Particle.news

Download on the App Store

San Francisco Merchants Question Lurie’s Westside Upzoning as Plan Reaches Planning Commission

Small retailers on Ocean Avenue warn new construction could raise rents, displace tenants, sap foot traffic.

Overview

  • The proposal, branded by Mayor Daniel Lurie as 'family zoning,' seeks to enable roughly 36,000 additional homes on the city’s westside to help meet a state requirement to plan for 82,000 units.
  • Local business owners in Ingleside say expensive new retail spaces could favor national tenants and jeopardize existing shops despite the prospect of more nearby residents.
  • District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar has introduced a Small Business Rezoning Construction Relief Fund to offer city-backed grants and small loans to cover moving expenses or losses tied to construction.
  • Merchants point to long-vacant storefronts and stalled mixed-use projects on prime Ocean Avenue blocks as evidence that development has already strained the corridor.
  • City officials plan to negotiate and refine the upzoning details through January 2026 as the Planning Commission takes up the proposal.