After hours of public comment, the zoning reform package aimed at increasing housing production and limiting red tape was delayed for further discussion.
A proposed Constraints Reduction Ordinance in San Francisco stalled in the Land Use and Transportation Committee of the city’s Board of Supervisors, reports Annie Gaus in SF Standard.
“The ordinance is an attempt at implementing the city’s Housing Element, a document laying out how San Francisco plans to meet a state mandate to accommodate 82,000 new housing units by 2030. But a Monday hearing at the board’s Land Use and Transportation Committee highlighted the political difficulties in diminishing local control, along with the potential perils of failing to execute the mandate,” Gaus explains.
Some housing advocates like the San Francisco Tenants Union expressed concerns about the ordinance leading to a loss of rent-controlled units and affordable housing. Gaus notes that “The current ordinance includes demolition controls in certain sensitive areas defined as “priority equity geographies,” according to a Planning Department presentation.” Elsewhere, developers would not be allowed to remove more than two rent-controlled units.
In response to community feedback, “The Mayor’s Office also suggested amendments that include language around the city’s affordable housing needs and conditional use permits for large developments in priority equity zones.” Gaus adds that housing projects in San Francisco face the longest timeline for approvals in California, with projects waiting a median 450 days.
FULL STORY: San Francisco Housing Bill Stalled After Vehement Pushback
The Rise of Zoning Reform
As the housing affordability crisis spread from mainly coastal cities to the rest of the nation, cities and states are taking a serious look at outdated zoning codes that hamper efforts to build more housing.
NYC Rezoning Plans Could Create Thousands of New Housing Units
Zoning changes in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Midtown Manhattan would allow residential construction in areas previously zoned for light manufacturing.
Report: How States Can Incentivize Housing Production
With many cities and local jurisdictions using zoning codes to slow housing development, policymakers at the state level are taking action to increase the housing supply.
Eugene Ends Parking Minimums
In a move that complies with a state law aimed at reducing transportation emissions, Eugene amended its parking rules to eliminate minimum requirements and set maximum parking lot sizes.
How Paris, Texas Became a ‘Unicorn’ for Rural Transit
A robust coalition of advocates in the town of 25,000 brought together the funding and resources to launch a popular bus service that some residents see as a mobility lifeline—and a social club.
How ‘Daylighting’ Intersections Can Save Lives
Eliminating visual obstructions can make intersections safer for all users.
States Scramble in Wake of Clean Water Act Ruling
The removal of federal oversight of wetlands has left millions of acres unregulated and erected major hurdles for lawmakers seeking to protect them.
Brightline West Awarded $3 Billion in Federal Funding
The high-speed rail line will cut travel time between Southern California and Las Vegas roughly in half.
OKC Celebrates New Rapid Bus Line With Free Rides
The agency wants to showcase the benefits of a recently opened BRT line connecting the northwest part of the city to downtown.
City of Kissimmee - Development Services
City of Kissimmee - Development Services
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Park City Municipal Corporation
National Capital Planning Commission
City of Santa Fe, New Mexico
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