San Francisco Planning Commission Meeting - September 10, 2026

The San Francisco Planning Commission met on Thursday, September 10, 2026, to consider several items, including a planning code amendment to align mezzanine definitions between the planning and building codes, and a major downtown project at 536 Mission Street involving a new tower with office, laboratory, or residential uses. The Commission also heard general public comment and received updates on tenant protection policies.

Director's Announcements

• Planning Director Sarah Dennis Phillips announced a package of tenant protection measures proposed by the mayor's office and several supervisors, including tenant right to counsel, increased Ellis Act payments, and a "know your rights" campaign.

Public Comments & Testimony

• General Public Comment: Georgia Shudish spoke about 525 28th Street, a project approved in 2012 that she argued should have been reviewed as a demolition under Section 317. She showed photos and price history, and urged closer coordination between Planning and DBI to catch such scope-of-work issues at intake.
• Item 5 (536 Mission Street):
  • Eddie Reyes, President of Iron Workers Local 377, expressed strong support for the project, citing its concentration of development near transit, commitment to local registered apprentices and union trades, and potential for retail and housing. He urged approval with conditions.
  • Adam Van Water, Executive Director of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, supported the project as a key part of the Transit Center District Plan, noting it would contribute to the community facilities district and help bring Caltrain and high-speed rail to Salesforce Transit Center.
  • Taylor Jance, CFO of Golden Gate University, expressed support, explaining that selling the site allowed GGU to right-size its footprint and invest in modern education delivery. He supported allocating the full available office allocation.

Discussion Items

Item 4: Story Count and Mezzanines - Planning Code Amendment (File No. 260709)

• Rainell Cooper, legislative aide for Supervisor Mahmood, introduced the ordinance to align the planning code's mezzanine definition (currently 33.3% floor area threshold) with the building code (50% threshold under certain conditions like sprinklers). This would resolve inconsistencies causing delays and confusion.
• Staff planner Tate Hanna recommended approval with modifications to reference building code exemptions, ensuring alignment in all cases. He noted potential minor impacts on ground-floor retail in neighborhood commercial districts.
• Commissioners praised the coordination between Planning and DBI. Commissioner Sow asked about PDR districts and live-work uses; staff confirmed the change could apply there as well.

Item 5: 536 Mission Street - Downtown Project Authorization, Office Development Authorization, and Shadow Findings

• Staff planner Rebecca Salgado presented the project: demolition of existing Golden Gate University buildings and construction of a 46-story tower with two variants: (1) a commercial variant (700 ft, ~1.22 million sq ft) with office and lab space, and (2) an office/residential variant (649 ft, ~992,000 sq ft) with 385 residential units. Both include ground-floor retail, POPOS (privately owned public open space) on Ecker Street, and improvements to Jesse Street. The department recommended approval with conditions and an office allocation of 555,390 sq ft.
• Project sponsor Brandon Wong (Lincoln Property Company) emphasized the need for the full available office allocation of 813,214 sq ft to give confidence to invest tens of millions in design and pre-construction. He stated the all-office variant is the focus due to higher office rents and lower construction costs; the mixed-use variant does not pencil today.
• Architect Mark Schwettman (SOM) detailed the design: a tapered tower with a 40-foot-high base, cantilevered canopy, and extensive public realm improvements. Ecker Street would be pedestrianized and maintained as POPOS for the life of the project.
• A key debate centered on office allocation. Staff explained that granting the full 813,214 sq ft would exhaust the current Prop M office allocation bank, potentially blocking other projects like 50 Main Street (seeking 350,000 sq ft) and limiting future allocations due to debt payments. The October 2026 net new allocation was projected at only about 20,000 sq ft after prior commitments. The director reminded commissioners of their July policy prioritizing projects that include residential.
• Commissioner Coppel moved to approve with the full 813,214 sq ft allocation; the motion failed 2-4 (Commissioners Coppel and McGarry in favor; Chen, McDonald, Sow, and President Campbell against).
• Commissioner Chen then moved to approve the staff recommendation of 555,390 sq ft; the motion passed unanimously 6-0.

Key Outcomes

• Item 4 (Mezzanine Code Amendment): Approved unanimously (6-0) with staff modifications to reference building code exemptions. The ordinance will align planning and building code mezzanine definitions.
• Item 5 (536 Mission Street): Approved unanimously (6-0) with the staff-recommended office allocation of 555,390 sq ft. The Commission approved both variants (commercial and office/residential) with conditions, allowing the project sponsor to seek additional Prop M allocation in the future when available. Shadow findings were also approved, as previously recommended by the Recreation and Park Commission.
• Item 6 (288 Pacheco Street – Discretionary Review): Withdrawn prior to the meeting.