306.4

SEC. 306.4. CONDUCT OF HEARINGS. (a) Reports and Recommendations. In all actions for amendments to the Planning Code or General Plan or conditional uses, the Zoning Administrator or the Planning Department shall make necessary investigations and studies and submit the findings to the Director of Planning prior to the hearing of the Planning Commission, or in actions on conditional use applications in NC Districts, prior to the consent calendar or public hearing of the Commission. The report and recommendation of the Director of Planning shall be submitted at least one week prior to the hearing. (b) Record. A record shall be kept of the pertinent information presented at the hearing on any action for an amendment, conditional use or variance, and such record shall be maintained as a part of the permanent public records of the Planning Department. A verbatim record may be made if permitted or ordered by the Planning Commission in the case of actions for amendments or conditional uses, and by the Zoning Administrator in the case of variance actions. (c) Continuations. The Planning Commission in the case of actions for amendments or conditional uses, and the Zoning Administrator in the case of variance actions, shall determine the instances in which cases scheduled for hearing may be continued or taken under advisement. In such cases, new notice need not be given of the further hearing date, provided such date is announced at the scheduled hearing. (d) Decision. The decision of the Planning Commission or the Zoning Administrator shall be in accordance with the provisions for each type of case in Sections 302 through 305 and 340. (1) In the case of variances, the decision of the Zoning Administrator shall, unless deferred upon the request or consent of the applicant, be rendered within 60 days from the date of conclusion of the hearing or, where no hearing is involved, within 60 days from the date of filing; failure of the Zoning Administrator to act within the prescribed time shall entitle the applicant to cause the matter to be placed before the Planning Commission for decision at its next following regular meeting. (2) In the case of actions for amendments to the Planning Code or conditional uses, the decision of the Planning Commission shall be rendered within 90 days from the date of conclusion of the hearing; failure of the Commission to act within the prescribed time shall be deemed to constitute disapproval.

(3) In the case of proposed amendments to the Planning Code initiated by the Board of Supervisors under Section 302(b), or modifications to proposed amendments made by the Board under Section 302(d) of this Code, the decision of the Planning Commission shall be rendered within 90 days from the date of referral of the proposed amendment or modification by the Board to the Commission. Failure of the Commission to act within the prescribed time shall be deemed to constitute disapproval, except that the Board may, by resolution, extend the prescribed time within which the Commission is to render its decision. (Amended by Ord. 237-81, App. 5/8/81; Ord. 69-87, App. 3/13/87; Ord. 321-96, App. 8/8/96) SEC. 306.5. RECONSIDERATION. (a) Whenever any application for an amendment to the Planning Code or General Plan, conditional use or variance, or any part thereof, has been disapproved by the Planning Commission or Zoning Administrator, or by the Board of Supervisors or the Board of Appeals on appeal as described in Section 308, no application proposing an amendment, conditional use or variance, the same or substantially the same as that which was disapproved, shall be resubmitted to or reconsidered by the Planning Commission or Zoning Administrator within a period of one year from the effective date of final action upon the earlier application. (Added by Ord. 235-68, App. 8/7/68; amended by Ord. 321-96, App. 8/8/96) SEC. 306.6. INITIATION OF AMENDMENTS. Amendments initiated by the Planning Commission or the Board of Supervisors and proposed modifications to text amendments referred to the Planning Commission pursuant to Section 302(d) are not subject to the requirements of Sections 306.1 and 306.5. The Board of Supervisors may designate a proponent for the amendment or modification from among its membership, in adopting its motion. (Added by Ord. 236-81, App. 6/6/81; amended by Ord. 13-26, File No. 251099, App. 2/13/2026, Eff. 3/16/2026) AMENDMENT HISTORY Nonsubstantive amendments; Ord. 13-26, Eff. 3/16/2026. SEC. 306.7. INTERIM ZONING CONTROLS. Interim zoning controls may be imposed by resolution of the Planning Commission or the Board of Supervisors through the exercise of a legislative rule-making power subject to the procedures and standards and for the purposes set forth in this Section. (a) Purposes. This interim zoning controls process is found and declared to be necessary to fulfill the purposes of this Code as stated in Section 101 herein. The Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commission are hereby authorized to impose interim zoning controls to suspend temporarily the processing of certain applications for demolition permits, building permits and other land use authorizations which may be in conflict with a contemplated zoning proposal which the Board of Supervisors, the Planning Commission or the Planning Department is considering or studying or intends to study within a reasonable time. The provisions of this Section will allow time for the orderly completion of a planning study and for the adoption of appropriate legislation. Interim zoning controls are necessary to ensure that the legislative scheme which may be ultimately adopted is not undermined during the planning and legislative process by the approval or issuance of permits authorizing the alteration, construction or demolition of buildings or the establishment or change of uses which will conflict with that scheme. In determining whether to impose interim zoning controls, the body imposing the controls shall consider the impact on the public health, safety, peace and general welfare if the proposed controls are not imposed, including, but not limited to, the public interest in the following objectives: (1) Preservation of historic and architecturally significant buildings and areas; (2) Preservation of residential neighborhoods; (3) Preservation of neighborhoods and areas of mixed residential and commercial uses in order to preserve the existing character of such neighborhoods and areas; (4) Preservation of the City's rental housing stock; (5) Development and conservation of the commerce and industry of the City in order to maintain the economic vitality of the City, to provide its citizens with adequate jobs