Despite the Planning Department’s support for the project two years ago, San Francisco’s Planning Commission denied Orchard Supply Hardware’s bid to convert the Pacific Sales building at 975 Bryant Street into a 33,000 square foot OSH with a nursery on the roof, raising a number of questions as to the Planning Commission’s role.
New plans for the site are now in the works. And as proposed, the Pacific Sales building will be razed rather than re-used in order to make room for a four-story development with 184 residential units over 117 parking spaces in a basement garage.
As noted by the Planning Department, the newly proposed project is generally consistent with the overarching objectives of the neighborhood. (Of course, OSH’s plan was deemed by the Department to be “desirable for, and compatible with the surrounding neighborhood,” as well.)
The Planning Department is encouraging Thompson Dorfman Partners, the development team behind Bay Street Emeryville and this proposal, to include “Living Alley” improvements along the adjacent Kate Street as part of their plans. We’ll keep you posted and plugged-in as the proposal evolves.
Yes, nothing screams “Living Alley” like having the world’s busiest freeway next to it.
A freeway which I’ll be driving on regularly to get to Home Depot in Colma.
if you need a big box there’s always lowe’s on bayshore
Sort of like that multiunit they’re building immediately adjacent Caltrain tracks. Fun fun!
At least once Caltrain electrifies, those units won’t be exposed to diesel soot and as much noise. This location is ridiculously polluted by cars and trucks.
If the mayor really wanted to tear down a freeway to improve the City, he should spearhead undergrounding 101 from, say, 3 Street to Potrero Hill – improving capacity and flow in the process, while freeing up above-ground space.
I guess OSH didn’t grease the right palms. But they are opening a store near Fisherman’s Wharf. so I guess all’s well that ends well.
Is there room on the lot for a CPMC Pulmonary Disease clinic? It would get a lot of business.
What a stupid place for housing!
ever been to any other major city in the world?
This is San Francisco – we are supposed to do better planning – not worse – than the other cities.
You can’t seriously be suggesting we copy the loser cities that do build housing right next to freeways?
What next? Donald Trump comb-overs for everybody because that’s how they do it in Jersey?
haha. we are clearly not better. we are nowhere near up to snuff with other world class cities with planning. if we could get anywhere near those other cities in terms of good planning, i would be surprised. we ahve 3rd world planning in SF
because this would be the first apartment building near a major freeway. Rincon hill anyone!?!?!? Any additional housing will help the city. If this is SO undesireable maybe the price point will be more appropriate for middle class families which we desperately need housing for (so I’m told)
exactly. what’s the difference between living adjacent to this highway when many of our major streets are basically the same thing…Van Ness, Geary, Fell/Oak, Bush/Pine, 19th ave, etc
The section of 80 by 7th St carries about 4 times as much traffic as Van Ness and more than twice as much as 19th ave, per CA DOT which does regular traffic counts on all three. The pollution may not be bad far above the traffic as are many units on Rincon Hill. That location is also directly downwind of the highway.
Building adjacent to elevated highways should be somewhat taller, mixed-use structures. It’s in, idiotic, to build flim housing adjacent so. First few levels should be commercial with housing above. It’s about quality of life and building proper sustaining housing. Good morning.
OSH would have been a good fit. in this location Home Depot did a study of their Emeryville store – half the customers have San Francisco zip codes. Seems kind of silly to send that all that tax revenue to Alameda county and to have all those people drive over the Bay Bridge all the time….
UPDATE: Development of Site Where OSH Was Denied Moves Closer to Reality