UCSF Parnassus Campus Plan Memorandum of Understanding

As a State institution, UCSF is not subject to San Francisco’s local land use regulations and permitting jurisdiction. The UC Regents are the body that approves plans and projects at UCSF and certifies environmental review documents pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Some infrastructure projects, such as changes to public streets, and other improvements are subject to the City’s jurisdiction.

In 1976, when UCSF produced a Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) for their campuses, the specific plans for the Parnassus Heights campus were described in a Regents-adopted resolution (“1976 Resolution”). In this document, UCSF commitments included:

• A “space ceiling” of 3.55 million gross square feet (gsf) (later amended in the 2014 LRDP to exclude all residential space on campus).
• A permanent campus boundary, with no further expansion of UCSF within the area bounded by Golden Gate Park/Oak Street, Ninth Avenue, Clarendon Avenue, and Clayton Street.
• A permanent Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve (that at the time was set at 58 acres and has since been increased to 61).

These commitments in the 1976 Resolution were in response to community and city concern and are still in place today.

In 1987, the City of San Francisco and UCSF signed their first MOU, in which both bodies agree to ongoing cooperation. The 1987 MOU is available under the Supporting Information tab.

The Comprehensive Plan for Parnassus Heights proposed a phased redevelopment of the campus: new state-of-the-art medical buildings, teaching and learning facilities, public open space, and housing for students and staff. These proposals would require the Regents to amend the “space ceiling”, among other things.