Street Tree Fee Ordinance Sparks Sharp Canopy Debate at Board of Supervisors

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors plowed through a packed Sept. 1 agenda headlined by a contentious vote on whether developers can pay a fee instead of planting street trees — a measure that split the 11-member board 7-4 along environmental justice lines. The meeting also featured a unanimous denial of a Folsom Street condo conversion appeal, the introduction of sweeping new tenant and worker protections, and a coordinated public campaign demanding the city declare an AI emergency.

• Street tree in-lieu fee ordinance passes 7-4 on first reading, allowing developers to pay fees instead of planting trees and exempting ADU projects entirely; four supervisors dissent over canopy equity and lost appeal rights
• Eviction threshold bill introduced as SF evictions hit a 10-year high, barring landlords from evicting over non-payment unless arrears exceed HUD fair market rent
• BLA audit finds thousands of housing units possible on 44 vacant or underused publicly owned properties across 30 city agencies
• Board unanimously denies condo conversion appeal at 2722-2724 Folsom St., affirming city can condition approvals on violation abatement without a formal notice
• Chan introduces first-of-kind bills letting small commercial tenants unionize and giving workers a right of first offer when their employer sells
• Coordinated public campaign demands AI emergency declaration; Marine veteran announces hunger strike at City Hall