The San Francisco Planning Commission voted Thursday afternoon against the arrival of a pilates studio on Valencia Street.

All commissioners but Amy Campbell voted to deny a permit for Club Pilates, pointing to the nearly 20 concerned neighbors and business owners who spoke in opposition of the Southern California chain with 1,200 studios globally.

Valencia merchants said that allowing Club Pilates on the corridor would hurt small businesses trying to compete with a franchise this large. They added that opening the door to one chain would mean possibly opening the door to others, incentivizing landlords to wait for higher bidders to rent commercial spaces on Valencia.

Lastly, chains on Valencia Street do not align with the aesthetics and uniqueness merchants have fought so hard to pr

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