Kern Street Parking Lot Legislation

The Planning Commission will consider parking legislation that will directly affect the Kern Street lot this Thursday, and in a reversal of course, the Planning Department is now urging the Commission to keep the lot permissible for parking.

Supervisor Rafael Mandelman’s legislation broadly re-orients the Planning Code away from parking and toward people outside their vehicles. But tucked away in its pages is a section rescinding the special status given to the Kern Street lot that had been crafted by then District 8 Supervisor Jeff Sheehy and passed by the Board of Supervisors after the Planning Commission denied it. See our January article for more detail. Sheehy’s legislation allowed for the entire lot to be eligible for public parking, given a Conditional Use Permit.

Mandelman’s legislation stipulates that “Public Parking Lots would no longer be permitted in the RH-2 zoning district under any circumstance.”

In its summary, the Department now supports the changes passed by the Board because the original ordinance was amended to include a 72-month expiration of the special status.

“Ending this allowance less than 18 months after its granting appears overly abrupt. Plans to use the site for an allowed use could be terminated midstream, eliminating any development certainty the property owners were recently granted,” said the Department in its summary.

To read the summary, click on the link below and search for “Glen Park.” The Planning Commission will meet Thursday, October 17, 1 p.m., in City Hall, room 400.

2019-014525PCA (D. SANCHEZ: (415) 575-9082) PARKING REQUIREMENTS – Planning Code Amendment introduced by Supervisor Mandelman to modify maximum amounts of parking permitted in certain Neighborhood Commercial, Residential-Mixed, Community Commercial, and Mission Bay zoning districts, to require that above-grade parking in all districts be designed for conversion to other uses, and to update outdated references, clarify existing requirements, and improve the organization of the Code; amending the Environment Code to update a Planning Code cross-reference; affirming the Planning Department’s determination under the California Environmental Quality Act; making findings of consistency with the General Plan, and the eight priority policies of Planning Code Section 101.1; and adopting findings of public necessity, convenience, and general welfare under Planning Code, Section 302. Preliminary Recommendation: Approve with Modifications

Full disclosure: Last week I wrote the Planning Commission, urging them to follow Mandelman’s legislation and rescind the special status for the lot, as well as to support the other aspects of this legislation.