and business opportunities, and to maintain adequate services for its residents, visitors, businesses and institutions; (6) Control of uses which have an adverse impact on open space and other recreational areas and facilities; (7) Control of uses which generate an adverse impact on pedestrian and vehicular traffic; (8) Control of uses which generate an adverse impact on public transit. (b) Effect of Interim Zoning Controls Upon Permit Applications. A resolution of the Board of Supervisors or of the Planning Commission imposing interim zoning controls shall set forth the duration of the interim zoning controls. Once interim zoning controls are imposed pursuant to this Section, and for the duration of the controls and any extension permitted by this Section, no department of the City and County of San Francisco, including the Board of Appeals, may approve any application for a demolition permit, a building or site permit, or any other permit or license authorizing the demolition, alteration, or construction of any building or the establishment of any use unless the action proposed would conform both to the existing provisions of the Planning Code and also to the provisions of the resolution imposing the controls. Failure of the Board of Supervisors or the Planning Commission to act on a proposed interim control within 120 days of its initiation shall be deemed to constitute disapproval. At any time after the first noticed hearing, in order to insure that the purpose for imposing interim controls is not undermined during the period when their adoption is being considered, the body considering the proposed controls may by resolution issue an order directing the Zoning Administrator, the Director of the Department of Building Inspection, the Board of Appeals, and other permit-issuing and permit-approving agencies to suspend action on applications which propose a use prohibited by the proposed interim controls pending final action on the controls; provided, however, that such order shall not apply to applications filed more than 60 days before the first noticed hearing and shall not prohibit action on applications which would otherwise be deemed approved during the period of such suspension pursuant to Government Code Sections 65950 - 65957.1. (c) Interim Zoning Controls Imposed by the Board of Supervisors. The procedure set forth in this Section shall govern the imposition of interim zoning controls by the Board of Supervisors. A member of the Board of Supervisors may initiate the procedure by introduction of a resolution which refers to the provisions of this Section authorizing the interim zoning controls process. Upon introduction of the resolution, the Clerk of the Board shall transmit within two business days or within a reasonable time the resolution to the Director of Planning for environmental review. The resolution shall either contain the text of the proposed controls or refer to and incorporate by reference an exhibit which does so. The resolution and any exhibit text shall be approved as to form by the City Attorney. The Director of Planning shall conduct environmental review according to the procedures set forth in Subsection (d). The Clerk of the Board shall schedule a hearing on the proposed interim zoning controls before an appropriate committee of the Board or, if the Board directs by motion, before the full Board of Supervisors. The Clerk shall schedule the hearing so that it is conducted no later than 50 days beyond receipt of notice of the completion of environmental review, unless directed otherwise by motion of the Board. The committee of the Board or the full Board may conduct the hearing required by this Subsection prior to the completion of environmental review, but shall not recommend or approve imposition of the proposed controls until environmental review has been completed. Notice of the hearing shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Subsection (g). The committee shall report to the Board a summary of the matters presented at the hearing and its recommendation. The Board of Supervisors may adopt a resolution imposing interim zoning controls by a majority vote. Any hearing scheduled before a committee or before the Board to consider the imposition of interim zoning controls may be continued for further consideration to another date pursuant to the regular notice requirements applicable to that body. (d) Environmental Review. The provisions of this Section shall govern the environmental review process conducted by the Director of Planning upon initiation of the interim zoning controls process by the Board of Supervisors. (1) The Director of Planning shall determine whether imposition of the proposed interim zoning controls is excluded or categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code Sections 21000 et seq.) (CEQA). That determination shall be made in writing and transmitted to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within two business days or within a reasonable time of receipt of the motion and draft ordinance from the Clerk of the Board. If it is determined that environmental review of imposition of the proposed interim zoning controls is required, the Director of Planning shall either prepare a preliminary negative declaration and publish notice of its preparation, or inform the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors in writing that an environmental impact report must be prepared and submit to the Clerk a proposed motion which would authorize preparation of that report. Except as otherwise noted, the Director of Planning shall make the determinations and take the actions required by this Subsection (d)(1) within 30 days of the receipt of the Board of Supervisors' motion initiating the interim controls procedure and the draft ordinance transmitted by the Clerk of the Board. (2) If a preliminary negative declaration is published and no appeal is filed within 10 days, the Director of Planning shall transmit to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors written notification of that fact on the first business day following the tenth day. (3) If a preliminary negative declaration is published and an appeal is filed within 10 days, the Planning Commission shall, within 40 days of the date that the appeal of the preliminary negative declaration is filed, either affirm the preliminary negative declaration or overrule the preliminary negative declaration and order the preparation of an environmental impact report. The Director of Planning shall transmit to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors the resolution of the Planning Commission affirming or overruling the preliminary negative declaration