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Planning Commission backs rezoning to allow more housing on Divisidero and Fillmore corridors
Summary
The San Francisco Planning Commission recommended converting Divisidero and Fillmore Neighborhood Commercial Districts to Neighborhood Commercial Transit districts, removing parcel-size density caps while keeping height, bulk and design controls; commissioners also urged conditional‑use review for lot mergers and excluded staff’s proposed density-bonus language.
The San Francisco Planning Commission on April 2 recommended the Board of Supervisors rezone the Divisidero and Fillmore commercial corridors from Neighborhood Commercial Districts (NCD) to Neighborhood Commercial Transit (NCT) districts, a change commissioners said is intended to allow more housing on transit-rich streets while preserving neighborhood form.
Connor Johnson, legislative aide to Board President London Breed, told commissioners the amendment removes parcel‑area density limits and lets the city regulate density by building form—height, bulk, setbacks and unit mix—so corridors can accommodate incremental housing without “suddenly” producing high-rise development. Planning Department staff recommended approval, with clerical corrections and a suggestion to ensure parcels could participate in a forthcoming density‑bonus program so that future affordable units could be encouraged on‑site.
Public comment split along expected lines. Supporters argued that San Francisco has no vacant land and must add housing near transit; Michael Smithwick said increasing density on corridors is “absolutely the way to do it.” Neighbors cautioned that removing parcel-based limits could accelerate demolition and displacement and raised detailed concerns about parking, shadows and historic preservation in the Fillmore area.
Commissioners focused discussion on safeguards. Several members asked staff to pursue conditional‑use (CU) review for lot combinations to reduce the risk that buyers could aggregate parcels to create much larger developments. Commissioner Richards moved to recommend approval to the Board while excluding staff’s proposed density‑bonus reference and urging the supervisor’s office to consider CU controls for lot mergers. The motion passed unanimously.
The Commission kept the city’s other form‑based controls—unit‑mix requirements, height, bulk, setback and design review—intact and requested that the Board examine whether parcels in the new NCTs should be prioritized for historic surveys. The Commission did not adopt staff’s density‑bonus language; members said that program requires its own separate review. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for final action.
