SF Board of Appeals denies appeal to oust halfway house from historic Compton's Riot site

SF Board of Appeals denies appeal seeking to oust halfway house from historic Compton's Riot site

In a blow to local advocates, the San Francisco Board of Appeals on Wednesday declined to overturn a city zoning determination allowing a halfway house operated by a major private prison company to continue operating at the site of the historic Compton?s Cafeteria riot in the Tenderloin.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - In a blow to local advocates, the San Francisco Board of Appeals on Wednesday declined to overturn a city zoning determination allowing a halfway house operated by a major private prison company to continue operating at the site of the historic Compton’s Cafeteria riot in the Tenderloin.

The board heard from dozens of community members urging the city to revoke the building’s current use designation, calling for the property, located at 111 Taylor St., to be returned to the LGBTQ+ community in the Tenderloin. 

But the board ultimately voted not to appeal the Planning Department’s January letter of determination, which reaffirmed the building’s legal use as a group housing facility.

"This is not just about code enforcement," one speaker said during the meeting. "It’s about transparency, due process, and moral integrity."

The site, now a halfway house for formerly incarcerated individuals, is owned and operated by the GEO Group, a private prison company. 

"I’ve been to the site of the Compton’s Cafeteria riot and seen firsthand how this community has come together to remember our history," said Supervisor Bilal Mahmood. "This appeal is about more than a zoning or a letter of determination."

The backstory:

Compton’s Cafeteria was the site of a pivotal moment in LGBTQ+ history. In the summer of 1966, a trans woman threw coffee in the face of a police officer attempting to arrest her for "female impersonation," sparking a riot that has since been recognized as a major milestone in the transgender rights movement.

Earlier this year, the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places, but according to Zoning Administrator Corey Teague, that designation does not alter the legal use of the building.

"The landmarking itself would not change the legal use," said Teague at the meeting.

The Compton’s X Coalition, a community group leading the push to reclaim the site, called the decision "heartbreaking." The group wants to transform the building into a public space honoring its place in trans history. Opponents of GEO argue the halfway house does not meet the zoning definition of group housing.

David Blackwell, a representative for GEO Group, defended the company’s position, saying, "The brief confirmed that the group housing use is a legal non-conforming use. Nothing has changed since 1989, except now we have an appellant who doesn’t like the use and would prefer to have something else there."

During the meeting, several Board of Appeals members expressed regret that they did not have the legal grounds to overturn the letter of determination. They suggested that it might be a matter advocates could pursue with the Board of Supervisors.