Planning Commission approves Geary‑Masonic SUD and Lucky Penny project with car‑share, parapet and affordability conditions

The San Francisco Planning Commission voted unanimously Nov. 30 to approve planning code and zoning map changes and entitlements for the Lucky Penny site at Geary and Masonic, authorizing a revised Geary‑Masonic Special Use District (SUD) and the developer’s conditional use requests to enable a denser housing project. Project sponsor Supervisor Mark Farrell and the developer told the commission the SUD would allow a jump from the site’s grandfathered 21 units to a 95‑unit mixed‑use building that would include a portion of on‑site permanently affordable housing.

The project sponsor and Planning Department laid out the tradeoffs on the dais: the sponsor said the SUD‑enabled project delivers 95 units with an 18% on‑site affordable requirement under the sponsor’s SUD language (about 17 units), while Planning staff recommended the Board of Supervisors consider higher on‑site inclusionary rates (the department proposed raising rental on‑site affordability to roughly 23% and ownership rates to about 26% in its review). Supervisor Farrell said the revised SUD matched neighborhood and labor support and “I emphatically support building housing on the site. Period.”

Neighbors and nearby business owners nonetheless pressed the commission on parking and curbside impacts. “Sixteen for 95 is one to six,” said Richard Frisbie, a nearby resident, calling the plan’s 16 off‑street parking spaces insufficient and warning of spillover onto Emerson and adjacent streets. Several residents and business owners said narrow nearby streets and heavy retail and Trader Joe’s traffic already create safety and access problems.

In response to the parking and curb‑drop concerns, the commission’s final motion included both operational and legislative elements. The approved motion, passed unanimously, requires the developer to provide four dedicated car‑share spaces (in addition to the 16 parking stalls proposed) and asks the Board‑level SUD language to reflect an increased car‑share requirement. The motion also included agreed parapet treatment language negotiated with neighborhood groups — requiring transparent or translucent glazing above the 42‑inch parapet — and tied several entitlements to final Board action on the SUD and any affordability modifications the Board adopts.

Planning staff said the motion also captures its recommendation that the Board consider raising on‑site affordability rates for projects in this type of SUD; however, the commission’s approval moved forward while preserving the Board’s role to adopt or modify the SUD on second reading. The motion recorded a unanimous 7‑0 vote.

What happens next: The SUD ordinance and related zoning map amendment go to the Board of Supervisors for final adoption. The commission’s approval includes conditions that link the project’s entitlements to final Board action and to the project sponsor meeting the conditions adopted by the commission. Staff will monitor compliance and return materials to the commission or Board as required.

Why it matters: The Geary‑Masonic SUD is framed by the sponsor as a relatively small set of exceptions to unlock substantial new housing in a transit‑rich corridor. Supporters said the combination of neighborhood support and union labor commitments made this an attractive pilot for boosting housing supply. Opponents, and many neighbors, said the project underscores wider tensions in San Francisco over parking, street choreography for ride‑hail/delivery services and how to secure more on‑site affordability when projects take advantage of new density tools.

Votes and next steps: The commission approved the motion 7‑0. The ordinance and SUD now advance to the Board of Supervisors, where the department’s recommended affordability figures and the commission’s recommended car‑share language will be considered.