Land Use and Transportation Committee Regular Meeting - June 30, 2025
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Land Use and Transportation Committee Regular Meeting - June 30, 2025
The Land Use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, chaired by Supervisor Mirna Melgar with Vice Chair Cheyenne Chen and Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, met on June 30, 2025, to consider eight agenda items as part of the Permits SF initiative and other planning and housing reforms. The meeting lasted from approximately 9:45 AM to early afternoon. Key actions included approval of several ordinances to streamline permitting for small businesses, downtown activation, and housing production, along with continuations for further amendments.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 2 (Priority Processing): Multiple speakers, including Nick Ferris (President, Telegraph Hill Dwellers), Romolyn Schmaltz (resident/former business owner), and Susana Rojas (Executive Director, Calle 24 Latino Cultural District), urged the committee to exclude the North Beach Neighborhood Commercial District, North Beach Special Use District, and Calle 24 Latino Cultural SUD from the priority processing program. They cited extremely low vacancy rates (Calle 24: 4% vacancy, 6 out of 151 storefronts) and strong post-pandemic recovery (sales tax revenue down only 1.29% from 2019 Q3 to 2023 Q3 vs. 39% downtown). They argued the existing conditional use process is working and protects cultural and small-business character.
- Item 3 (Awning/Sign/Gate Amnesty): Kiefer (Staff Hub for the Elderly) expressed support, noting small businesses suffer repeated vandalism and need solid gates. Michelle Andrews from Supervisor Sauter's office also voiced support, emphasizing the burden of enforcement on immigrant-owned businesses.
- Item 5 (Café Tables and Chairs): No public comment.
- Item 6 (Temporary Use Authorizations): No public comment.
- Item 7 (Noncomplying Structures): One speaker (Mr. Omenberg, Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods) noted the item was heard just four days earlier at the Planning Commission and raised technical concerns about language on page 3, line 11 ("one half bathrooms" vs. "bathrooms"). He requested a continuance.
- Item 8 (ADU Condo Conversion): Mr. Omenberg (San Francisco Anti-Displacement Coalition) requested a three-year ownership requirement for applicants to protect tenants and objected to overbroad exemptions from Article 9. Brianna Morales (Housing Action Coalition) supported the legislation, emphasizing the need for diverse housing options and homeownership opportunities, especially on the west side.
Discussion Items
- Item 1: Park Code – Treasure Island, Yerba Buena Island, and Additional Properties – Yael Golan (Deputy Director, Recreation and Park Department) presented an ordinance to apply the Park Code to properties managed by RPD but owned by other agencies (TIDA, OCII), including Treasure Island parks (management starts July 1, 2026) and Hunters Point Shipyards (July 1, 2025). The amendment ensures consistent rules and maintenance. The committee voted unanimously to recommend approval to the full Board.
- Item 2: Planning Code – Priority Processing for Certain Commercial Uses – Director Katie Tang (Office of Small Business) and Aaron Starr (Planning Department) presented an ordinance to consolidate two priority permit processing programs and expand eligibility to include North Beach, Calle 24, and formula retail with fewer than 20 establishments. The Planning Commission (June 26) recommended removing North Beach and Calle 24. After public testimony in favor of exclusion, the committee amended the ordinance to exclude those districts, citing support from the respective supervisors (Districts 3 and 9). The amended ordinance was recommended to the full Board unanimously.
- Item 3: Building and Planning Codes – Awning, Sign, and Gate Amnesty Program – Director Tang presented an ordinance to extend the existing amnesty program to unpermitted signs and gates, and to allow 100% solid security gates (over current scissor-gate preference). The Planning Commission recommended approval. The committee voted unanimously to recommend to the full Board.
- Item 4: Planning Code – Fenestration, Transparency, and Sign Requirements – Director Tang and Aaron Starr presented a multi-part ordinance including: exempting certain uses (child care, homeless shelters, reproductive health clinics, etc.) from storefront transparency requirements; simplifying interior and window sign permitting (non-structural signs exempt from planning approval); permitting non-retail uses on ground floor in C-3 districts through 2030; and allowing retail/non-retail uses above ground floor in RC districts. Amendments were adopted to clarify window sign definitions and measurement. The committee then voted to continue the item to the call of the chair due to the complexity of substantive amendments.
- Item 5: Public Works and Administrative Codes – Café Tables, Chairs, Display Merchandise, and Sidewalk Shared Spaces – President Raphael Mandelman expressed strong support for replacing permit requirements with a simple registration for café tables and chairs and display merchandise, and eliminating minor encroachment permits for appurtenant building features (e.g., water spouts, ADA push actuators). Director Tang explained the new process would save businesses time and money (average fee ~$1,000, plus annual renewals). The committee voted unanimously to recommend to the full Board.
- Item 6: Planning Code – Temporary Use Authorizations – Director Tang presented an ordinance to consolidate 19 categories of temporary use authorization, clarify durations, and permit pop-up retail up to three years (from one year) and seasonal political campaign offices for up to one year. The Planning Commission recommended approval. The committee voted unanimously to recommend to the full Board.
- Item 7: Planning and Building Codes – Noncomplying, Unpermitted, and Accessory Structures – Supervisor Joel Engardio (sponsor) presented an ordinance to allow existing unpermitted structures in rear yards (built before 2003) to gain noncomplying status, permit accessory structures up to 120 sq. ft. and 10 ft. tall without building permits, and allow relocation without variance. Planning staff requested amendments (e.g., prohibit sleeping quarters in detached structures). The item was continued to the call of the chair (likely July 14) due to pending amendment language.
