S.F. planning commission green-lights Beth Sholom plans

When asked what he would do if Congregation Beth Sholom's building plans were held up by the S.F. planning commission, Mark Gunther candidly told j. he hadn't considered that possibility.

Turns out he knew what he was doing.

The chairman of the San Francisco synagogue's rebuilding committee was calm but happy following the commission's 4-2 approval of Beth Sholom's planned demolition of its main building and erection of a modern, avant-garde structure.

Prior to the Sept. 1 meeting, several neighbors of the Richmond District synagogue had complained to local newspapers about Stanley Saitowitz's proposed design. They circulated a petition denouncing the reconstruction and gathered 300 signatures.

During the session, Peter and Rosemary Jacobs, who live next door to Beth Sholom, spoke against the project. Rosemary Jacobs cited concerns that the redesigned synagogue would be busier than today, a claim Gunther doubts.

"We are still a Conservative synagogue, we still do a full service and read the whole Torah reading," he said. "We don't expect to grow significantly as a result of this."

And, regardless of one's opinion of Saitowitz's design, Sandy Goldstein, the congregation's president, told the commission the synagogue is "designed to secure our future."

The synagogue obtained the conditional use permit it needs if, as it hopes, it will break ground in a year's time on its roughly $12.5 million project. Beth Sholom also received permission to demolish the former single-family residence currently housing the Makor Or Meditation Center.

The center will be located within the redesigned synagogue.