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Board continues debate on Eastern Neighborhoods rezoning resolution; schedules further work and hearings
Summary
Supervisors debated a resolution directing planning priorities for Eastern Neighborhoods — emphasizing affordable housing and protecting industrial/arts uses — but voted to continue the item to the Jan. 9 board meeting for additional staff work and committee engagement.
On Dec. 12 the Board of Supervisors debated a policy resolution that would guide the planning department’s approach to rezoning and community plans in the Eastern Neighborhoods (including South of Market, Potrero Hill, Central Waterfront and the Mission). The resolution emphasizes prioritizing land for affordable housing, protecting production, distribution and repair (PDR) uses, preserving arts space and setting aside land for neighborhood improvements in coordination with new development.
Supervisor Maxwell, the resolution’s sponsor, described the measure as a policy statement to provide clearer guidance to planning staff and the Planning Commission in forthcoming area plans. Proponents said the resolution aims to ensure Eastern Neighborhood plans include explicit commitments to affordable‑housing production and to avoid repeating mistakes on past large projects by preserving oversight and public benefits.
Several supervisors, including Supervisor Daly, questioned how a nonbinding board resolution would interact with the General Plan. Planning staff (Ken Rich) and the deputy city attorney (Cheryl Adams) explained that planning staff must balance the General Plan’s multiple element policies in project review and that a board resolution is a strong policy statement but does not itself amend the General Plan. The administration’s economic and workforce development representative (Jesse Blau) said his office would work with planning to help achieve affordable housing targets while accounting for other public benefits.
Supervisor Dufty moved to continue the item to allow planning, the mayor’s office and the sponsor time to work through technical concerns; the board voted to continue the resolution to the Jan. 9 meeting (continuance recorded), with supervisors saying they would use the intervening time for additional briefing and committee discussion. Supervisor Daly also proposed amendments requesting planning identify internal General Plan policy conflicts that require balancing; some supervisors supported amending the resolution to require that study, while others preferred to keep the resolution as a clear policy statement for the Eastern Neighborhoods.
The matter will return to the board after the planning department provides additional information on affordable‑housing strategy, funding needs and where policy tradeoffs may occur.
