Board affirms Planning Department's community-plan exemption for 1088 Howard Street after hearing; appellants raised air, noise and sewer concerns

Lede: The Board of Supervisors reviewed an appeal of the Planning Department's community plan evaluation (CPE) for a proposed seven-story mixed-use project at 1088 Howard Street (agenda items 53–56). Neighbors living in an adjacent high‑density condominium raised construction noise, air quality (including wildfire smoke and the COVID era's more-homebound residents), and local sewer-backup concerns. Planning staff and project experts countered the project is consistent with the Eastern Neighborhoods program EIR and that mitigation and city rules reduce construction impacts to less-than-significant levels.

Nut graf: Appellants contended the PEIR did not contemplate the current pandemic and extended wildfire smoke episodes, and they argued the specific adjacency and building geometry combined with an older condominium configuration create a unique exposure pathway for contaminants and noise. Planning staff said the program EIR anticipated residents…