Supervisors back ‘right to know’ notice for citywide rezoning; committee sends bill to full board without recommendation

The Land Use and Transportation Committee on April 14 considered an ordinance to require mailed notice and online materials when the Planning Department proposes rezoning as part of the city’s housing element, a measure framed by sponsors as a “right to know” for residents and small businesses.

District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan, sponsor, said the ordinance would require the Planning Department to mail a postcard with a QR code to property owners, residents and commercial lessees within 300 feet of parcels proposed for increased height or density. The postcard would link to a web map showing draft citywide upzoning proposals, sample renderings of what upzoned parcels might look like, an explanation of the legislative process, and information on how to comment or request a meeting with planning staff. Chan said Planning staff estimates the proposal could touch as much as 13,000 acres of potential upzoning.

Veronica Flores and other planning staff described the Planning Commission’s modifications, including a recommendation that the Board identify funding for mailings, and that the mailer recipients be limited to parcels proposed for increased height or density plus a 300-foot radius. Planning Department staff estimated production, printing and postage costs at about $200,000 based on earlier high-opportunity-area maps, and said a more recent draft could raise the number of recipients toward an estimated 400,000. The department emphasized that the $200,000 figure did not include staff time to assemble and clean recipient lists, translation services, or additional renderings.

Public comment was strongly in favor of the notice requirement. Neighborhood groups, small-business advocates, and residents — including Neighborhoods United SF, West of Twin Peaks Central Council and Small Business Forward — urged mailed notice, town halls, accessible translations and interactive maps so residents could understand large-scale changes they said would reshape neighborhoods. Some speakers expressed concern that high-profile renderings could alarm residents by overstating near-term change, while others described a lack of awareness about the scope of Mayor Lurie’s proposed rezoning.

Committee action: Vice Chair Chen moved the amendment proposed by Supervisor Chan; the committee recorded three ayes on the amendment (Chen, Member Mockwood, Chair Melgar). Chair Melgar then moved to send the ordinance as amended to the full Board “without recommendation.” The clerk recorded a roll call on that motion: Vice Chair Chen voted no; Member Mockwood and Chair Melgar voted yes, producing two ayes and one no. The motion to send the ordinance to the full board without recommendation passed.

Planning staff told the committee the mailer estimate is conservative and that costs — including staff time, address-cleaning, translation and additional renderings — could push total expenses higher. The Planning Commission urged the Board to identify funding to cover the mailings; the Planning Department noted it currently uses general fund allocations for required mailings and has been directed to reduce general fund expenses by $1.4 million.

The ordinance as amended requires mail notice to property owners, residents and commercial lessees within 300 feet of parcels proposed for increased height or density, a QR-linked dynamic online map, and sample renderings (narrowed from earlier drafts). The committee voted to transmit the item to the full Board; full-board consideration will determine final language and any funding assignment.