- Item 8: Planning and Subdivision Codes – Condominium Conversion of Accessory Dwelling Units – Supervisor Engardio presented an ordinance to allow separate conveyance of ADUs and primary residences as condominiums, limited to existing single-family homes/condos adding a new detached ADU under state law. Amendments were adopted: striking the requirement that no certificate of occupancy had been issued for the ADU, and clarifying that conversions are subject to Article 9 (tenant protections) except for overly broad exemption language removed during discussion. The committee voted to recommend the amended ordinance as a committee report for the Board of Supervisors' July 1, 2025 agenda.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1: Unanimous (3-0) vote to recommend to the full Board.
- Item 2: Unanimous vote to amend (excluding North Beach and Calle 24; amendment adopted) and recommend as amended to the full Board.
- Item 3: Unanimous vote to recommend to the full Board.
- Item 4: Amendments adopted; item continued to the call of the chair.
- Item 5: Unanimous vote to recommend to the full Board. Staff noted approximately 215 businesses currently hold table/chair permits; new registration will replace permits.
- Item 6: Unanimous vote to recommend to the full Board.
- Item 7: Continued to the call of the chair (expected July 14, 2025) to finalize amendments.
- Item 8: Unanimous vote to amend (two non-substantive amendments plus clarification on Article 9 applicability) and recommend as a committee report for the Board of Supervisors' July 1, 2025 agenda. The ant-displacement coalition requested further tenant protections but did not block the vote.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everyone. Uh this meeting will come to order. I hope everyone had a wonderful Pride weekend. Welcome to the June 30th, 2025 regular meeting of the Land Use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. I'm Supervisor Mirna Melgar, Chair of the Committee, joined by Vice Chair, Supervisor Cheyenne Chen, and Supervisor Bilal Mahmood. The committee clerk today is Mr. John Carroll. Uh and I also would like to uh express my gratitude to Nette Engelau from SFGov TV for staffing this meeting. Mr. Clerk, do you have any announcements? Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. Please ensure that you've silenced your cell phones and other electronic devices you may have brought with you into the chamber today. If you have any documents to be included as part of any of today's files, you can submit them to me. Public comment will be taken on each item on today's agenda. When your item of interest comes up and public comment is called, please line up to speak along your right-hand side of this room. Alternatively, you may submit public comment and writing in either of the following ways. First, you may send your written public comments via email to me at J-O-H-N period C-A-R-R-O-L-L at SFGOV.org. Or you may send your written comments via U.S. Postal Service to our office in City Hall, and the address is one, Dr. Carlton B. Goodlitt Place, Room 244, San Francisco, California 94102. If you submit public comment in writing, I will forward your comment to the members of this committee and also include your comments as part of the official file on which you are commenting. Items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors' agenda of July 8th, 2025, unless otherwise stated. Thank you so much, Mr. Clerk. Please call item number one. Agenda item number one is an ordinance amending the park code to apply the park code to certain parks on Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island to allow application of the park code to certain additional properties operated and managed by the Recreation and Park Department subject to approval of the Recreation and Park Commission and making clarifying changes. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. We are now joined by Yael Golan from Deputy Director of Planning with the Recreation and Parks Department. Welcome. Thank you, Supervisor. Good afternoon, Supervisors. Ya El Golan, Deputy Director of Planning for the Recreation and Park Department. The item before you today is an ordinance to amend the park code to apply it to additional properties the Recreation and Park Department manages but does not own, including Treasure Island Development Authority or TIDA Open Spaces, and Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure, or OCII open spaces. I'm joined today by Mark Sletskin, Deputy Director of OCII, who is here today in support of this item and is available for any questions. Bob Beck, the director of TIDA, has shared a letter in support of this amendment with this committee. The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department oversees over 230 parks, open spaces, and recreational facilities. RPD has begun or will soon begin managing parks and open spaces at several redevelopment project areas, and there are over 40 non-RPD open spaces that we manage on behalf of other city agencies. RPD and TIDA are working together on a plan for RPD to take over the maintenance responsibilities for Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island Parks starting July 1st, 2026. We have also assumed maintenance responsibilities for OCII's Mission Bay Parks in July 2023, and we'll be uh man will begin managing OCII's Hunters Point Shipyards Parks this week on July 1st with official jurisdictional transfers of these sites to follow in the FY2526 fiscal year. Since OCII properties have not yet undergone a jurisdictional transfer to RPD and TITA properties are not currently planned to transfer to RPD's jurisdiction. A par code amendment is required to allow the park code to apply to these properties so RPD can manage and maintain them consistently with how we manage and maintain all other parks in the city and keep them clean, safe, and well managed as our other parks. Currently, the park code outlines overall rules and regulations for the use of city parks and recreational areas under RPD's jurisdictions, which include guidelines for park operations and maintenance to allow for beautiful, clean and safe parks, permitting requirements for events and activities for the public to easily reserve park amenities, enforcement of park rules, and provisions for public safety and emergency situations. The primary purpose of this par code amendment is to apply the par code to TIDA and OCI properties that RAC Park manages or will soon manage by implementing a revision to the PAR code to allow the recreation and parks commission to apply the park code to specified properties. It authorizes the department to lease or operate for recreational purposes. The approval process would require the recreation and parks commission to review and consider approval actions on each such agreement at a public hearing and to authorize the application of the PAR code to the specific properties. As mentioned in the previous slide, the PAR code covers rules for park operations, permits, public safety, and enforcement of park regulations. This amendment will ensure consistent standards across all RPD managed parks and streamline the process for managing new open spaces. This concludes my presentation.
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