Speakers and commissioners press planning staff for broader outreach and housing-preservation fixes

Public commenters at the March 21 Planning Commission hearing urged more robust outreach for major rezonings and changes to demolition calculations that they say facilitate speculation and loss of existing housing in priority equity geographies.

Georgia Shudish told commissioners that current demolition calculations under section 3.17 allow speculation to proceed and that the commission "has the legislative authority" to adjust the demo count to protect existing housing stock. "The current calcs facilitate speculation and demolitions because they are not stringent enough," she said, citing sales and resale examples from Noe Valley.

Tom Radulovich of Livable City urged the commission to begin two planning processes: an update to Priority Conservation Areas (to be eligible for certain grants if updated by 2025) and an open-space element update required by SB 1425, noting the city's open-space element has not been revised in many years and that a refreshed element must address equity and climate resilience.

Tom Ray, a neighborhood resident, asked for mailed notices for large rezoning proposals, saying long-time and elderly residents on the West Side have not received sufficient information. Commissioners and staff discussed thresholds that trigger mailed notice and outreach practices. Director Hillis and Director Ellis said broad mailed notice is not always required by code but offered to provide a memo describing outreach performed to date and the costs and options for expanded mailings. Commissioners requested that outreach and mailing protocols be included in upcoming housing element implementation presentations.

The exchange ended with staff agreeing to bring a memo and to include outreach options in the commission’s next housing-element implementation discussion; no binding change to mailed-notice policy was adopted at this meeting.