San Francisco Planning Commission Meeting – June 12, 2025

The San Francisco Planning Commission met on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at approximately 12:15 PM. The meeting covered a range of items including continuances, consent calendar approvals, informational presentations on the Railyards development and a housing project at 668 Guerrero Street, adoption of the Racial and Social Equity Action Plan Phase 2, and a conditional use authorization to merge two dwelling units at 301 Main Street. The Commission voted to adopt the equity plan, deny the unit merger, and continued several items.

Consent Calendar

• Item 3 (1635 Divisadero Street): Unanimously approved (6-0) a Conditional Use Authorization for a real estate office (Tusker Corporation) on the consent calendar.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Continuances: A member of the public questioned why the Community Investments Toolkit item keeps being continued, noting its importance to the Housing Element implementation. Joseph Smook (Race and Equity and All Planning Coalition) supported further continuance to allow more engagement. Another speaker urged the city to lobby Sacramento to exempt Priority Equity Geography neighborhoods from SB 423.
• General Public Comment: Several speakers addressed SB 79 (state density bill), with Catherine Petrin (Neighborhoods United SF) and Bridget Maley urging the Commission to request a full analysis of costs and impacts. A housing navigator shared personal stories about housing insecurity and the need for transparency.
• Racial and Social Equity Action Plan (RSEAP): Numerous community members and organizational representatives spoke in strong support of adopting Phase 2, including Dale Seymour (Equity Council), Leah Johnson (Friendship House), Atheus Cervantes, Krista Larcon Luna (MEDA), Annie Chung (Self-Help for the Elderly), Eric Argoyo (Cultura y Arte Nativo de las Americas), Naima Hall, Brianna Morales (Housing Action Coalition), Isan Looper (Tenderloin CBD), Patty Rodriguez (small business owner), and Alma Casalanos (Klecha). All stressed the importance of institutionalizing equity, building community trust, and maintaining funding.
• Railyards Development (Prologis): A speaker expressed disappointment that affordable housing was not mentioned in the presentation. Another speaker (self-identified as new to the process) supported the project’s ambition and called for continued momentum. A speaker via reasonable accommodation requested that presentations be posted online and noted the lack of live broadcast on SFGovTV.
• 668 Guerrero Street: Georgia Shudish questioned why the project is classified as an alteration, asked about demolition calculations, and which units would be affordable. Bridget Maley echoed concerns about height and unit mix.
• 301 Main Street (Unit Merger): Georgia Shudish referenced a past merger on California Street where kitchens were kept separate, and urged a strong policy against merging flats. Bridget Maley raised concerns about future impacts on housing stock. A neighbor spoke in favor of property owners’ rights to adapt units for aging in place.

Discussion Items

• Item 8 – Racial and Social Equity Action Plan Phase 2 Adoption: Staff presented the plan, highlighting community feedback, revisions for feasibility and accountability, and division-level strategies (historic context statements, code equity audit, impact analysis toolkit). The Commission unanimously supported adoption, with members praising the collaborative process, the inclusion of output/outcome metrics, and the institutional commitment. Director Hillis noted the plan is adaptive and builds on existing external work.
• Item 9 – Railyards Site Development (Prologis) Informational Presentation: Prologis presented a vision for a 20-acre transit-oriented development with up to 7 million square feet of mixed use, thousands of homes, a new Caltrain station, and parks. The project envisions heights up to 850 feet as a regional transit hub. Commissioner questions focused on community engagement (led by Prologis with city oversight), affordable housing commitments (still under discussion), parking ratios, bike parking, and the need for more detailed urban design diagrams. The item was informational only; no vote taken.
• Item 10 – 668 Guerrero Street Informational Presentation: The architect presented a 12-unit state density bonus project (SB 423) with a mix of unit sizes, including two- and three-bedroom units. Commissioners noted the improved presentation compared to previous SB 423 projects, supported the unit mix, and asked about affordable unit placement (determined later during permitting) and notification procedures. The item was informational; no vote.
• Item 11 – 301 Main Street 26A & 26B – Conditional Use Authorization to Merge Two Dwelling Units: Staff recommended denial, citing loss of a housing unit in a time of shortage. The project sponsor argued for multi-generational living and aging in place, noting the merger would allow a live-in caregiver for the owner with a vision condition. Commissioners debated the policy trade-offs: some were sympathetic but ultimately voted to deny by 5-1 (Commissioner Campbell dissenting). A condition requiring the units to be restored upon sale was discussed but not applied due to the denial.

Key Outcomes

• Continuances Approved: Item 1 (935 Geary Street) continued to July 24, 2025; Item 2 (Community Investments Toolkit) continued indefinitely. Vote: 6-0.
• Consent Calendar Approved: Item 3 approved 6-0.
• Racial and Social Equity Action Plan Phase 2 Adopted: Unanimous 6-0 vote. The plan sets two- and five-year checkpoints and prioritizes existing projects. Next steps include publishing the full plan and an equity dashboard.
• 301 Main Street Conditional Use Denied: Motion to deny the unit merger passed 5-1 (Commissioner Campbell against). The project would have removed a housing unit in a transit-rich area.