Committee accepts amendments for study on density limits in three historic districts

The Land Use and Transportation Committee on April 22 accepted amendments to an ordinance that would modify density controls in three Northeast San Francisco historic districts and sent the changes to the Planning Department for further analysis.

The clerk described the ordinance as amending the Planning Code to modify density limits in the Northeast Waterfront Historic District, the Jackson Square Historic District, and the Jackson Square extension. District 2 Supervisor (transcript: 'Catherine Stephanie'), the sponsor, told the committee the amendments create a targeted density exception to allow future projects to use form-based density controls only if they do not also use the state "double density" bonus referenced in the transcript as "AB 12 87." She said the intent is to permit smaller, more-affordable units like studios and one-bedrooms while ensuring projects do not overwhelm the scale of the historic districts.

Board President Aaron Peskin said he shares the goal of encouraging additional housing but voiced concern that combining form-based density and the state bonus could produce "supersize speculative luxury condominiums" that exceed height limits near the waterfront. Peskin and the sponsor agreed that further technical analysis is needed; the sponsor emphasized that accepting the amendments for study is not equivalent to final approval.

With no public speakers registered, Chair Mirna Melgar moved to adopt the circulated amendments and continue the ordinance to the call of the chair so Planning staff can study potential impacts. The committee recorded three ayes (Dean Preston, Aaron Peskin, Mirna Melgar) and the motion passed.

The committee’s action is procedural: it forwards the amended ordinance to the Planning Department for a report and any necessary Planning Commission review before returning to the Board. The transcript records the sponsor’s reference to a state statute or bill as "AB 12 87"; that phrase was part of the oral record and should be treated as the sponsor’s phrasing in committee.