Land Use and Transportation Committee

Smoke-Free Bar Patio Ordinance Paused as Melgar Seeks Compromise with Business Owners

Chair Melgar continued her ordinance extending smoke-free rules to bar patios, citing a need for further collaboration with small-business stakeholders and public-health advocates.

Why it matters: Over 400 U.S. cities already ban patio smoking; San Francisco's bar owners fear revenue loss while health advocates argue clean-air laws historically boost business—the outcome will set a precedent for the city's nightlife regulation approach.

BLA Pegs SF's Affordable Housing Shortfall at $17.9 Billion as City Eyes New Financing Tools

A major hearing revealed SF has met only 20% of its RHNA housing targets; BLA recommends revolving loan funds, a joint powers authority, and dedicated Prop I revenue to close a $17.9 billion gap.

Why it matters: The city faces a 2029 fiscal cliff when current bond and fee revenues run dry; without new permanent funding streams like the expanded Housing Trust Fund, the affordable housing pipeline will stall at exactly the time demand is accelerating.

SF Bans Uncertified Lithium-Ion Batteries After 120+ Fires in Five Years

Committee unanimously advances ordinance prohibiting sale of uncertified lithium-ion batteries in San Francisco, citing 120+ fires and a 130-person displacement at 50 Golden Gate.

Why it matters: Uncertified e-bike batteries disproportionately cause fires in SROs and dense buildings in the Tenderloin; this ordinance gives the Fire Department enforcement authority to remove unsafe batteries from the local market before the next catastrophic fire.

Committee Sends Routine Street-Use Permit Code Cleanup to Full Board

A non-substantive ordinance reorganizing Transportation Code provisions on temporary street closures and removing outdated school-use sections passed 3-0 with no public comment.

Committee Pauses New Convenience Store Approvals in Tenderloin/SOMA for 18 Months

Resolution requires conditional use authorization for new convenience stores in the Tenderloin and South of Market public safety zone for 18 months while the city studies long-term zoning.

Why it matters: More than 75 convenience stores already operate in the area, and law enforcement links some to drug activity; the interim controls let the city develop permanent regulations without adding more problematic storefronts.

SFMTA Cleans Up Decades-Old Street Closure Code, Continues Item One Week

Committee adopts amendments reorganizing the Transportation Code's event and street-closure provisions for readability and continues the item to June 8 for public notification.

Why it matters: The existing code governing street closures and events was built over decades of piecemeal changes, making it nearly illegible; this cleanup is a prerequisite for future policy improvements aligned with Permit SF.

City Accepts New Street Infrastructure for Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing in District 11

Committee approves transfer of new Geneva Avenue street and sidewalk infrastructure to Public Works for the 130-unit Capuso at the Upper Yard affordable project.

Why it matters: The project is one of only three affordable housing developments with more than 40 units in District 11, and it sits at one of the city's most transit-rich intersections where three Muni Metro lines and BART converge.

Design Tweaks Advance for 1,100-Unit Balboa Reservoir Project with 50% Affordable Housing

Committee approves minor Planning Code amendments to allow a connecting element between two Balboa Reservoir market-rate buildings, aiming for construction start next year.

Why it matters: Rising construction costs threatened the project's timeline; these modifications offer a creative workaround to get market-rate buildings built faster and more affordably alongside the affordable units already under construction.