Eastern Neighborhoods

Eastern Neighborhoods Community Planning

Eastern Neighborhoods Plans

In January 2009, the City adopted the Eastern Neighborhoods Plans, including plans for the future growth, development, and preservation of a number of neighborhoods on San Francisco’s east side: SoMa, Mission, Showplace Square/Potrero Hill, and Central Waterfront. The Eastern Neighborhoods Plans created new policies, land use regulations, implementation projects, and funding measures for these neighborhoods.

The Plans balance the need to protect industrial uses with the need to accommodate growth and create complete neighborhoods. In response to what had been growing conflicts between light-industrial uses and encroaching office and residential uses, the Plans provide clarity on where industrial lands are to be preserved and where and under what conditions new development can be built.

The Eastern Neighborhoods Plans enable the transition of about half of the area’s industrial lands to allow for new housing. The other half is reserved for “Production, Distribution, and Repair” (or PDR) uses, such as warehouses, distribution centers, caterers, art production, and other similar light-industrial activities. Housing and office uses are generally not allowed in these areas.

The Eastern Neighborhoods Plans also include policies and mechanisms to help assure that new growth happens to assure “complete neighborhoods,” or neighborhoods that provide safe and convenient access to shopping and services, affordable housing, open space, buildings designed to be welcoming and engaging to pedestrians, and a transit-oriented public realm that supports the needs of people of all ages and abilities.

Plan Goals

People and Neighborhoods:
1) Encourage new housing at appropriate locations and make it as affordable as possible to a range of city residents
2) Plan for transportation, open space, community facilities and other critical elements of complete neighborhoods

The Economy and Jobs:
3) Reserve sufficient space for production, distribution and repair activities, in order to support the city’s economy and provide good jobs for residents
4) Take steps to provide space for new industries that bring innovation and flexibility to the city’s economy

Plan Documents

The Eastern Neighborhood Plans include Area Plans (policy documents within the San Francisco General Plan), Planning Code changes, and funding and implementation measures for new and enhanced streets, transit, open space, and community facilities.  

Area Plans

Implementation Plans

The following Plans build on the Eastern Neighborhoods and define community benefits and infrastructure projects in the Eastern Neighborhoods:

Implementing the Eastern Neighborhoods Plans

Prioritizing infrastructure and community improvements

Projects are typically constructed by City agencies such as the SFMTA, SF Public Works and the Recreation and Parks Department. The Eastern Neighborhoods Plans included impact fees on new development to help pay for a portion of needed infrastructure to help serve all the new residents and employees that come with new development. The City supplements these fees with other funding sources such as bonds, transportation sales taxes, and grants to fully fund infrastructure projects.

In some cases, known as in-kind agreements, private developments build public improvements directly instead of paying some or all of their required fees.

Funding decisions are made through the City’s Capital Planning process. There are many places for community input on how to prioritize projects for funding. The Eastern Neighborhoods Community Advisory Committee (CAC) advises the City on how to prioritize development fees for infrastructure projects and community improvements.

The plan for how to spend development fees is brought to the City’s Capital Planning Committee for approval each year, and is adopted in the City’s annual budget. The Planning Department produces an annual report, the Interagency Plan Implementation Committee (IPIC) Report, that describes the uses of development fees for infrastructure projects and community improvements over the next five years.    
Interagency Plan Implementation Committee (IPIC) Annual Reports

Getting Involved

Attend Eastern Neighborhoods CAC meetings 
Discussion of impact fee spending is generally concentrated in the months of August through November.

Attend Capital Planning Committee meetings
The Capital Planning Committee typically hears about the Interagency Plan Implementation Committee Annual Report in January or February of each year.

Contact Planning Department staff and Eastern Neighborhoods CAC members
There are often neighborhood-based meetings to discuss how to fund and build infrastructure projects in your neighborhood.

Links

Contact Information

Mathew Snyder
(415) 575-6891
mathew.snyder@sfgov.org