Board affirms planning department on CEQA exemption for Marina's Fire Station 16

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on May 19 unanimously affirmed the Planning Departmentdetermination that reconstruction of Fire Station 16 at 2251 Greenwich Street (Marina District) is categorically exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The vote upheld the Planning Departmentfinding after an appeal from nearby residents who argued the site should not qualify for a categorical exemption because it had a history of underground storage tanks (USTs), asbestos and lead in building materials, and is listed on the Cortese hazardous sites list (Gov. Code —75962.5). Appellants said those facts created unusual circumstancesthat require an environmental review.

Appellant Steve Williams, representing immediate adjacent neighbors, told the board that planning and Public Works did not adequately notify neighbors of prior Arts Commission and design hearings, and argued the project site remained a hazardous-waste site that precludes a categorical exemption. "The subject site is a hazardous waste site currently on the Cortese list," Williams said during his presentation, citing case law and administrative decisions he said require further review.

Planning Department staff and the project sponsor disputed that reading. The department said the site was placed on the Cortese list in 1987 but later underwent remediation and a closure letter was issued by the state agency, and that remediation with a closure letter does not automatically bar a categorical exemption where there is documentation showing no ongoing hazard. The departmentalso said the project meets the Class 2 categorical-exemption criteria for replacement or reconstruction of a structure on the same site that will provide substantially the same capacity, and that no substantial evidence of unusual circumstancesexists that would support a fair argument of significant environmental impact.

For hazardous materials, the Planning Department said the fire stationproject includes removal and replacement of USTs under oversight by the Department of Public Health (DPH) and compliance with state and local health-code requirements. Sarah Jones, Planning Department environmental review officer, told the board DPH would review soil sampling and that UST removal would be handled under existing laws and agency oversight.

Fire Department Chief Ken Lombardi and Department of Public Works staff described the project as a seismic replacement intended to ensure the station remains operational after a major earthquake, and noted the station serves the Marina neighborhood and would be built with modern tanks, a new Tier 4 generator and updated apparatus space. DPW gave the project budget as approximately $10,700,000.

Supervisor Mark Farrell moved to affirm the Planning Departmentcategorical-exemption determination; Supervisor Campos seconded. The roll call resulted in 10 ayes and the board "finally affirmed" the categorical exemption unanimously.

The boardaction affirms the Planning Departmentdecision; the project will return to the implementing agencies for permits and the agenciesstandard hazardous-materials oversight. The appeal record and the Planning Department memo are in the administrative file for the project.

A full transcript of the hearing shows an extended technical dispute over the effect of a closure letter on a site's status and citations to the Parker Shattuck decision and other administrative rulings submitted by the appellants.

Outcome: supervisors unanimously affirmed the Planning Departmentcategorical exemption for Fire Station 16 (2251 Greenwich Street).