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Commission continues phase-two Northeast zoning amendments to May 3 after broad public comment
Summary
After a day of detailed testimony on automotive uses, accessory-use limits, nonconforming uses and SUD mapping, the Planning Commission continued phase two of the Northeast zoning legislation to May 3 and asked staff to clarify centimes parcels, accessory-use thresholds and Van Ness parking impacts.
Planning staff presented the second phase of a multipart update to the Northeast zoning legislation, covering automotive uses, limited corner commercial uses, accessory-use calculations, nonconforming use rules, and special-use districts including Washington/Broadway and Van Ness.
The proposed changes included clarifications to auto-related uses, a possible increase to corner commercial use sizes, a recommendation to replace numerical horsepower limits with performance-based standards for accessory uses, and changes that would make some surface parking lots in C3 districts time-limited. Staff recommended several modifications after outreach, including keeping temporary CU renewals on a five-year cycle for parking lots rather than two years.
Public testimony was extensive: neighborhood advocates, parking operators, manufacturers’ associations and merchants raised concerns about mapping errors, Centimeters zoning orphan parcels, the accessory-use square-foot thresholds, and potential unintended consequences for pipeline projects. Planning staff and the supervisor’s office agreed to reexamine map boundaries and to slow adoption of several contested mapping items.
The commission voted to continue phase two to May 3 so staff can return with clarified maps and drafted responses to commissioners’ concerns. Commissioners also asked staff to prepare clearer examples of how accessory-use fractions (quarter to third) will be applied in practice.
