San Francisco Planning Commission Hearing – November 12, 2026

The San Francisco Planning Commission met Thursday, November 12, 2026, with President Campbell, Vice President Koppel, and Commissioners Chavez, Chen, McDonald, and McGarry present. Commissioner So was absent. Speakers were allowed up to three minutes, with project sponsors allowed five minutes. The Commission acted on continuances, consent calendar items, and six regular calendar items, including an office development authorization, three conditional use authorizations, a residential merger, and removal of an unauthorized dwelling unit.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1 (55-59 Bemis Street, discretionary review) was withdrawn because the discretionary review application had been withdrawn.
• Item 2 (451 Kansas Street and 450 Rhode Island Street, conditional use authorization) was continued to February 11, 2027, by a unanimous 6-0 vote.
• Consent Calendar Items 3 and 4 (2241 Market Street conditional use authorization; 684-688 Guerrero Street condominium conversion subdivision) were approved unanimously, 6-0, after no public requests were made to pull them from consent.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public spoke during general public comment.
• For 44 Laidley Street, a neighboring resident opposed the project, stating that the existing house was affordable housing that would be lost, that the area is an earthquake/landslide hazard zone with one of the city's steepest slopes, that a five-story building would be out of character for the neighborhood, and that the adjacent 15-foot retaining wall should receive a formal structural reevaluation before any construction.
• For 1170 Sacramento Street, the Commission received 102 letters in support and 20 letters in opposition. The Knob Hill Condominium Association's corporate counsel opposed the merger, arguing the shear wall is common-area property, not solely owned by the applicants; the building completed a $13 million voluntary seismic retrofit in 2021; and cutting the wall could affect the building's structure and set a precedent. An attorney for resident Mrs. Grossman also opposed the merger, citing loss of a housing unit and seismic concerns. A resident neighbor said the existing elevator and rear-door routes between the units were sufficient and safe, and the association's design review architect suggested adjusting the rear fire doors as an alternative. Supporters, including friends, relatives, and a family friend reading a letter from architect Andrew Skirman, described the family's intergenerational caregiving needs, the difficulty of moving small children through heavy doors, and prior approved openings or mergers in the same building.

Discussion Items

• 462 Bryant Street (Items 8a/8b): Staff recommended approval of a large project authorization and office development authorization for a six-story, 51,355-square-foot vertical addition to the existing one-story building at 462 Bryant, within the Central SoMa Mixed Use Office district and SoMa Pilipinas Cultural District. The proposal included 49,995 square feet of new office allocation under the small-cap program, a new 1,660-square-foot PDR space, a green roof, and decks. Staff stated the allocation would use about 8% of the roughly 642,140 square feet of small-cap office space available as of October 17, 2026, and that the project was fully code compliant with no exceptions requested. No public comments were received. Commissioners praised the design collaboration and the voluntary PDR space, and the motion to approve passed unanimously, 6-0.
• 44 Laidley Street: Commissioner McDonald recused herself because she owns property within 500 feet. Staff recommended approval of a conditional use authorization to demolish an existing two-unit building and construct a five-story, two-unit building on a steep 3,888-square-foot lot in MTC Tier 3. The minimum density for the tier is 50 dwelling units per acre, requiring four units, so the project needed a CUA for fewer units. Staff noted the existing legal basement unit had substandard floor-to-ceiling height and that the new units would meet current codes. The neighboring resident opposed the proposal. Commissioner Chen commented that the situation reflected a mismatch between the 40-foot height limit and the four-unit density requirement and suggested policy review. The Commission approved the CUA 5-0, with Commissioner McDonald recused.
• 701 Scott Street: Staff recommended approval of a conditional use authorization to remove the group housing/nursing home authorization on a single-family home, legalize the property's use as a single-family residence, and add an 845-square-foot basement accessory dwelling unit under state law. Staff reported the group housing had not operated since around 1976 and the property had been used as a single-family home for about 50 years. No public comments were received. The Commission approved the motion unanimously, 6-0.
• 85 Liberty Street: Staff recommended denial of a conditional use authorization to remove an approximately 550-square-foot unauthorized ground-floor unit. Staff found tenancy had existed from about 2012 to 2021, that the unit had a possible legalization path through DBI or state ADU programs, and that removal would result in the loss of viable housing stock. The project sponsor argued legalization would cost $350,000-$500,000, require shoring and temporary relocation of three families, and raise fire egress concerns. An owner said the unit was discovered during soft-story work and that the tenant was moved to another unit. The Zoning Administrator explained that if the CUA was denied, the unauthorized unit would remain a required violation to abate. The Commission denied the CUA 5-1, with President Campbell voting no.
• 1170 Sacramento Street, Units 11C & 11D: Staff recommended denial of a conditional use authorization to merge two adjacent dwelling units into one six-bedroom, 5,426-square-foot unit with a fire-rated door, citing the loss of an independent family-sized unit amid the city's housing shortage and noting that a high-value exemption was removed from the code in 2020. The project sponsors, George and Dolly Chamas, said they were long-term residents raising grandchildren and needed the opening for intergenerational caregiving, that no tenants were displaced, and that the units would retain separate doors, kitchens, titles, and HOA interests. Opponents cited shared ownership of the shear wall, the building's recent $13 million seismic retrofit, and precedent. During deliberation, the Commission discussed whether conditions could restore the units upon future sale. The Commission approved the merger 5-1, with Commissioner Chen voting no, adding a condition that the units be restored to two independent dwelling units with two full kitchens upon future sale, a reporting requirement, and a finding encouraging the sponsors to reach a similar private agreement with the HOA.

Commission and Department Matters

• The Planning Director announced a citywide email outage, renewed payment phishing scams affecting planning customers, and the retirement of Deborah Dwyer, a senior environmental planning leader with 20 years at the department. The Director read a proclamation honoring Ms. Dwyer, and Commissioners thanked her.
• Staff reported that the Historic Preservation Commission did not meet the prior day and there was no Board of Appeals report. At the Board of Supervisors, 20 landmark designations passed on first read, the rooftop-restroom height limit exemption passed second read, Castro and North Beach historic district initiation resolutions were adopted, a 90-day extension for the Fugazi building landmark designation was adopted, and three MILS Act contracts were introduced.

Key Outcomes

• Continued 451 Kansas Street/450 Rhode Island Street to February 11, 2027 (6-0).
• Approved 2241 Market Street and 684-688 Guerrero Street on consent (6-0).
• Approved the 462 Bryant Street large project and office development authorization (6-0).
• Approved the 44 Laidley Street conditional use authorization (5-0 after Commissioner McDonald's recusal).
• Approved the 701 Scott Street conditional use authorization (6-0).
• Denied the 85 Liberty Street conditional use authorization (5-1; Commissioner Campbell dissenting).
• Approved the 1170 Sacramento Street conditional use authorization (5-1; Commissioner Chen dissenting) with conditions.