Land Use Committee amends Central SoMa plan, continues package after heated public comments over Old U.S. Mint funding

San Francisco’s Land Use Committee on Monday considered a sweeping set of amendments to the Central South of Market (Central SoMa) area plan that would change zoning, implement a Housing Sustainability District and set a community‑benefits spending plan, including funding for cultural preservation and the restoration of the Old U.S. Mint.

Supervisor Jane Kim, who sponsored a batch of technical changes and additional amendments, said the package increases flexibility for housing on key sites and reallocates community‑benefit funds across a wide set of priorities. “There is $104,000,000 added, allocated to cultural preservation and community services,” Kim said, noting that the Mint allocation was raised to $15,000,000 from a prior Planning Commission figure of $10,000,000.

The amendments drew lengthy public comment. Preservation advocates urged the committee to retain or increase what they described as a critical allocation for the Old U.S. Mint. “I am here and representing the Victorian Alliance… We strongly support the project funds awarded for the revitalization of this,” Anita Denz said. Mike Bueller of San Francisco Heritage called for maintaining “the city’s preexisting commitment of $20,000,000 towards the Old Mint project,” and multiple speakers urged raising the allocation to $50,000,000 to stabilize and seismically retrofit the building.

Kim defended her approach as a balancing act among competing needs. She pointed to large investments elsewhere in the plan — including nearly a billion dollars proposed for new and rehabilitated affordable housing — and said the package also adds funding for neighborhood priorities such as parks, recreation centers and a PDR (production, distribution, repair) relocation fund. “When you think about the Old Mint in the context of all of these needs, I think it’s a much more difficult conversation,” Kim said, adding that many amendments would be re‑referred to the Planning Commission for further review.

Planning staff and advocates also discussed the Housing Sustainability District (AB 73) provisions included in the package and the mechanics of the community facilities district (CFD) financing that would allocate funds among priorities. Planning staff estimated roughly 150–200 PDR businesses in the area could be candidates for relocation assistance, but said the details of the PDR fund would require further analysis.

Deputy City Attorney John Givner advised the committee on hearing and noticing rules and on the timeline for CEQA appeals; he said continuing the items to a date certain would allow Planning Commission action after the Board resolves CEQA matters. The committee voted to accept the stated amendments and continue items 7–11 to the Land Use Committee meeting on Monday, Sept. 10, with the clerk to refer the documents back to Planning for hearings and recommendations.

The continuation means the Planning Commission will have an opportunity to consider the newly introduced amendments before the Board acts; Givner noted the statutory 90‑day clock for general plan amendments is frozen while the CEQA appeal is pending. The committee made no final policy decisions on the Core SoMa package beyond accepting the amendments and setting the September continuation.

Next steps: Planning will rehear referred amendments, the Board will consider any CEQA appeals on Sept. 4, and the Land Use Committee will reconvene on Sept. 10 to consider the package for referral to the full Board.