Editor:

If RR/SB readers received a mailed postcard notice for the 9/11/2025 Planning Commission public hearing about the S.F. Family Zoning Plan, they are owner, resident or business tenant of property adjacent to the proposed rezoning area, or interested parties on record with the Planning Department.

Although “Family” (indicating residents) is in the project title, the plan (also referred as “upzoning”) was discussed at the Small Business Commission meeting on July 28, 2025, because the upzoning also impacts small businesses on the ground level. Because San Francisco’s eastern side has built more housing so far, it’s the western side’s turn. To see what the Planning Commission discussed with the Small Business Commission, use links below. To see business operators’ and merchant associations’ concerns, use links below.

In-person and e-mail commenters were so concerned that they urged the Small Business Commission voting on 7/28/25 to not endorse the plan as written because it lacks amendment language providing affected small businesses with financial protections and meaningful plan oversight. Concerns included: loss of neighborhood charm and style; insufficient increase in affordable housing units; about 50 small businesses per year displaced or vacant (demolish to build out and up); and many small business owners unaware of the plan, especially those having English as a second language.

The 7/28/25 Small Business Commission meeting agenda, public comments by e-mail, Planning Commission Summary, etc., are at   https://www.sf.gov/july-28-2025-small-business-commission-meeting. Applicable agenda items are titled #4:BOS File 250700 BOS Zoning Map and #5: BOS File 250701 Family Zoning Plan:

    Five e-mailed public comments placed under #5’s Explanatory Documents   ;

    Proposed (up)zoning map at                           https://sfplanning.org/sites/default/files/documents/citywide/proposed_zoning_map_local_program.pdf  ; 

    Planning Commission Summary document discussed at Small Business Commission meeting at

    https://citypln-m-extnl.sfgov.org/Commissions/CPC/6_26_2025/Commission%20Packet/2021-005878CWP.pdf     .

The 7/28/25 meeting is long. To jump to the part of S.F. GOV TV transcript output [ https://sanfrancisco.granicus.com/TranscriptViewer.php?view_id=45&clip_id=50514  ] pertaining to S.F. Family Zoning Plan agenda, do a short targeted “Find” (Ctrl F … command F) that finds the top of the plan discussion between Planning and Small Business Commission personnel (agenda #4 and #5) and among Small Business Commissioners (their reactions to the public’s comments):

    DID YOU WANT TO DO ITEM FOUR AND FIVE TOGETHER AS A PACKAGE? >> OKAY.

    ITEM FOUR BORDER SUPERVISORS FILED 2507 OH OH BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ZONING MAP FAMILY ZONING PLAN

    When you’re done with the extensive discussions, you’ll see:

    PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED. ITEM NINE COMMISSIONER

        Within the above long discussion block are the concerns of members of the public who consecutively addressed the Small Business Commissioners in person about the Family Zoning Plan. To isolate that portion of S.F. GOV TV transcript output, do short targeted “Find” (Ctrl F … command F) that finds the top of those public comments (any meeting with multiple agenda items would have differing sets of public comments):

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT SUPPORTING UP ZONING

When you’re done with those public comments, you’ll see:                                                                        

                PROBLEMS AND IT’S A MISTAKE TO APPROVE IT TODAY.

                >> THANKS. THANK YOU, SIR.

                >> ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT SEEING NO PUBLIC NO FURTHER

                PUBLIC COMMENT PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED.

Sincerely,

Janice Hom