San Francisco Land Use and Transportation Committee Meeting – February 23, 2026

The Land Use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met on February 23, 2026, at 9:45 AM. Chair Mirna Melgar presided, joined by Vice Chair Cheyenne Chen and Supervisor Bilal Mahmud (later replaced by Supervisor Cheryl for item 30). The committee considered five major agenda items: a commemorative street naming, 26 landmark designations, parklet program reforms, adaptive reuse of historic buildings, and the adoption of the 2025 Fire Code with amendments to the residential sprinkler retrofit mandate. Public comment was extensive, particularly on the fire code item, with over 100 speakers.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1 – Commemorative Street Name for Carmen Johnson Way: Unanimously approved and sent to the full board with a positive recommendation. Supervisor Mahmud sponsored the resolution to add the commemorative name to the 1100 block of Pierce Street between Turk and Eddy, honoring Carmen Johnson’s lifetime of service. Public comment included one speaker in support. Vote: 3-0.
• Items 2–27 – Landmark Designations (26 resolutions): The committee approved 25 of the 26 proposed landmark initiations after adopting minor technical amendments to items 19 and 24, and tabling item 26 (Power House at 1526 Masonic) per planning department recommendation. Board President Mandelman sponsored the batch, which covers historic properties in District 8. Public comment had no speakers. Vote: 3-0 on amendments, 3-0 to table item 26, and 3-0 to recommend the remaining 25 items to the full board.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Item 28 – Shared Spaces Program (Parklet Reform): Laurie Thomas (Golden Gate Restaurant Association) expressed support for the amendments, noting the importance of iterative improvement and the practical challenges of parklet operations.
• Item 29 – Adaptive Reuse of Historic Buildings: Peter Papadopoulos (Mission Economic Development Agency) thanked the committee and planning staff for incorporating community input, particularly preserving Mission Action Plan frameworks and PDR replacement requirements.
• Item 30 – Fire Code Adoption and Sprinkler Mandate Amendments: Over 100 members of the public testified, nearly all opposing the sprinkler retrofit mandate or urging repeal. Key positions included:
  • Residents and homeowners (e.g., from Hamilton, Fontana Towers, Comstock, Telegraph Landing, 1201 California, etc.) described financial hardship (estimated costs of $60,000–$300,000 per unit), displacement risks, asbestos concerns, loss of property value, and the stress on seniors and fixed-income households. Many called for repeal rather than a five-year delay.
  • Fire safety professionals (Robert Eaton, Chris Ingram, Chase Browning) argued that costs are lower ($60,000 per unit) and that displacement is not necessary, citing successful retrofits elsewhere.
  • Community advocates (Rudy Gonzalez, Building Trades) supported the delay and urged inclusion of HOA voices in a technical advisory committee.
  • Realtors and property experts (Kimberly Wong, Janice Lea, Donna Crowder) noted that the mandate has already depressed property values and made units unsellable.
  • Statistical arguments: Several speakers cited fire department data showing zero fire-related deaths in the affected buildings over 26 years, and that 84% of fire deaths occur in single-family homes.

Discussion Items

• Item 28 – Parklet Program Amendments: President Mandelman presented the ordinance to streamline the shared spaces program by removing the Planning Department as a coordinating entity, eliminating public seating and all-day operation requirements for commercial parklets, and requiring parklets to be open only during business hours. SFMTA’s Brian Manford and Public Works’ Annie Aylon explained the changes aim to align code with operations and address common complaints. Supervisor Chen asked about drainage and street cleaning enforcement. The committee voted 3-0 to recommend to the full board.
• Item 29 – Adaptive Reuse of Historic Buildings: Planning staff Lisa Gluckstein presented amendments to standardize use flexibility for historic buildings, with exceptions for formula retail, cannabis, hotels, and most industrial uses, and preserving PDR replacement requirements in eastern neighborhoods. Supervisor Chen emphasized the importance of not undermining neighborhood land use controls. The committee adopted the amendments and voted 3-0 to recommend the ordinance as amended.
• Item 30 – 2025 Fire Code Adoption and Sprinkler Mandate Amendments: Fire Chief Dean Crispin and Fire Marshal Chad Law presented the code update, focusing on two changes: (1) extending the first compliance deadline for residential sprinkler retrofits from January 1, 2027, to January 1, 2032, and (2) adding financial hardship and displacement to the definition of “undue hardship” that the fire marshal can consider for exemptions. Supervisors Cheryl and Sauter explained the background, noting the 2022 mandate was passed with minimal public input and no cost-benefit analysis. Supervisor Melgar expressed discomfort with the hardship waiver language but accepted the city attorney’s assurance of defensibility. Supervisor Mahmud (later replaced by Supervisor Cheryl) supported the extension as a first step. The committee also adopted a non-substantive amendment (page 63, line 4) to restore mistakenly deleted language. Vote: 3-0 to amend and recommend.

Key Outcomes

• Item 1: Approved and sent to full board (3-0).
• Items 2–27: 25 landmark initiations approved with amendments; item 26 tabled; all sent to full board (3-0).
• Item 28: Parklet reform ordinance approved and sent to full board (3-0).
• Item 29: Adaptive reuse ordinance approved as amended and sent to full board (3-0).
• Item 30: 2025 Fire Code adopted with amendments (5-year extension for sprinkler compliance deadlines, expanded hardship definition, and a non-substantive correction). Sent to full board with positive recommendation (3-0). Supervisors Cheryl and Sauter committed to introducing legislation for a technical advisory council to further study the sprinkler mandate.