Planning Commission backs rezoning recommendation for 2451 Sacramento, asks housing authority to meet neighborhood

After extended public comment and debate, the San Francisco Planning Commission on Feb. 24 voted 4'2 to forward a rezoning recommendation for 2451 Sacramento Street to the Board of Supervisors, asking the San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA) to meet with the Pacific Heights Residents Association and tenants before any project advances.

Department staff presented the rezoning as a draft ordinance (case 2010.07666Z) to change the zoning from RM1 (residential mixed low-density) to the Upper Fillmore Neighborhood Commercial District (NCD) to align the parcel with adjacent neighborhood commercial zoning and allow potential commercial uses and modest density increases. Staff said the rezoning would modestly raise allowed unit density from a theoretical five units to seven and could allow ground-floor commercial uses in keeping with adjacent development.

Public comment included residents living adjacent to the surface parking lot and representatives of the Pacific Heights Residents Association. Concerns raised included loss of parking and whether the rezoning would facilitate serial permitting that avoids obligations to develop housing for low-income tenants. SFHA representative Barbara Smith said proceeds from a proposed sale would fund capital improvements at public housing developments and that the buyer's plans were preliminary. SFHA said it had met with some neighbors and committed to finding parking for the nine residents currently using the lot until construction starts.

Commissioners debated the timing and whether to require more concrete project information before rezoning. Some, including Commissioner Moore, said they would prefer sketches or additional massing study to evaluate allowable building forms and parking impacts. Others argued rezoning the land to match the adjacent NCD is a reasonable land'use action and that subsequent project review and 312 public notice would enable neighborhood input.

A motion to continue the item to allow staff or the potential developer to present massing sketches failed on a 2'4 vote. The commission then voted to recommend the draft ordinance to the Board of Supervisors and included a formal request that SFHA and any prospective buyer meet with the Pacific Heights Residents Association, provide multilingual notice to affected residents, and return projects that do not require planning commission approval as informational items for the commission.

The motion passed 4'2 with Commissioners Moore and Miguel voting no. Staff emphasized that the commission cannot legally attach mandatory conditions to a rezoning recommendation but may request actions in its findings to guide the Board of Supervisors and the sponsor.

Next steps: the rezoning recommendation goes to the Board of Supervisors; any project proposal will require environmental review and applicable public-notice processes, and SFHA said it will work to accommodate current parking users and outreach.