Planning staff proposes tighter, standardized shadow-review procedures under Prop K, seeks more outreach

Planning Department staff presented a proposal to update the implementation procedures for Planning Code section 2.95 — the voter-approved Prop K sunlight protections — describing standardized modeling rules, a five-tier park shadow-budget framework and clearer criteria for when a building’s shadow is "adverse" versus "significant." The department said the changes are procedural and technical, would be adopted by both the Planning Commission and the Recreation and Park Commission at a future joint hearing, and would apply only to applications filed more than one month after adoption.

Planning staff explained that Prop K requires hearings for projects taller than 40 feet that may cast shadow on Recreation and Park properties and said the update aims to correct inconsistent practices developed over decades. "We want to clarify definitions that in the past the two departments... have used inconsistently," Planning staff said during the presentation. Staff proposed replacing hand-drawn initial reviews with a GIS-based screening, requiring consultant affidavits that list drawing versions and city 3D models used, and tying solar-coordinate data to the U.S. Naval Observatory to reduce small but systematic modeling differences.

The memo would also make…