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Planning Commission adopts Japantown special area design guidelines
Summary
The San Francisco Planning Commission unanimously adopted special area design guidelines for Japantown on Dec. 19, 2019, after staff described the neighborhood history, outreach and revisions and community members and the Japantown Task Force voiced support.
The San Francisco Planning Commission on Dec. 19 adopted new Japantown special area design guidelines meant to guide future development, protect local character and strengthen community-informed values.
Planning Department staff said the guidelines grew out of the Japantown Cultural Heritage and Economic Sustainability Strategy (JCHESS) and months of community work, including multiple drafts released in late November and December. "We were here two weeks ago at an informational" and since then staff and the Japantown task force held additional meetings and refined the document, Planning Department staff member Maya Small told commissioners.
Staff architect Trent Greenan summarized the guidelines’ structure and key changes, saying the document focuses on three areas — site design, architecture and public realm — and is intentionally less prescriptive to allow early collaboration between sponsors and the community. On architecture he said the guidelines emphasize “transparency, translucency, and layering at the ground floor facade” and recommend organizing new development to support views of the Peace Pagoda.
Several Japantown Task Force leaders and community volunteers urged adoption. “We decided to support the design guidelines as proposed by the department with the understanding that we will continue in 2020 with more outreach meetings,” Task Force chair Sandy Mori told the commission. Glynis Nakahara, co‑chair of the task force’s Land Use and Transportation Committee, thanked staff for working on a compressed timeline and said community feedback was largely positive.
Commissioners praised the outreach and the guidelines’ focus on history, inclusivity and reducing review time for projects that respect neighborhood values. Commissioner Johnson said the work "elevates the conversation about our neighborhoods" and moved to adopt the guidelines; the measure passed unanimously 6–0.
The planning department said it will continue outreach and education in early 2020, and the guidelines will apply to projects inside the Japantown Neighborhood Commercial District and adjacent cultural district areas identified in the packet materials.
