Tag Archives: Dolores Heights Special Use District

Upzoning Legislation Pending at the Board of Supervisors

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The legislation codifying the proposed upzoning map and specific code changes is pending at the Board of Supervisors.  These changes will have a major impact on San Francisco’s built environment over this and the coming decades.  To see the proposed heights for your and adjacent properties review the Family Zoning Plan map with the “Local Program” heights.  Developers can “opt in” to this program as opposed to participating in the State Density Bonus program.  Besides increased heights, the SF Local Program provides key revised objective standards that allow more density on a lot. 

The impact of the Family Zoning Plan is the de facto elimination of the 45 year old Dolores Heights Special Use District.    

  • Our heights are currently 35; new heights allowed  can be 40, 50, or 65 feet.  
  • The rear yard open space is currently 45% of the lot depth, or 51 feet for a 114 foot lot.  The plan allows new properties to expand 20 feet further into the rear yard (18% more of the lot depth), eroding our unique mid-block open space benefits
  • Properties on any corner can be up to 65 feet high.  This 65-foot height also applies to lots that are 8000 square feet (less than the size of three merged standard lots or an apartment building-sized lot.)
  • Other recent amendments that allow for height and square footage “bonuses” and more rear yard reductions, some for defined changes and a a “catchall” request for up to 15% reduction of any objective standard 

DHIC is opposed to the plan in its current form as it provides significant benefits to market-rate developers without comparable benefits to SF’s Housing Plan – especially for more affordable (from moderate to very low income) housing units.  DHIC is also concerned that historic buildings aren’t sufficiently protected and that tenants and small businesses can be displaced with inadequate relocation benefits.  This SF Planning website has more documents to educate the public.  However, it doesn’t assess the impact of all these combined changes on our neighborhoods. 

Audrey’s Bench on Sanchez Hill

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The beautiful redwood bench on Sanchez Street near the corner of 21st is dedicated to Audrey Rodgers, received a cleaning and refresh from her family members on Saturday, August 2.

Audrey Rodgers, the DHIC chair from the late 70s through early 80s, led the campaign to have Dolores Heights designated as a Special Use District in the planning code.  Audrey understood Dolores Heights’ unique characteristics that drew people to walk and enjoy its green spaces and dramatic views. She realized that citywide rezoning proposed in the late 70s would “flatten” the hills and reduce the midblock open spaces.  So she and other leaders organized for months to preserve the space and vistas where future generations have lived, enjoyed, and raised their families.

The Dolores Heights Special Use District that Audrey and other neighbors successfully got the City to enact into law in 1980.  It will be overridden by the proposed upzoning described in the article above. If you agree that we should sacrifice the many unique characteristics in San Francisco for a massive upzoning for development, please email our supervisor and mayor.  

Audrey’s Bench on Sanchez Hill Gets Annual Brush-up 

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One of our local landmarks is Audrey’s bench – at the southwest corner of Sanchez & 21st Streets. It recognizes the leadership of Audrey Rogers. She led the campaign that secured passage of the Dolores Heights Special Use District in 1980. She also obtained City upgrades, like moving utilities under ground.  

The bench was designed by acclaimed wood carver, J.B. Blunk. Her children who grew up at 3732 21st Street help to maintain it.   As they worked to clean the area and polish the wood bench on Sunday, August 20, neighbors walking by thanked them.  If you haven’t already, spend a few minutes seated in this beautiful memorial to a neighbor who led the effort to preserve the unique character of our neighborhood.  

Photo: Members of Audrey Rogers’ family hard at work.