Healthy Communities

Goal CHEJ-2:

All low-income residents in the city have access to healthy food options.

Intent:

To expand access to affordable and high-quality fruits and vegetables, especially in disadvantaged communities.

Policy CHEJ-2.1: Ensure healthy food access.

Ensure convenient access to affordable, fresh, and culturally relevant produce and healthy foods in all neighborhoods, including grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and community gardens, particularly in disadvantaged communities.

• Action CHEJ-2.1.1: Explore economic incentives for food access.

  Utilize economic development incentives to encourage existing stores to sell fresh, healthy foods in disadvantaged communities. Pursue funding and partnerships and develop incentive programs to encourage the equitable availability of healthy food options.

• Action CHEJ-2.1.2: Provide healthy food education.

  Work with other local non-profit organizations and public agencies, such as the San Mateo County Health, to create a Healthy Food Awareness campaign that educates the community about healthy and culturally relevant food options within the community.

• Action CHEJ-2.1.3: Work with developers to provide a grocery store.

  Work with developers to bring a full-service grocery store to Downtown or East of 101.

• Action CHEJ-2.1.4: Expand farmers’ markets.

  Partner with County agencies and non-profit organizations to expand farmers markets in South San Francisco, including in Downtown.

Policy CHEJ-2.2: Encourage urban agriculture.

Encourage edible landscapes, fruit trees, and community gardens in the City’s parks and public spaces through implementation of the Urban Forest Management Plan and Parks Master Plan.

Policy CHEJ-2.3: Allow food microenterprises.

Allow innovative food microenterprises, such as street vendors and home kitchen operations, in the municipal code to promote local food production and address food insecurity.

Policy CHEJ-2.4: Encourage acceptance of food affordability programs.

Encourage grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and other healthy food retailers to accept CalFresh Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards; Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits; and Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program benefits.

Policy CHEJ-2.5: Promote good nutrition.

Promote healthy eating habits and good nutrition among residents of South San Francisco.

• Action CHEJ-2.5.1: Adopt an ordinance that requires City-funded events offer healthy food choices to participants.

  Adopt an ordinance that requires City-funded events offer healthy food choices to participants.

• Action CHEJ-2.5.2: Partner with SSFUSD to implement school nutrition education programs.

  Partner with the South San Francisco Unified School District to create and implement educational programs for children on healthy eating, such as edible school yards and healthy cooking classes.

Policy CHEJ-2.6: Limit fast food and alcohol outlet concentration.

Limit new limited service restaurants, convenience markets, and off-sale liquor establishments—as defined by the City’s Municipal Code—in areas with a significant concentration of these outlets (e.g., multiple stores on the same block or intersection) and in child-sensitive areas, such as schools, parks, and childcare facilities.

Goal CHEJ-4:

South San Francisco generates less solid waste, cleans up hazardous sites, and ensures safe storage and transportation of hazardous materials in Lindenville and East of 101.

Intent:

To decrease residents’ risk of exposure to hazardous materials.

Policy CHEJ-4.1: Support Brownfield remediation.

Support clean-up and reuse of contaminated sites in Lindenville and East of 101 to protect human health.

• Action CHEJ-4.1.1: Maintain map of hazardous waste sites.

  Maintain a map and database of contaminated, hazardous waste and substance sites (e.g., Cortese list).

• Action CHEJ-4.1.2: Precautions for Oyster Point Landfill.

  Implement any future City-prepared sea level rise adaptation plan for the Oyster Point Marina and landfill to prevent the release of toxins into the Bay.

Policy CHEJ-4.2: Require remediation before development.

Require that contaminated sites are adequately remediated before allowing new development.

Policy CHEJ-4.3: Reduce exposure from hazardous materials.

Reduce residents’ risk of exposure to hazardous materials and toxic wastes.

Policy CHEJ-4.4: Maintain map of hazardous materials transport route.

Maintain an up-to-date truck routes map that minimizes exposures to sensitive land uses from vehicles carrying hazardous materials and toxic waste.

Policy CHEJ-4.5: Establish land use restrictions on new toxic wastes.

Prohibit new non-residential uses that are known to release or emit toxic waste at levels that are harmful to human health while continuing to allow life science, research and development, medical, and other necessary services such as dry cleaners.

Policy CHEJ-4.6: Expand community engagement on remediation.

Engage community members in the remediation of toxic sites and the permitting and monitoring of potentially hazardous industrial uses.

For related policies and implementation actions related to hazardous materials, see Goal CR-7.

Goal CHEJ-5:

Residents of all incomes, ages and abilities have opportunities to lead active lifestyles.

Intent:

To provide safe and convenient places for physical activity, especially in disadvantaged communities.

Policy CHEJ-5.1: Provide recreational programming to increase physical activity.

Continue to provide City recreational programs that focus on physical activity and that promote active lifestyles.

Policy CHEJ-5.2: Develop partnerships to promote physical activity.

Develop public, private, and non-profit partnerships to develop and maintain parks, recreational facilities, and publicly-accessible private open spaces in disadvantaged communities.

Policy CHEJ-5.3: Promote active transportation.

Design neighborhoods that support safe pedestrian, bicycle, and public transit use for residents of all ages by prioritizing safety, implementing complete streets, and providing easy access to play, fitness, and active transportation networks. Prioritize transportation system funding and improvements in disadvantaged communities.

Policy CHEJ-5.4: Access to clean drinking water.

Work with water suppliers to ensure all South San Francisco residents have access to clean, safe drinking water.

Goal MOB-1:

South San Francisco prioritizes safety in all aspects of transportation planning and engineering.

Intent:

To advance the Vision Zero goal of zero traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2025 (Resolution 40-2021).

Policy MOB-1.1: Use a systemic safety approach to proactively identify and address safety risks.

• Action MOB 1.1.1: Develop a Vision Zero Action Plan.

  Develop and implement a Vision Zero Action Plan that incorporates a prioritization approach for the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and maintenance response process and identifies safety countermeasures to incorporate into all development projects and capital improvements.

Policy MOB-1.2: Strive to reduce vehicle speeds throughout the city to reduce the frequency and severity of collisions.

• Action MOB 1.2.1: Incorporate traffic calming.

  Incorporate traffic calming treatments into all street projects to support lower design speeds.

• Action MOB 1.2.2: Evaluate reducing speed limits.

  Evaluate reducing speed limits on the city’s high injury network, transit priority streets, school areas, and other streets with high concentrations of vulnerable street users.

Goal CR-4:

The City minimizes the risk to life and property from seismic activity and geologic hazards in South San Francisco.

Intent:

To lessen the impacts of earthquakes, geologic threats, and other natural disasters on residents, workers, and structures.

Policy CR-4.1: Protect buildings, infrastructure, and other assets from seismic hazards.

Protect existing and new buildings, infrastructure, and other assets from seismic hazards.

• Action CR-4.1.1: Conduct seismic assessments for municipal assets.

  Regularly complete seismic assessments of critical municipal buildings, facilities, and infrastructure. Develop locally specific seismic hazard maps to improve mapping resolution and support more informed and nuanced decision-making about development and hazard mitigation, particularly where other hazards like sea level rise compound the risk.

• Action CR-4.1.2: Continually update the Building Code for seismic and other hazard safety.

  Regularly update the City’s Building Code to incorporate current earthquake standards.

• Action CR-4.1.3: Maintain a soft-story buildings inventory.

  Maintain and regularly update a database of soft story / fragile housing.

• Action CR-4.1.4: Expand seismic retrofit incentive program expansion.

  Expand efforts to incentivize retrofits of buildings and other mitigation measures in seismic and geologic hazards zones. Explore developing a specific program to address seismic retrofit needs within South San Francisco’s affordable housing stock.

Policy CR-4.2: Maintain emergency response capabilities.

Maintain the capability to quickly respond to natural and human caused disasters and minimize damage and injury caused by these events.

Policy CR-4.3: Discourage hillside area development on slopes more than 30 percent.

Discourage development on steep hillside areas more than 30 percent grade. Development of hillside sites should follow existing contours to the greatest extent possible. Grading should be kept to a minimum.

Policy CR-4.4: Protect buildings, infrastructure, and other assets from other geologic hazards.

Protect existing and new buildings, infrastructure, and other assets from other geologic hazards, including landslides, slope instability, liquefaction, settlement, subsidence, unstable geologic units, unstable soils, and expansive soils.

• Action CR-4.4.1: Require site-specific soils and geologic reports for projects located in high-hazard areas.

