June 5, 2008 - Regular Meeting

SAN FRANCISCO

PLANNING COMMISSION

Notice of Meeting

&

Calendar

Commission Chambers - Room 400

City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place

Thursday, June 5, 2008

1:30 PM

Regular Meeting

President: Christina R. Olague

Vice-President: Ron Miguel

Commissioners: Michael J. Antonini; William L. Lee; Kathrin Moore;

Hisashi Sugaya

Commission Secretary: Linda D. Avery

Commission Meeting Procedures

Material submitted by the public for Commission review prior to a scheduled hearing should be received by the Planning Department reception counter at 1650 Mission Street, 4th floor, no later than 5:00 PM the Wednesday (eight days) prior to the scheduled public hearing. Persons unable to attend a hearing may submit written comments regarding a calendared item to: Planning Commission, 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94103-2414. Comments received by 11:00 AM on the day of the hearing will be made part of the official record and will be brought to the attention of the Planning Commission at the public hearing. Otherwise, submit material related to a calendared item at the scheduled hearing for distribution. For complete distribution to all Commissioners, necessary staff and case/docket/correspondence files, submit an original plus 10 copies. When sending e-mail correspondence to Commissioners, please copy the Commission Secretary at: linda.avery@sfgov.org

Pursuant to Government Code Section 65009, if you challenge, in court, (1) the adoption or amendment of a general plan, (2) the adoption or amendment of a zoning ordinance, (3) the adoption or amendment of any regulation attached to a specific plan, (4) the adoption, amendment or modification of a development agreement, or (5) the approval of a variance, conditional-use authorization, or any permit, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Commission, at, or prior to, the public hearing.

Commission action on conditional-uses and reclassification may be appealed to the Board of Supervisors within 30 days. Call (415) 554-5184 for more information. Commission actions after Discretionary Review may be appealed to the Board of Appeals within 15 days of action by the Central Permit Bureau. Call (415) 575-6880 for more information. Zoning Administrator action on a variance application may be appealed to the Board of Appeals within 10 days of issuance of the written decision.

The Commission has instituted a policy that, in most cases, they will not call an item for consideration after 10:00 PM. If an item is scheduled but not called or introduced prior to 10:00 PM, the Commission may continue the matter to the next available hearing. Items listed on this calendar will not be heard before the stated time.

Cell Phone and/or Sound-Producing Electronic Devices Usage at Hearings

Effective January 21, 2001, the Board of Supervisors amended the Sunshine Ordinance by adding the following provision: The ringing of and use of cell phones, pagers and similar sound-producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting. Please be advised that the Chair may order the removal from the meeting room of any person(s) responsible for the ringing or use of a cell phone, pager, or other similar sound-producing electronic devices (67A.1 Prohibiting the use of cell phones, pagers and similar sound-producing electronic devices at and during public meetings).

For more information related to Planning Commission matters, please call Linda D. Avery, Commission Secretary, at (415) 558-6407.

San FranciscoLobbyist Ordinance

Attention: Individuals and entities that influence or attempt to influence local legislative or administrative action my be required by the San Francisco Lobbyist Ordinance [SF Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code Section 21.00-2.160] to register and report lobbying activity. For more information about the Lobbyist Ordinance, please contact the Ethics Commission at 30 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 3900, San Francisco, CA 94102; telephone (415) 581-2300; fax (415) 581-2317; and web site http//www.sfgov.org/ethics.

Accessible Meeting Policy

Hearings are held at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 400, fourth floor, San Francisco, CA. The closest accessible BART station is the Civic Center station located at the intersection of Market, Hyde and Grove Streets. Accessible curbside parking has been designated at points along McAllister Street. Accessible MUNI lines serving City Hall are the 9 San Bruno and 71 Haight/Noriega and the F Line. Accessible MUNI Metro lines are the J, K, L, M, and N. For more information regarding MUNI accessible services, call (415) 923-6142. Requests for American sign language interpreters, sound enhancement systems and/or language translators will be available upon request by contacting Lulu Hwang at (415) 558-6318 at least 48 hours prior to a hearing. A sound enhancement system will be available upon request at the meetings. Please contact Services for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired at 557-5533 (TDD) or 557-5534 (Voice) at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Late requests will be honored if possible. A person who is deaf or hearing impaired may gain meeting information prior to the meeting by calling 557-4433 (TDD) or 557-4434 (Voice). In addition, the California Relay Service can be used by individuals with hearing and speech impairments by calling 1-800-735-2929 (TDD) or 1-800-735-2922 (Voice). Minutes of the meetings are available in alternative formats. If you require the use of a reader during the meeting, please contact the Library for the Blind and Print Handicapped at 292-2022 at least 48 hours in advance of need. Accessible seating for persons with disabilities (including those using wheelchairs) will be available at meetings. Individuals with severe allergies, environmental illnesses, multiple chemical sensitivity or related disabilities should call our accessibility hotline at (415) 554-8925 to discuss meeting accessibility. In order to assist the City's efforts to accommodate such people, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical-based products. Please help the City to accommodate these individuals.

