541-Unit Tower Advances as SF Shields Neighborhoods From State Zoning Mandate

The San Francisco Planning Commission took two headline actions March 19: approving a citywide alternative plan that blocks state-imposed height increases on more than 120,000 residential parcels, and green-lighting a 541-unit residential tower at Van Ness and Market that labor, neighbors, and commissioners debated for nearly an hour. Together, the votes signal a city determined to keep zoning authority at home while prodding stalled housing production forward.

• 541-unit 1 Oak tower at Van Ness and Market approved 5-1, generating over $20 million in affordable housing fees and thousands of union construction hours at a long-vacant site

• SB 79 alternative plan adopted 4-2, preserving local zoning control by demonstrating San Francisco's housing capacity exceeds state requirements by more than 100,000 units

• Two dissenting commissioners warn SB 79 is state overreach even as they acknowledge the alternative plan is the pragmatic path

• Planning director reports SF is behind on housing targets for both market-rate and affordable production, with a detailed hearing set for April 19

• Union trades turn out in force for One Oak, citing apprenticeship pipelines and a $3.77 economic multiplier per construction dollar