  On a parcel-by-parcel basis, require that permit applications for projects located within areas susceptible to geologic hazards, as shown on Figure XX, prepare site-specific soils and geologic reports for review and approval by the City Engineer, and incorporation of the recommended actions during construction.

Goal CR-5:

The City minimizes the risk to life and property from wildfire in South San Francisco.

Intent:

To encourage planning and design strategies that mitigates wildfire risk.

Policy CR-5.1: Implement Sign Hill wildfire mitigation measures.

Continue to implement Sign Hill wildfire mitigation measures (i.e., restoration and maintenance of native grass and scrubland habitat, removal of non-native trees and trees killed in October 2020 fire, removal of dead trees due to drought and disease and maintenance of existing trails to function as fire breaks).

Policy CR-5.2: Maintain a comprehensive fire management program.

Maintain a comprehensive fire hazard management program to reduce fire hazards on other public lands.

Policy CR-5.3: Expand access to evacuation and early warning technology for wildfire.

Increase community participation and understanding of evacuation and early warning software programs to minimize threat to life and be better prepared in case of a wildfire event.

Policy CR-5.4: Maintain adequate emergency response resources.

Continue to train and coordinate emergency response to wildfire emergencies with neighboring fire agencies and State wildfire resources. Continue to acquire and maintain adequate vehicles and equipment to respond to wildfire incidents throughout the city.

Goal CR-6:

A City prepared for the combined impacts of extreme heat and poor air quality.

Intent:

To reduce the likelihood of harmful impacts from extreme heat and poor air quality.

Policy CR-6.1: Support resilient building design.

Support resilient building design by helping residents weatherize homes to keep them cooler and more energy efficient and to improve indoor air quality.

• Action CR-6.1.1: Review and update funding programs for resilient building design.

  Review and update existing funding programs, such as the Property-Assessed Clean Energy program to promote climate-resilient design and retrofits.

• Action CR-6.1.1: Create a community engagement for weatherization programs.

  Develop a targeted outreach regarding weatherization assistance program for low-income households.

Policy CR-6.2: Maintain clear and high-quality hazard communications.

Inform residents and businesses about hazards.

• Action CR-6.2.1: Develop an early warning systems for heat and air quality.

  Develop early warning systems for heat and air quality alerts, in multiple languages and through culturally relevant media.

• Action CR-6.2.2: Work with utilities to prevent shutoff during extreme events.

  Work with Pacific Gas & Electric and Peninsula Clean Energy to prevent utility shutoff during extreme heat events.

Policy CR-6.3: Reduce heat island impacts through adaption strategies.

Reduce the heat island effect by implementing a variety of adaptation solutions.

• Action CR-6.3.1: Identify heat island priority areas.

  Identify areas of greatest risk of urban heat island effect and target resources in these areas, including tree planting, cool roofs, and installation of cool pavement.

Policy CR-6.4: Maintain adequate cooling and warming centers.

Review, update, and maintain facilities that can be used as refuge during excessive heat and cold days.

• Action CR-6.4.1: Prepare a cooling and warming centers distribution plan.

  Maintain the capability to operated cooling and warming centers equitably throughout the city when needed.

Policy CR-6.5: Coordinate transportation system with air quality improvements.

Promote a transportation system coordinated with air quality improvements. For related policies and implementation actions related to environmental justice and air quality, see Goal CHEJ-3. For related policies and implementation actions related to urban forestry, see Goal ES-4.

Goal CR-7:

Strong coordination with regulatory agencies to ensure safe and effective remediation of hazardous and toxic materials.

Intent:

To clean-up and remove hazardous and toxic materials, including above and below ground storage facilities, and buildings with asbestos and/or lead-based paint.

Policy CR-7.1: Minimize risk from hazardous materials.

Minimize the risk to the community associated with hazardous materials by continually integrating updated remediation strategies in coordination with regulating agencies. Continue annual emergency training and coordinated emergency response plans to hazardous materials.

Policy CR-7.2: Coordinate hazardous material regulation and management.

Continue to cooperate with federal, State, and County agencies to effectively regulate the management of hazardous materials and hazardous waste.

Policy CR-7.3: Assess hazardous materials management during development review.

