November 26, 2002
SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING COMMISSION
SAN FRANCISCO
PLANNING COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, November 26, 2002
12:30 PM
Special Meeting
PRESENT: Shelley Bradford Bell; Michael J. Antonini; Kevin Hughes; Sue Lee;
William L. Lee
ABSENT: Edgar E. Boyd; Lisa Feldstein
MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER BY PRESIDENT BRADFOR-BELL AT 12:39 P.M.
STAFF IN ATTENDANCE: Gerald G. Green – Director of Planning; Larry Badiner – Zoning Administrator, Jean Paul Samaha, Jonas P. Ionin – Acting Commission Secretary; Patricia Gerber – Transcription Secretary
A. CONSIDERATION OF ITEMS PROPOSED FOR CONTINUANCE
The Commission will consider a request for continuance to a later date. The Commission may choose to continue the item to the date proposed below, to continue the item to another date, or to hear the item on this calendar.
1. 2002.0446E (B. HELBER: (415) 558-5968)
40-50 LANSING STREET - Preliminary Mitigated Negative Declaration. The proposed project involves the construction of a 155,000 gsf, 8-story residential building containing 81 dwelling units with 81 off-street parking spaces on 2 below-grade garage levels and the demolition of the existing 56,250 gsf, 3-story light-industrial building. The site is located at 40-50 Lansing Street, on Assessor's Block 3749, Lot 11, in the Rincon Hill area. The 20,205 sf site fronts on guy Place and Lansing Street, between First and Second Streets. Two on-street loading spaces are planned; one on Guy Place and one on Lansing Street. The site is within a RC-4 (Residential Commercial Combined, High Density) zoning district, the Rincon Hill Special Use Subdistrict and an 84-X height and bulk district. The project would require variances from the following provisions of the Planning Code: Freight Loading; dwelling unit exposure; and from the Rincon Hill Special Use District; and Conditional Use authorization for construction of a residential structure over 40 feet tall.
Preliminary Recommendation: Uphold Negative Declaration
(Proposed for Continuance to January 16, 2003)
SPEAKER(S): None
ACTION: Continued as proposed
PRESENT: Bradford Bell; Antonini; Hughes; S. Lee; W. Lee
ABSENT: Boyd; Feldstein;
B. COMMISSION MATTERS
2. Commission Comments/Questions
President Bradford:
Re: - Starting meetings on time as designated/scheduled by the calendar--asked Commissioners to be on time
- Schedule meeting/briefing on WTS Guidelines
Commissioner W. Lee:
- Informational request from Department of Parking and Traffic on the number of parking slots in the City -- off-street and on-street
- Invite Michael Burns to come to Planning Commission meeting to give us an overview of his capital projects for the next five to six years.
C. DIRECTOR'S REPORT
3. Director's Announcements
- Asked Commission to hold off on more requests for informational presentations
4. Review of Past Week's Events at the Board of Supervisors
Board of Supervisors (Presented by Jean Paul Samaha)
- Appeal of the Director's decision on the Conditional Use on the Apollo Theater – Amended the Director's decision in dealing with the priority of Prop M. As such, they voted to preserve the two store fronts, about 15 by 20 feet each and they requested that one of the store fronts be designated as the Youth Retail Serving Business for one year, if no such tenant is located, then it will revert back to general retail.