Know Your Rights Under the Sunshine Ordinance

Government's duty is to serve the public, reaching its decisions in full view of the public. Commissions, boards, councils and other agencies of the City and County exist to conduct the people's business. This ordinance assures that deliberations are conducted before the people and that City operations are open to the people's review.

For more information on your rights under the Sunshine Ordinance (Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code) or to report a violation of the ordinance, contact Adele Destro, Interim Administrator, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 409, by phone at (415) 554-7724, by fax at (415) 554-7854 or by E-mail at sotf@sfgov.org.

Copies of the Sunshine Ordinance can be obtained from the Clerk of the Sunshine Task Force, the San Francisco Library and on the City's website at www.sfgov.org/bdsupvrs/sunshine..

COMMUNICATIONS

Note: Each item on the Consent or Regular calendar may include the following documents:

1) Planning Department Case Executive Summary

2) Planning Department Case Report

3) Draft Motion or Resolution with Findings and/or Conditions

4) Public Correspondence

These items will be available for review at the Planning Department, 1650 Mission St., 4th floor reception.

1:30 PM _________

ROLL CALL:

President: Christina R. Olague

Vice-President: Ron Miguel

Commissioners: Michael J. Antonini; William L. Lee; Kathrin Moore; Hisashi Sugaya

• 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. 2005.0142E (B. Bollinger: (415) 575-9024)

733 27^th Avenue - The proposed project is located at 733 27^th Avenue (Assessor's Block 1617, Lot 003) in the Outer Richmond neighborhood. Appeal of a Preliminary Mitigated Negative Declaration. The existing two-story building is approximately 1,848 square feet in size, 23'-9 in height, and has one off-street parking space. The proposed project would construct a horizontal addition that would extend the existing building about six feet to the north property line and 18 feet west into the rear yard and a vertical addition that would add a third floor to the existing building. The proposed horizontal and vertical additions would add approximately 2,850 square feet to the existing 1,848-square-foot building and would remain a two-unit residence. The proposed building would be a three-story, approximately 4,698-square-foot building with two off-street parking. The project site is within an RH-2 (Residential House, Two-Family) zoning district and within a 40-X height and bulk district.

Preliminary Recommendation: Uphold Preliminary Mitigated Negative Declaration

(Continued from Regular Meeting of March 27, 2008)

(Proposed for Continuance to September 18, 2008)

2. 2007.1355T (T. SULLIVAN-LENANE: (415) 558-6257)

Ordinance amending the San Francisco Planning Code by adding Section 785 to establish the Mission/Bernal Formula Retail Restricted Use Subdistrict and to amend Section 703.3 to prohibit formula retail uses in the Mission/Bernal Formula Retail Restricted Use Subdistrict [Board File No. 07-1561]. Ordinance introduced by Supervisor Ammiano amending the San Francisco Planning Code by adding Section 785 to establish the Mission/Bernal Formula Retail Restricted Use Subdistrict; amending Section 703.3 to prohibit formula retail uses in the Mission/Bernal Formula Retail Restricted Use Subdistrict; amending Sectional Maps SU 07 and SU 11 of the Zoning Map of the City and County of San Francisco to establish the boundaries of the Mission/Bernal Formula Retail Restricted Use Subdistrict; adopting finding, including environmental findings and findings of consistency with the priority policies of Planning Code Section 101.1 and the General Plan.

Preliminary Recommendation: Approval with Modifications

(Continued from Regular Meeting of April 24, 2008)

(Proposed for Continuance to August 14. 2008)

B. CONSENT CALENDAR

All matters listed hereunder constitute a Consent Calendar, are considered to be routine by the Planning Commission, and will be acted upon by a single roll call vote of the Commission. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a member of the Commission, the public, or staff so requests, in which event the matter shall be removed from the Consent Calendar and considered as a separate item at this or a future hearing

3. 2008.0244C (D. Sánchez: (415) 575-9082)

2809 24^th Street - south side of 24^th, between York Street and Bryant Street, Lot 033 in Assessor's Block 4267 - Request for Conditional Use Authorization under Planning Code Sections 727.42 and 303 to allow for a Full Service Restaurant (dba Sushi Bistro) within the 24^th Street - Mission Neighborhood Commercial Zoning District and a 40-X Height and Bulk designation.

Preliminary Recommendation: Approval with Conditions

4a. 2007.1163C (A. LIGHT: (415) 558-6254)

140 Ellis Street - north side between Cyril Magnin and Powell Street, Lot 023 in Assessor's Block 326 - Request for Conditional Use Authorization to expand an existing hotel use by converting the existing 77 residential hotel rooms into tourist hotel rooms within the six-story mixed use structure. This change of use would increase the number of tourist rooms from the existing 47 tourist rooms to a total of 124 tourist hotel rooms. The project does not propose any modifications to the building exterior or interior and consists of the change of use only. As provided under the San Francisco Administrative Code, 65 residential hotel rooms at the project site (to be converted to tourist hotel rooms) will be replaced at 317 Leavenworth Street. This actual two-way conversion itself is also the subject of the Conditional Use request. (A companion common open space and parking variance case for 317 Leavenworth (Case No. 2007.1164V) to permit the replacement of the residential hotel rooms will be considered by the Zoning Administrator concurrently with this case.) The remaining 12 residential hotel rooms will be converted to tourist hotel rooms through the payment of an in-lieu fee as provided in the Administrative Code. (The in-lieu fee payment provision is NOT subject to Conditional Use authorization.) The project site is located in a C-3-G (Downtown General Commercial) Zoning District and an 80-130-F Height and Bulk District.

