The Mission Moratorium is a proposed temporary halt on housing development in the Mission area of San Francisco, except for projects deemed 100% "affordable housing." It would apply for 45 days, with the possibility of being extended to up to two years.
The current proposal was introduced as a legislative measure at the SF Board of Supervisors on May 19, 2015.
Item 150461 [Zoning - Interim Moratorium on Certain New Residential Uses and Elimination of Production, Distribution, and Repair Uses in a Portion of the Mission Area Plan of the General Plan]. Sponsors: Campos; Mar, Kim, Avalos and Yee. Text from BOS agenda:
Urgency Ordinance approving an interim zoning moratorium on the issuance of any permits to demolish, convert, or construct housing projects that result in the gain or loss of 5 or more residential units, or to demolish, convert, or eliminate Production, Distribution, and Repair (PDR), and to create an exception from the moratorium for the issuance of permits for 100% affordable housing projects, and to allow the elimination of PDR uses where necessary to permit 100% affordable housing projects, in a portion of the Mission Area Plan of the General Plan (comprising the area bounded by the north side of Cesar Chavez Street from the east side of Valencia Street to the west side of Potrero Avenue; the west side of Potrero Avenue from the north side of Cesar Chavez Street to the south side of 20th Street; the south side of 20th Street from the west side of Potrero Avenue to the west side of Bryant Street; the west side of Bryant Street from the south side of 20th Street to the south side of U.S. Route 101; the south side of U.S. Route 101 from the west side of Bryant Street to the east side of Valencia Street; the east side of Valencia Street from the south side of U.S. Route 101 to the north side of Cesar Chavez Street); affirming the Planning Department’s determination under the California Environmental Quality Act; and making findings of consistency with the eight priority policies of Planning Code, Section 101.1. SUBSTITUTED AND ASSIGNED to Board of Supervisors on June 2, 2015.
At the Board of Supervisors meeting on June 2, the measure was defeated by a vote of 7-4. Voting in favor: supervisors Campos, Mar, Avalos, Yee, Kim, Breed, Cohen. Voting against: Wiener, Farrell, Tang, Christensen.
History
The proposal was announced on February 13, 2015, by David Campos, SF Board of Supervisors member for District 9, which includes the Mission area. Campos stated:
"There has been a cry from the community for the last couple years that there is a housing crisis and the projects that are in the pipeline are not responding like it is a crisis, There is a need for more affordable housing to be built."
Campos stated that he planned to craft the proposal based on recommendations from a neighborhood coalition of businesses and residents called Calle 24,
Legal Basis
The moratorium would implement a set of "interim zoning controls" as defined and provided for in San Francisco Planning Code. This is a type of an "interim ordinance" as defined by California Government Code section 65858, which allows allows a county or city to override normal land-use procedures provided a) there is "a current and immediate threat to the public health, safety, or welfare," and b) "there is no feasible alternative to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the specific, adverse impact identified."
Selected Media Coverage:
"S.F. supervisor wants to limit Mission development, may pitch moratorium." Feb 13, 2015, by Cory Weinberg, San Francisco Business Times.
"San Francisco Supervisors Debate Proposed Market-Rate Housing Moratorium." KQED Forum, Jun 1, 2015. (article by Amandi Stupi, describing on-air debate between supervisors David Campos and Scott Wiener).
Position statements:
DCCC (San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee) met on May 27th to discuss, and voted not to support the moratorium.
Meeting agenda.
Analyses of Moratorium Impacts:
A) impact on market-rate housing.
At the June 2 BOS meeting, the [SF Department of Planning?] head stated that the proposed moratorium would impact 33 projects, 1574 market rate units (via Justin Jones - check / find reference),
B) Assessment of Sites Developable for Affordable Housing
A stated goal of the Moratorium (see Campos comments on KQED Forum, June 1, 2015) is to to provide the City a greater opportunity of acquiring certain land parcels in the Mission area for development as Affordable Housing. How many sites might be developable, for how many units?
Supervisor Campos requested a Policy Analysis Report from the Board of Supervisor's Budget and Legislative Analyst's Office, to assess how many sites in the Mission area could support new housing development. BALO responded with a Policy Analysis Report, March 29, 2015. This analyzes all sites zoned for housing development, excluding those on which a project is already in the permitting process, or those deemed unlikely for near-term development.
324 sites total,
140 could support 10 or more units (the minimum size at which San Francisco inclusionary housing requirements apply).
13 sites could support 40 or more units (the minimum size required by Affordable Housing subsidy financing such as Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.
The 13 sites which could support 40 or more units are the following, according to BALO's report:
Spreadsheet listing the 13 properties here.
1. South East corner of 16th and Van Ness
Current use: 76 Gas Station, Auto City Car Wash
Address: 501-555 SOUTH VAN NESS AV
Parcel Area: 35,401 sq ft
Height District: 68-X
2. South East Corner of 17th and Mission:
Current Use: Thrift Town and Fabric Outlet
Address: 2101-2129 MISSION ST
Parcel Area: 23,375 sq ft
Height District: 65-X
3. South West (?) Corner of 15th and Mission:
Current Use: Discount Auto Performance
Address: 1906-1908 MISSION ST
Parcel Area: 4,351 sq ft
Height District: 80-B
4. Lot South East of intersection of Alameda and Treat
Current Use: Pace Supply
Address:
201 ALABAMA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103
220 FLORIDA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103
Parcel Area: ??
Height District: 68-X
5. Lot North West of intersection of Alameda and Treat (1)
Current Use: Best Buy
Address: 1717 HARRISON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103
Parcel Area: 58,420 sq ft
Height District: 68-X
6. Lot North West of intersection of Alameda and Treat (2)
Current Use: Best Buy Parking (?)
Address: None
Parcel Area: 44,648 sq ft
Height District: 68-X
7. Lot North West of intersection of Alameda and Treat (3)
Current Use: ??
Address: 1300 BRYANT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103
Parcel Area: 22,224 sq ft
Height District: 68-X
8. Mid block South Van Ness Between 19th and 20th
Current Use: Parking Lot
Address: 850 SOUTH VAN NESS AV
Parcel Area: 25,621 sq ft
Height District: 68-X
9. Mid block South Van Ness Between 21st and 22nd
Current Use: Community Center, Church
Address: 1050 S VAN NESS AV
Parcel Area: 24,184 sq ft
Height District: 50-X
10. 23rd and Mission
Current Use: Bank of America
Address: 2701-2707 MISSION ST
Parcel Area: 14,910 sq ft
Height District: 80-B
11. NE corner of 24th and Valencia
Current Use: The Synergy School (a primary school)
Address: 1387 VALENCIA ST
Parcel Area:
Height District: 55-X
12. NW corner of Valencia and Cesar Chavez
Current Use: Salvation Army
Address:
3500 & 3550 CESAR CHAVEZ ST
1500 VALENCIA ST
Parcel Area: 7,558 sq ft + 65,174 sq ft
Height District: 55-X
13. NW corner of South Van Ness and Cesar Chavez
Current Use: Gas station
Address: 1540-1550 SOUTH VAN NESS AV
Parcel Area: 13,050 sq ft
Height District: 65-X
