Supervisor Walton, committee move to remove Dogpatch life-sciences overlay

The Land Use and Transportation Committee voted to forward to the full Board of Supervisors an ordinance to remove the Life Sciences and Medical Special Use District overlay in the Dogpatch neighborhood.

President Shimon Walton, sponsor of the item, told the committee the overlay "does not serve the Dogpatch neighborhood" and argued it has allowed biomedical startups to lease spaces that historically housed car repair, artists, fishmongers and other PDR uses "and once affordable PDR spaces ... drive up rents." Walton said planning staff support the change as aligned with the Eastern Neighborhoods plan and PDR-protection policies.

In public comment, Daniel Sachs of DeCA Companies asked the committee to preserve grandfathering protections for projects that made economic decisions under the existing Industrial Protection Zone (IPZ) and said applicants had relied on that zoning. Chair Mirna Melgar asked Walton to confirm that any IPZ changes would be addressed in trailing legislation; Walton said they would.

The committee recorded three ayes and sent the ordinance to the Board with a positive recommendation.

The committee’s action is a committee recommendation only; final policy and any grandfathering details would be decided by the full Board.