Committee forwards Mission Action Plan zoning changes to preserve PDR, with District 10 excluded for further outreach

John Francis of the Planning Department told the committee that the proposed legislation implements parts of the Mission Action Plan (MAP 2020) to retain and promote production, distribution and repair (PDR) space in the Eastern Neighborhoods. The packet contains three main elements: (1) a code amendment to restrict gyms and massage uses in PDR districts (while carving an exception for the PDR cross-subsidy provision), (2) elimination of the Sixteenth Street Transit-Oriented Special Use District to revert allowable retail size to PDR-1G standards (2,500 sq ft), and (3) selective height increases on UMU parcels to reconcile the required 17-foot ground-floor height with district story expectations so projects can still deliver housing and PDR-ready ground floors.

Francis said the Planning Commission suggested two modifications: require a 17-foot ground floor for all new buildings so the additional height is used for PDR-ready ground floor space (not extra housing stories), and temporarily exclude District 10 from the height adjustment to allow additional community outreach in Potrero Hill and Dogpatch. Representative Yo Yo Chan from Supervisor Malia Cohen's office asked the committee to adopt the Planning Commission's proposed District 10 exemption and to work with the neighborhoods on additional outreach.

Public commenters from Potrero Hill (Lisonbee Heath and JR Epler) urged the committee to exempt District 10, arguing that the current 40-foot height limits in those neighborhoods reflect prior community consensus. Supervisor Katie Tang moved to adopt the Planning Commission's modifications, including the 17-foot ground-floor requirement and the District 10 exemption; the committee approved the motion and forwarded the legislation to the full Board with a positive recommendation.