San Francisco Planning Commission Meeting - March 27, 2025

The San Francisco Planning Commission met on Thursday, March 27, 2025, to consider a range of items including continuances, consent calendar approvals, commission matters, and several regular calendar items. The meeting included public comment on various topics, discussions on the Civic Center Public Realm Plan, a special use district and office allocation for 600 Townsend Street, a conditional use authorization and variance for 121 Yukon Street, and an informational presentation for a housing project at 4 Addison Street under SB 423. All votes were recorded as roll calls.

Consent Calendar

• Item 2 (470 Bay Shore Boulevard/1745 Cortland Avenue): Conditional Use Authorization for lot subdivision. Approved unanimously (6-0).
• Item 3 (San Francisco Shoreline Adaptation Plan): Resolution to prepare a subregional shoreline resiliency plan. Adopted unanimously (6-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• General Public Comment:
  • A speaker (unidentified, later referred to as Georgia Schutish by Commissioner Williams) presented demolition calculations for 1910 Baker Street, arguing that the project should have been classified as a demolition rather than a major alteration. He urged the Commission to adjust the demolition calcs and codify the flat policy.
  • Bridget Maley, representing Neighborhoods United San Francisco, formally requested that the Planning Department conduct an analysis of Senator Wiener's SB 79, similar to the 2019 analysis for SB 50. She expressed concern that SB 79 would upzone the entire city to seven stories with minimal affordability requirements. She also asked about the April 10 hearing on rezoning, which the Director confirmed would be combined with a small business informational item.
• Item 10 (Civic Center Public Realm Plan): Multiple speakers expressed support:
  • Jim Haas, a long-time Civic Center advocate and board member of the Civic Center Community Benefit District, spoke in favor of the plan, noting it builds on the 1912 John Galen Howard plan and adds 21st-century elements. He urged endorsement.
  • Luke Spray thanked the team and encouraged moving from abstract planning to tactical prototypes.
  • David Seward, CFO of UC Law San Francisco, strongly supported the project, citing its role in activating the plaza and supporting mid-market revitalization. He encouraged use of tax increment financing.
• Items 11A & 11B (600 Townsend Street): One public comment via accommodation request: An unidentified speaker expressed opposition to the legalization of office space, arguing that the property had avoided paying for affordable housing, transit, and child care. He asked for a one-week continuance to allow more community input.
• Items 12A & 12B (121 Yukon Street): No public comment.
• Item 13 (4 Addison Street): No public comment.

