by Nick Ferris
Dear THD Members and Neighbors:
On Tuesday, December 2, 2025, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved the upzoning plan—known as the Lurie Family Zoning Plan. This decision will irrevocably reshape San Francisco and our neighborhoods more than any land-use legislative action in the past 50 years.
For the last two years, you have shown what true civic responsibility looks like. You attended neighborhood forums, reviewed the legislation, studied the maps, sat through long hearings, asked the right questions, and even compromised to seek agreement with other neighbors with whom you may not often agree! You raised your voices for tenants and small businesses, for families, seniors, educators, nurses, first responders, and working people—the bedrock of San Francisco. You acted with patience, integrity, and a deep commitment to the well-being of others—values that define who we are.
Meanwhile, many in state and local government ignored the citizens they represent. They pushed a one-size-fits-all plan that dismisses the lived reality of long-established neighborhoods and erodes the right of residents to guide the future of their own communities. The message at times felt unmistakable: City Hall knows better than the people who live here.
And we must be honest about the plan itself.
First, the zoning plan disregards the historic neighborhoods and neighborhood character that have shaped San Francisco for generations. Instead of protecting the cultural and architectural resources that define this city, the plan targets stable neighborhoods and commercial corridors as if their longevity was a flaw. The plan erases preservation.
Second, this process has been overly influenced by special interests who frame their agenda as progress, while ignoring the voices of families, seniors, artists, and long-time residents. It is hard to escape the conclusion that this plan reflects the priorities of the well-connected more than the neighborhood residents whose lives will be reshaped by it.
Finally, there is a justified fear that this plan accelerates San Francisco’s progression toward a troubling economic divide between the ultra-wealthy and the working and middle classes that keep San Francisco alive. The zoning overhaul does nothing to tackle the underlying cost of housing. Similar changes in Vancouver, Canada, did not provide affordable housing, and asserting that families will benefit is not just misguided but unjust.
And yes, fighting City Hall is never easy.But we are fighting for the San Francisco we love, for a city that works for, not against, its residents.
As we move forward, remember who we are: For more than 70 years since 1954, Telegraph Hill Dwellers has worked hard to build, maintain, and celebrate the vitality, livability, and sustainability of one of San Francisco’s most cherished neighborhoods. We have embraced a vision of housing growth that prioritizes affordable housing while protecting our existing tenants living in rent-controlled units, as well as vibrant small businesses and numerous historic resources. We cherish the diverse culture of District 3, safeguarding the soul, vitality, and vibrancy of our densely developed neighborhood. For more than seven decades, we have stood for stewardship, dignity, fairness, and our neighborhood. These are the guiding principles that shape responsible governance.
Each of us has a role:
We each have a voice. And we will keep insisting it be heard even when our elected officials prefer not to listen.
We each can engage. Your volunteer work and civic participation embody service, and service is what strengthens a city.
We each have a vote. And in the coming months and years, that vote will matter more than ever. New taxes, charter reforms, ballot measures, and candidates will determine whether the city, state, and federal government works with residents or continues to enact laws, ordinances, and regulations that hurt them.
We invite you to stay informed, stay engaged, and stay hopeful. 2026 will jump off with Mayor Daniel Lurie’s proposed charter reform, a potential local ballot initiative on the upzoning plan, an election to replace Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi in the U.S. House of Representatives, and elections to replace two sitting Supervisors.
Our strength comes from our neighborhoods. It comes from our belief that we are responsible to one another and that San Francisco deserves leaders who act with integrity, humility, and genuine respect for the people they serve.
Onwards—We are proud to call you our neighbors.
With gratitude and resolve,
Nick Ferris
