San Francisco Land Use & Transportation Committee Meeting – March 4, 2024
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San Francisco Land Use and Transportation Committee Meeting – March 4, 2024
The Land Use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met on March 4, 2024, at 9:45 AM (UTC) to consider five agenda items. The committee, chaired by Supervisor Melgar with Vice Chair Preston and Member Peskin, heard public testimony, debated amendments, and voted on several ordinances related to parcel delivery services, density calculations, unauthorized unit removal, landmark designation, and accessory dwelling units.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Agenda Item 1 (Parcel Delivery Service): A representative from Team Service expressed continued support for the amended legislation, noting it addresses concerns from labor, environmentalists, and the local community.
- Agenda Item 5 (Form-Based Density): Multiple speakers presented:
- Jake Price (Housing Action Coalition) and Jane Natoli (UMB Action) urged passage of the original legislation without amendments, arguing that form-based density is proven and needed to meet housing element commitments.
- Kent Mercani (volunteer) asked for housing to be allowed somewhere if not at this location.
- Clay (union carpenter) supported policies that include labor standards and allow more housing.
- Calvin Welch (Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council) testified in favor of Supervisor Peskin’s amendments, asserting that density alone does not create affordability and that rent control protections are necessary.
- Dan Calamucci (NORCAL Carpenters Union) urged moving the legislation forward without amendments to support union construction workers.
- Georgia Shudish and Lori Brooke (Cal Hollow Association, Neighborhoods United SF) argued for more discussion, warning that combining form-based density with state density bonus could lead to high-rise development and displacement of small businesses.
- Agenda Item 2 (Unauthorized Unit Removal): Brian Emmiat, a West Side resident, spoke in support, saying the change would help families stay in their homes.
- Agenda Item 3 (Sacred Heart Parish Landmark): Several speakers addressed the artwork of Achille D.C. and the connector bridge:
- Robert Fisher urged protection of the interior paintings by including them in the landmark designation.
- Robert Pritchard (Sacred Heart Preservation Commission) emphasized the importance of preserving the artwork and noted past earthquake repairs were not funded.
- Jan Robinson (Committee to Save St. Bridget Church) supported maximum protection for the frescoes.
- Jerry Agosta (owner of rectory/convent/school) asked that the connector bridge not be included as a character-defining feature due to seismic risks.
- Agenda Item 4 (ADU Controls): No public comment was offered.
Discussion Items
- Item 1: Planning Code – Parcel Delivery Service (File 240169): Supervisor Chan, the sponsor, presented amendments previously discussed. President Peskin offered a friendly amendment to change the retroactivity date from March 8 to March 30, 2024, to avoid a gap in controls. The committee also duplicated the file and added further amendments (impact on educational institutions, AI/autonomous vehicles) requested by Supervisor Chan, then continued the duplicated file to the call of the chair for re-referral to the Planning Commission.
- Item 5: Planning Code – Density Calculation in RC, RTO, NC, and Named NCDs (File 230734): President Peskin proposed amendments to create two pathways: one for projects not using the state density bonus (with rent control applied to units over base density) and one for those that do. He also requested a duplicate file be kept unamended. After public comment, the committee voted to duplicate the file, amend the parent file with Peskin’s amendments, and then continue both files to the call of the chair. The amended file will be re-referred to the Planning Commission.
- Item 2: Planning & Administrative Codes – Conditional Use Authorization for Removal of Unauthorized Unit (File 231185): Chair Melgar introduced the ordinance, explaining it waives conditional use authorization for owner-occupied single-family homes with an unauthorized unit that has not been rented for 10 years, subject to a regulatory agreement that applies rent control. The committee adopted amendments recommended by the Planning Commission (floor‑to‑ceiling height and minimum area exemptions) and sent the amended ordinance to the full board with a positive recommendation.
- Item 3: Planning Code – Landmark Designation – Sacred Heart Parish Complex (File 231045): Supervisor Preston noted that substantive amendments were made the previous week. After public comment raising concerns about interior artwork and the connector bridge, the committee duplicated the file: one copy was sent to the full board as recommended, and the duplicate was continued to the call of the chair to allow further discussion on preservation of the Achille D.C. paintings and the bridge’s designation.
