Balboa banquet hall gets OK to open

In November, the SF Entertainment Commission gave the owners of Magdalena's Banquet Hall the green light to open on outer Balboa Street for a six-month trial period.

The commission had refused to issue the permit at its Oct. 20 meeting because it felt the owners, Magda Bach and her family, had not done enough outreach with neighbors to smooth over some of the concerns the neighbors had. After the owners held a neighborhood meeting to iron out some of the potential problems, such as late-night rowdiness and public drunkenness, the commission felt it was OK to open the banquet hall, located at 3255 Balboa St., on a temporary basis.

The commission will revisit the issue at the end of six months before granting a permanent license of operation.