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Planning Commission approves temporary extension for nonconforming SoMa parking lots to avoid blight and allow transition
Summary
The commission approved an ordinance allowing at least eight nonconforming parking lots in the Central SoMa CMUO and MUR districts to continue operating through Dec. 31, 2026, with an option to apply for a five-year temporary conditional use authorization thereafter.
The San Francisco Planning Commission on March 6, 2025 voted unanimously to recommend an ordinance that would allow nonconforming public parking lots in the Central SoMa mixed-use CMUO and MUR districts to continue operating through December 31, 2026, and to create a pathway for qualified parking lots to apply for a five-year conditional use authorization (CUA) after that date.
Why it matters: Staff and the sponsor said the 1985 downtown plan contains a little-known amortization clause that, if enforced now, would force a number of currently operating parking lots to shut immediately. The proposed ordinance preserves interim activation of these sites to prevent vacant, potentially blighted parcels while retaining an option for the city to prioritize redevelopment if market conditions change.
What staff and the sponsor said: Madison Tam of Supervisor Dorsey’s office and Audrey Maloney of Planning explained that the provision requiring lots to cease operations five years and 90 days after becoming nonconforming had been largely overlooked until 2024. Planning staff identified at least eight existing lots within the CMUO and MUR districts that would benefit from this targeted, time-limited fix. The ordinance would allow those lots to operate through 12/31/2026; after that, existing lots could seek a temporary five-year CUA with upgraded conditions (landscaping, tree planting, more formalized lots).
Public comment and discussion: A property owner representative and other supporters described cases in which operators had relied on long-standing approvals and would face sudden financial hardship if enforcement resumed now. Commissioners asked about the geographic scope, parking impacts on transit ridership, and alternatives limited to the two affected properties. Staff said the ordinance is targeted to existing lots only and is not intended to allow new parking lots.
Vote and outcome: Commissioner Campbell moved to adopt the recommendation; the motion passed 7–0. The ordinance would now proceed through the city’s legislative steps and permit processes; planning staff will administer referrals and any subsequent CUA reviews.
Key numbers and clarifications: Planning staff identified at least eight parking lots within the CMUO and MUR districts that could be covered; the initial amortization-preservation period ends Dec. 31, 2026; the temporary CUA would be for up to five years after Jan. 1, 2027.
