Committee sends zoning‑appeal clarifications and ADU alignment to board

The Land Use and Transportation Committee voted to forward two Planning Department ordinances to the full board: one corrects appeal‑period timelines for certain Zoning Administrator decisions; the other updates local accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules to conform to recent changes in California law.

Aaron Starr, manager of legislative affairs for the Planning Department, said the appeal‑period ordinance restores the department's original policy intent by assigning a 10‑day appeal period for variances and similar waivers, a 30‑day period for enforcement actions (notice of violation, penalty decisions), and a 15‑day period for other determinations such as letters of determination. "So this matters because it fixes an error," Starr said, referring to an earlier ordinance that inadvertently extended a 30‑day period to non‑enforcement actions.

On the ADU amendments, Starr said the ordinance aligns San Francisco code with Assembly Bill 130 and eases permitting friction by updating size and height limits (for example, allowing up to 850 sq. ft. for one‑bedroom ADUs and up to 1,000 sq. ft. for larger units, and raising the height limit to 18 feet with a two‑foot allowance to match roof pitch). The Planning Commission recommended approval of both ordinances. With no public comment, the committee voted 3–0 to send both items to the full board with a positive recommendation.

The changes are intended to streamline appeal and permitting timelines and to ensure local rules reflect state‑mandated ADU standards.