Good afternoon, everyone.

This meeting will come to order.

Welcome to the March 9th, 2026 regular meeting of the Land Use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

I'm Supervisor Miranda Melgar, Chair of the Committee, joined by Vice Chair, Supervisor Cheyenne Chen and Supervisor Bilal Mahmud.

The committee clerk today is Mr.

John Carroll.

I would also like to acknowledge Jeanette Egonlauf at SFGov TV for staffing us during this meeting.

Mr.

Clerk, do you have any announcements?

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair.

Please ensure to please ensure that you silence your cell phones and other electronic devices you may brought with you into the chamber.

Documents to be included as part of any of today's files can be submitted directly 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 your public comment in writing in either follow either of the following ways.

First, you may email your comments 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.

The address is one Dr.

Carlton B.

Goodlit Place, Room 244, San Francisco, California 94102.

If you submit public comment in writing, I will forward your comments 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 March 17th, 2026, unless otherwise stated.

Thank you so much.

Agenda item number one is a resolution adding the commemorative street name James Richards Way on Oakdale Avenue between Third Street and Newell Street.

This item is on our agenda as a potential committee report.

It may be sent to the Board of Supervisors for consideration tomorrow, March 10th, 2026.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much, Chair Melgar, and thank you to the committee.

Colleagues, James Richards is a community trailblazer that is responsible for providing jobs for hundreds of District 10 residents and people across all of San Francisco for decades.

He is also an electrician by trade and has provided opportunities for entry into the trades, not just for electricians, but for trades across the board.

He fought early in life with the Big Five with the likes of Eloise Westbrook, OC Ola Washington, Julia Commer, Ethel Garlington, and Bertha Freeman for housing rights and accessibility for low-income and black people in the city.

And this is how his organizing began.

James Richards also co-founded Aboriginal Black Man United and is responsible for community building that has led to successes never before seen.

He created a legacy of ensuring that residents in their own neighborhoods have the first opportunity to work on development projects and receive the jobs benefits available through these projects.

He was a key instrument of achieving local mandatory hiring goals on projects funded by the city and county of San Francisco and legislation here in San Francisco, along with Supervisor Walton, all of labor and community at the time.

In recognition of the very same location of the tragic shooting of his friend and community member outside of the Bayvie Opera House as well as the longtime headquarters of ABU for many years.

This resolution commemoratively renames one block of Oakdale Avenue east of third to James Richards Way.

And I just want to thank the committee for hearing this this morning.

I also want to say that I hope that you can move this forward with the recommendation as a committee report.

And there is a slight amendment that I will be requesting that on line one, page one, we change from we we add a S to Richard.

And also on page one line three, we add a S to Richard because right now it reads James Richard way, and it should say James Richards way.

But thank you so much.

And I know that we will have some public comment on this item.

Thank you so much.

And uh amendment noted.

Um I don't see anyone on the roster with questions or comments.

Uh please add me as a co-sponsor, Mr.

Clerk.

Uh, and thank you so much, uh, Supervisor Walton.

And with that, let's go to public comment on this item, please.

Thank you.

Land use and transportation.

We'll now hear public comment related to agenda item number one.

If you have public comment for this item, please line up to speak along that western wall.

I'm indicating with my left hand and the first speaker may begin.

Thank you.

Uh thank you to the board, to the supervisors today.

I really appreciate you.

Let us have this opportunity.

My name is Ashley Rhodes.

And boy, he's really been said in in Supervisor Walton's open statement.

Although I would like to speak directly regarding my relationship with James Richards.

A longtime soldier in the ABU, the Aboriginal Black Man United.

And I could speak about a whole lot of things, but I wanted to more so speak about ABU and the Aboriginal Black Man United, what we have accomplished to do in our Baby Hunters Point community.

For years, James Richards has took the panel of going out and making sure the young man and women in the Baby Hunters Point community were uh had a different way in life.

His number one motto was we take the dope out of their pockets and put a broom or put a shovel or put a tape measure in their hand and giving them an opportunity to change their lives around, which is his most successful trait that he's done over the years.

What we've been able to do is take these young men and women and put them into the unions, into the construction arena, not only to construction, but also in public service with uh uh SFPUC.

