This hearing will discuss the Citywide Design Standards approved by the Planning Commission and explore how they can be applied to specific neighborhoods while maintaining their straightforward and budget-friendly approach. The Planning Department has been asked to provide a report on this matter.
Hearing on the Citywide Design Standards, as passed by the Planning Commission on November 14, 2024, discussing the potential to implement these design standards on a neighborhood-specific level while preserving their ministerial, objective, and cost-neutral nature; and requesting the Planning Department to report.
How it got here
The Citywide Design Standards legislation originated from the need to comply with state housing laws and improve the design review process for housing projects in San Francisco.
The City adopted the 2022 Housing Element, which mandated the Planning Department to eliminate subjective reviews of housing projects by developing objective design standards.
The Department issued a review requiring the city to replace subjective design requirements with objective standards within one year.
The Planning Commission adopted the Citywide Design Standards, which are objective and applicable to housing projects under the Housing Accountability Act.
Supervisor Sherrill introduced a hearing request to discuss the implementation of the Citywide Design Standards on a neighborhood-specific level.
The Board referred the hearing request to the Planning Department for further reporting on the Citywide Design Standards.
The legislation is currently pending committee action following its referral to the Planning Department.
Reconstructed from attached documents & the official record