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Committee continues Central SoMa planning-code clarifications after brief presentation
Summary
Planning staff presented clarifying planning-code amendments for the Central SoMa area plan, including fixes to cross-references, an expanded off-site open-space radius, tailored retail vs. PDR flexibility at large sites (including 598 Brannon) and revised unit exposure requirements; the committee continued the item to the call of the chair.
The Land Use & Transportation Committee on Feb. 8 heard a brief presentation from Planning Department senior planner Matt Snyder on proposed clarifying amendments to the Central SoMa portion of the Planning Code. Snyder described three substantive changes framed by staff as clarifications: extending the off-site usable-open-space allowance from 800 feet to up to a half-mile (for certain locations including under or adjacent to the I-80 freeway), allowing limited substitution of required PDR space for neighborhood-serving retail at some large sites (one example cited was 598 Brannon/Bridal Street), and simplifying the exposure requirements for dwelling units so projects in dense Central SoMa can meet dimension rules with fewer variances.
Supervisor Aaron Peskin pressed staff on the item’s short title and classification (whether changes should be called 'clarifying' or 'substantive') and asked why the District 6 supervisor did not sponsor the item; Snyder and planning staff said briefings had been offered to committee members at staff level. After public comment was called and no callers were on the line, Supervisor Peskin moved to continue the item to the call of the chair so staff could brief supervisors (including District 6) and the motion passed by committee vote.
Next steps: The committee asked staff to provide additional briefings and to return the item at the call of the chair.
