![\"\"](\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/29d7b6d94560322b560c82124996b1ef?s=80&d=mm&r=g\")
by\u00a0ANNIKA HOM<\/a><\/strong>JULY 27, 2023 (MissionLocal.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/missionloca.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Screenshot-2023-07-27-at-11.09.49-PM-1200x754.png\")
When it comes to solving San Francisco\u2019s housing crisis, it\u2019s onwards and upwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More specifically, it\u2019s upwards for Westside San Francisco which, under a proposed rezoning, could see buildings in commercial corridors rising to between six and eight stories, an attempt by San Francisco officials to build in areas that have historically underproduced when it comes to housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Thursday, the Planning Commission heard an informational presentation about where San Francisco planners should rezone to allow taller or denser buildings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Legally raising these limits enables developers to squeeze more homes into buildings, which gets San Francisco closer to meeting its state-mandated goal of planning for 82,000 homes by 2031. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the question is: How?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow\u2019s it going to feel? What will it look like, and how will we transition for some of these neighborhoods?\u201d asked Commission President Rachael Tanner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though nothing is final, San Francisco planners have two drafts of the possible citywide rezoning in the works. The drafts aren\u2019t competing but, as with the city\u2019s redistricting process, will be used to create feedback and hone a final rezoning plan. The drafts are due by January 2024, per Mayor London Breed\u2019s executive directive, and are due to the state by 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
San Francisco will then have just five years to start building homes. The task is a monumental one. Moreso because at no time in the city\u2019s history have so many units been built so quickly. And, with interest rates moving up, development nationwide has slowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nevertheless, San Francisco has been instructed to map out possible development regardless, and it is moving apace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two proposals: Higher heights vs. greater density <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn both zoning drafts, most of the changes would affect the Westside neighborhoods, like the Outer Sunset and Richmond, as well as some wealthier eastern neighborhoods, like Russian Hill, Nob Hill, and Noe Valley. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Historically, these regions have shirked their share of housing production. Planners want to raise height limits along main commercial or transit corridors, such as Geary Boulevard, Fulton Avenue, the west part of 24th Street, Van Ness Avenue and Church Street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/missionloca.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/001_PacificAve1895.jpg\")
1895 Pacific Avenue is one example of a 65-foot building.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThanks to recent and pending legislation<\/a>, building four-plexes across most of the Westside is possible, with six-plexes legal on street corners. Under the new proposals, areas in the Westside could see buildings with many more units and heights between 65 and 85 feet or six to eight stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSome commercial streets on the northeast could go higher to build 24- to 30-story towers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For context: The Alamo Square apartment building next to the Painted Ladies, 1895 Pacific Ave., is six stories tall, and the Statue of Liberty is 305 feet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the state threatening to pull funding or sue if San Francisco doesn\u2019t rezone, it\u2019s not up for debate. To better reflect residents\u2019 desires, planners have been holding neighborhood outreach meetings to explain the pros and cons of both rezoning drafts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two drafts mainly differ on whether increasing heights should be restricted to transit and commercial corridors. \u201cI think we saw people really grappling with some of the trade-offs,\u201d Chen said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first draft, called Concept One, has slightly lower heights along commercial corridors, mostly between 65 and 85 feet. To compensate, however, that proposal permits parcels a block away from main corridors to have \u201cdecontrolled\u201d density \u2014 essentially keeping the height limits the same, but maximizing density.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u201cdecontrolled\u201d areas of Concept One \u201cbring some advantages, in terms of just distributing the growth more broadly\u201d beyond main corridors, and \u201cmaybe creating a transition from the corridors down into the neighborhoods,\u201d said Lisa Chen, a principal city planner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because of density decontrol, Concept One decreases height limits along main corridors. Chen pointed out that if the project is under a certain size, it is not required to include affordable units. Thus, Concept One may \u201cnot pay into our inclusionary program,\u201d she said, a potential disadvantage to meeting the 46,000 affordable home goal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Concept Two, commercial corridors see significantly higher height limits \u2014 more streets with 85-foot height limits, and some even taller. No areas beyond the commercial corridors, such as the nearby blocks of single-family homes, would see changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Map by Will Jarrett. Data from the San Francisco Planning Department<\/a>. The dashed line indicates the boundary of the city\u2019s \u201cHousing Opportunity Areas<\/a>,\u201d also known as well-resourced areas, which the state generally defines as areas that typically have more wealth and economic opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\nConcerns <\/em>about character, displacement, feasibility <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nState law may preempt these plans, however. Commissioner Sue Diamond expressed concern that if the city were to eliminate density in areas currently limited to four stories, the state\u2019s so-called Density Bonus Law may allow developers to go up to six stories, provided they include a certain number of affordable units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf we move forward with zoning Concept One, I need sort of complete reassurance that we don\u2019t end up with state density bonus projects, because that then just undermines what we\u2019re telling people,\u201d Diamond said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She also worried about Clement Street, which is near her Westside home, and other neighborhood corridors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am deeply worried that if we increase the density on this street in both scenarios, that the only way to really do that is to tear the stores down and build 65-foot new buildings,\u201d Diamond said. \u201cEven if we put retail in at the bottom, the rents may be significantly higher than they are now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tanner echoed the idea of investigating potential development impact on businesses, including displacement. \u201cIt\u2019d be curious to know what [business owners] feel would help them have more place-based stability for their enterprise,\u201d Tanner said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Experts are looking into the feasibility of these drafts. Rezoning a parcel doesn\u2019t necessarily mean a developer would build a project with the maximum height, potentially running the risk of under-producing the homes needed to meet the 82,000 goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
City planners also identified \u201csoft\u201d parcels, where a rezoning change would substantially differ from what is now on site. The drafts estimate some 50,000 to 65,000 more homes could be built in so-called Housing Opportunity Areas, or well-resourced neighborhoods. The city is only required to zone for 36,000, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI guess there is some wiggle room to play with here,\u201d Commissioner Derek Braun said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
High construction costs and other fees could deter and delay any plan. Chen said new legislation<\/a> aimed at decreasing costs and permitting could help. <\/p>\n\n\n\nPlanners emphasized the zoning concepts will continue to evolve as analysis and discussions follow. Chen said, \u201cOnce we get the feedback, we\u2019ll have a clearer idea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
MORE HOUSING NEWS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Potrero](\"https:\/\/missionloca.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/IMG_7183-1200x900.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nPotrero Hill public housing tenants speak out after city hearing<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/a>by\u00a0ANNIKA HOM<\/a><\/strong> JULY 25, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Supes](\"https:\/\/missionloca.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG-8354.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSupes blast Potrero, Sunnydale public housing management<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/a>by\u00a0ANNIKA HOM<\/a><\/strong> JULY 21, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Will](\"https:\/\/missionloca.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-29-at-4.53.06-PM-1-1200x900.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWill slashing affordable-housing quotas jumpstart 1000s of stalled units?<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/a>by\u00a0ANNIKA HOM<\/a><\/strong> JULY 14, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\nANNIKA HOM<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\nannika.hom@missionlocal.com<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nREPORTER. Annika Hom is our inequality reporter through our partnership with Report for America. Annika was born and raised in the Bay Area. She previously interned at SF Weekly and the Boston Globe where she focused on local news and immigration. She is a proud Chinese and Filipina American. She has a twin brother that (contrary to soap opera tropes) is not evil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Follow her on Twitter at @AnnikaHom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Westside housing could rise to new heights under SF zoning plans by\u00a0ANNIKA HOMJULY 27, 2023 (MissionLocal.org) When it comes to solving San Francisco\u2019s housing crisis, it\u2019s onwards and upwards. More specifically, it\u2019s upwards for Westside San Francisco which, under a proposed rezoning, could see buildings in commercial corridors rising to… Continue reading
Thanks to recent and pending legislation<\/a>, building four-plexes across most of the Westside is possible, with six-plexes legal on street corners. Under the new proposals, areas in the Westside could see buildings with many more units and heights between 65 and 85 feet or six to eight stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some commercial streets on the northeast could go higher to build 24- to 30-story towers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For context: The Alamo Square apartment building next to the Painted Ladies, 1895 Pacific Ave., is six stories tall, and the Statue of Liberty is 305 feet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With the state threatening to pull funding or sue if San Francisco doesn\u2019t rezone, it\u2019s not up for debate. To better reflect residents\u2019 desires, planners have been holding neighborhood outreach meetings to explain the pros and cons of both rezoning drafts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two drafts mainly differ on whether increasing heights should be restricted to transit and commercial corridors. \u201cI think we saw people really grappling with some of the trade-offs,\u201d Chen said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The first draft, called Concept One, has slightly lower heights along commercial corridors, mostly between 65 and 85 feet. To compensate, however, that proposal permits parcels a block away from main corridors to have \u201cdecontrolled\u201d density \u2014 essentially keeping the height limits the same, but maximizing density.