merchants broke out in early March and has since pulled in supervisor Aaron Peskin, Mayor London Breed, and the SFMTA. To buttress their cases, both sides had collected over 1,500 signatures online before the hearing. 

The merchants said they are not opposed to lion dance, they just want to protect their businesses. The Grant Avenue street closures originated in the middle of the pandemic as a creative way to bring in more foot traffic. 

“The general feeling is that, during the pandemic, these closures assisted our community. And now, because the pandemic has ended, it’s more of a hindrance,” said Ben Marcus-Willers, branding director of Red Blossom Tea Company at 831 Grant Ave. 

Lau disagreed. “Contrary to the concerns, our presence on Grant Avenue has been beneficial to local businesses, evidenced by increased foot traffic and community engagement,” he said. 

More on the controversy

‘World’s most active’ lion dance group facing blowback in SF’s Chinatown