Planning staff outline SB 330 implementation and what it means for local projects

San Francisco — Planning Department staff briefed the Planning Commission on Jan. 9 about how the state’s Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330) will be implemented in the city and what applicants should expect.

Jacob Bentliffe, planning staff, said SB 330 creates a new preliminary housing development application that lets applicants lock in zoning, subdivision and fee rules at the time of filing — but only if the development application follows within six months and the site permit is under construction within 30 months of approval. “There’s a 6‑month period,” Bentliffe said. “You can start your clock at your PPA or at your development application.”

Bentliffe outlined three major groups of provisions: restrictions on down‑zoning compared with a 2018 baseline, application‑timing and lock‑in rules, and replacement‑housing requirements that compel replacement of any demolished units with units of comparable size and affordability. He also noted a limit of five public hearings on code‑complying housing projects across the jurisdiction and said planning will track hearings in case reports and motions.

Commissioners pressed staff on details including how hearings are counted across agencies and whether landmark designations can occur during a pending application. Bentliffe said the five‑hearing limit applies per jurisdiction (San Francisco) and includes informational and appeal hearings; CEQA hearings remain separate. On landmarks, staff explained landmark (Article 10/11) designations must be complete prior to a development application for the designation to apply to that review.

Staff said they published Director’s Bulletin No. 7 and a preliminary housing development application on the department website to guide applicants. The briefing is intended to help applicants, neighborhood groups and commissioners navigate changing state rules as staff calibrates local templates and procedures.