PACIFIC HEIGHTS RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

2443 FILLMORE STREET, P.O. BOX 178

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115

 

 

September 10, 2025

 

 

 

San Francisco Planning Commission (VIA EMAIL)

49 South Van Ness Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94103

Subject: Oppose 14a-c, 2021-005878GPA/MAP/PCA, FAMILY ZONING PLAN

Dear Planning Commissioners:

The Pacific Heights Residents Association (PHRA) represents residents and businesses between Bush & Union Streets and Van Ness & Presidio Avenues. Since our founding in 1972, we have been consistent in our advocacy for good planning and historic preservation.

PHRA would welcome the opportunity to work with Planning to develop the fine grained plan to provide the mixed income housing San Francisco so desperately needs. We understand that housing affordability is a critical problem that San Francisco must address. To do so requires careful, thoughtful planning, with increased height and density in appropriate locations, as well as appropriate changes to land use controls. It needs support from thoughtful policies that 1) ensure both long term affordability for the mix of household incomes and 2) provide for the essential city infrastructure needed to support his growth.

Regrettably, the plan and legislation before us now fails to provide that fine grained plan. While the Family Zoning Plan might increase housing for households in the top quintile of income, it unfortunately fails to address the housing needs of more than 70% of San Francisco households. As such it must be rejected.

This legislation fails to address:

1)          How it will ensure adequate housing affordability for the range of household incomes in San Francisco. Without a clear path to that goal, lower income workers will be forced out of San Francisco, with a range of negative impacts to stated city objectives such as addressing climate change, reducing traffic congestion, and equity. Regrettably, in spite of the plan’s name, there is nothing that ensures that family-friendly housing will be built, except for families with incomes in the top quintile. In particular, the plan and related legislation appears to ignore the induced demand for BMR units created by market rate development, as documented in Planning’s Residential Nexus Study.

2)          How existing community character – and indeed local communities themselves – will be integrated into planning decisions. This is a significant quality of life issue, with impacts on various vulnerable segments of the population: the local community is essential for health and well-being. The legislation does not address the complex problem of protecting of our marvelous local retailers, who make our NCDs worth visiting.

3)          How the city will plan to implement appropriate upgrades to critical infrastructure, since it does not know when or where significantly increased density will appear.

4)          How R-4 zoning impacts equity, mental health and well being by reducing Dwelling Unit Exposure with potential impacts on both children and mobility-impaired people. (per green building research)

These issues are expanded on in the attachment; it is of necessity lengthy.

PHRA would like to be able to support a housing plan that targets mixed income development that meets San Francisco’s unmet housing needs, developed in better consultation with the various neighborhoods. That is not this plan. To reiterate, PHRA would welcome the chance to engage with Planning to develop a such a plan. We know there are opportunity sites within our boundaries that could support such housing; we know that careful changes to the zoning controls can help new small business develop.

That is not the type of plan that is before you today. PHRA strongly opposes this plan and legislation because it fails to meet San Francisco’s real needs.

Sincerely yours,

Paul H. Wermer

Paul H Wermer

President, Pacific Heights Residents Association

 

cc:         Land Use and Transportation Committee, San Francisco Board of Supervisors

Supervisor Stephen Sherrill

Ned Segal, Chief of Housing and Economic Development, San Francisco

Daniel Lurie, Mayor