We've gotten the relationships to deal with them there to get them in the P uh uh to park and rec and to DPW.

My time is up?

30 seconds.

Wow.

That was not much.

It's so much I have to say.

But for Mr.

Richards, for what we're doing for him, it's it would be something that really would be a great attitude to what he's done.

We call him the unproclaimed mayor of Bay U Hunter's Point.

This is how much love he has in this community in every walk of life.

He is there in our community.

I believe he could have done just about anything in life, but he chose to do that.

One last thing comments.

We have to move on to the next speaker.

Thank you so much for your comments.

Thank you very much for your time.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

How are you doing?

My name is Anthony Travis.

I'm liaison for Local 261.

I want to speak about James Richardson's.

James Richardson, I've been knowing him for very long, very long time.

I remember James when I was a little boy watching him through the Bayview neighborhood.

And uh, and it's a miracle, it's just weird because I grew up, you know, knowing James, and James and my father is very close.

And my father and him run and do so much stuff together, right?

And I have watched James make a big difference to a lot of the brothers and sisters in the neighborhood.

They they all been successful.

You know, some of them didn't like went on and became labors and became you know different in different trades, they didn't get jobs in different trades.

So I uh, you know, change giving James the opportunity to give him an opportunity to be seen in that and that and and name that street after him.

It'd be something that would be there forever.

That his kids can come and see, that the people that he'd helped throughout, you know, throughout the years, they can come and see, and when James is gone, he would never really be gone because the street would be there with his name on it.

So I'm all for that, you know, and thank you all for just giving me the opportunity to, you know, just voice my opinion.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker, please.

Afternoon, Supervisors Joshua RSA with the labors union.

I want to thank you, Supervisor Walton, for your years of work to get us to this point now, and also to our newest co-sponsor, Chair Malgar.

Uh appreciate you, Chair Malgar.

Um, Brother Ashley Rhodes had said the last thing to make sure to remember is that the hallmark of the ABU action and organizing model as developed by Mr.

James Richards is the barbecue, the barbecue pit and bring it together folks for food, and we hope to see you all there when we join Supervisor Walton for the unveiling, maybe around the time of Mr.

Richards' birthday later in June.

Um I'm uh one of the more recent uh soldiers in this journey of of Mr.

James Richards, he brought me under his wing about 15 years ago during at the time that Supervisor Walton and I were getting involved in the local hiring campaign to have mandatory local hiring.

And for me in my life to have his mentorship and the tools that he taught me about organizing direct action, bringing the fight to the street right there at the job sites where we're fighting for change and justice.

He's still doing it to this day.

And to be able to recognize his leadership and impact in his lifetime as we're doing is so powerful for the next generation.

I know that one of the things with respect to local hiring, when I had the opportunity to work as the city and county's director of workforce development, everyone around the country wanted to know how we do local hiring in San Francisco, including at that time the White House administration moved local hiring to the Build Back Better Infrastructure Initiative.

Without, let's go back in reverse.

That conversation doesn't happen but for San Francisco mandatory local hiring.

San Francisco local hiring does not happen without ABU.

ABU does not happen without Mr.

James Richards.

His legacy is beyond Hunter's Point, beyond San Francisco, beyond California.

His legacy is and forever will be national.

Thank you, Supervisor.

Thank you for your comments.

Do we have anyone else who has public comment for agenda item number one?

Madam Chair.

Okay.

Public comment on this item is now closed.

Supervisor Chen.

Thank you, Chair Malga.

Clark, will you please add me as a co-sponsor to this legislation as well?

I am very heartened by the story of James Richards.

I love the ways that women elders in his community share their knowledge and how and know how to mentor him as a young man.

James Richards has such an important legacy.

He is a warrior that pushed it our city to do better when it comes to housing conditions, violence preventions, and employment for youth and adults.

Our city is a home to too many injustices, but it is the resilience, perseverance, and hearts of people like James that makes our city worth fighting for.

Thank you, Supervisor Walton, for moving forward this commemorative streeting.

And I would also like to make a motion to adopt Supervisor Walton's amendments.

Do you want me to read that?

And also move it as a committee report as amended, and also move it as a committee report as an amended to the full board.

Thank you.

Thank you, Supervisor.