Preliminary Recommendation: Approval with Conditions

(Continued from Regular Meeting of April 24, 2008)

4b. 2007.1164V (A. LIGHT: (415) 558-6254)

317 Leavenworth Street- northwest corner of intersection with Eddy Street; Lot 005 in Assessor's Block 0334 - Request for Residential Open Space and Off-Street Parking Variances. The proposal is to convert the existing 65 tourist hotel room into 65 residential hotel rooms in conjunction with a reverse conversion at 140 Ellis Street. The existing building occupies the lot almost entirely, and none of the proposed residential hotel rooms would be provided with any private or common open space, nor would any off-street parking spaces be provided. The project site is located in an RC-4 (Residential-Commercial, Combined, High Density) Zoning District and an 80-T Height and Bulk District.

(Continued from Regular Meeting of April 24, 2008)

5. 2007.1362X (K. GUY: (415) 558-6162)

1145 MARKET STREET - south side between Seventh and Eighth Streets, Lot 044 in Assessor's Block 3702 - Section 309 Determination of Compliance to replace the existing copper cupola roof feature with a glass roof that would increase the height of this element by three feet at the top of this thirteen story office building. The project site is within a C-3-G (Downtown General Commercial) Zoning District and a 120-X Height and Bulk district.

Preliminary Recommendation: Approval with Conditions.

(Continued from Regular Meeting of April 17, 2008)

C. COMMISSIONERS' QUESTIONS AND MATTERS

6. Commission Comments/Questions

• Inquiries/Announcements. Without discussion, at this time Commissioners may make announcements or inquiries of staff regarding various matters of interest to the Commissioner(s).
• Future Meetings/Agendas. At this time, the Commission may discuss and take action to set the date of a Special Meeting and/or determine those items that could be placed on the agenda of the next meeting and other future meetings of the Planning Commission.

D. DIRECTOR'S REPORT

7. Director's Announcements

8. Review of Past Week's Events at the Board of Supervisors and Board of Appeals

E. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT – 15 MINUTES

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 Commission 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.

F. PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS WHERE THE PUBLIC HEARING HAS BEEN CLOSED

At this time, members of the public who wish to address the Commission on agenda items that have already been reviewed in a public hearing at which members of the public were allowed to testify and the public hearing has been closed, must do so at this time. Each member of the public may address the Commission for up to three minutes.

• CONSIDERATION OF FINDINGS AND FINAL ACTION – PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED

9. 2003.0655E (S. MICKELSEN: (415) 575-9039)

SFPUC NEW CRYSTAL SPRINGS BYPASS TUNNEL - Certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report - prepared for San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's (SFPUC) proposed New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel Project which proposes to excavate a 4,200-foot long tunnel at depths ranging from about 60 to 200 feet along Polhemus Road in San Mateo County. A 96-inch pipeline inside the tunnel would convey drinking water to San Francisco and San Mateo County customers. The tunnel would replace an existing pipeline with the same conveyance capacity. NOTE: The public hearing on the Draft EIR is closed. The public comment period for the Draft EIR ended on October 9, 2007. The Planning Commission does not conduct public review of Final EIRs. Public comments on the certification may be presented to the Planning Commission during the Public Comment portion of the Commission calendar.

Preliminary Recommendation: Certify Environmental Impact Report

• REGULAR CALENDAR

3:30 P.M. - - [Although the following item may be called after the listed time, it will not be called before.]

10. (A. VARAT: (415) 558-6405)

BETTER STREETS PLAN - Staff will give an informational presentation on the Draft Better Streets Plan, which was released to the public on June 2, 2008. The Better Streets Plan creates a unified set of standards, guidelines, and implementation strategies to govern how the City designs, builds, and maintains its pedestrian environment. It is a collaboration between the Planning Department, DPW, MTA, PUC, and other City departments.

Preliminary Recommendation: Informational only, no action requested.

I. 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 Commission will be afforded when the item is reached in the meeting with one exception. When the agenda item has already been reviewed in a public hearing at which members of the public were allowed to testify and the Commission has closed the public hearing, your opportunity to address the Commission must be exercised during the Public Comment portion of the Calendar. Each member of the public may address the Commission for up to three minutes.

The Brown Act forbids a commission from taking action or discussing any item not appearing on the posted agenda, including those items raised at public comment. In response to public comment, the commission is limited to:

(1) responding to statements made or questions posed by members of the public; or

(2) requesting staff to report back on a matter at a subsequent meeting; or

• directing staff to place the item on a future agenda. (Government Code Section 54954.2(a))

Adjournment: