Board upholds Public Works tentative map approval for 0 Palo Alto Avenue with conditions after neighborhood hearing

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on May 17 voted to affirm the Department of Public Works’ tentative map approval for a two‑lot subdivision at 0 Palo Alto Avenue, but only after attaching conditions intended to resolve outstanding access and easement issues raised by neighbors and city departments.

The board heard roughly an hour of public testimony from nearby residents, neighborhood advocates and representatives for Sutro Tower, followed by presentations from Public Works and the project sponsor. Neighbors raised concerns about unclear easement documentation, the accuracy of the street name and address, preservation of an adjacent greenbelt and how future development could affect safety and access to the Sutro Tower site.

Why it matters: The tentative map is a prerequisite to future development. Neighbors argued the parcels sit alongside an interior greenbelt and trails heavily used for recreation, and that unresolved easement and utility arrangements could lead to construction that would encroach on public land and diminish a long‑held forest buffer around Sutro Tower.

What was decided: Supervisor Joel Engard Melgar moved to approve Public Works’ decision (item 29) subject to conditions; Supervisor Aaron Peskin seconded the motion; Supervisor Chan seconded the amendment. The board’s final vote on the motion to approve the tentative map with conditions was 10–0. The board also tabled two related items (a conditional disapproval motion and a motion to direct findings) for follow-up.

Conditions attached: The board required, before final map approval, that the applicant provide: - proof of Recreation and Parks Commission approval for the location and scope of any roadway easement that crosses city parkland; - documentation of any utility easements and landowner consent for those easements; - a plan demonstrating how the new lots will be serviced by utilities; and - demonstration that the new subdivision will have access to a public roadway.

What the record shows: Public Works staff told the board that, when the tentative map was first reviewed, it appeared to meet criteria; after approval, questions surfaced about easement location and documentation. Public Works said it had sent a follow‑up letter on May 15 asking the applicant to demonstrate access and utility servicing over park land and to secure Rec and Park consent. Rec and Park staff confirmed the department had not been looped into some of the earlier coordination because notices went to a centralized lodge address but did not reach the division handling the parcels.

Voices at the hearing: Appellant Jonathan Manzo said neighbors seek transparency and compliance with the general plan’s open‑space policies. Several neighbors — including Donna Crowder and Catherine Goldman Schuyler — described surprise at tree clearing and fencing in 2020 and said they want development limited to one single‑family home per lot if subdivision proceeds. Sutro Tower CEO Raul Velez asked the board to ensure that any future approval include acknowledgments or restrictions so the tower’s continuous operations are not impaired. The project sponsor, Jim Keith, told the board he has followed required procedures and said the lot split alone does not authorize construction.

Next steps: The board’s conditions require further documentation and departmental approvals before the final parcel map may be recorded; the board tabled related motions (items 30 and 31) pending that work.

Ending: The vote leaves the tentative map approved in concept but explicitly conditions final approval on resolving outstanding questions about access, easements and serviceability that residents and city departments flagged.