Supervisors reverse planning decision, order environmental review for Davies neurosciences project

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Sept. 18 voted to reverse the Planning Commission’s approval of a mitigated negative declaration for a proposed 50,000‑square‑foot neurosciences institute at California Pacific Medical Center’s (CPMC) Davies campus and directed the clerk to prepare findings supporting that reversal.

Lede and result: The board concluded there is substantial public concern and a record of evidence warranting a fuller environmental review. On the motion to reverse the Planning Commission’s adoption of the mitigated negative declaration and to direct the clerk to prepare findings, the board approved the motion by roll call 7 ayes and 3 noes. The reversal means the city will prepare an environmental impact report (EIR) rather than rely on the mitigated negative declaration that had been issued by planning staff.

Why it matters: Appellants and neighborhood groups argued the project had not been evaluated in the context of CPMC’s broader multi‑campus planning, and raised specific concerns about air quality (diesel particulate matter during construction), traffic and parking, housing demand, and cumulative impacts citywide. Appellants urged that those impacts be assessed in a programmatic EIR that would look…