Recording motions by the Vice Chair that the resolution be amended, then recommended as amended as a committee report on those motions, Vice Chair Chen.

Machmood I, Chair Melgar.

Aye.

Melgar, I.

Madam Chair, there are three eyes on each of those motions.

That motion passes unanimously.

Thank you.

Thank you, Supervisor.

Congratulations, Supervisor.

Okay.

Let's go to item number two, please.

Agenda item number two is a resolution initiating a landmark designation under Article 10 of the planning code for engine company number 33 located at 117 Broad Street.

Thank you so much.

And we have Alex Weshoff here from the planning department.

But Supervisor Chen, would you like to make any opening remarks?

This is your item?

Yes.

Thank you, Chair Malga.

First, I would like to thank the planning department for their work in preparing for this landmark.

I know that this is an introductory resolution, and this item will be going before historic preservation commissions before the landmarking process can be completed.

This firehouse was constructed in 1896, and it's a Mount Otis standing firehouses in San Francisco.

Engine Company No.

33 was the last horse drawn unit in San Francisco Fire Department, not converting it to using motorized apparatus until 1921.

The property owners uh serving as a pro steward of the property, which is a mound that best preserve the interior historic firehouse in San Francisco.

And I'm very pleased to support the cultural historical heritage in my district.

And thank you for uh my colleagues in advance for your support.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi, Alex.

Hello, good afternoon, supervisors.

Alex West Planning Department staff.

I'm here today to present one property that is being considered for initiation as individual Article 10 landmark in District 11 as part of the Family Zoning Plan Landmark Program.

I previously presented to this committee about the Family Zoning Plan Landmark Program, so I will not go into great detail about the larger effort.

However, a reminder that as part of the broader family zoning plan, the city is committed to ensuring that growth associated with ambitious housing production is aligned with San Francisco's long-standing dedication to preserving historic places, deeply embedded in San Francisco's unique cultural identity.

The planning department has been working with a number of different district supervisors on identifying and designating properties with exemplary architectural, historical, and or cultural significance as city landmarks.

We appreciate Supervisor Chen's support in this effort as we identify properties in District 11.

Unlike many of the other supervisor districts, however, just to note that District 11 has not yet had the benefit of extensive historic resource surveying.

Thus, as a first step in District 11, we have broadened our initial review to also include residential areas in addition to commercial districts, as historic properties and residential areas are also vulnerable to state housing bills, which allow for ministerial projects without taking into account the impacts to historic resources, which CEQA has traditionally provided.

Currently there are only 47 category A properties in District 11, some of which are already Article 10 landmarks, and many of which are in historic districts and have not yet been evaluated for individual eligibility.

A reminder, however, that the citywide cultural resources survey eventually will survey every property in San Francisco, at which point we will have a better understanding of additional properties in all supervisor districts, which can be considered for landmarking as part of this program in future phases.

Thus we have identified one property in District 11, which we recommend for landmark designation, specifically engine company number 33 at 117 Broad Street in the Ocean View neighborhood.

Supervisor Chen has already shared details on the property's history.

I'll also mention it retains a great deal of integrity with features including its denticulated cornice, its central molded panel with intact lettering, classical inspired moldings, wood siding, and wood windows with OG lugs, transoms, carriage doors, and an alarm tower with semi-circular openings.

As Supervisor Chen noted, uh we have notified the property owner, and I was able to answer his questions about the implications of landmarking.

Uh that is all I have to present, but I'm available to answer any questions.

Again, the planning department recommends approval.

Thank you.

Very cool.

Is that an earthquake shack right next to it?

Uh that's a good question.

It looks a little tall, but um, you know, again, we haven't evaluated a lot of district eleven, so I'm sure we'll um realize that through survey.

Yeah, very cool.

Thank you, Mr.

Westhoff.

Um, with that, let's go to public comment on this item, please, Mr.

Clerk.

Thank you, Madam Chair, land use and transportation.

We'll now hear public comment related to agenda item number two.

If you have public comment for this item, please come forward to the lectern at this time.

Madam Chair, to preserve no speakers.

Okay.

Uh with that public comment on this item is now closed.

Uh Supervisor Chen.

Thank you, Chair.

