[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6745351,"mediaKeyId","2258529-47ed98f0e5214c2c0d8888729ce740aa","parentId",2258529,"title","Committee sends downtown conversion fee waiver to Board as amended after heated debate","audioSeconds",3170,"startMs",391000,"endMs",3561000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2258529-47ed98f0e5214c2c0d8888729ce740aa&start=391&end=3561","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2258529-47ed98f0e5214c2c0d8888729ce740aa/thumbnail_391000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6745351/San-Francisco-County/California/Committee-sends-downtown-conversion-fee-waiver-to-Board-as-amended-after-heated-debate","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6745351-d2033f591106e4d76e057d8849d0ee71/orig.mp4?Expires=1775728237&Signature=S4zw74se1qKCemxm45RmmimgRyhzG20BEmHd2iXiZVHaxWr-4T6CngFmtSl4lhU9ktlk1Xid8mhZ9Nxk6ihKuStsYBuVV6cUJegOjvE~IIR4kuDexBG-X3RTMHFLdrZMrCOvMUDfzVxnzmQ4g2-lAcmfmxQhbba3NxjbsuFmiNVBruWBwqa5J0scCneriZ8u2GYlBePm2TTCumqCSCmyXk-docx56~0akp-p0CuxJxlT0DTgYkxAzS0j4dD01qkNsV9es-TWLmdTyarC6B90YMz9HnI2PaRnKdIbk76Mqoz~LPQynJQZ3cspx2lWb1LHnh7MdVU13VgPZIkZfQrcwA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","San Francisco County","date","2025-02-10T00:00:00Z","article","The Land Use and Transportation Committee on Feb. 10 sent to the Board of Supervisors, as amended, an ordinance designed to incentivize adaptive reuse of underutilized downtown office and commercial buildings by waiving certain development impact fees and inclusionary housing requirements for qualifying commercial‑to‑residential conversions in core downtown zoning districts (C2 and C3).

Sponsor Supervisor Matt Dorsey framed the legislation as part of “deep downtown recovery,” noting a historically high office vacancy rate and a “regional housing needs allocation” (RHNA) target the city must meet. Dorsey said conversions can both produce housing and reduce vacant office supply, helping stabilize the city’s tax base. He proposed non‑substantive cleanup amendments and a reporting requirement to the Inclusionary Housing Technical Advisory Committee; Supervisor Nannie Sauter, a co‑sponsor, said conversions would “activate a block” and benefit small businesses and transit.

Public comment spanned a wide range of positions. Supporters — including the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, developers, construction unions, SPUR and architects — argued the city must adjust local policy levers to make projects financially feasible amid high construction costs, higher interest rates and low rents. Labor speakers urged inclusion of strong labor standards (prevailing wage, health care, training) in any program that produces construction work. Opponents — led by community groups representing South of Market, cultural districts and priority equity geographies — asked that cultural districts and priority equity geographies be excluded from the waiver, warning that removing impact fees would reduce funding for parks, childcare, schools and community infrastructure and risk displacement of existing residents.

Vice Chair Cheyenne Chen moved to continue the item to Feb. 24; the motion failed on roll call (Chen voted yes; Mahmood and Melgar voted no). Supervisor Bilal Mahmood later moved the amendments that had been circulated by Supervisor Dorsey; the committee adopted those amendments (roll call: 3 ayes). On the final question, the committee recommended the ordinance to the full Board as amended by a 2–1 vote (Chen recorded the dissent). Committee members said the changes were intended to be limited and time‑bound; opponents said the carve‑outs for priority equity geographies were insufficient.

What it does and limits: Committee discussion and the sponsor clarified that the waiver applies only to the square footage being converted from nonresidential to residential; any new additional residential square footage beyond the converted area would be subject to existing inclusionary and fee requirements. Planning staff said the Planning Commission recommended aligning gross floor area definitions, extending a pipeline date to April 1 and asking the inclusionary TAC to study impacts.

Votes and next steps: Committee adopted the amendments and recommended the ordinance as amended to the Board of Supervisors. The Board will receive the ordinance, the committee packet includes CEQA and planning consistency findings and the Planning Commission record. The committee directed departments to continue outreach and the inclusionary TAC reporting called for in the amendments.

