San Francisco Planning Commission Meeting – March 21, 2024

The San Francisco Planning Commission met on Thursday, March 21, 2024, to consider continuances, a consent calendar, commission matters, department reports, general public comment, and one regular calendar item. All votes were unanimous. A notable discussion arose regarding public outreach for the Housing Element rezoning.

Consent Calendar

• Items 1 and 2 (at 638 Rhode Island Street and 1234 Francisco Street) were continued to April 4 and April 11, 2024, respectively. (Vote: 7–0)
• Items 3a, 3b, 4, and 5 were approved: modifications to approvals at 530 Sansome Street (extending performance periods), conditional use for 1155 Pine Street (Intermediate Length Occupancy unit), and conditional use for 1567 Sloat Boulevard (Crumbl Cookies formula retail). (Vote: 6–0; the Zoning Administrator separately closed the hearing for variance Item 3c and intended to grant with matching performance period.)

Public Comments & Testimony

• George Shudish spoke on two occasions. During the discussion of the Board of Supervisors resolution on state funding, he displayed a chart showing income inequality and urged the commission to forward it to Sacramento. During general public comment, he criticized Section 317 demolition calculations, stating they are not stringent enough, and argued that speculation has driven up housing prices in Noe Valley by a cumulative $150 million, with an average increase of over $4 million per property. He called on the commission to adjust the demolition calculations to preserve existing housing.
• Tom Radilovich (Livable City) urged the commission to take action on the ecological crisis. He highlighted two upcoming state requirements: the Priority Conservation Areas update (due 2025) and the Open Space Element update (due 2026 per SB 1425), noting that these have not yet been included in the department’s work plan.
• Tom Ray expressed concern about inadequate public notification for the rezoning near Geary and Masonic. He requested mailed notices to affected households, noting that many neighbors are elderly or working and unable to attend meetings. He felt the scale of the project was out of proportion to the neighborhood.

Discussion Items

• Land Acknowledgement (Item 6): Commission read the traditional land acknowledgement.
• Adoption of Minutes (Item 7): The draft minutes for March 7, 2024, were approved without discussion. (Vote: 6–0)
• Endorsement of Board of Supervisors Resolution on State Funding (Item 9): Vice President Moore moved to endorse the resolution supporting state funding for affordable housing. After public comment (George Shudish), the motion carried 6–0.
• Department Report (Item 11): Aaron Starr, Manager of Legislative Affairs, reported on recent Board of Supervisors land use committee actions, including tobacco paraphernalia controls in NOMA, the 900 Kearney SUD, and the mayor’s ordinance on lotable commercial uses. He also summarized full board actions on state ADU controls, a landmark designation, conditional use requirements, and exceptions/extensions.
• Outreach Discussion (from General Public Comment): Following Tom Ray’s comment, Commissioners Williams and Moore expressed concern that many residents are unaware of the Housing Element rezoning. Director Hillis acknowledged the issue and committed to providing a memo on existing outreach efforts and to adding a discussion on community engagement to the next Housing Element Implementation hearing.
• Regular Calendar – 557 23rd Avenue (Item 12): Staff presented a request for conditional use authorization to demolish a vacant single-family dwelling and replace it with a new 499 sq ft ADU. The project includes a rent-control covenant to comply with SB 330. No public comment was offered. The commission approved the item with conditions. (Vote: 6–0)

Key Outcomes

• Items 1 and 2 continued to April 4 and April 11, 2024.
• Consent calendar approved (Items 3a, 3b, 4, 5). Variance Item 3c was separately handled by the Zoning Administrator.
• Minutes of March 7, 2024, adopted.
• Resolution endorsing state funding for affordable housing approved.
• Conditional use authorization for 557 23rd Avenue approved with conditions.
• The commission directed staff to report on public outreach efforts for the Housing Element and scheduled a future discussion on engagement.
• All votes were unanimous. (Note: The vote on the continuance motion was recorded as 7–0, while all other votes were 6–0, despite only six commissioners being present at roll call.)