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Central SoMa EIR appeals continued to Sept. 4 amid concerns for affordable housing financing
Summary
Supervisor Kim moved — and the board agreed — to continue four appeals of the Central SoMa final environmental impact report to the September 4 meeting, after public commenters and housing advocates urged more time to assess project impacts and to protect timelines for an affordable housing project (TNDC).
The Board of Supervisors continued four appeals of the Central SoMa final environmental impact report (EIR) to September 4, 2018 after Supervisor Jane Kim said additional amendments and planning commission review were necessary.
Kim asked the board to continue the appeals because she had introduced a set of amendments and expected to refer the revised plan back to the Planning Commission; she said the commission meets during the August recess and she hoped the board's next regular meeting in September would be a more appropriate time to consider the appeals.
During the public comment period speakers representing housing groups urged the continuance. Laura Clark of the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC) asked the board to consider financing constraints, saying "all projects are affected by this unpredictability, especially affordable housing. And TNDC is at risk right now." Corey Smith of the Housing Action Coalition echoed that concern and urged care so that the TNDC 100‑percent affordable project at Fifth and Howard could move forward.
Supervisor Kim responded that TNDC had a financing timeline — a "drop‑dead" construction start deadline of December 2019 — and said she expected that the continuance "will still allow them to meet that deadline" while the board and Planning Commission complete further review.
The motion to continue the appeals to the board meeting on September 4 was made by Supervisor Kim, seconded and carried without objection. The board closed the public comment period on the continuance and scheduled the appeals for the September meeting to allow additional review and amendments.
