Fact Sheet: Central Neighborhoods SUD Large Residence Ordinance (Board File No. 210116)
Background:
Residential neighborhoods in San Francisco have seen a trend in recent years where smaller, older homes that tend to be relatively affordable to middle class renters or homebuyers are replaced by large, luxury mansions that sell for $5 million or more. This pattern erodes the City’s existing housing stock, reducing housing opportunities for average working people while reshaping neighborhoods into exclusive enclaves for only the wealthiest homebuyers and investors. This trend has been especially pronounced in central neighborhoods like Noe Valley, Glen Park, and Dolores Heights that offer good access to transit and views that attract this kind of speculative development.
The ordinance was heard before the Planning Commission on September 23, 2021. The Commission did not recommend advancing a citywide ordinance, but rather recommended a revised ordinance scaled to District 8 and similar neighborhoods where the issue has been most pronounced.
The ordinance as re-introduced seeks to limit the conversion of existing housing into luxury single family homes in RH zoning districts in a new Central Neighborhoods Large Residence Special Use District (SUD) that would comprise District 8 neighborhoods including Glen Park, Noe Valley, Dolores Heights, Mission Dolores, Diamond Heights, Twin Peaks, and Eureka Valley.
Ordinance Summary:
- The ordinance would apply to new construction and expansion projects in RH zoning districts in the Central Neighborhoods Large Residence SUD. In the existing Corona Heights Large Residence SUD, the new requirements would not apply.
- A Conditional Use (CU) would be required for any project that would result in a residential unit that is more than 3,000 gross square feet or the equivalent of a 1:1.2 Floor Area Ration (FAR), whichever is less. (For example, on a 2,000 square foot lot this would be triggered for any unit exceeding 2,400 gsf, while for lots of 2,500 square feet or larger the threshold would be 3,000 gsf per unit.
- No project resulting in a single unit exceeding 4,000 gsf would be permitted. Property owners would be entitled to seek a Variance from this requirement if a specific hardship can be demonstrated.
- Notwithstanding the above, a 15% increase in floor area would always be permitted, as measured cumulatively over the prior 10 years beginning January 1, 2022.
- Gross floor area will include garage space.
- The new requirements would apply to any project that files an application after January 1, 2022. Contact For more information, please contact Jacob Bintliff, Legislative Aide, at jacob.bintliff@sfgov.org or (415) 554-7753.
Please see the following attachments:
Large Residence SUD Boundary Map (1)
Central Neighborhoods Large Residence SUD_digest_1.25.22.docx
Central Neighborhoods Large Residence SUD_ordinance_1.25.22