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Committee approves sending Ocean View special‑use district (FAR and bedroom limits) to full Board
Summary
The committee advanced an ordinance creating an Ocean View large residential special‑use district that uses floor‑area ratio limits and a bedroom/bath threshold to trigger conditional‑use review; sponsor Asha Safaei called it a pilot to balance housing needs and neighborhood character.
Supervisor Asha Safae presented an ordinance to create the Ocean View Large Residential Special Use District, a proposal she said was the product of two years of work with planning staff and community members. The ordinance introduces a floor‑area‑ratio (FAR) calculator and would make developments above certain FAR or bedroom thresholds subject to conditional‑use authorization.
“We think this is a good compromise,” Supervisor Safaei told the committee, describing the approach as a way to allow reasonable occupancy while requiring additional review for substantially larger conversions. Staff from the Planning Department reported that the Planning Commission considered the substituted ordinance at a June 13 hearing and recommended approval, noting the proposal bases SUD boundaries on land‑use considerations, uses an FAR component to regulate building size and incentivizes ADUs.
Planning staff explained enforcement would rely on plan review and on‑site verification when complaints arise; they noted bathroom counts are generally easier to verify than bedroom counts. Public commenters who live near Ralston Street and elsewhere described past projects that expanded from modest remodels into many‑bedroom houses and supported the special use district as a neighborhood protection.
Supervisor Safaie identified a typographical error in the FAR table and asked to amend a line to read 1.15 to 1; the committee accepted the correction and forwarded the item as amended to the full Board with a positive recommendation.
What happens next: the ordinance will appear on the full Board agenda for further consideration, where the Board can refine boundaries, FAR metrics and enforcement details.
