The Legislature’s planned vote on Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to streamline the state’s housing approval process with “right to build” legislation has been delayed until August.

For San Francisco officials, that means some extra time to try to lobby folks in Sacramento.

Brown’s legislation would eliminate environmental review for projects that both meet local zoning rules and include 20 percent affordable units, or 10 percent if the project is near public transit. Brown originally had hoped to include the “trailer bill” as part of the state budget, which was passed by the Legislature this week.

While developers have cheered the proposal as a much-needed tool to use against antidevelopment NIMBYs who use environmental review to kill badly needed housing, some city officials have complained that it would eliminate leverage now used to squeeze more affordable units and other public benefits from developers. Supervisor Aaron Peskin called the plan a “huge giveaway to developers” and has proposed amendments that would essentially exempt San Francisco from most of the law’s provisions.

On Monday, Mayor Ed Lee jumped into the debate. Lee sent a letter to Brown stating that while he supports the bill, he wants to see some changes that would “produce better results for cities seeking to thoughtfully increase their housing supplies.”

In particular, Lee said that the bill’s affordable housing requirements of 10 percent or 20 percent should be “minimums and not restrict local jurisdictions from adopting stronger requirements.” San Francisco voters last week approved a measure that will double the city’s affordable requirements from 12 to 25 percent.

Lee also said the bill should ensure that there is “no net loss of rent-controlled or subsidized housing.”

He also argued that projects taking advantage of the streamlining should be required to start construction in a “timely fashion.”

City planners are scrambling to keep up with Brown’s “fluid” proposal, which has gone through three versions. On Thursday, planners updated the City Planning Commission on how “right to build” might be applied.

While much about the proposal remains murky, planning officials said that it would only apply to projects that are not requesting any zoning variances. It would not apply to developments seeking to put required affordable units “off site” or pay a fee rather than build affordable units.

Several commissioners complained that right to build could lead to the demolition of historic San Francisco buildings. The current version of the bill exempts historic buildings designated by the state and federal governments, but not those deemed significant by local jurisdictions.

“It is unclear how this would apply to locally landmarked buildings,” said Senior Planner AnMarie Rodgers.

Commissioner Dennis Richards said the idea that San Francisco buildings could be knocked down without local public environmental review was shocking.

“San Francisco is San Francisco because of what our built environment is like,” said Richards. “If you want to see riots, try bulldozing some of these resources.”

— J.K. Dineen

New park: A patch of unused open space on Russian Hill is one step closer to becoming a park.

Plans to convert Francisco Reservoir, between Hyde and Larkin streets, into a public park have been in the works since 2011. The Recreation and Park Commission unanimously voted Thursday to recommend that the Board of Supervisors accept a grant and enter into an agreement to develop the space.

Advocates from the Francisco Park Conservancy are raising about $25 million for the project.

The space would include a dog run, bathrooms, an ADA-accessible pathway, native plant landscaping and, if there’s enough money, a children’s playground. The conservancy would fund the park’s construction and maintenance, while the Rec and Park Department would operate the park. It would cost about $150,000 to pay for a full-time gardener, materials and supplies, and custodial staffing annually at the park.

A conceptual design and official park name is the next step and should be completed by next spring.

“In a city that is as compressed as ours, more space, not less,” said Commissioner Meagan Levitan. “All of San Francisco will be lucky to have this space.”

— Lizzie Johnson

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