DZLU November

DZLU MEETING DATE: November 16, 2021 (via Zoom)

1. ONGOING PROJECT UPDATES

None

2. ONGOING POLICY UPDATES

a. HOUSING—SF LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS

Proposed legislation based on Sup. Mandelman’s proposals on 4-plexes on RH-zoned lots and on “monster” homes was reviewed at the Planning Commission on 11/18/21. The link below contains the packet presented by Planning Department staff with details on the proposals:

Click to access 2020-003971PCA%20and%202021-010762PCA.pdf

At the meeting, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended that fourplexes be allowed on all mid-block RH parcels currently zoned for single-family homes or two-unit buildings. They also recommended that 6-unit projects be allowed on RH-zoned lots on street corners. This is anticipated to move to the Board of Supervisors Land Use and Transportation Committee in early January.

This was also formulated as a local alternative to SB 9, the analogous state legislation allowing 4-plexes, recently enacted and outlined in last month’s minutes.

Staff proposed that the City’s current Residential Design Guidelines, which are subjective, would be replaced on RH parcels with objective standards that the City could enforce under SB 9. Draft objective standards are included in the linked packet above. These draft standards increase building setback requirements when density is directed toward the rear of a property to alleviate impacts on rear yard space. Models are shown with both a performance standard approach as well as an approach with prescriptive dimensional requirements.

Regarding the large home issue, staff recommended exploring establishment of a fee on proposals for single-family homes over 4,000 sf directed towards programs that assist those of low and moderate income with buying and building homes in the city. This proposal was in lieu of prior concepts to require conditional use approval for homes over 2,500 sf.

b. PROPOSED CONVERSION OF 3 GENERAL PARKING METERS TO BUSINESS METERS AT 2330 POLK (between Green & Union)

Neighbors had received a notice of an SFMTA public hearing scheduled for 11/19/21 regarding this conversion and expressed concerns to DZLU.
DZLU prepared a draft letter to SFMTA for RHN’s Executive Committee review opposing this proposed conversion, as the installation of parklets under the Shared Spaces Program has resulted in a loss of over 20 general parking spaces on upper Polk, a neighborhood with steep slopes and a higher-than-average population of seniors, as well as families with children, who depend on the availability of parking on Polk Street.
The letter was approved and issued on 11/17/21. SFMTA has since identified an alternative solution that retains the general metered parking in question and will propose to restore an original loading zone on the east side of Polk just north of Green St.