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Historic Preservation Commission endorses mayor's planning-process improvements, asks to soften poster rules
Summary
The commission endorsed a mayoral ordinance to streamline housing approvals and standardize neighborhood notifications, while amending poster requirements to be more flexible for large façades; the package passed unanimously.
The San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission on May 16 voted unanimously to endorse a mayoral ordinance that aims to speed project review, consolidate applications and standardize neighborhood notification procedures, while instructing staff to make large-building poster requirements more flexible.
Jacob Benliff of the Planning Department framed the ordinance as part of a process-improvement plan meant to shorten review timelines and reduce paperwork. "We used to get back to people in 90 days. Now we have a standard to get back to them in 60 days," he said, describing changes to preliminary project assessments and a consolidated master application for permit intake.
A central change would standardize notification procedures in a new planning code section (proposed section 333) by setting a 20-day notice period, a 150-foot mailed-notice radius in many cases, and an online posting mechanism to replace some newspaper notices. The proposal would also allow certain routine alterations under Articles 10 and 11 to be approved administratively to reduce backlog on minor permits.
Public speakers voiced concerns about reduced notice format and accessibility: Georgia Shudish warned that a postcard notice and online 11-by-17 plans could prevent neighbors without access to wide-format printing from reviewing proposals. Commissioners agreed staff should refine minimum content and delivery methods and added an amendment to make poster frequency and placement less rigid for large façades (e.g., Ferry Building). Planning staff said notification changes would not be operative immediately — online/translation procedures are scheduled to be effective Jan. 1, 2019, to allow implementation work.
The commission moved, seconded and voted 6'to'00 to endorse the ordinance package as amended to revisit posting requirements. Staff will forward the commission's recommendation to the Board of Supervisors and prepare technical guidance to implement the new notification standards.
Next steps: Planning Department to finalize zoning administrator bulletins, outreach materials and the technical implementation of online plan access prior to the ordinance's operative date for notification changes.
