The Facts:

Supervisor Jackie Fielder attempted to impose an 18‑month freeze on new research labs in the Mission by forcing them to apply for "conditional use" permits, with no clear standards or objectives for approval. Conditional Use permits are not guaranteed by law and can be denied for any reason, effectively allowing Fielder to block new labs and tech companies.

Fielder explicitly stated that punishing "AI companies" was a goal of the legislation, saying on Twitter, "[PDR space is] not supposed to be just office space for AI companies (which, reminder, their innovation is all about destroying jobs)," and "AI companies have displaced blue collar job spaces in the Mission." (Editors note: false), and called her constituents "entitled techno absolutists" and "techno facists."

By the time her resolution was heard on December 15 at the Land Use and Transportation Committee, Supervisors and the Mayor's office dramatically limited the legislation so it applies only to outdoor engineering/development labs. This meant that 100% of the spaces she first wanted to regulate were no longer affected - and actually literally nothing new would be regulated, since no new outdoor engineering/development labs have been proposed in the Mission in recent memory.

The Context:

San Francisco can adopt temporary “interim controls” under Planning Code 306.7 while studying permanent rules.

PDR zoning exists to protect dirty industrial space, something the Planning Department's PDR report says have experienced long-term declines in employment as a share of city jobs.

Criticism of a land use regulation bill does not, in fact, make you a techno fascist.

The GrowSF Take:

When is a failure a success? When you're so desperate for good headlines that you try to twist your own failed legislation into a win.

We are thankful for the many constituents who spoke out, sending emails and making phone calls to Fielder's office, and for Supervisor Bilal Mahmood who saw through the thinly veiled attempt to chill innovation and job creation in the Mission, and for the Mayor's office in proposing a much narrower scope on the legislation.

The Mission is a rapidly growing hub for AI, tech, and life sciences companies, and these companies create good jobs for San Franciscans. Fielder's attempt to ban them from opening new labs would have been more than a blow to the neighborhood's economy - it would have sent a chilling message to the entire nation that innovation and job creation are unwelcome here.

We're glad her attempt failed, and we hope that Supervisor Fielder will focus her energy on policies that actually help her constituents, rather than trying to score political points by attacking the city's economic future.