San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors overruled Democratic San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s veto Tuesday, the San Francisco Standard reported.
Supervisor Aaron Peskin introduced a law to limit the number of new houses in historic areas in San Francisco. Despite the mayor’s veto and the disagreement of three other supervisors with the bill, the board strongly supported Peskin’s law with an 8-3 vote, according to the San Francisco Standard.
NEW: In a defeat for San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors overturned the mayor’s veto of Supervisor Aaron Peskin’s recent housing bill that pushes forward density limits along the city’s Northern Waterfront.https://t.co/7HY2sg9mRD
— Gabriel Lorenzo Greschler (@ggreschler) March 26, 2024
“This is not only well considered but recommended by our Planning Department,” Peskin said, the San Francisco Standard reported. “This is not a policy discussion. This is a political discussion.” (RELATED: San Francisco Mayor Becomes Latest California Dem Supporting Ballot Measure To Stiffen Penalties For Retail Crimes)
Peskin’s housing density bill aims at high-rise projects that could change the look of historic neighborhoods. It impacts major developments, like the planned 24-story building on a local street and a 17-story project set to replace a 100-year-old office building, the outlet added. Supporters of the bill argue that it aims to protect a special part of San Francisco without hindering citywide housing growth. Supervisor Ahsha Safaí pointed out the bill’s limited reach.
“The narrow legislation is modest in its scope,” said Safaí, the outlet stated. “We have to preserve the character and history of our city.”
VARIOUS CITIES – FEBRUARY 20: London Breed, Mayor of San Francisco speaks onstage during the Inaugural Reception of the New Consulate General of Sweden in San Francisco at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music on February 20, 2024 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images)
This legislative victory for Peskin and his allies has not been without controversy. Breed calls it a blow to her housing plans, urging for decisive measures to solve San Francisco’s housing crunch, according to the outlet. She points out that these restrictions clash with the city’s promise to build over 80,000 new homes by 2031, a target she thinks is jeopardized by such policies.
“Restricting new housing runs counter to the goals of our Housing Element, which the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved just over a year ago,” Breed wrote in her veto letter, the San Francisco Standard reported. “It also runs counter to what we need to do to make this City a place that creates opportunities for new homes for the people who need them today and for future generations growing up in San Francisco.”