The Land Use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors convened on January 26, 2026, chaired by Supervisor Myrna Melgar, with Vice Chair Supervisor Cheyenne Chen and Supervisor Bilal Mahmoud. The meeting addressed airport navigation easements, planning code amendments, Central Subway performance, and commemorative street naming.
The meeting began with technical difficulties before formally opening. Chair Melgar acknowledged committee members and staff, including committee clerk Elisa Samara and SFGovTV representative Kalina Mendoza. Items acted upon were expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors' agenda for February 3rd, 2026.
Ayanna Volek from SFO Airport presented two resolutions authorizing acceptance of navigation easements at no cost to the city:
180 El Camino Real, South San Francisco: A mixed-use residential development within the 70-decibel Community Noise Equivalent Level (CNEL) contour. The San Mateo County Airport Land Use Commission initially found the project incompatible with the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP), but the City of South San Francisco overruled this finding.
413 Alita Way, unincorporated San Mateo County: An accessory dwelling unit within the 70 dB CNEL contour, continuously zoned residential since 2012.
Minor amendments were presented correcting planning letter dates in both files. The committee unanimously approved both items as amended with positive recommendations.
Lisa Gluckstein from the Planning Department presented an ordinance making various clarifying and typographical changes to the planning code, including prohibiting massage establishments and massage practitioner uses as accessory uses to residential properties. The Planning Commission unanimously approved the item on October 23, 2025, with modifications. Additional technical amendments were presented to correct references and reflect recent legislative changes. The committee unanimously approved the item as amended.
Lorenzo Rosas from Supervisor Cheryl's office presented an ordinance allowing movie theaters operating as bona fide eating places to sell beer, wine, and/or liquor on-site. The legislation specifically exempts movie theaters from gross receipts thresholds applied to other eating establishments and includes provisions for the Clay Theater in the Upper Fillmore Neighborhood Commercial District.
Key amendments presented:
Supervisor Chen praised the legislation for supporting neighborhood theaters while establishing controls to prevent alcohol sales to minors. The Fillmore Merchant Association and Pacific Heights Resident Association expressed support following extensive community outreach. The committee unanimously approved amendments and continued the item to the February 9th meeting due to the substantive nature of the changes.
Lisa Gluckstein presented an ordinance permitting parking of up to two operable vehicles in driveways located in required front setbacks. Currently, the planning code prohibits such parking, requiring all off-street residential parking to be screened and enclosed. The prohibition dates back to the 1979 downzoning ordinance.
Key provisions:
The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval on October 23rd with modifications. Public comment from Livable City raised concerns about pedestrian safety, curb cuts creating hazards, and the loss of green front yard spaces. Tom Adulovich noted that a child was killed in Hayes Valley by a car pulling out of a driveway.
Chair Melgar and Supervisor Chen supported the legislation as addressing constituent concerns and accommodating the reality of car-dependent households, particularly on the west side. Both acknowledged the legislation doesn't incentivize additional parking but legalizes existing common practices. Concerns about undermining bicycle infrastructure projects were addressed, with staff noting that curb cut removal requirements remain for non-ADU garage conversions. The committee unanimously approved the amendments and sent the item forward with a positive recommendation.
Supervisor Mahmoud presented a resolution adding the commemorative street name "Stephen Tennis Way" to the 200 block of Eddy Street in the Tenderloin, recognizing Stephen Tennis' decades of service as a Safe Passage corner captain. Tennis guided thousands of children safely through the streets of the Tenderloin until his passing in late 2024. This represents the first commemorative street renaming for an individual in the Tenderloin neighborhood.
Jaime Valoria, a Tenderloin resident, provided supportive public comment, noting Tennis was one of the first people he worked with over 10 years ago and praising his positive community presence. The committee unanimously approved the resolution with a positive recommendation.
Supervisor Danny Sauter presented a resolution updating permissions for Maiden Lane activation in Union Square. The alley has been closed to vehicular traffic during daytime hours since 1973. The resolution:
Marissa Rodriguez, CEO of Union Square Alliance, expressed strong support and described a recent successful "Latinas Forever" celebration featuring drag shows. An amendment was requested to change the closure time from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. (rather than the initially proposed 9 p.m.) to accommodate Recology's collection schedule and minimize late-night disturbance to residents. The committee unanimously approved the amendment and sent the item forward with a positive recommendation.
Supervisor Sauter called a comprehensive hearing examining the Central Subway's current performance and future extension possibilities. The Central Subway opened in November 2022 after more than two decades of planning and community advocacy.
Sean Kennedy, SFMTA Chief Planning and Delivery Officer, reported:
Ridership Success:
Operational Challenges:
Surface Portion (3rd Street):
Recent Improvements:
Vertical Transportation:
Retail Spaces:
Chair Melgar questioned the "magic number" for increasing train frequency. Kennedy explained current frequency is 10 minutes most of the day, 20 minutes evening, 12 minutes weekends, with trains at approximately 60% crush load capacity (220 passengers on two-car trains). The threshold for adding service is typically 85% crush load capacity, but financial constraints prevent near-term frequency increases. Additional trains are deployed for Chase Center events.
