Planning department outlines Family Zoning Plan; HPC urges clearer protections for historic resources

The San Francisco Planning Department used an Aug. 20 informational hearing before the Historic Preservation Commission to present the Family Zoning Plan, a citywide rezoning package intended to create capacity toward the state's housing mandate while preserving the city's most significant historic resources.

Planning staff described two driving reasons for the proposal: compliance with state housing-law requirements and a local goal to expand housing supply in high-opportunity neighborhoods. The plan identifies housing opportunity areas, introduces a local "Housing Choice SF" program (an optional local incentives menu parallel to state density bonuses), and defines a suite of objective design and preservation standards the department expects projects to meet.

Preservation staff outlined an expedited landmarking pilot tied to the rezoning: staff identified 16 Article 10 landmark candidates in Supervisor Mandelmann's district and proposed a citywide phased effort that prioritizes Category A resources (properties deemed to have the highest historic value). Staff said Category A properties represent roughly 14% of parcels in the plan area and described the SF Survey'workstream to evaluate Category B properties and recommend additional protections.

Commissioners welcomed the presentation but repeatedly asked for more specificity: maps showing where Category A parcels sit within the rezoned corridors, numbers for parcels that would be exempted from ministerial (fast-track) pathways, and how preservation design standards will be expanded to address historic districts and contextual infill. Several commissioners urged staff to expand protections beyond individually landmarked buildings, especially for identified Category A sites and thinly documented districts.

Public comment reflected the same split: advocates for more protection warned that the rezoning could put vulnerable local landmarks and district character at risk, while housing advocates and the Housing Action Coalition said the plan balances preservation and housing production and urged adoption to address affordability. Preservation groups suggested options including accelerated designation of Category A properties, temporary pauses or moratoria on certain upzones for the most sensitive properties, and incentives for owners to preserve rather than demolish historic assets.

Staff proposed immediate next steps: share the plan maps and overlay data with commission members, accept written HPC recommendations ahead of the Planning Commission's Sept. 11 adoption hearing, and agendize an HPC letter or findings at the Sept. 3 HPC meeting if the commission wishes to transmit formal recommendations.