San Francisco committee advances parcel-delivery zoning changes, tweaks retroactivity date

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ Land Use & Transportation Committee on March 4 amended and recommended an ordinance that would require conditional use authorizations for parcel delivery service uses and update zoning control tables.

The committee clerk described the ordinance as prohibiting non-cannabis parcel delivery services as an accessory use and affirming the Planning Department’s CEQA determination and findings under Planning Code section 302 and section 101.1. Supervisor Connie Chan, sponsor of the measure, asked the committee to consider additional amendments addressing impacts on educational institutions and technology uses and requested the file be duplicated so an unamended version could remain available.

Teamsters and allied labor groups urged approval. “These controls are extremely important to ensure that San Francisco has the right tools to face a rapidly growing delivery industry,” a labor spokesperson told the committee, saying the measure reflected input from labor, environmental groups and neighborhoods.

President Eric Peskin proposed a friendly change to the ordinance’s retroactivity date, saying the interim controls should expire on March 30 rather than March 8. The committee adopted that amendment; Vice Chair Dean Preston, President Peskin and Chair Mirna Melgar voted aye (3 ayes). The committee then voted to send the amended parent file to the full Board as a committee report and to create a duplicated child file so the sponsor can pursue additional amendments and referral to the Planning Commission.

The committee’s action will place the amended ordinance on the full Board agenda as scheduled. The duplicated version will be considered separately and referred back to the Planning Commission for further review and recommendations.