Board amends planning code to speed housing production, approves ordinance on first reading

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to pass on first reading an amended ordinance that changes multiple sections of the city Planning Code to streamline housing production, and adopted a related policy resolution urging the state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to revise its policy review and extend deadlines.

The ordinance (file number cited by members as 230446) combines language previously carried in a duplicate file (item 32) into item 8, makes targeted changes to conditional-use, setback and minimum-lot-size provisions in specified districts, expands some ground-floor uses in residential buildings, and authorizes the Planning Director to approve certain state density-bonus projects. The board approved item 8 as amended on a roll-call vote of 9 ayes and 2 noes; Supervisors Peskin and Chan voted no. The duplicate file, item 32, was then tabled by unanimous vote.

Why it matters: the package is the board’s response to state housing deadlines and local goals for production. Supporters described the changes as technical and necessary to make the city’s code comply with state law and to speed up project approvals. Critics said the measure puts pressure on neighborhoods and stressed that it does not by itself create affordable housing.

Supervisor Connie Melgar, who led the item and who several colleagues identified as chair of the Land Use and Transportation Committee, framed the ordinance as a narrow but important step. “This legislation is not an end,” Melgar said, adding it does not authorize “streamlining demolitions of our precious rent‑controlled stock.” Her office circulated amendments before the vote that consolidated language from item 32 into item 8 to avoid duplicate files.

Supervisor Rafael Mandelmann offered and the board approved a preservation-focused amendment that would keep conditional‑use review in place except for properties specifically found not to be historic. Mandelmann noted the city’s inventory of older buildings and urged the board to protect potential historic resources: “If the building proposed for demolition was built before 1923 the Planning Department has determined that it does not meet the criteria for designation as an historic building as defined in section 102,” Mandelmann said when describing the replacement text his amendment adds to the code.

Other speakers: Supervisor Aaron Peskin and Supervisor Dean Preston both said they would vote in favor after securing changes removing earlier language that would have streamlined demolition of rent‑controlled housing. Supervisor Preston said he supports the ordinance while pressing state and federal partners to prioritize affordable housing: “I will be voting in the affirmative, but I do so while calling on our federal, state and local partners to focus efforts on meeting our affordable housing goals,” Preston said.

Votes and next steps: Item 8 passed on first reading as amended 9–2 (Peskin, Chan — no). Item 36, a policy resolution urging HCD to adjust its review and extend deadlines, was adopted earlier in the meeting on a roll call of 8 ayes and 3 noes; the clerk recorded supervisors “and Guardio, Stephanie, and Dorsey” as voting no. Item 32 — the duplicate ordinance file — was tabled by unanimous vote; the board recorded 11 ayes on the motion to table.

What remains unresolved: the ordinance will return for second reading and further committee work on remaining duplicate files and implementing regulations. Supervisors and staff said additional legislation will be required to address affordable housing production and other related code changes.

Ending: Supporters described the package as a step toward meeting state housing element requirements; opponents said the city still lacks a comprehensive program to produce deeply affordable units. The board’s votes move the code amendments forward but do not finalize them; subsequent committee reviews and a second reading are required before any change becomes final.