Planning Commission approves major modifications for Balboa Reservoir Block A, clearing path for affordable housing construction

The San Francisco Planning Commission on March 13 approved major modifications to design standards for Block A of the Balboa Reservoir project, allowing a six-story, 159-unit, 100% affordable building to move forward toward building permits and tax-credit applications.

Planning staff and the project sponsor told the commission the modifications — to courtyard opening height, ground-floor height, ground-floor unit entry recesses and on-site off-street loading — are needed to accommodate site topography and unit layouts while meeting the overall design intent of the Balboa Reservoir special use district and its design standards and guidelines.

Jeff Horn and Jonathan Cherry of the planning department and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development summarized the project history: the 17-acre site in the Balboa Park neighborhood was approved through environmental review, a development agreement and related zoning and design standards in 2020. The full project calls for…