Notable quotes: Supervisor Dorsey said conversions are key “to address 1 of the key strategies for downtown and citywide economic recovery.” A South of Market advocate asked, “How many more giveaways do developers need before they start actually building housing?” Planning staff clarified that a conversion or demolition/rebuild where the residential square footage replaces nonresidential square footage would be eligible for the waiver, but entirely new additional housing beyond the converted square footage would not be exempt.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","San Francisco County - Video Open Video Only in Windows Media Player - Feb 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Land Use and Transportation Committee voted Feb. 10 to recommend, as amended, an ordinance to waive certain development impact fees and inclusionary housing requirements for qualifying downtown commercial‑to‑residential conversions, a step sponsors said is needed to catalyze housing production and downtown recovery.","taxTitle","San Francisco County, California","taxId",2862,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6745355,"Committee backs one‑time financing exception for Sutter Street affordable housing project",248,109000,357000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2258529-47ed98f0e5214c2c0d8888729ce740aa&start=109&end=357","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2258529-47ed98f0e5214c2c0d8888729ce740aa/thumbnail_109000.jpg","/articles/6745355/San-Francisco-County/California/Committee-backs-onetime-financing-exception-for-Sutter-Street-affordable-housing-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6745355-471dee25980d5ec79c301ca04ed9e42f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775728237&Signature=YI~5pnR5Vi4cIdk0pjNnbs35Y4oJ2gQ9EpO45Hy0vjkXumQ8DrQ82wV817W8o2P-SF5l~trq9j0BPGSLE1iIazjwI03zHtClizhILm23rKhaQxE-VykjydtV77g8JRUp6oRcMfKYGzthDLDezI-apsWWoxUQjLyfy5WsQG6LqxmKGTuTDjegmn~7ciumw6rGunQJEjntvcJVAoGGf2AqU0kse79Ga~M8vxU67mNheiRaKTG0bONLbw4WzOKEUfLaKlEs9Mx1LrPv1YpgMpxTDS98SkAv0n~9mFMAstP6gDaqp9-c7rfjE38mfx5D4nlL59A47ACbGqTZq~N0gLOtpw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Land Use and Transportation Committee on Feb. 10 recommended that the Board of Supervisors consider an ordinance allowing specific affordable housing projects to use California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC) tax‑exempt bond financing and tax credits administered by the tax credit allocation committee. The ordinance, as described in committee, would apply when projects provide affordable units or “deeper affordability levels” than required by the inclusionary housing ordinance and would require the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development to report on such projects. It also would exempt those projects from a local health code requirement that new buildings use alternate water sources for nonpotable uses.

District 3 Supervisor Nannie Sauter, a co‑sponsor, called the Sutter Street site “one of the largest, most significant housing opportunities we have in the Northern part of San Francisco” and said neighborhood support has grown. A public commenter, Rabbi Sophie Catherine Woodland Rothschild, urged approval, saying the site is vacant and “vital and needed.”

Chair Mirna Melgar moved that the committee forward the ordinance with a positive recommendation as a committee report. The motion passed on a roll‑call vote in which Vice Chair Cheyenne Chen, Supervisor Bilal Mahmood and Chair Melgar each voted in the affirmative.

Next steps: the item will be scheduled for the Board of Supervisors; the ordinance packet as introduced includes CEQA and planning‑consistency findings and a memo requesting the item be agendized for potential Board consideration on Feb. 11, 2025.

(Reporting note: direct quotes and attributions come from committee proceedings; planning and health‑code technical details referenced in committee materials were summarized in the clerk’s item description.)","The Land Use and Transportation Committee on Feb. 10 recommended that the Board of Supervisors consider an ordinance allowing specific affordable housing projects to use California Debt Limit Allocation Committee tax‑exempt bond financing and tax credits and exempting those projects from a local alternate water‑source requirement.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6745342,"Hotel interim‑housing proposal continued while mayor’s office refines approach",581,4303000,4884000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2258529-47ed98f0e5214c2c0d8888729ce740aa&start=4303&end=4884","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2258529-47ed98f0e5214c2c0d8888729ce740aa/thumbnail_4303000.jpg","/articles/6745342/San-Francisco-County/California/Hotel-interimhousing-proposal-continued-while-mayors-office-refines-approach","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6745342-5c59eab173dcb111fa4ded9bf14ce663/orig.mp4?Expires=1775728237&Signature=U9rjv0NndLxBH~J9KritccfbsArEWxTmo31znFdHEPyAYyipmSeNGquVRbUTpmVmpKv3zaaoXUQ7EIhA-KtOEiMto6pJwa5WrO5ZND5BhMhWbX2oSGYncsdMJPF7NNQ3WjdrhSwKMMci9UO9Vz936VBUAx-YxNzkdk0eUYQQsK8E6Tf0oKFms7S96lkFn4s51~7TIGdXfH73YoZLXguWMl-Ons0oNuxDKoAIqMc6xUYmCj8Ps3rdmdx4LC50rS9BsxwKK2ez7WipuhoIxfIJl-JRHF6g-fJmuAP5QZScGraOO3LCHYCTajMe0BD3aV2cqUpWD9W5DK8EbNpbxhK-Iw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Agenda item 4, which would amend planning and building code provisions to permit tourist hotels and motels to serve as interim housing without changing the underlying hotel use classification, was placed on the Feb. 10 agenda but continued to the call of the chair at the request of the Mayor’s Office and the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. Committee staff said the administration requested additional time to refine the proposal.

