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Committee delays major Market & Octavia ‘Hub’ rezoning after lengthy testimony on housing, equity and displacement
Summary
The committee heard presentations on a package of four measures to amend the Market & Octavia area plan and create a Hub Housing Sustainability District that could add about 1,600 housing units (including ~400 affordable) and generate hundreds of millions for public benefits. After hours of public comment split between supporters and groups urging an equity review, supervisors voted to continue the package one week (3-0).
The Land Use and Transportation Committee on Monday took up a multi-part rezoning package for the Market & Octavia area — called the “Hub” — that planning staff said would allow taller housing near transit and generate large revenues for affordable housing and public infrastructure, but drew extensive public comment both supporting and urging delay for a racial and social equity analysis.
Anne Marie Rogers, the Planning Department’s director of citywide policy, told the committee the Hub responds to prior Board direction to add housing near downtown and to center equity. Lily Langlois, the department’s plan manager, outlined the package of four legislative pieces — a general-plan amendment, planning-code amendments, a zoning-map amendment, and a business-and-tax regulation amendment to create a Housing Sustainability District (HSD).
Langlois said the package could yield about 1,600 housing units including more than 400 permanently subsidized affordable units and would create significant fee revenue projected to fund public benefits: approximately $682,000,000 for new on-site units/affordable housing resources, $116,000,000 for transit improvements (including Van Ness Station modernization), $71,000,000 for street and alley improvements, $57,000,000 for childcare and schools, $32,000,000 for parks, and $7,000,000 for community facilities. The HSD would allow certain ministerial approvals for qualifying projects with wage and on-site affordability requirements; Langlois said it is intended to accelerate housing delivery while preserving public oversight for projects seeking additional height.
Public testimony ran for hours. Labor unions, housing advocates, neighborhood arts groups and some local residents urged the Board to move forward to produce housing and jobs, noting the plan includes below-market-rate units and community benefits. Several speakers representing neighborhood coalitions, tenant and racial-equity organizations and community members urged the supervisors to pause the package (except for three proposed sites) until a thorough racial and social equity analysis and stronger anti-displacement measures are completed. John Jacobo of the Central City Coalition said the plan risks displacing residents and urged the Board to “take a pause” and complete equity studies before approving broad rezoning.
Supervisor Dean Preston said he intended to continue these four items for one week to allow colleagues to digest the materials and continue stakeholder conversations. Preston moved to continue items 3–6 for one week to July 20; the motion passed on roll call, Preston, Safaei and Peskin voting aye. No final action on the rezoning package occurred at the meeting.
Planning staff said the package preserves the Planning Commission’s discretion for projects that seek new heights through discretionary review, and that without the area plan the state density bonus could allow similar heights without local fee revenue or commission review. Staff also emphasized ongoing efforts to center equity, including a broader CAC membership, equity assessment guidelines and small-business working groups.
