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Public pushes back on San FranciscoUrban Design Guidelines as commission seeks clearer rules
Summary
The Planning Commission heard a detailed presentation on draft Urban Design Guidelines and hours of public testimony on Jan. 11. Neighborhood groups called the draft vague and urged exemptions or neighborhood‑specific rules, while staff said revisions and clearer crosswalks to existing guidelines are coming.
The San Francisco Planning Commission spent much of its Jan. 11 meeting on an extended informational presentation and public hearing over the department—s draft Urban Design Guidelines, a citywide document staff says is intended to clarify design expectations for mixed‑use and neighborhood commercial areas.
Planning Department staff described the project as an implementation tool for the General Plan—s urban design element: three sections on site design, architecture and the public realm and a set of optional special‑area guidelines for select commercial corridors. Staff said the guidelines do not change zoning, add height, alter parking maximums or override neighborhood design rules (SEG 595–616).
The commission then heard more than an hour of public testimony. Speakers from neighborhood groups including the Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods, Liberty Hill, North Beach and…
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