- Item 4: Various Codes – State-Mandated Accessory Dwelling Unit Controls (File 230310): Planning staff presented amendments from the Planning Commission, which would clarify that ADUs in historic districts trigger notification requirements under Articles 10 and 11 rather than Section 311. The committee adopted the amendments and continued the item one week to March 11, 2024.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1: Motion to amend the original file (retroactivity date to March 30) passed 3-0 (Preston, Peskin, Melgar). Original file sent to full board with positive recommendation 3-0. Duplicated file amended and continued to call of chair 3-0.
- Item 5: Duplicate file created (unamended). Motion to amend parent file (Peskin’s amendments) passed 3-0. Motion to continue both files to call of chair passed 3-0.
- Item 2: Motion to amend (as read into record) passed 3-0. Motion to send amended ordinance to full board with positive recommendation passed 3-0.
- Item 3: Motion to send original file to full board as recommended passed 3-0. Motion to continue duplicated file to call of chair passed 3-0.
- Item 4: Motion to amend (as presented by Planning Department) passed 3-0. Motion to continue item one week to March 11, 2024, passed 3-0.
Meeting Transcript
SFGov TV, if we could go to the chamber of you, please. Hang on just a moment, something is happening. Yeah. Yeah, we're good. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Good afternoon. This meeting will come to order. Welcome to the March 4th, 2024 regular meeting of the Land Use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Public comment will be taken on each item on today's agenda. When your item of interest comes up and public comments is called, please line up to speak along your right-hand side of the room. Alternatively, you may submit public comment in writing. Or you may send your written comments via U.S. Postal Service to our office in City Hall. That's the clerk's office, room two forty-four and city hall's addresses. Agenda one is an ordinance amending the planning code to require conditional use authorizations for establishing parcel delivery service uses. Thank you very much. Uh Mr. Clerk. Um we are joined by Supervisor Connie Chan, the sponsor of this item. Welcome, Supervisor Chan. Thank you, Chair Melgar. And uh just wanted to um uh remind colleagues that we had this extensive discussion last week. And uh thanks to your support, um we amended this legislation with the retroactive date, um, stated on page 15 of this legislation that will expire on um March 8, and we'll be making permanent retro after then. Uh with that said, uh, would like for you today to consider to duplicate um this file um with additional amendments that is also before you today on page seven um line one um the impact on educational institutions located near the sites. We discussed this last week as well. Uh, and then uh on the same page, line um 15, uh including but not limited to artificial intelligence utilization and autonomous vehicles driven in ratio of human operated activities, also discussed last week. Uh, would like for your consideration again duplicate the file um today and make those amendments and then continue the item to the call chair so that allows re-referral back to planning commission for further discussion. Thank you. Thank you very much. Supervisor Chan Supervise uh President Peskin Sure, just one friendly amendment to the original file prior to the duplication, which is it's my understanding the interim controls expire on March 30th, not the 8th. So I would make a friendly amendment, which I believe to be non-substantive to change that date to March 30th. Okay, did you want to make a motion? I I'm happy to make the motion. Uh I'll I'll make the motion to the original file that is before us uh and then we can vote on it after public comment, and then we can duplicate the file and make the other two amendments after we send presumably the first file as amended to the full board as a committee report. Okay, thank you. Um so we will take public comment on this item for the folks who are in the chamber. I do intend to call item number five early after this, uh, just so that you know. I know that folks are waiting for that. Um, but let's have public comment on this item now. Thank you. Thank you. If you have public comment on agenda item number one related to parcel delivery service, please come forward to the lectern at this time and I'll start your start your timer now. Good afternoon, Chair Melgar, Vice Chair Press uh Vice Chair Preston, President or excuse me, Preston, President Peskin, Supervisor Chan. Uh thank you for hearing this item. Uh the team service were here last week expressing our support uh on this and this amended item has our continued support. As we said last week, these controls are extremely important to ensure that San Francisco has the right tools to face a rapidly growing delivery industry. This legislation has been a group effort and addresses concerns from labor, environmentalists, and the local community, your constituents. President Peskin's amendment is crucial to ensure that there is no gap between the when there's no gap between when the parcel delivery interim zoning controls end and when these new controls begin. Thank you again, and we ask you to approve this legislation.
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