I would like to move this uh is it as a committee of the whole to the foot or it would pass its recommendations a motion to recommend the resolution to the Board of Supervisors?

Yes.

Okay.

On the motion offered by the Vice Chair that this resolution be recommended to the Board of Supervisors.

Vice Chair Chen.

I Chen I, Member Machmood.

Mahmoud I, Chair Melgar.

Aye.

Melgar, I, Madam Chair, there are three ayes.

Okay, that motion passes.

Great.

Thank you.

Uh let's go to item number three, please.

Agenda item number three is an ordinance amending the planning code and zoning map to establish the 2245 Post Street Special Use District, affirming the planning department's determination under CEQA, making findings of consistency with the general plan in the priority policies of planning code section 101.1, and making findings of public necessity, convenience, and welfare pursuant to planning code section 302.

Thank you so much.

Uh we have Audrey Merloni here from the planning department.

Um right now I'm gonna turn it over to the project sponsor to make a few remarks.

Supervisor Mahmoud.

Thank you, Chair.

Today I'm presenting legislation to establish a special use district at 2245-2255 Post Street to facilitate the development of a new purpose-built facility for the Jewish Family and Children's Services Holocaust Center.

The Holocaust Center has been a cornerstone of Holocaust and Genocide education since 1979, and this project will allow them to expand their work by hosting students, educators, and the public, and a dedicated educational and cultural facility with exhibition space, classrooms, a lecture hall, and archival resources.

At a time when anti-Semitism and other forms of hate are rising across the country and around the world.

Supporting this project is an opportunity for San Francisco to lead by example in promoting tolerance, confronting hate, and investing in education that strengthens our communities.

Before moving the item forward and for bringing planning up as well, I would like to request colleagues' technical amendments to the environmental findings to reflect the planning department's review of the project under CEQA.

These amendments summarize that in December 2025, the planning department published a preliminary mitigated negative declaration, finding that any potential environmental impacts could be mitigated to a less than significant level.

In January 2026, the department issued the final mitigated negative declaration following the required notice and appeal period.

The Planning Commission adopted SQL findings in a mitigation monitoring and reporting program.

And the board finds that the legislation before us is within the scope of the project analyzed in the environmental review and does not introduce new or more severe impacts.

These amendments are technical in nature and ensure the ordinance accurately reflects the completed environmental review.

Deputy City Attorney Brad Russian, can you please confirm if these amendments are non-substantive?

Deputy City Attorney Brad Russian, I confirmed that they're not substantive and the committee can act on them today.

Thank you, Deputy City Attorney.

With that, I would love to turn it over to the planning department to share more about the project.

Actually, I'm sorry, Supervisor Mahmoud.

Sorry, Ms.

Merlone, before you come up to fill out the very thorough uh report that Supervisor Mahmoud, if I could ask at Morgan Schneider, who is a director of the Holocaust Center at JFCS, to come up and say a few words.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Chair Melgar, and to the committee for having us here today.

I stand here today as the director of the JFCS Holocaust Center, part of Jewish Family and Children's Services.

We've been serving the community for more than 175 years.

And the Holocaust Center itself, founded about 40 years ago in response, as you may know, to a neo-Nazi bookstore that opened in the Sunset District of San Francisco.

And I often tell that story of where we started to where we are now as these forms of hate continue to impact our students, our teachers, and our community at large.

Currently, we're reaching about 165,000 students, teachers, and community members throughout the state of California.

We're honored to be working in partnership with the state and with the California Department of Education to have an extremely broad reach.

But only about 20% of those programs and those students have their programs within the four walls of the Holocaust Center due to our limited space.

There's an interest, there's a need, there's a passion, there's a commitment, and we are here to work in partnership with our California teachers and San Francisco Public Schools to empower our teachers to resource them and to give them the confidence that they need.

And that is best done engaging with primary sources.

Our new facility will have 34,000 square feet with the opportunity to engage our students with primary source archival items, working with survivor testimony, engaging with each other in classrooms.

The need is clear, the interest is strong, the passion is here.

And this zoning matters because this legislation before you is essential in making this project possible, providing this modest zoning flexibility so that our educational facility can meet the needs within San Francisco and to our broader community.

