Commission finds proposed ODC rooftop addition will not have significant adverse shadow on Inchon Cahal Park

The Recreation and Park Commission on August 23 concluded that a proposed expansion by ODC at 3153 and 3157 Seventeenth Street — which includes a one‑story vertical addition with a rooftop terrace and a small second performance space — would not cast a significant adverse shadow on Inchon Cahal Park.

City planning and Rec and Park staff presented a shadow analysis showing limited new shadowing on the park during winter months (late‑afternoon hours between roughly October 12 and February 28). The maximum additional coverage occurs for a brief late‑afternoon period on a small portion of the park’s southwest quadrant; staff said the average daily duration of new shadow on affected days would be about 39 minutes and that the average affected area on those days is roughly 2,000 square feet, or about 7% of the park. The study found the theoretical annual available sunlight (TAAS) reduction would be small — the park’s existing shadow load is about 5.2% and the project would raise that to approximately 5.32%.

Staff noted that sensitive features such as the community garden would see partial late‑afternoon shading at certain winter dates but that raised beds and the greenhouse would not be affected; playground areas and exercise equipment would not see new shadow. ODC staff described 45 years of operations at the site, community open houses and outreach, and neighborhood support. Commissioners voted to forward a determination that the project would not constitute a significant adverse shadow impact on Rec and Park property.

The decision allows the ODC project to proceed through Planning Department review. Staff emphasized that the commission’s analysis used the 1989 memo on shadow criteria (adopted jointly by the commission) as the qualitative framework for small parks and that the project’s limited and seasonal shading met the standard for “no significant adverse impact.”