Planning Commission approves four‑home Bernal Heights project with design conditions after neighborhood objections

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Planning Commission on July 21 voted unanimously to take discretionary review and approve a proposal to subdivide a triangular parcel at 40 Bernal Heights Boulevard into four lots and build four three‑story single‑family homes, but only after the commission added several design and spacing conditions to respond to neighbor concerns.

The developer’s plan calls for four family‑sized homes with roughly 2,000–2,200 square feet of habitable space each (plus below‑grade areas), a publicly accessible landscaped stairway on the unimproved Carver Street right‑of‑way, expanded sidewalks and street trees. Planning staff recommended approval, finding the scheme consistent with applicable zoning and guidelines for the site’s unusual triangular geometry.

Neighbors and the East Slope Design Review Board urged the commission to grant the developers’ opponents’ request for discretionary review, arguing the project’s collective mass and close spacing would create a continuous “wall” along Powhatan Avenue that is out of character with the neighborhood. “With 4 three‑story, 3,000‑square‑foot homes on a single block, this project is simply too big and too dense for this location and this neighborhood,” said Betsy Brown, one of the neighborhood co‑sponsors of the discretionary review petition.

Project counsel and the sponsor argued the design would produce usable family housing and public benefits. “We are providing four new family‑size single family homes … and a publicly accessible landscaped stairway,” said John Kevlin for the project sponsor, adding that much of the buildings’ floor area sits below existing grade to reduce perceived above‑grade massing.

After lengthy questioning and repeated public testimony, commissioners instructed a set of targeted changes intended to reduce the perceived massing and emphasize differentiation among the four dwellings. The commission’s directions included: requiring a minimum four‑foot side separation between units where feasible, pulling roof‑deck elements back from visible roof edges so railings are not visible from the opposite sidewalk line of sight, minimizing hardscape in front yards, and requiring material and façade articulation so the four dwellings read as distinct units rather than a single block. Commissioners also asked that any public stair in the unimproved Carver Street right‑of‑way be designed and built to Department of Public Works standards and that garage door designs be differentiated to reduce a repetitive “hole‑in‑the‑wall” appearance.

Commissioner comments reflected the balance commissioners sought between the city’s need for family‑sized housing and the neighborhood’s design concerns. “This is a plateau with houses above it and houses below it; it is a perfect housing site,” Commissioner Antonini said after visiting the site, while other commissioners stressed the need for stronger facade articulation and roof‑deck setbacks to avoid a monolithic street face.

The motion to take the discretionary review and approve the project with the stated conditions passed unanimously, with Commissioners Antonini, Johnson, Moore, Wu, Richards and President Fong voting aye.

What’s next: The project sponsor will continue working with Planning Department staff on the detailed design refinements required by the commission. Per the commission’s instructions, staff will verify that roof‑deck setbacks, façade articulation and the stair design meet the commission’s visibility and public‑safety expectations before future permit issuance.