Clerk materials note the ordinance would also amend Appendix P to remove a restriction that emergency housing be located on city‑owned or city‑leased land. The committee took public comment from a hotel workers union representative and others; speakers urged continued engagement with labor and clarity on potential impacts. Chair Melgar moved to continue the item to the call of the chair and the committee approved the continuance by unanimous vote.

Because the item was continued there was no committee recommendation for the Board and no formal vote on the ordinance language by the full committee beyond the continuance.","An ordinance to allow tourist hotels and motels to be used for interim housing without abandoning hotel use was taken up Feb. 10 and continued to the call of the chair at the mayor’s request for additional work by the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6745347,"Committee sunsets local ABE enforcement, directs ‘Beyond the Front Door’ shift",2168,3255000,5423000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2258529-47ed98f0e5214c2c0d8888729ce740aa&start=3255&end=5423","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2258529-47ed98f0e5214c2c0d8888729ce740aa/thumbnail_3255000.jpg","/articles/6745347/San-Francisco-County/California/Committee-sunsets-local-ABE-enforcement-directs-Beyond-the-Front-Door-shift","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6745347-56c5c7be5712b4ae7a0b79043cb9b2fe/orig.mp4?Expires=1775728237&Signature=HxjlEi2P9BLbJzBMMMywlQTQT3Kt7U7mH9DGXoehC2EdziDZSstlWS~WfLKIVlf2xl2~coqIf8Fx6w0d9u4tMuw8Fbeb30b0wDNeM5eYpF87nFLuOe1bmlzoasv1JOZ7BjAJaIa0tdqt~VUxvMxEh-svHmB00bgIOS6bGoEpWmO4kT7fXrn7SdD~bqnXk51c4osJJHrMX6OkjwmyeR1sDhLIdjLR0BJbof23Q0YuksOrsW6jy3c6E6bLxT1-ASFwtRpOUdMMeuTmMewmAPnWMkuJO~YFq7F5j1WzvJEuD9BnUzB-iI5U2rA32VttLZcpjLlddeeKvOux40sM1zvY0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Land Use and Transportation Committee on Feb. 10 voted unanimously to recommend an ordinance that ends local enforcement deadlines tied to the Accessible Business Entrance (ABE) program and requires reporting and coordination on a new collaborative initiative called “Beyond the Front Door.”

Board President Rafael Mandelman described the proposal as an effort to preserve the goal of accessibility while recognizing the program’s enforcement deadlines had been extended repeatedly and that continuing aggressive local enforcement would impose burdens on city departments and struggling small businesses. Mandelman said about 16,000 businesses have come into compliance under earlier ABE work but that roughly 4,100 businesses remain unresponsive; he said some owners face daunting costs, and that stakeholders in the disability community told him front‑door access is important but not always the only or primary barrier to access.

The ordinance directs the Office of Small Business and the Mayor’s Office on Disability, working with the Department of Building Inspection, to implement technical assistance, produce best‑practice guidance, hire a certified access specialist inspector (CASp) within DBI to perform higher‑level accessibility inspections, and seek ways to waive public‑right‑of‑way encroachment fees for ADA‑related improvements. Speakers representing Chinatown, North Beach, Mission and merchant associations supported sunsetting enforcement, citing language barriers, COVID‑related business losses and the high cost and complexity of sidewalk or doorway modifications. Disability advocates who testified acknowledged the need for accessibility but urged that federal and state obligations remain enforceable and that the city provide clear technical assistance.

Vice Chair Cheyenne Chen moved the ordinance to the full Board; the committee approved the motion on roll call (Chen, Mahmood, Melgar — all aye). Committee members directed ongoing interdepartmental coordination and emphasized the need for translated materials and workshop assistance for immigrant‑owned small businesses.

Next steps: the ordinance will go to the full Board of Supervisors. Departments are expected to report on implementation of Beyond the Front Door and steps to improve interdepartmental permitting coordination.","The committee voted unanimously to recommend an ordinance that sunsets enforcement of San Francisco’s local Accessible Business Entrance (ABE) requirements and refocuses resources on a collaborative technical‑assistance initiative, “Beyond the Front Door,” while maintaining state and federal accessibility obligations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee sends downtown conversion fee waiver to Board as amended after heated debate

Committee backs one‑time financing exception for Sutter Street affordable housing project

Hotel interim‑housing proposal continued while mayor’s office refines approach

Committee sunsets local ABE enforcement, directs ‘Beyond the Front Door’ shift