DZLU MEETING DATES: June 20 and July 18, 2023
1. ONGOING PROJECT UPDATES
a. 939 LOMBARD
After our June Board meeting RHN issued a letter to the sponsor and architect thanking them for meeting and modifying the design, but also relaying RHN’s understanding that the school has remaining concerns and asking that the project team continue to engage in constructive conversations with school representatives to try to address these concerns.
A Discretionary Review (DR) hearing was held on 6/29 where the DR applicant and several parents expressed their concerns. The project as submitted was approved by the Planning Commission. The design had been revised to incorporate most of DZLU’s recommendations.
In response to parents’ concerns about construction safety and impacts, if the project proceeds into construction, we will recommend the contractor implement a robust construction management plan and a communications plan with school staff.
2. ONGOING POLICY UPDATES
a. HOUSING AND COMMERCIAL POLICY UPDATES
A number of city proposals to increase housing and implement the state-mandated Housing Element have advanced and are highlighted below with links for more detail:
– Constraints Reduction (aka Housing Production)
This legislation, co-sponsored by Mayor Breed and Supervisors Engardio and Dorsey, had been introduced this past spring and was summarized in DZLU’s June report. It was approved by the Planning Commission on 6/29 and will now advance to the Board of Supervisors.
It is the first major package that seeks to implement key components of the Housing Element. The package eliminates the need for conditional use authorization for housing projects that are otherwise code compliant, removes zoning limitations on special types of residential projects such as senior housing, shelter and group housing, and relaxes certain open space requirements. Under limited circumstances, conditional use approval is eliminated for single-family or two-unit building demolitions. Discretionary Review hearings are reduced for code-compliant housing projects. Also, eligibility of projects for the city’s local density bonus program, HomeSF, would be expanded.
A second major package of legislation to implement the rezoning piece of the Housing Element will be brought to the Planning Commission shortly, initially for information, and will be covered in next
month’s Board report. RHN had written to the Planning Commission with DZLU’s comments on an earlier draft of rezoning strategies last fall and we will continue to monitor and comment.
– Housing Fee Reform Plan
All housing developments of 10 or more units must currently include a rescribed share of below-market-rate units. Every three years, a technical advisory committee recommends adjustments to these percentages based on an analysis of financial feasibility so that housing production is not disincentivized. This legislation, for a period of three years, drops the requirement to 12%-16% from 21.5%-23.5% depending on whether the projects are rentals or condos, and whether the affordable units are on-site or off-site. In addition, other development impact fees are temporarily reduced for this three-year period by 33%. These fees are intended to fund public infrastructure such as open space and transportation. The Board of Supervisors passed this Breed-Peskin authored legislation on 7/25.
https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2023/06/27/affordablehousing-rate-fees-policy.html
– RM zoning changes
To incentivize increased unit density, new construction in RM-zoned parcels, which are in areas with a mix of single and multi-family buildings, must achieve at least 75% of the maximum allowed unit
density. Existing homes may expand but cannot exceed 3,000 sf in area, among other provisions. Within these provisions, a conditional use hearing would not be required. The Planning Commission approved this Peskin-initiated proposal on 7/20 with modifications by Planning staff
and it will now advance to the Supervisors.
https://citypln-m-extnl.sfgov.org/Commissions/CPC/7_20_2023/Commission%20Packet/2023-005238PCA.pdf
– 4-plexes in RH-1 districts
This legislation, advanced by Sup. Melgar, was approved by the Board of Supervisors on 7/25. This aims to increase residential density especially in western neighborhoods within existing height and bulk limits by facilitating conversion of single-family homes to four-plexes.
– Downtown housing and Union Sq. commercial vacancies
Breed-Peskin proposals outlined in DZLU’s April meeting to increase housing downtown and to reduce Union Sq. commercial vacancies have been passed by the Supervisors.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/s-f-supes-cut-red-tape-fill-downtown-s-empty-18150947
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