As you may know, there is no Holocaust Museum Center or facility of this kind in Northern California.

We will be serving our San Francisco students as well as our communities throughout the Greater Bay Area and Northern California.

Thank you on behalf of the 165,000 students and teachers in this state for supporting this.

Thank you so much, Ms.

Schneider.

Okay, Ms.

Merlone, please come up.

Good afternoon, Supervisors Audrey Merlone Planning Department staff.

The planning commission heard this item on January 29th of this year and voted to approve it.

In addition, the department is supportive of all of the amendments that Supervisor Mahmoud read into the record.

In addition to myself, if there are questions, we have John Dacy from our staff who was the case planner on this.

Thank you.

Okay, I don't see any questions or comments from my colleagues on the roster.

I oh, Supervisor Chen.

Yeah, I can give comments.

Thank you, Chair.

Um I just want to also uh congratulate for moving this forward.

Um, this is a time is really not easy for cultural facilities in our city and nationally.

Uh the Holocaust Center is an important resource in our city.

Everywhere we look at today, there are reminders of the injustice that occur in the past.

Uh we are stronger as a city when we create time, space, and learning to ensure about as we move forward, we carry the lessons of the past and present with us.

I'm very pleased to see that this special use district will enable the facility to expand to provide exhibit space, educational program, a lecture horror, and uh archival centers.

And I hope that uh I will be able to visit when it's all done.

Thank you.

Thank you, Supervisor.

Um, and uh thank you so much, uh, Supervisor Mahmoud.

Uh would you like to make a motion?

Madam Chair.

I'm sorry.

We have not yet taken public comment on a second.

Let's do public comment.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Land use and transportation.

We'll now hear public comment related to agenda item number three.

If you have public comment for this item, please speak.

Yeah, go ahead.

Sorry.

Well, I don't want to miss this opportunity.

Um my name is Gia Danler Katz, and I'll disclosure I am a consultant to JFCS, but I am also a 30-year active community member and resident here in San Francisco, the president of the San Francisco Jewish Democratic Club, Roberto Wallenberg, and perhaps most importantly, what we call a 2G, a second generation survivor, my mother being a child survivor, my 87-year-old mother being a child survivor of the Holocaust.

And so I just wanted to thank you, all three of you, and Supervisor Mahmoud in particular, for being such a steadfast partner and supporter.

Even before you s were sworn into office, you um uh embraced working together on this initiative and on this project.

Um Chair Melgar, you've been an amazing um friend of the agency and many of us in the community and a member of the community um for so many years.

And thank you, Supervisor Chan, for for also being so supportive.

And you are absolutely invited.

Consider your invitation sent.

Um in fact, all of you are invited and I'm hoping we'll we'll see many of you on April 13th for the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony and reading of the names and lighting of memorial candles will be taking place at the Jewish Community Center here in San Francisco, a wonderful institution.

And we look forward to being able to have this annual celebration in our new building.

Um again, thank you so much.

Thank you for your comments.

Do we have anyone else who has public comment for agenda item number three?

Madam Chair.

Okay.

Public comment is now closed.

Uh Supervisor Mahmoud.

Um Thank you, colleagues.

I just want to thank again, Chair Melgar and Board President Mandelman for their co-sponsorship.

Um Heather Goodman in the City Attorney's Office for drafting the legislation alongside Sam uh Logan on my team as well for leading on the legislation, John Dacy at the planning department for his assistance, and the project sponsors, of course, at JFCS Holocaust Center for their partnership.

Um I respectfully ask for this committee's support and for the item to be forwarded to the full board with a positive recommendation.

Amendments first, right?

Yes.

Uh can we vote to have the amendments as read into the record uh and then the motion to send it to the full board with a positive recommendation?

So I'm recording two motions, both offered by Member Mahmoud.

The first to amend the ordinance as presented, and the second is to recommend the ordinance as amended.

On those motions, Vice Chair Chen.

Chen I, Member Mahmoud.

Mahmoud I, Chair Melgar.

Aye.

Melgar, I.

Madam Chair, there are three ayes.

Okay.

That motion passes.

Thank you.

Uh Mr.

Clerk, are there any other items on our agenda today?

There is no further business.

Okay, we're adjourned.

Thank you.