C. REGULAR CALENDAR
ITEMS #5. AND #6 WERE CALLED TOGETHER
5. 2000.1090E (B. HELBER: (415) 558-5968)
300 SPEAR STREET - Public Hearing on Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). Rezoning of parcels in the Rincon Hill neighborhood (the rezoning project ) and a mixed-use development of approximately 1,560,000 gross square feet (gsf) at 300 Spear Street (the development project ). The property is currently used as a surface parking lot. The rezoning project includes rezoning Lots 1 and 8 in Assessor's Block 3745, and part of Lot 1 in Assessor's Block 3746 from the existing P (Public) to a zoning district that allows private development. The requested rezoning is from P (Public) with height limits of 105, 150 and 200 feet to RC-4 (Residential-Commercial Combined: High Density) with 300- and 400-foot height limits. In addition, a Planning Code text amendment is under review to create a new Residential/Commercial sub-district under the Rincon Hill Special Use District overlay, and amendments to the Rincon Hill Area Plan, a part of the San Francisco General Plan. [The rezoning is in conjunction with the proposed development at 201 Folsom Street on Assessor's Block 3746, Lot 1]. The third parcel to be rezoned is 345 Main Street, Lot 8 in Assessor's Block 3745. The development project would consist of up to 820 residential units, about 60,000 gsf of retail, about 50,000 gsf of office space, and about 960 underground parking spaces. Eighty-foot-tall building bases would be built to the property lines on Spear, Folsom and Main Streets; the bases would enclose a landscaped courtyard at the third level. Two residential towers would be constructed above the bases to total heights of approximately 350 feet and 400 feet above the ground surface level, respectively.
Preliminary Recommendation: No Action Required
(Continued from Regular Meeting of November 14, 2002)
SPEAKER (S):
(+) Tim Tosta, Representing the Project Sponsor
- Would like to hear all the public comments
(+) Andrew Junius, Representing the Project Sponsor
- Here to listen to all the public comments
(-) Roger Brandon
- This will be the largest residential building in the area
- The area where this building is being proposed is an office district, not
residential
- Both proposals are wrong. This project is not necessary
(-) Sue Hestor
- Asked the Commission to not approve both (either) documents
(+) Arelious Walker
- Encouraged commission to support project
(-) Elizabeth Kearny
- Opposed proposed project
(+) Steve Vettel
- Both EIRs are adequate
(-) Judith Patterson
- Opposed to this project because of the height
- There are many of issues such as lighting, traffic, etc, that are not addressed in the EIR
(+) Alexandria Chung
- Supports both documents
(-) Bobby Carter
- EIR is not adequate
- Traffic and parking has not been adequately addressed
- Concerned about the topography
(-) Rev. Arnold Thompson
- EIR is inadequate
(+) Gwyneth Borden
- EIR is adequately addressed
(+) Mary Ann Miller
- These two EIRs were well prepared
ACTION: Hearing to receive public comment only. No action required
6. 2000.1073E (B. HELBER: (415) 558-5968)
201 FOLSOM STREET - Draft Environmental Review Public Hearing. Rezoning of parcels in the Rincon Hill neighborhood (the rezoning project ) and a residential development of approximately 1,500,000 gross square feet (gsf) at 201 Folsom Street (the development project ). The property is currently used as a paved parking lot by the United States Postal Service (USPS) Annex and other government agencies for 270 vehicles. The rezoning project includes rezoning part of Lot 1 in Assessor's Block 3746 and Lots 1 and 8 in Assessor's Block 3745 from the existing P (Public) to a zoning district that allows private development. The project proposed rezoning is from P (Public) with height limits of 150 and 200 feet to RC-4 (Residential-Commercial Combined: High-Density) with a 300- and 400-foot height limit. In addition, a Planning Code text amendment is under review to create a new Residential/Commercial sub-district under the Rincon Hill Special Use District overlay, and amendments to the Rincon Hill Area Plan, a part of the San Francisco General Plan. The rezoning is in conjunction with development proposed at 300 Spear Street on Assessor's Block 3745, Lot 1. The third parcel requested to be rezoned is 345 Main Street, Lot 8 in Assessor's Block 3745. The development project would consist of up to 820 residential units (about 910,000 gsf) and about 30,000 gsf of retail space. It would include about 880 enclosed parking spaces and five loading spaces for the use of the development, and about 270 enclosed replacement parking spaces for the use of the USPS and other government agencies. An 80-foot-tall base would cover the site. Two residential towers would be constructed above the base to total heights of approximately 350 feet and 400 feet above the ground surface level. The project would require a subdivision of Lot 1 to separate the development site from the Postal Service Annex.
