Supervisors greenlight SB 79 alternative plan (+ July 1 deadline)

San Francisco
Board of Supervisors Meeting
April 28, 2026

TL;DR

• SB 79 Alternative Plan cleared a first vote 10-0 with an amendment letting Planning administratively adjust exemptions if the state rejects parcels; SF is racing to get it certified before SB 79 takes effect July 1.
• Sheriff's Office got approval 9-1 to add a drone and a pepper-spray "tear ball" canister to its equipment inventory, with Supervisor Walton voting no over drone privacy concerns.
• $6.25M federal grant accepted to fund 50 new SFPD officer positions through September 2030, with the city noting it's still in court over DOJ's attempt to attach conditions.
• One Oak Street project podium height raised from 120 to 140 feet near Civic Center.
• Pacific Islander Cultural District established in and around Visitacion Valley and Sunnydale.

What happened

1. SB 79 Alternative Plan cleared a first vote, with a procedural backup added
   1. Supervisors approved on first reading San Francisco's Alternative Plan to California SB 79. SB 79 is the state law requiring cities to allow denser housing within a half mile of major transit stops. The Alternative Plan permanently exempts industrial employment zones and parcels more than a one-mile walk from transit, while permitting added density and height on other transit-adjacent parcels. Supervisor Dorsey added an amendment letting the Planning Director administratively update the exemption tables if the California Department of Housing and Community Development rejects specific parcels, so the city doesn't have to come back to the Board for each correction. The amendment passed 9-1 with Supervisor Chan voting no; the full ordinance as amended passed 10-0.
   2. What this means for you: If certified by the state before SB 79 takes effect July 1, the Alternative Plan would effectively exempt the entire city from SB 79's transit-corridor density mandates for the next six years. The Dorsey amendment is a backstop to keep certification on schedule even if the state finds individual parcels ineligible.
2. Sheriff approved to add a drone and a pepper-spray canister, 9-1
   1. The Board accepted the Sheriff's Office Military Equipment Use Policy 2025 Annual Report and approved two new equipment items: a first-responder drone (the same model SFPD uses out of its Real Time Investigation Center) and a "tear ball" canister that deploys OC pepper spray rather than CS or CN tear gas. Sheriff Paul Miyamoto told supervisors the drone will be deployed first at the San Bruno jail to monitor outdoor yards and search for missing persons leaving SF General against medical advice. It carries no facial recognition and no payload delivery. The pepper-spray canister is meant for dormitory-style incarcerated housing at San Bruno and replaces older CS/CN dispensers that drifted into a nearby school during a past training exercise. Supervisor Walton voted no, saying drone technology cannot guarantee protection of civil rights for people unintentionally captured on camera.
   2. What this means for you: Both items are now cleared for purchase and use under the Sheriff's existing surveillance and use-of-force policies.
3. $6.25M federal grant accepted to add 50 SFPD officer positions
   1. Supervisors retroactively accepted a $6,250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's COPS Office to fund 50 new Police Officer positions from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2030. Supervisor Chan placed on the record that accepting the grant does not commit the city to abandon its sanctuary city ordinance. Deputy City Attorney Brad Russi confirmed that the conditions DOJ attempted to attach to the grant are under litigation, with a preliminary injunction currently preventing the city from having to comply.
   2. What this means for you: The grant adds 50 funded officer positions to the salary ordinance. The conditions DOJ attempted to attach are still being fought in court.
4. One Oak Street podium height raised to 140 feet
   1. The Board approved the zoning map amendment for the One Oak Street project at Market and Van Ness, raising the allowed podium height from 120 feet to 140 feet.
   2. What this means for you: The change clears a zoning hurdle for the project to move forward at the new dimensions.
5. Pacific Islander Cultural District established in Visitacion Valley and Sunnydale
   1. The Board approved an ordinance creating the Pacific Islander Cultural District in and around the Visitacion Valley and Sunnydale neighborhoods. The Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development will be required to submit written reports and recommendations to the Board and Mayor describing the district's cultural attributes and proposing preservation strategies.
   2. What this means for you: This is the city's formal recognition of a Pacific Islander cultural footprint in the southeast corner of the city, with required reporting on how to preserve it.

What residents brought up

• A TNDC representative speaking for the Supportive Housing Providers Network urged amendments to the drug-free housing legislation (File 251003). The representative asked the Board to prevent evictions based solely on substance use or relapse, and to remove the proposed ban on funding new supportive housing. They said permanent supportive housing already prohibits on-site illicit drug use through lease terms, and argued the city can pursue recovery housing without eliminating other models.
• A physician practicing in the Lower Polk Street area near the hospital said he counted over 50 people openly using drugs on his way to the meeting. He called on supervisors to coordinate across districts rather than treating the crisis as a District 5 or District 3 problem. He said he has been advocating on this issue since meeting with former Mayor Lee, and that billions spent through nonprofits have not produced enough accountability.
• A representative of a six-year Hayes Valley neighborhood advocacy group said Supervisor Mahmood's office had coordinated a letter of support for a farmers market proposal without engaging the broader neighborhood, and that the supervisor had declined to meet with the group. The speaker said the proposed market would compound an existing year-long street closure already under formal administrative complaint with SFMTA.

Also happened

• Four labor MOUs cleared a first vote: with the SF Police Officers' Association, SF Fire Fighters Local 798 Unit 1, and Local 798 Unit 2, all effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030.
• Four HUD entitlement grants for FY2026-27 adopted: $21,498,493 in Community Development Block Grant funds, $6,626,624 in HOME funds, $1,712,613 in Emergency Solutions Grant funds, and $7,685,046 in Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS funds.
• The Budget and Legislative Analyst was directed to initiate a performance audit of the Sheriff's Office in 2026.
• A curbside electric vehicle charging station permit program cleared a first vote, authorizing SFMTA to issue permits for EV charging on city sidewalks and to impose administrative penalties for violations.
• 12 Article 10 landmark designations were initiated, including the Transamerica Pyramid, Vesuvio Cafe, Old First Presbyterian Church, the California Masonic Memorial Temple, and Finocchio's; a 13th, the Great China Theater at 626-638 Jackson, was sent back to the Land Use Committee for more work.
• SFPUC General Manager's authority to enter Green Infrastructure Grant Program agreements with 20-year terms after project completion was extended five years through July 1, 2031.
• Glen Park and Upper Fillmore Entertainment Zones were approved, allowing on-street drinking within defined block boundaries.
• The Chinatown Public Health Center's temporary lease at 845 Jackson Street, 4th floor was extended and its construction reimbursement allowance raised by $500,000 to a new $800,000 maximum.
• A resolution backing California AB 2276 was adopted, supporting a pilot requiring speed-limiting devices on vehicles of drivers convicted of severe speeding offenses in select counties.
• The June 2, 2026 elections were consolidated: the state Direct Primary, SF Municipal Election, SFUSD Board of Education Election, and SF Special Bond Election will share precincts and poll workers.

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