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Committee backs Central SoMa amendments to reduce commercial requirements and preserve key-site benefits
Summary
The Land Use and Transportation Committee voted to forward two ordinances to the full Board that would reduce commercial development requirements in Central SoMa and the Transit Center District, with amendments to preserve negotiated key-site community benefits.
The Land Use and Transportation Committee on March 10 recommended two related ordinances to the full Board of Supervisors that would reduce commercial development requirements in the Central SoMa Special Use District and the Transit Center District subarea.
Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who sponsored the planning-code amendments, told the committee the changes are meant to provide flexibility for developers while retaining negotiated public benefits on key sites. "We are creating this program by calling out the key sites and the benefits that are associated with each," Dorsey said, explaining the exemption would apply to residential projects under specified parameters and that key-site commitments — such as land dedication for affordable housing and public open space — would be retained.
The committee considered (1) a general plan amendment reducing commercial development requirements in the Central SoMa and Transit Center District subareas and (2) a planning-code and zoning-map amendment to implement that change and remove the Transit Center C-3O SD Commercial Special Use District. Planning staff indicated they had no additional presentation after Dorsey summarized the amendments; the revised legislation had been circulated in advance.
Public comment included speakers representing community organizations and affordable-housing developers. David Wu of Soma Filipinas said the revised language reflects community advocacy to preserve benefits for low-income and immigrant residents, including land for fully affordable housing and open space. Zach Weisenberger of Young Community Developers said the amendments "guarantee the retention of public benefits, including land dedication for a 100% affordable housing" on a key site referenced in public comment.
The committee voted to adopt the zoning-map amendment as amended and to send both items with a positive recommendation to the full Board. Votes were recorded as Vice Chair Chen: yes; Member Mokwa: yes; Chair Melgar: yes (3-0). The files were referenced in committee as BOS file no. 2407873 for the planning-code and zoning-map item; the general plan file number was stated in the record but is not specified in the transcript excerpt.
If the Board approves the ordinances, the changes would allow the city to give developers greater flexibility to build residential projects in Central SoMa under the new program while preserving negotiated community benefits on designated key sites.
