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Commission recommends disapproval of ordinance to ban labs in UMU, 4–3
Summary
The commission voted 4–3 to recommend disapproval of a Board of Supervisors ordinance that would prohibit laboratory uses in Urban Mixed Use (UMU) zoning. Staff and many speakers warned the ban could undercut local biotech jobs and the city’s economic recovery.
The Planning Commission on Aug. 1 recommended disapproval of an ordinance from the Board of Supervisors that would revise the definition of laboratory to explicitly cite biotechnology and would prohibit laboratory uses in UMU zoning, voting 4–3 to recommend disapproval.
Planning staff urged disapproval, saying the proposed ban is inconsistent with the general plan and could have broad, unintended effects across UMU districts that span Dogpatch, Mission Bay, SoMa and other neighborhoods. Veronica Flores, presenting staff’s analysis, said the proposal "does primarily two things" (add biotechnology examples to the definition and make labs not permitted in UMU) and concluded, "The department does not support this proposed ordinance." Staff cautioned it could push…
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