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 1,100 residential units, with a 50/50 split between market-rate and affordable units (550 affordable units). Building A is a 159-unit building that will be 100% affordable.

Jonathan Cherry said the project has secured significant state grants to support affordable housing and infrastructure and that construction on site grading and infrastructure work is expected to begin this summer. Staff and the sponsor said Building E (128 units) and Building A (159 units) together will deliver 287 of the 550 affordable units on the site.

Architects for the sponsor described how the sloping site and the arrangement of mechanical, parking and service spaces constrained placement of a full off-street loading dock. Planning staff recommended allowing on-street loading in designated areas instead of an interior loading dock because placing a dock inside the building would require losing at least one affordable unit, the staff report said.

Bridge Housing's Smitha Seshadri described Bridge Housing's record in San Francisco and said approval would let the sponsor apply for state tax credits for Building A in May and start construction in early 2026. "Your approval of our request today will allow us to successfully apply for tax credits for Building A to the state in May of this year and start construction in early 2026," she said.

Public comment included both support and a neighborhood concern about emergency water supply. Hedda Chime, a Westwood Park resident, urged the city to address emergency water supply for the area, saying the neighborhood lacked sufficient backup water in a major disaster.

Commissioners praised the project’s scope and the sponsor’s work. Vice President Moore described the proposal as "remarkable" and said the project demonstrated how the guidelines could be met with creative design responses. Commissioner Imperial moved to approve the modifications with conditions; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously 7–0.

The commission’s approval allows the sponsor to proceed with design-review milestones needed to submit building permits for Block A and supports the sponsor’s near-term financing timeline.

Votes at a glance

Motion: Approve major modifications to Balboa Reservoir design standards for Block A (openings to interior courtyards, minimum ground-floor height, ground-floor unit entries, and off-street loading requirements) and grant design approval to proceed toward building permits, with conditions. Mover: Commissioner Imperial. Second: not specified in the record. Outcome: Approved, unanimous (7–0).

Why it matters

The Balboa Reservoir development is a major public-land housing project in the Balboa Park neighborhood. The commission’s decision moves a 159-unit, 100% affordable building through the design-review process and supports the sponsor’s plan to apply for tax credits and begin construction next year. The broader development is planned to deliver 1,100 units total with at least 550 affordable homes.