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201cdecontrolled\u201d areas of Concept One \u201cbring some advantages, in terms of just distributing the growth more broadly\u201d beyond main corridors, and \u201cmaybe creating a transition from the corridors down into the neighborhoods,\u201d said Lisa Chen, a principal city planner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of density decontrol, Concept One decreases height limits along main corridors. Chen pointed out that if the project is under a certain size, it is not required to include affordable units. Thus, Concept One may \u201cnot pay into our inclusionary program,\u201d she said, a potential disadvantage to meeting the 46,000 affordable home goal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In Concept Two, commercial corridors see significantly higher height limits \u2014 more streets with 85-foot height limits, and some even taller. No areas beyond the commercial corridors, such as the nearby blocks of single-family homes, would see changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Map by Will Jarrett. Data from the San Francisco Planning Department<\/a>. The dashed line indicates the boundary of the city\u2019s \u201cHousing Opportunity Areas<\/a>,\u201d also known as well-resourced areas, which the state generally defines as areas that typically have more wealth and economic opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n State law may preempt these plans, however. Commissioner Sue Diamond expressed concern that if the city were to eliminate density in areas currently limited to four stories, the state\u2019s so-called Density Bonus Law may allow developers to go up to six stories, provided they include a certain number of affordable units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf we move forward with zoning Concept One, I need sort of complete reassurance that we don\u2019t end up with state density bonus projects, because that then just undermines what we\u2019re telling people,\u201d Diamond said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She also worried about Clement Street, which is near her Westside home, and other neighborhood corridors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am deeply worried that if we increase the density on this street in both scenarios, that the only way to really do that is to tear the stores down and build 65-foot new buildings,\u201d Diamond said. \u201cEven if we put retail in at the bottom, the rents may be significantly higher than they are now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tanner echoed the idea of investigating potential development impact on businesses, including displacement. \u201cIt\u2019d be curious to know what [business owners] feel would help them have more place-based stability for their enterprise,\u201d Tanner said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Experts are looking into the feasibility of these drafts. Rezoning a parcel doesn\u2019t necessarily mean a developer would build a project with the maximum height, potentially running the risk of under-producing the homes needed to meet the 82,000 goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n City planners also identified \u201csoft\u201d parcels, where a rezoning change would substantially differ from what is now on site. The drafts estimate some 50,000 to 65,000 more homes could be built in so-called Housing Opportunity Areas, or well-resourced neighborhoods. The city is only required to zone for 36,000, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI guess there is some wiggle room to play with here,\u201d Commissioner Derek Braun said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n High construction costs and other fees could deter and delay any plan. Chen said new legislation<\/a> aimed at decreasing costs and permitting could help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Planners emphasized the zoning concepts will continue to evolve as analysis and discussions follow. Chen said, \u201cOnce we get the feedback, we\u2019ll have a clearer idea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>by\u00a0ANNIKA HOM<\/a><\/strong> JULY 25, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>by\u00a0ANNIKA HOM<\/a><\/strong> JULY 21, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>by\u00a0ANNIKA HOM<\/a><\/strong> JULY 14, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n annika.hom@missionlocal.com<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n REPORTER. Annika Hom is our inequality reporter through our partnership with Report for America. Annika was born and raised in the Bay Area. She previously interned at SF Weekly and the Boston Globe where she focused on local news and immigration. She is a proud Chinese and Filipina American. She has a twin brother that (contrary to soap opera tropes) is not evil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Follow her on Twitter at @AnnikaHom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Westside housing could rise to new heights under SF zoning plans by\u00a0ANNIKA HOMJULY 27, 2023 (MissionLocal.org) When it comes to solving San Francisco\u2019s housing crisis, it\u2019s onwards and upwards. More specifically, it\u2019s upwards for Westside San Francisco which, under a proposed rezoning, could see buildings in commercial corridors rising to… Continue reading Concerns <\/em>about character, displacement, feasibility <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
MORE HOUSING NEWS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nPotrero Hill public housing tenants speak out after city hearing<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSupes blast Potrero, Sunnydale public housing management<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWill slashing affordable-housing quotas jumpstart 1000s of stalled units?<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
ANNIKA HOM<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n