Draft EIR for Battery–Sansom development flags significant impact to landmark 447 Battery; commissioners press for preservation alternatives

SAN FRANCISCO — Commissioners, neighbors and preservation advocates raised strong objections April 2 to a draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for a proposed project that would replace the existing Fire Station 13 and build a 41‑story mixed‑use tower at 530 Sansom and 447 Battery — a site that includes an Article 10 landmark at 447 Battery (the Jones/​Ditel building).

What the DEIR says: Planning staff and the project sponsor presented the DEIR, which identified 447 Battery (a brick store/warehouse-type building dating to the early 20th century and previously found eligible for listing) as a historical resource under CEQA. The report concluded demolition of 447 Battery would cause a significant impact that could not be mitigated to less‑than‑significant; staff proposed mitigation measures including HABS‑level documentation, salvage evaluation and a public interpretive program. The DEIR also concluded that a site‑specific sculpture mounted on the existing Fire Station 13 — Untitled by Henriette Marie Rose (installed 1976) — is individually eligible as an important work by an artist of merit; staff said relocation plus an interpretive/installation plan could mitigate impacts to that object to less‑than‑significant.

Alternatives analyzed: The DEIR examined a no‑project alternative, a 19‑story full‑preservation alternative (retain and adaptively reuse 447 Battery and build a 19‑story tower elsewhere on the site), a 41‑story full‑preservation alternative, and a partial‑preservation alternative (retain some character‑defining features but substantially modify 447 Battery to accommodate a fire station). Staff said the alternatives were drafted following earlier commission input.

Public comment and commissioner concerns: Preservationists and business owners voiced opposition to demolition. Woody Labonte of San Francisco Heritage called the proposed mitigation “insufficient” for the loss of a city landmark and urged stronger preservation measures. Danielle Kuznicz, owner of San Francisco Wine Society located at 447 Battery, described the business’s 15‑year presence and said demolition would force her out; she also reported an uncomfortable elevator exchange with a commissioner (the commissioner later apologized on the record).

Commissioners pressed the project sponsor and staff on several fronts: whether alternate sites for a new fire station in the service area were feasible; whether relocation of the brick building had been considered; and whether the proposed mitigation and interpretive program were adequate to compensate for the loss of an Article 10 landmark. Commissioners asked staff to be explicit in the DEIR about the landmark designation, the degree of controversy and the availability of alternatives, and raised the option of recommending preservation‑first alternatives to the Planning Commission.

Process and next steps: Staff reminded the commission that the purpose of the hearing was to comment on the adequacy of the DEIR’s historic resource analysis. Written comments must be submitted to the EIR coordinator by 5 p.m. April 28, 2025; staff said responses to comments and the Final EIR are anticipated in July 2025. Planning staff confirmed that decisions about decertifying a landmark or legislative changes would ultimately be taken by the Board of Supervisors; the Planning Commission will consider project entitlements and the Final EIR toward project approval.

Why it matters: The DEIR frames a direct conflict between a major new development and preservation of a city‑designated landmark in the Jackson Square/financial district edge. Commissioners and community members argued the consequences for the city’s small set of landmark properties merit exhaustive efforts to avoid demolition; several commissioners said they prefer the DEIR’s full‑preservation alternatives.

Speakers quoted or on the record at the hearing included: Jonathan Shum (Related California, project sponsor), Jonathan Vimmer and Sherry George (Planning Department staff), Woody Labonte (San Francisco Heritage), Danielle Kuznicz (business owner at 447 Battery), Deputy City Attorney Peter Mlynich, and multiple commissioners.