Preliminary Recommendation: No Action Required
(Continued from Regular Meeting of November 14, 2002)
SPEAKER (S): Same as those listed for item 5 (items 5 and 6 were called and heard together).
ACTION: Hearing to receive public comment only. No action required.
7. 2000.048E (J. KUGLER: (415) 558-5983)
TRANSBAY TERMINAL/CALTRAIN DOWNTOWN EXTENSION/REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT - Public Hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement /Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIS/DEIR). The proposed project has three major components: the construction of a multi-modal Terminal on the site of the present Terminal (that would be demolished) at Mission and First Streets; an underground extension of Caltrain commuter rail service from its current San Francisco terminus at Fourth and Townsend Streets to a new terminus underneath the proposed new Transbay Terminal; and establishment of a Redevelopment Area Plan with related development projects, including transit-oriented development in the vicinity of the new multi-modal Transbay Terminal. The proposed Redevelopment Area would generally be bound by Mission, Main, Spear, Folsom, Essex, I-80, Second and Minna Streets. Other subordinate components of the project include a temporary bus terminal facility at Beale and Folsom Streets to be used during construction of the new Transbay Terminal; a new, permanent off-site bus storage/layover facility; reconstructed bus ramps leading to the new Transbay Terminal; and a redesigned Caltrain storage yard.
Preliminary Recommendation: Receive Comments, No Action Required
Note: Written comments will be accepted at the Planning Department's offices until the close of business on December 6th.
SPEAKER (S):
(-) Luis Belmonte
- He has 257 residents who live immediately adjacent to the place that the EIR proposed to put all the buses;
- This is an inappropriate place to put the terminal;
- There will be an additional amount of noise to what we already have.
(-) Elizabeth Carney (spoke on behalf of Monica Ducland)
- Concerned about putting the bus depot near Stealman and 2nd Street;
- Complexity of tunneling or other requires more studies and analysis;
- There are 127 families that live in this building and have by chance learned that this analysis is occurring;
- Requested that comment period be extended while they take the opportunity to look and see what the impacts will be on their building.
(-) Roger Brandon
- This proposal is an expensive project;
- We should reject this new building proposal of an underground terminal
(-) Jan Johnson Mathews
- This EIR is not adequate
(-) Ted Pollac
- Concerned about the bus depot for a number a reasons that include noise, but more important, diesel fumes.
(-) Elizazbeth Kearny
- Concerned about the diesel fume
- Traffic is not addressed in this EIR
(-) Bruce Barnes
- His main concerns are diesel emissions and health hazards
- He is also concerned about the parking problem in the area
(-) Norman Rolfe
- There should be further studies before approving this EIR
(-) Andrew Littlefield
- Requested an extension on the deadline for submittal of comments regarding the EIR
- Concerned also about the diesel fuel
(+) Peter Winkelstein
- Supports project strongly
(-) Arthur Meader
- Requested additional time to submit comments
(-) Mary Ann Miller
- EIR is inadequate
(-) Pamela Duffy
- EIR is inadequate
(-) Jennifer Claire
- EIR is inadequate
(-) George Ames
- To put this terminal near a residential area is not a comparable use.
ACTION: Hearing to receive public comment only. No action required.
E. PUBLIC COMMENT
At this time, members of the public may address the Commission on items of interest to the public that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Commission except agenda items. With respect to agenda items, your opportunity to address the Director of Planning or the Zoning Administrator will be afforded when the item is reached in the meeting. Each member of the public may address the Commission for up to three minutes.
None
Adjournment: 5:15 P.M.
THESE MINUTES WERE PROPOSED FOR ADOPTION AT THE REGULAR MEETING ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2002.
SPEAKERS: None
ACTION: Approved
AYES: Antonini, Boyd, Bradford Bell, Feldstein, Hughes, Sue Lee, William Lee
Last updated: 11/17/2009 10:00:08 PM
