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Rules Committee advances Rachel Tanner’s nomination to Planning Commission amid tenant concerns and community endorsements
Summary
The Rules Committee voted Oct. 19 to forward Rachel Tanner’s mayoral nomination to the Planning Commission with a positive recommendation after a lengthy presentation, questioning from supervisors on displacement and state law, and robust public comment both supporting and opposing the nomination.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee advanced Rachel Tanner’s nomination to the Planning Commission on Oct. 19, forwarding the mayoral appointment to the full board with a positive recommendation.
Tanner, introduced by the clerk as the mayor’s nominee for a term ending June 30, 2022, outlined her background in city planning, work with neighborhood planning efforts in the Excelsior and Outer Mission, and service on the Board of Appeals since November 2018. She told the committee she would prioritize racial and social equity, support neighborhood commercial corridors and small businesses, and focus on housing strategies that protect tenants and expand affordable housing.
Supervisors pressed Tanner on how she would apply the Planning Commission’s equity resolution in practice and how she would respond to state housing laws such as SB 35 and the Housing Accountability Act. Tanner said long-range planning, objective standards tied to community benefits, and staff resources are key tools; she suggested baking community benefits into objective standards so projects that use state streamlining still deliver local priorities.
Public comment ran more than an hour and featured a divided public record. Tenant advocates and housing critics raised concerns about Tanner’s record on the Board of Appeals, alleged bias toward landlords and developers, and the potential for “renoviction” (renovations that force tenants out). For example, tenant advocate Jennifer Feaver described cases she said showed commissioners "more interested in where the garbage cans would go than where the tenants went." Critics also asked whether Tanner complies with local short-term rental rules; one commenter suggested Tanner hosts on Airbnb.
Supporters included neighborhood groups, Black-led organizations and housing advocates who praised Tanner’s planning expertise and commitment to centering racial equity. Alex Lanceburg, Research and Advocacy Director for the San Francisco Electrical Construction Ministry, told the committee that Tanner’s technical planning background is “the right fit” for the city. Several callers representing community networks urged supervisors to confirm her appointment.
After public comment, supervisors who had met Tanner individually (including Supervisor Catherine Stephanie and Supervisor Gordon Marr) expressed confidence in her qualifications. Marr asked about specific Board of Appeals votes and whether renovations that displace tenants amount to eviction; Tanner said she has "no tolerance" for conduct designed to make tenants leave and said she and fellow Board of Appeals members had applied close scrutiny and conditions in such cases. Chair Ronan moved to amend the motion (striking the word "rejecting") and approve the nomination; the committee voted unanimously to recommend her nomination to the full Board.
The committee’s record shows the nomination is being advanced to the Board of Supervisors for final consideration.
