Major housing policy changes are making their way through the city planning process, potentially undoing zoning and height controls fundamental to the character and quality of life in Pacific Heights.

The next public hearing on The Housing Element of the city’s General Plan is scheduled at 3 p.m. July 21 in the Board of Supervisors chamber. Planning Commissioners’ comments, partly based on public input during two earlier hearings, are to be posted on the Commission’s web site by July 14.

Throughout the city, the plan calls for increasing densities in areas well served by transit, exemptions to the floor-to-area ratio, removing density caps, increasing height limits, increasing bulk limits, utilizing air-rights for housing and increased density and height limits at key corner lots.

Although Fillmore, California and Divisadero streets are not mentioned anywhere in the document, great emphasis is put on building above ground level retail in neighborhood commercial corridors and "transit-rich" areas. The document recommends six story corner buildings in such neighborhoods as Upper Market, Hayes-Gough, Polk and the Mission. Such corner lots could have 100% lot coverage, reduced or waived parking requirements and increased densities.

Reducing or waiving residential parking requirements would cut construction costs and allow for additional or larger units, thus being an incentive to builders. Private open space requirements could also be modified, with alternative access to the outdoors. The plan views residents of new units in neighborhood commercial districts as more customers for local merchants and as "the eyes and ears of the streets."

Draft Policy Emphasizes
Need for Affordability,
More Family Units

The emphasis throughout is on building affordable housing. According to The Housing Element draft, most housing built in the past 10 years is for upper income people. Federal and state subsidies have helped build units for low and very-low income householders, but "moderate-income householders have found themselves in a tight squeeze for housing they can afford." Zoning is to be amended to require a minimum percentage of larger family units – two to four bedrooms – in new major residential projects to retain families.

The plan acknowledges that existing housing and neighborhood character should be "conserved and protected," and "new residential development must be of a character and stability that enhances the city’s neighborhoods and maintains the quality of life." New housing should respect the scale and character of the surrounding neighborhood.

In established residential neighborhoods the policy would be to build in-fill housing "where buildings cannot feasibly be rehabilitated or brought to acceptable levels of seismic safety." "Unsound housing" is an excuse used to demolish houses in Pacific Heights in order to build something bigger.

The policy calls for allowing new secondary – "in-law" – units that are close to neighborhood commercial districts and public transit. The Planning Department will support educational programs to "help residents in existing neighborhoods understand the advantages of incorporating some second units in their communities." The Department will study the impacts of relaxing parking requirements for all secondary units.

The city will also consider legalizing existing illegal secondary units, particularly near transit and commercial districts, despite neighborhood opposition in the past.

The Planning Department will continue to require Discretionary Review for all applications to merge dwelling units. Conversion of rental housing to condominiums or TICs will continue to be restricted. The city may require that a portion of any condo conversion subdivision remain permanently affordable. Development of home ownership opportunities "should rely primarily on new construction and not the conversion of rental housing to home ownership."

The Housing Element is subject to an Environmental Impact Report. The Planning Commission will adopt a separate Preservation Element of the General Plan.