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Committee advances EV permits, neighborhood commercial changes and senior care planning; pauses plumbing‑code amendment
Summary
At its Dec. 3 meeting the Land Use & Transportation Committee advanced ordinances to streamline EV‑charging permits and make a neighborhood commercial pilot permanent, moved residential care facility zoning changes to the full Board, and continued a plumbing‑code backflow amendment for interagency alignment.
SAN FRANCISCO
Dec. 3, 2018
The Land Use and Transportation Committee on Monday moved several planning and permitting items toward fuller Board consideration while pausing one measure after interagency concerns.
The committee sent an ordinance to the full Board to codify an expedited permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations after DBI staff said the department already expedites such permits in practice and the ordinance brings San Francisco into alignment with state law. "DBI, in practice, actually already does, expedite these types of permits," DBI staff said. Supervisor Aaron Peskin moved the item to the full Board with a positive recommendation.
On zoning, the committee voted to make permanent a pilot that removes neighborhood notice and Planning Commission review for certain principally permitted uses in neighborhood commercial districts in Supervisorial Districts 4 and 11. Chair Katie Tang and Supervisor Asha Safai said the change has already helped small businesses locate in vacant storefronts. Supervisor Safai emphasized constraints: formula retail, cannabis, liquor‑related uses and live entertainment remain subject to existing notice and review.
On housing for seniors and people with severe disabilities, the committee advanced an ordinance to allow residential care facilities (board‑and‑care homes) with seven or more residents as principally permitted uses in many residential and neighborhood commercial districts. "Residential care facilities or board and care homes are a critical resource in housing our vulnerable population of seniors and people who are severely disabled," Supervisor Mandelmann said. Planning staff and the Planning Commission supported the proposal; advocates including Institute on Aging and the Hospital Council testified in favor.
By contrast, the Department of Building Inspection sought to remove a local plumbing‑code reference to SFPUC rules on cross‑connection and backflow control. SFPUC and Department of Public Health staff asked the committee to continue the item so the three agencies could agree on replacement language and an enforceable device table; John Scarpula of the SFPUC said removing the 2016 amendment without a substitute "does not make sense to remove this reference, without offering replacement language at the same time." The committee continued the plumbing‑code amendment to the call of the chair.
Other procedural actions: a zoning amendment (Item 6) to create a Union Square Park open‑space fund and adjust C‑3R district controls was continued to Jan. 7, 2019; an ordinance concerning employee cafeterias was continued one week to Dec. 10. Most committee motions were carried without objection and will appear on the full Board agenda on Dec. 11.
What happens next: Items sent as committee reports will be considered by the full Board; DBI, SFPUC and DPH will continue discussions on the plumbing‑code language and return to the committee as needed.
