The San Francisco Board of Supervisors held its regular meeting on April 7, 2026, beginning at 10:15 AM. The board addressed a wide range of items including consent calendar approvals, multiple ordinances and resolutions, introductions of new legislation, public hearings, and a major appeal regarding a conditional use authorization for a property at 524-526 Vallejo Street. The meeting also featured special recognitions for retiring BART official Molly Burke and La Casa de las Madres on its 50th anniversary. The board voted on several key items, including upholding the planning commission's de facto denial of a conditional use authorization (CUA) for the Vallejo Street project.
This was a public hearing on the appeal of the de facto denial of a conditional use authorization (CUA) for a project at 524-526 Vallejo Street and 4-4A San Antonio Place. The project proposed to legalize the merger of three dwelling units into one and reinstate one ground floor unit within a legally four-unit building. The planning commission had a 3-3 tie vote on December 4, 2025, resulting in a de facto denial, which the appellant (the property owner, Caitlin Holloway and Ben Ramirez) appealed to the board.
Appellants' Position: The appellants argued that the four-unit designation was never lawfully granted because the units were never constructed, the permit was issued without required public hearing and exceeded density limits (lot allows 2.4 units under RM-1 zoning), and that the building was built as a single-family home. They claimed the developer (Peter Escander) was the bad actor, that DBI signed off on a building that didn't match plans, and that forcing four units would displace their family of four. They requested approval of a two-unit configuration (return to original) with one added unit.
Planning Department Position: The department recommended upholding the denial, citing consistent records from multiple agencies (DBI, Fire Department, 3R reports) showing four legal units. They argued that approving the CUA would legalize an unauthorized merger, result in a net loss of two rent-controlled units, conflict with the Housing Element, and set a dangerous precedent.
Public Comment: Seven speakers supported the appeal, describing the family's community involvement and arguing the developer acted fraudulently. Fifteen speakers opposed the appeal, representing tenant advocacy groups (San Francisco Tenants Union, Housing Rights Committee, North Beach Tenants Committee, San Francisco Anti-Displacement Coalition, Chinatown Community Development Center, others). They argued that the owners knowingly bought a four-unit building, that approving the appeal would incentivize illegal mergers and evictions, and that rent-controlled units must be preserved. One former tenant (Joseph Padilla) submitted a letter confirming he lived in Unit 4A from 1990.
Key Discussion Points:
Good afternoon. Welcome to the April 7th, 2026 regular meeting of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll? Thank you, Mr. President. Supervisor Chan. Chan present, Supervisor Chen. Chen not present, Supervisor Dorsey. Dorsey present, Supervisor Fielder, Fielder not present, Supervisor Mahmoud. Mahmoud present, Supervisor Mandelman. Present. Mandelman present, Supervisor Melgar. Melcar present, Supervisor Sauter. Sauter present, Supervisor Cheryl. Cheryl present, Supervisor Walton. Walton present, Supervisor Wong. Wong present. Mr. President, you have a quorum. Thank you, Madam Clerk. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaktuchalone, who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramatushalone have never ceded, lost, nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. As guests, we recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland. We wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the ancestors, elders, and relatives of the Ramatushalone community and by affirming their sovereign rights as first peoples. Colleagues, will you join me in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Underground indivisible with liberty and justice. On behalf of the board, I want to acknowledge the staff at SFGov TV. Today, that is particularly Suze Enos. They record each of our meetings and make the transcripts available to the public online. Madam Clerk, do you have any communications? Thank you, Mr. President. The Office of the Clerk of the Board is in receipt of a memo dated April 7th, 2026 from Supervisor Fielder requesting to be excused from the meetings of the Board of Supervisors and the Government Audit and Oversight Committee, as well as the LAFCO meetings between April 7th and June 30th. And for today's purposes, a motion will need to be made in order for her to excuse her from today's meeting, as well as for future meetings of the board and the GAO. Additionally, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors welcomes you all to be present in the legislative chamber. Here we are in room 250 on the second floor of City Hall. And when you're not able to be here, we ask that you watch the proceedings that are airing live on SFGOV TV's Channel 26 or catch the live stream at WWW.sfgovtv.org. If you have public comment that you'd like to submit in writing, just send it to uh the through the U.S. Postal Service to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the number one, Dr. Carlton B. Goodlitt Place, City Hall, Room 244, San Francisco, California, 94102. And if you'd like to send it via email, you can send it to email address at BOS at sfgov.org. If you need to make a reasonable accommodation for a future meeting under the Americans with Disability Act, or to request language assistance, please contact the clerk's office at least two business days in advance by calling 415-554-5184. Thank you, members. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Colleagues, could I have a motion to excuse Supervisor Fielder from today's meeting made by Supervisor Mahmoud seconded by Walton? And I think we can take that without objection.