The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has voted to certify the previously approved but appealed Environmental Impact Reports (EIR’s) for the development of Candlestick/Hunters Point and 900 Folsom/260 Fifth Street.
The board voted 8-3 to certify the Candlestick/Hunters Point EIR with supervisors Avalos, Daly, and Mar voting against, while the vote to certify the EIR for the 900 Folsom/260 Fifth Street project was unanimously in favor.
∙ A Pair Of Big Appeals For San Francisco’s Board Of Supervisors Today [SocketSite]
∙ Candlestick/Hunters Point Environmental Impact Report Approved [SocketSite]
∙ The Grand Plan And Aesthetics For Candlestick/Hunters Point [SocketSite]
∙ New And Approved: 900 Folsom/260 Fifth Street Project [SocketSite]
∙ 900 Folsom/260 Fifth Street Project: The New New Design [SocketSite]
There may be hope for San Francisco after all. Kudos to Ross Mirkarimi and David Chiu for voting the right way on this one in the end.
Great news!!
Who cares, the Transbay EIR/ SOMA height limit changes will be the real defining moment for SF. When is the board supposed to vote on that?
No kudos for just acting normal.
The problem is that we are so accustomed to peculiar political behavior that people are grateful for the merest common sense.
From Mattier and Ross column today:
Pyrrhic victory: The San Francisco Board of Supervisors may have finally signed off on the Hunters Point shipyard development, but don’t look for the shovels to turn anytime soon.
“No bank will give them or anyone else a single loan to build on this property,” says a source close the lead developer, Lennar Corp.
Even if the economy picks up, it’s doubtful the developers would be able to move forward, given the pile of concessions they made to neighbors, unions, environmental activists and the supervisors themselves to win passage.
Among them:
— Setting aside a third of the housing to be sold at below-market rates.
— Rebuilding the Alice Griffith public housing project.
— Putting up $82 million in “public benefits” – everything from job training and scholarships to education and health programs.
— Creating 300 acres of parks.
— Extending Muni Metro lines and paying for a dedicated bus lane.
“It’s a Pyrrhic victory,” says our source. “Nothing is going to be built there anytime soon.”
While Lennar execs aren’t talking publicly, Michael Cohen, the mayor’s economic development director, said “it’s true” that all the up-front demands on the developers will probably slow down the construction.
“But 702 acres of waterfront land in San Francisco is an irreplaceable asset,” Cohen said. “It’s not a question of if – but when – it gets developed.”