Discussion Items

• Item 1 & 9 (Continuances): Item 1 (Entertainment uses in SoMa) was continued to April 10, 2025. Item 9 (Formula retail on Van Ness) was continued to April 3, 2025, to allow the sponsoring supervisor to attend. Motion passed unanimously.
• Commission Matters:
  • Land acknowledgement was read.
  • Draft minutes for March 13, 2025 were adopted unanimously.
  • Director's Announcements: The rezoning hearing scheduled for next week was delayed one week to combine with a small business protection hearing.
  • Review of Past Events: Aaron Starr, Manager of Legislative Affairs, reported on the Land Use Committee's consideration of the 2024 Code Corrections Ordinance (duplicated) and on full board actions including second reading passes for several items.
• Item 10 (Civic Center Public Realm Plan): Staff presented a comprehensive plan for a 100-year vision to improve Civic Center’s plazas, streets, and public spaces. The plan was developed through inclusive community engagement involving over 3,000 individuals and 90 organizations. Key design features include breaking down the scale of Civic Center Plaza, activating Fulton Mall with outdoor reading rooms and sculpture gardens, and reimagining UN Plaza with a gateway structure, dog park, and improved pedestrian connections. The plan includes an operations and maintenance framework. Staff recommended endorsement with a condition to amend the plan to reference the Tenderloin Community Action Plan, Golden Gate Greenway improvements, Safe Passage, Elm Alley, and Dodge Alley. Commissioners praised the plan's depth and community engagement. Commissioner Moore highlighted the urban design quality and appendices. Commissioner Imperial noted the inclusive process. Commissioner Braun appreciated the long-term focus and allocation of street space to the public realm. Commissioner So emphasized the collaboration with minority-owned firms. The Commission unanimously endorsed the plan with the proposed modifications.
• Items 11A & 11B (600 Townsend Street): Staff presented a proposed Special Use District and office allocation to legalize longstanding office uses at 600 Townsend Street. The building has been 94% occupied for over 30 years. The legislation was modeled on the Eastern Neighborhoods Office Legalization Program, with adjusted impact fees. The project sponsor (Cecily Barclay) explained that the property was built for wholesale sales but was converted to office use without the required office allocation. The owner is under contract to sell to New York Life and Lincoln Properties, with a closing date in July. The project would pay impact fees (jobs-housing linkage, transportation sustainability, child care) at 2012 rates adjusted for inflation, with the current 33% discount. Waivers were requested for open space, street trees, and Class 2 bicycle parking due to physical constraints. The building has 139 Class 1 bike spaces. Commissioners discussed the impact fees and bike parking. Commissioner Campbell supported the project but encouraged adding Class 2 bike racks if possible. Commissioner Imperial questioned the exclusion of Eastern Neighborhood impact fees. Commissioner Braun found the fee approach reasonable. The Commission approved the recommendation for the SUD and approved the office allocation with a condition to note that bicycle parking requirements are met through additional Class 1 spaces in lieu of Class 2. Motion passed 6-0.
• Items 12A & 12B (121 Yukon Street): Staff presented a request for conditional use authorization to demolish an existing three-unit building and construct a new three-unit building, plus a variance for rear yard encroachment. The existing building has been vacant since 2020. The project proposes three two-bedroom units on a challenging trapezoidal, sloped lot. The project uses the four-plex program to allow three units. The variance is needed because the rear yard encroachment is minor. The architect explained that the existing building had significant encroachments and the new design minimizes impacts. The neighbor at 123 Yukon Street raised concerns about accuracy of window placements, prompting updated drawings showing the neighbor's windows. Commissioners noted the difficult site conditions. Commissioner Moore explained the variance rationale. Commissioner Braun supported the project for replacing blighted building with rent-controlled units. Commissioner So expressed frustration with the late submission of revised drawings and difficulty reading them, but acknowledged the project's merits. The Commission approved the conditional use authorization with conditions (5-1, President So dissenting). The Zoning Administrator granted the variance with standard conditions.
• Item 13 (4 Addison Street): Informational presentation under SB 423 for a proposed housing development on a vacant lot in Glen Park. The project includes a lot split to create two lots: a single-family home with ADU and JDU at 2 Addison, and a two-unit building with ADU and JDU at 4 Addison. The project aims to provide multigenerational, flexible housing. Commissioners noted the lack of detail in the initial packet and the late change in design. Commissioner Moore commented on the need for context and architect information. Commissioner Imperial asked about the junior ADUs. Commissioner So raised concerns about the process and the need for consistent expectations. Commissioner Williams highlighted the importance of neighbor notification. Commissioner Braun observed that the SB 423 hearing requirement depends on the resource category of the census tract. The project sponsor will have up to 18 months to submit a development application. The Commission took no vote.

Key Outcomes

• Continuances: Item 1 continued to April 10, 2025; Item 9 continued to April 3, 2025. Unanimous.
• Consent Calendar: Items 2 and 3 approved/adopted unanimously.
• Minutes: Adopted unanimously.
• Civic Center Public Realm Plan: Endorsed unanimously (6-0) with modifications to include references to other neighborhood plans.
• 600 Townsend Street Special Use District and Office Allocation: Recommendation of approval for SUD and approval of office allocation (6-0) with a condition regarding bicycle parking.
• 121 Yukon Street Conditional Use and Variance: Conditional use approved with conditions (5-1); variance granted by Zoning Administrator.
• 4 Addison Street Informational Presentation: No action taken; project will proceed to application stage.