• • • Op Ed • • •
Attorney Letter Warns City About Mayor Lurie’s ‘Family Zoning Plan’
Not Compliant with the City’s State-Approved Housing Element or General Plan
• • • • • • • • September 2025 • • • • • • • •
This week, Neighborhoods United SF (NUSF) has put the City of San Francisco on notice that Mayor Daniel Lurie’s “Family Zoning Plan” is not compliant with the City’s own 2022 Housing Element or its General Plan.
In its letter to Planning Commission President Lydia So, attorney Richard Drury, of Lozeau Drury, LLP, on behalf of NUSF states:
“The Rezone is flatly inconsistent with the General Plan. The 2022 Housing Element Amended the General Plan. The Rezone creates new building heights, density and development intensity that is flatly inconsistent with the 2022 Housing Element. Since zoning must be consistent with the General Plan, the Rezone creates an unlawful General Plan inconsistency.”
Further, Drury adeptly points out that:
“The proposed Rezone is vastly different from the zoning studied in the 2022 Housing Element and its associated 2022 EIR. Nevertheless, the Planning Department proposes to rely on the 2022 EIR. A rezoning of this magnitude requires thorough environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) so that the City’s residents and decision-makers can be aware of its impacts, can consider all feasible mitigation measures and alternatives, and can have a robust and open discussion prior to making irreversible changes to San Francisco’s landscape for all time.”
This plan would reshape San Francisco for generations without clear predictability on what gets built or where. San Franciscans deserve full transparency about the land‑use decisions that will shape every neighborhood.”
NUSF contends that the Rezone includes significant additional areas of the city, including areas within the so-called protected “Priority Equity Geographies,” vastly taller height allowances, density decontrol and excessive development that was not envisioned in the 2022 Housing Element or its associated EIR. The City has not thoroughly assessed the impacts of these actions on key environmental factors such as Air Quality, Wind, Historic Resources, and Biological Resources. Further, in its limited Addendum, the City has not fully analyzed how its Rezone would greatly increase tenant and small business displacement. Lastly, the Rezone would significantly impact transit lines and this has not been given enough credence in the minimal EIR Addendum issued by the City.
Lurie’s proposed Rezone would change the face of our city forever and thanks to 2019 legislation SB-330 supported by State Senator Scott Wiener, the so-called “Housing Crisis Act” once San Francisco upzones, it can’t downzone. The Rezone would be permanent and irreversible. NUSF is asking the Planning Commission and Mayor Lurie to listen to our over 60 neighborhood and community groups and organizations. The Mayor should pull back on the proposed extreme heights and density that would be allowed in the Rezone. Additionally, a vast number of San Franciscan’s are not aware of this proposal. Unfortunately, the proposed Rezone has no guarantees of affordability and will in fact only fuel speculative, luxury development that will not solve our affordability crisis.
“This plan would reshape San Francisco for generations without clear predictability on what gets built or where. San Franciscans deserve full transparency about the land‑use decisions that will shape every neighborhood.” says Lori Brooke, Co-founder of NUSF.
About Neighborhoods United SF (NUSF)
Neighborhoods United SF (NUSF) is a growing coalition of long-established neighborhood, business, and civic organizations across San Francisco that are deeply concerned about the proposed height increases (upzoning) in our neighborhoods and urge the city to reconsider its approach to meeting the State's mandated Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) goal of 82,069 new housing units by 2031.
NUSF Mission Statement is partnering with communities and neighborhoods throughout San Francisco to promote equitable growth, protect valuable resources, provide for public input, and prevent displacement.
NUSF believes that our neighborhoods and communities – our People and their Cultures – are what make San Francisco great. They embody the heart and soul of the City, and right now are its most resilient and vibrant part. We should be creating policy that protects and supports them, not attacking them, demolishing them, and threatening their future.
We believe in a holistic community building vision. That is much more than just some additional units of housing or higher profits on an investor’s balance sheet. We believe in people over profits. Building complete neighborhoods requires city commitment to our public infrastructure, our precious environment, our cultures, our community institutions, our small businesses, affordable housing, and the quality of everyday life for all.
NUSF Supports:
- Context-fit housing: Build new homes at a reasonable, human scale that complements surrounding blocks.
- Real height limits: Set reasonable, enforceable caps, no routine waivers. Extreme increases would erode neighborhood livability and fabric.
- Responsible density decontrol: Allow added units only where height limits remain unchanged and the State Density Bonus does not apply.
- True affordability plan: SF Planning must publish a realistic, fundable plan with timelines to meet affordable housing goals.
- Protect historic resources: Safeguard designated landmarks and surveyed-eligible sites.
- Impact first: Require a comprehensive infrastructure and environmental analysis for the projected 20–25% population growth tied to the mandate.
More information about Neighbors United SF can be found at: neighborhoodsunitedsf.org
neighborhoodsunitedsf@gmail.com
September 2025
