SF Family Rezoning PlanSan Francisco is currently undergoing a rezoning as part of the Housing Element of the SF General Plan. The rezoning must be completed by January 2026 in order to comply with state mandates, and must have a viable and data-driven proposal to add 36,000 new units across the city by 2031 through rezoning (the city had 412,000 housing units as of July 2021). The city has been in a multi-year process of proposing an update to the city's zoning, with an initial proposal released in August 2023, an update in February 2024, and the most recent update in April 2024. The current map can be seen here. See an overview of the role of DTNA in the rezoning in the blog form of our article in the June/July 2025 Duboce Triangle News Zoning-related resources:
Duboce Triangle and the Rezoning PlanDuboce Triangle is in a unique position: it is home to neighbors with high median incomes and wonderful access to parks, schools, and hospitals- but also has great access to transit, employment, and downtown. This unique combination has meant that Duboce Triangle is one of the few neighborhoods which is both "High Resource" as defined by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, and has also been a focus of infill development projects over the past two decades (see maps, taken from the SF Housing Element).
As a "High Resource" neighborhood, Duboce Triangle is covered under the current rezoning plan, and it's our goal to ensure that we allow more neighbors to enjoy Duboce Triangle while ensuring that SF Planning hears the needs of current residents. New projects over the past two decades have enjoyed community input and support, with projects like The Duboce (6 stories, 87 units), 2238 Market (5 stories, 42 units) and 38 Dolores (7 stories, 81 units). Proposed Height Changes for Duboce TriangleAs of June 2025, the below table and map shows the proposed changes to Duboce Triangle are below. This is adapted from SF Planning's interactive map here, and reference heights are from the current zoning height & bulk district map.
State Bills and the RezoningThere are a number of state bills which interact with the rezoning. State Density Bonus Law and the Local Density ProgramThe Local Density Program introduced by the Family Rezoning has been designed by SF Planning to help make sure that SF retains control of the feel of its urban design.
Making sure that the Local Density Program is as good as possible is our best path toward ensuring that SF is able to retain control of its urban design! SB-79 and the Family RezoningCalifornia Senate Bill 79 (aka SB-79) is a state law that ensures that cities have zoning which encourages the use of high-capacity public transit (subway, BART, streetcar, or Bus Rapid Transit). The Family Zoning plan was developed with transit-oriented development in mind, so it will meet the needs of SB79! Note that conventional bus service is expressly *not* considered for SB79, so changes to regular bus lines like 24-Castro would not be affected. See the draft SB-79 legislation here, the proposed zoning map here, and the current height/bulk map here. For the portion of SF included in the Family Zoning Plan (including Duboce Triangle!) Section 65912.161.(b) exempts sites with density equivalent to at least half the SB79 density. The density decontrol and minimum 40-foot height limits proposed by the current rezoning mean that everything under the Family Zoning is exempted from SB79 for the current Housing Element Cycle. For portions of SF not covered by the Family Zoning Plan: Per 65912.161.(b), Parcels within SF could still be affected by SB-79 if they are outside of the Family Zoning, are not covered by any other transit-oriented development plan, and they are within a half-mile of transit and currently have strong density restrictions (i.e. which doesn't allow buildings larger than duplexes). Because most of the Mission, Mission Bay, and Dogpatch have been covered by recent transit-oriented zoning plans, any changes here would be limited to portions of Balboa Park, Ingleside, Glen Park, and Bayview which are within a half-mile of a streetcar, aren't covered by the Family Zoning, and only allow for single-family homes or duplexes. Tenant Protection, Displacement, and the RezoningMany residents raised concern about tenant protections and the potential impact of the rezoning on affordability, either positively (by creating more housing for a variety of incomes) or negatively (by increasing land values and creating conditions for displacement). The rezoning does not remove existing protections for tenants, rent-controlled units, and businesses, and SF Planning has been working to ensure that protections for small businesses are strengthened. The Local Density Program has unit mix requirements and maximum unit size limits, in addition to affordability requirements similar to those of the State Density Bonus Law. The Local density Program also creates an option for developers to create rent-controlled new units to meet their affordability requirements- something which we would like to see strengthened to ensure that we address both the current crisis as well as long-term affordability. Infrastructure and the rezoningMany neighbors wanted to ensure that the Family Rezoning considered all the infrastructure needs of future development. In July, SF Planning completed an interagency study of the infrastructure impacts of the rezoning, which we’ve linked at dtna.org/rezoning Because the rezoning will bring an influx of tax revenue from new residents and only require some upgrades to existing infrastructure, most departments view the rezoning as a benefit which will help us upgrade service for all residents. SFUSD and public schools will particularly benefit, as they have been grappling with falling enrollment! The July 17 Planning Commission hearing covered the forecasts of population growth on infrastructure needs. The report is here, with the bullets from pages 7-9 are copied below. The analysis continues on PDF page 30, where the 25-page memo dedicated to infrastructure begins.
One area of particular concern from neighbors was crowding on MUNI service, particularly on the N during rush hour. The long-term solution to this will be upgrading the Muni to run 3-car trains, which is part of the Muni Metro Core Capacity Planning Study. When local and regional bond measures are considered, your support will help make these improvements happen! Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association and the RezoningSince 2023 when the first draft rezoning map was published, the DTNA Land Use Committee has hosted more than a dozen public meetings to discuss how to keep the neighborhood vibrant and livable as we grow. Our community advocacy has made a difference: feedback from our January 2024 letter was reflected in this most recent update, with development focused on the outer edges of the Triangle and Market Street, full utilization of the Safeway lot, and a Local Density Program which should help preserve interior-block open spaces and provide us with better certainty about what actually can be built. The letter can be seen here, and has the following key points:
We were very excited to host SF Planning Director Rich Hillis and Board of Supervisors President Raphael Mandelman at the June 10th 2025 General Meeting. The DTNA Land Usce Committee will draft that feedback into a formal letter to be sent to SF Planning and Supervisor Mandelman the following month, in the expectation of a final update to the zoning map to be released in the Autumn. The zoning map will then move the Board of Supervisors, which has a state-mandated deadline of adopting a final resolution before January 31, 2026. Stay tuned for updates along the way! |
