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Commission continues Hub plan items to May 21 and asks staff to analyze pending state housing bills
Summary
The Planning Commission continued several large Hub/Market Octavia items to May 21, heard public support and opposition, and directed staff to track and analyze fast‑moving state housing bills; the director also reported a roughly $1.7 billion city budget shortfall for the current year.
The San Francisco Planning Commission on May 14 voted unanimously to continue major Hub and Market Octavia items — including Van Ness and related environmental impact reports — to the May 21 meeting after staff said multiple continuity requests were filed. Commissioner Johnson made the motion to continue the items and the commission approved it 6–0.
Several callers and organizations weighed in during public comment on the continuance. Anastasia Yovanopoulos told the commission she supported delaying the Hub items to allow for "more equity and community involvement" in the plan. Katie Seidelman, representing SPUR, urged the commission to proceed with the Hub amendments as a way to increase housing near transit and leverage private investment.
Commissioners used the discussion period to request staff analysis of fast‑moving state housing legislation and better delivery of lengthy environmental documents. Commissioner Imperial asked staff to analyze bills she named in the hearing (including references to SB 902, AB 725 and other assembly bills) "to look into this analysis as to what of which these bills do and how they change our existing land use standards." Commissioner Moore and Commissioner Diamond voiced support for dedicating staff time to that review and for receiving large draft EIRs and response‑to‑comment documents in hard copy ahead of hearings.
In the director's report, Director Georgia Hillis said planning staff were supporting the city's disaster response and that the mayor's office had updated budget projections showing about a $1.7 billion deficit for the remainder of the fiscal year and roughly $250 million in the next two years; Hillis said staff would return with more information as the budget process unfolds.
The commission placed the continued hub items on the May 21 calendar and moved remaining discretionary review items forward for deliberation.
