Planning Commission unanimously approves Friendship House's Village SF special use district and conditional use authorization

The Planning Commission voted unanimously on Jan. 26 to approve a special-use district and conditional use authorization that will allow construction of the Village SF, a six-story, mixed-use cultural, health and housing project led by the Friendship House Association of American Indians.

The approved package includes a zoning-map amendment establishing a Village Special Use District and a conditional use authorization that allows exceptions to multiple planning-code standards including floor-area ratio, height and bulk, rear-yard and select impact-fee requirements. Alex Westhoff of planning staff described the project as a 6-story, 79-foot, 41,608-square-foot building with community uses on the lower floors and 21 group-housing units on floors five and six targeted to current program participants and graduates of Friendship House programs.

Supporters from Friendship House and the American Indian Cultural District told the commission the project will provide clinical services, transitional housing, workforce development and cultural space. Peter Brett, representing Friendship House, framed the project as the fulfillment of a decades-long community vision and asked the commission to approve the plan. Andrea Bruss from Mayor London Breed's office described the legislation as city-sponsored and expressed the mayor's emphatic support.

Commissioners repeatedly praised the design and the community-led process; Commissioner Diamond said the project was a fitting use of a special-use district and called the opportunity an "honor" for the commission to advance such a project. After public testimony from dozens of supporters and community organizations, Commissioner Diamond moved to approve; the motion passed unanimously, 7-0. The commission directed standard conditions and included staff-recommended conditions, adding the standard community liaison requirement.

Context and next steps: Staff recommended approval after reviewing support letters from multiple community organizations and assessing alignment with the planning department's racial and social equity priorities. A planning staff representative said project sponsor teams expect to begin utility relocation (PG&E) later in the year with site work and a ground-breaking in late 2023 and project completion targeted for late 2025.

Representative quote: "This project will be a place where native peoples can access vital supportive services," Peter Brett said in testimony, invoking Friendship House's decades-long role in the community.

What the approval does: The commission adopted the zoning-map change and conditional-use findings to allow exceptions for the project as presented, and voted to forward the approvals consistent with the case report.