Assess the use of hazardous materials as part of a development’s environmental review and/or include the development of a hazardous management and disposal plan, as a condition of project approval, subject to review by the San Mateo County Health Department.

Policy CR-7.4: Maintain awareness of hazardous waste handling and awareness.

Develop an awareness program to expand public engagement in the handling and disposal of hazardous waste in the community, especially at home.

• Action CR-7.4.1: Offer educational programing on hazardous materials disposal and pesticides.

  Continue to offer educational programming on the harmful effects and proper disposal of hazardous materials and pesticides and recommend alternatives that can be used at home and in businesses.

For related policies and implementation actions related to environmental justice and hazardous materials, see Goal CHEJ-4.

Goal LU-1:

Create complete neighborhoods, where residents can access most of their everyday needs within a short walk, bike, or transit trip.

Intent:

To encourage residents to live healthy lifestyles, reduce dependence on automobiles, and bolster pedestrian activity and community vibrancy by providing walkable access to services and amenities.

Policy LU-1.1: Support mixed use activity centers.

Support a network of vibrant mixed use activity centers located throughout the city. Mixed use centers should include business and services, housing, healthy food, parks, and other gathering places.

• Action LU-1.1.1: Maintain vacant building inventory.

  Maintain an inventory of vacant buildings and encourage developers and potential business owners to locate their development/businesses in areas most in need of their resources.

• Action LU-1.1.2: Implement mixed use rezoning.

  Identify key activity areas that currently feature single-use commercial or residential zoning designations, and re-zone to allow for mixed use development that could provide more convenient access to local commercial.

• Action LU-1.1.3: Complete neighborhoods study.

  Initiate a study to determine appropriate locations for siting everyday needs, including services, healthy food, public facilities, and shopping within a short walk, bike, or transit trip of all residents.

Policy LU-1.2: Connectivity in complete neighborhoods.

Improve walk, bike, and accessibility in complete neighborhoods.

• Action LU-1.2.1: Department coordination for complete neighborhoods planning.

  Ensure coordination between the Economic & Community Development and Public Works Departments to align needed transportation improvement projects with land use planning in complete neighborhoods.

• Action LU-1.2.2: Develop infrastructure improvement program for complete neighborhoods.

  Develop a formal program and structure to evaluate and facilitate the repair, maintenance, and expansion of bicycle, pedestrian, and transit infrastructure in complete neighborhoods.

Policy LU-1.3: Improve access to healthy foods.

Encourage development of community gardens, allowing food “pop-ups” and mobile vendors throughout the city, encouraging siting of grocery stores and markets in areas where residents lack convenient access to healthy food, and supporting and expanding the South San Francisco Farmers’ Market.

• Action LU-1.3.1: Rezoning and public easements for healthy foods.

  Identify parcels and areas in public rights-of-way that can facilitate community gardens and re-zone to allow urban agriculture.

Policy LU-1.4: Maintain and expand public facilities and services.

Maintain and expand public facilities to better support the community, including schools, libraries, utilities, and recreational spaces, particularly in neighborhoods lacking these resources. Seek opportunities to co-locate new public projects near compatible civic uses such as schools and campuses to create nodes of activity and services.

Policy LU-1.5: Create places and opportunities for neighborhood events.

Create places and opportunities for neighborhood events that bring the South San Francisco community together.

• Action LU-1.5.1: Funding for neighborhood events.

  Seek funding, sponsors, and partnerships to provide community involvement programs such as Light Up the Night, Neighbors Night Out, and other similar activities and programs designed to strengthen neighborhoods.

Policy LU-1.6: Promote Childcare and pre-K facilities.

Promote childcare and pre-K facilities in South San Francisco.

• Action LU-1.6.1: Zone for Childcare and pre-K.

  Revise the Zoning Ordinance to allow childcare and pre-K facilities throughout the city.

• Action LU-1.6.2: Fund and expand childcare and pre-K.

  Coordinate with public institutions, including San Mateo County, and seek State, federal, and private funding sources to maximize resources to fund and expand childcare and pre-K in South San Francisco.

Policy LU-1.7: Create new Lindenville and East of 101 mixed use neighborhoods.

Facilitate the construction of new mixed-use neighborhoods in Lindenville and East of 101 that are well connected to services, transit, amenities, public buildings, and parks and recreational facilities.