Supervisor Chen expressed concerns about active curb cuts impacting pedestrian safety and bicycle infrastructure development, particularly along high-injury network corridors like Alamany Boulevard. Kennedy explained that garage-to-ADU conversions represent a policy choice to incentivize housing creation, while other garage conversions still require curb cut removal.
Kennedy presented the Central Subway extension as one of five transit network expansion priorities identified in the 2020 Connect SF transit strategy, alongside:
Key facts about the extension:
Albert Ho, Central Subway Program Director, identified key lessons from construction:
Rachel Hyatt, SFCTA Deputy Director for Planning, outlined the long-range planning process:
Project Status:
Funding Competitiveness: Federal Transit Administration Capital Investment Grant criteria:
Creative Funding Examples:
Next Steps:
Supervisor Sauter raised questions about:
Approximately 40 members of the public provided comment, with overwhelming support for the extension:
Key Themes:
Marina/Presidio Extension Support:
Immediate North Beach Station:
Economic Benefits:
Resident Perspectives:
Technical/Cost Control:
Equity and System-Wide Perspective:
Opposition/Concerns:
Operational Issues:
Items Approved:
Central Subway Next Steps: Supervisor Sauter committed to:
Acknowledged Priorities:
Supervisor Chen emphasized balancing extension planning with immediate Muni operational challenges, construction impact concerns on small businesses, and the need for long-term operating revenue. Chair Melgar left the meeting early for urgent matters, with Supervisor Sauter assuming chair duties for the Central Subway hearing portion.
The meeting adjourned after the Central Subway hearing, which featured the most extensive public engagement of any item on the agenda.
your patience with our technical difficulties. Welcome to the January 26, 2026 regular meeting of the Land Use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. I am Supervisor Myrna Melgar, Chair of the Committee, joined by Vice Chair, Supervisor Cheyenne Chen and Supervisor Bilal Mahmoud. The committee clerk today is Ms. Elisa Samara. I would also like to acknowledge Kalina Mendoza at SFGovTV for helping us broadcast this meeting. Madam Clerk do you have any announcements? Yes Madam Chair please make sure to silence all cell phones and electronic devices documents to be included as part of the file should be submitted to the clerk today. 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 on your right. Alternatively you may submit public comment in writing in either of the following ways. First you may email them to the land use clerk john carroll j-o-h-n dot c-a-r-r-o-l-l at s-f-g-o-v.org or you may submit them submit written comments via u.s postal service to our office at city hall one dr carleton b goodlit place room 244 san francisco california 94102 if you submit public comment in writing it will be forwarded to the supervisors and also included 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 February 3rd, 2026, unless otherwise stated. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Please call items number one and two together. Agenda item number one is a resolution authorizing the acceptance and recording of a navigation easement from US 180 El Camino owner for the development at 180 El Camino Real in South San Francisco at no cost to the city of San Francisco and making appropriate findings. Agenda item number two is a resolution authorizing the acceptance and recording of a navigation easement from Navdeep Bakri for the development of 413 Alita Way in unincorporated San Mateo County at no cost to the city and county of San Francisco and making appropriate findings. Thank you Madam Clerk. We have Ms. Ayanna Volek here, representing SFO. Welcome. Thank you. The airport is requesting your approval to accept navigation easements from property owners for construction of the residential component of a mixed-use development at 180 El Camino Real in South San Francisco and an accessory dwelling unit at 413 Alita Way in unincorporated San Mateo County. Under state law, each county containing a public-use airport must adopt an Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan. The Comprehensive Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan for the Environments of SFO, or SFO-ALUCP, states that residential developments located within the 65-decibel community noise equivalent level, or DPCNEL, noise contour, must grant an navigation easement to the city at no cost as a condition of local project approval. Residential developments with the 70 dB CNEL contour are incompatible unless they were zoned for residential use continuously since the 2012 adoption of the SFO ALUCP. The San Mateo County Airport Land U Commission conditionally approved the project at 413 ELITA within the 70 dB CNEL contour and continuously zoned residential since at least 2012, pending the property owners granting an navigation easement to the city at no cost. The ALUC found the project at 180 El Camino Real, which is within the 70-decibel contour and not previously zoned for residential use, to be incompatible with the ALUCP. However, the City of South San Francisco overruled this finding and decided to proceed with the project pending the property owners granting an navigation easement. As required under the SFO-ALUCP, the easement would grant the City the right in perpetuity to permit the flight of aircraft through the airspace above and in the vicinity of the property, impose noise, sound, vibration, and other effects incident to the operation of aircraft, and protect the city from lawsuits brought by the current or future property owners or residents related to noise.