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Board adopts six-month interim controls on demolition, exempting pending appeals
Summary
The Board approved interim zoning controls requiring conditional-use authorization for demolition of residential structures for up to six months or until permanent legislation is passed, with exemptions for projects that already had planning action or appeals pending.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors adopted interim zoning controls that temporarily require conditional-use authorization before a residential structure can be demolished. The measure was passed on first reading with an amendment setting a six-month limit or a shorter period if the Board adopts permanent legislation sooner.
Supervisor Michela (as recorded: Maxwell) introduced the ordinance and said it would codify the Planning Department’s discretionary-review practice and give residents and the department breathing room while a permanent ordinance is finalized. “We have been working together and trying to put these two pieces of legislation together,” Maxwell said, adding that the interim controls would signal that demolition policy is under active Board and Planning Department review.
Zoning administrator Larry Badner told the Board that the Planning Department expected to bring a permanent proposal to the Planning Commission within days and to the Board through the Land Use Committee in the near term. Badner told supervisors the department had a list of about 20–25 projects under consideration and estimated that perhaps 10 projects might be affected if the interim controls remained for a long time; he said many projects would have exemptions because of prior notices or appeals.
Nut graf: The ordinance aims to pause unregulated demolitions while the City codifies a discretionary-review policy that the Planning Commission is preparing. It narrows its reach with exemptions for projects with pending appeals or earlier actions to avoid undoing near-final reviews.
Board members debated the appropriate duration for the interim control. Supervisor Sean Elsberrn (Elsburn in transcript) proposed an amendment tying the six-month term to either six months or the date when the Board passes the permanent legislation, whichever comes first; that amendment was seconded and adopted. Supporters said the interim step protects neighborhoods from last-minute demolitions while the Planning Department finishes its rulemaking; opponents said adding new requirements could further complicate a contracting environment and urged the city to fix procurement delays before layering new obligations.
The ordinance, as amended, passed on first reading by roll call (6 ayes, 5 noes). The Planning Department will deliver the permanent code changes to the Board for further deliberation; the interim controls expire after six months unless replaced earlier.
Ending: The measure places a temporary check on residential demolition in order to preserve neighborhood oversight while the Planning Commission and department finalize permanent rules. The Planning Department and supervisors said they expect to return to the Board with regularized legislation within weeks to a month and a half.