Goal LU-6:

Opportunities for industrial uses to thrive in Lindenville and East of 101.

Intent:

To preserve industrial uses in South San Francisco and ensure they do not create negative environmental impacts.

Policy LU-6.1: Preserve industrial uses in areas designated Mixed Industrial High.

Prohibit the introduction of new residential, commercial, and other non-residential uses in areas designated as Mixed Industrial High to preserve land for industrial uses.

Policy LU-6.2: Prohibit incompatible use encroachment.

Prohibit additional encroachment of incompatible uses into industrial areas in Lindenville and East of 101, except where residential growth is planned.

Policy LU-6.3: Encourage redevelopment of older or marginal industrial areas.

Encourage the redevelopment of existing older or marginal industrial areas with new, Mixed Industrial High areas. Facilitate creative and innovative building and space design to support emerging industrial uses.

• Action LU-6.3.1: Encourage property assemblage and master planning.

  Encourage the assemblage of adjacent parcels by providing greater development incentives for master planned redevelopment of specific locations than would be available for development on a parcel-by-parcel basis.

• Action LU-6.3.2: Provide density bonuses for assembled parcels.

  Develop density bonus program for assembled parcels and/or master planned parcels of former industrial uses or commercial transitioning to residential uses.

Policy LU-6.4: Monitor Industrial land availability.

Monitor the availability of industrial land and building square footage.

Policy LU-6.5: Preserve production, distribution, service, and repair (PDR) businesses.

Preserve production, distribution, and repair (PDR) businesses in South San Francisco.

• Action LU-6.5.1: Establish flexible development standards for industrial uses.

  Establish flexible development standards (including FAR) that allow industrial uses to make building improvements and change with market conditions.

Policy LU-6.6: Encourage non-polluting industries.

Encourage development of non-polluting industries that are not major sources of air, water, or noise pollution.

• Action LU-6.6.1: Cleanup of Hazardous sites.

  Seek funding to finance cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated sites.

Policy LU-6.7: Provide efficient permitting of industrial uses.

Continue to provide efficient permitting and transparent development processes to ensure City government is friendly to industrial development.

• Action LU-6.7.1: Online permitting.

  Seek efficiencies to make development permitting as simple and efficient as possible, including incorporating online permitting.

• Action LU-6.7.2: Streamline permitting for specific uses.

  Identify industrial uses that benefit from proximity to the airport and life sciences cluster and create streamlined permitting to attract such uses.

Policy LU-6.8: Maintain industrial circulation in Lindenville and East of 101 while expanding active transportation and TDM.

As residential and mixed uses are added to Lindenville and East of 101, maintain vehicular infrastructure and improve circulation to accommodate complete street improvements along with vehicular transportation needs for industrial land uses, including logistics and warehousing land uses, supporting TDM and minimizing conflicts with new uses.

Policy LU-6.9: Goods movement in Lindenville and East of 101

Maintain an up-to-date truck routes map that minimizes exposures to sensitive land uses. Manage truck idling in new residential neighborhoods in Lindenville and East of 101.

Goal NOI-2:

Prevent the exposure of residents and employees of South San Francisco unacceptable vibration levels.

Policy NOI-2.1: Require vibration analysis for sensitive receptors.

A vibration analysis shall be prepared by a qualified acoustical consultant for any construction-related activities, located within 100-feet of residential or other sensitive receptors, that require the use of pile driving or other construction method that has the potential to produce high vibration levels.

Policy NOI-2.2: Require vibration analysis for rail lines.

A vibration analysis shall be prepared by a qualified acoustical consultant for new land use development located within 200-feet of existing rail lines.

Goal NOI-3:

Historic structures are not exposed to unacceptable vibration levels.

Policy NOI-3.1: Require vibration analysis for historic structure protection.

Prior to issuance of grading permits for any development project that is located within 150 feet of a historic structure and, if construction activities will require either: (1) pile driving within 150 feet; or (2) utilization of mobile construction equipment within 50 feet of the historic structure, the property owner/developer shall retain an acoustical engineer to conduct a vibration analysis for potential impacts from construction-related vibration impacts onto the historic structure. The vibration analysis shall determine the vibration levels created by construction activities at the historic structure, and if necessary, develop mitigation to reduce the vibration levels to within Caltrans threshold of 0.12 inches per second PPV for historic buildings