At the Paradise Massage on Jones and Geary, none of the women were available, and farther down the block at the Hong Kong Oriental Massage, the house was also full. That is more than enough, says Supervisor Leland Yee, who is spearheading an effort to ban new massage parlors in the Tenderloin. Yee has authored legislation before the San Francisco Board of Supervisor that also seeks to limit the parlors' hours of operation, regulate the use of signs, prohibit barkers in front of the business, ban the use of alcohol and require the establishments to clean up litter within 100 feet of the business. When the community is trying to revitalize the Tenderloin, they are stonewalled in their efforts when new massage parlors come in. He said the idea is to promote diversity of businesses in the Tenderloin, and have less of those that generally give the area a bad name.
Massage parlors stymie the revitalization of the neighborhood.
The proposed ordinance will go before the Housing and Neighborhood Services Committee and is expected to reach the board by the end of this month, Yee said. His proposal has gained the support of residents and business owners in the area, one of the few places in the city where lower income people can still find housing. The Empire Massage on O'Farrell Street is among 22 such businesses in the Tenderloin. Although many residents appreciate crackdowns, some say the police should focus on mere violent vices. According to the 1990 census, there are roughly 35,000 residents in the Tenderloin, mostly elderly and single people.