Planning Commission approves Sutro Tower cladding replacement after neighbors object to consent placement

The San Francisco Planning Commission unanimously approved a mandatory discretionary review with conditions on Feb. 27 for Sutro Tower Inc.’s replacement of exterior corrugated panels on horizontal trusses at the 1 La Avanzada site. The decision followed neighborhood lobbyists’ objections that the item had been placed on the meeting’s consent calendar without adequate neighborhood notice.

Planning Department staff described the project as a like‑for‑like replacement of corrugated panels on the tower’s second through fourth horizontal truss levels after testing showed some existing panels contain lead paint. The replacement panels will be fabricated off‑site, painted aviation orange‑red to match the existing striped portions of the tower, and installed after rust abatement and surface maintenance on exposed surfaces.

Gretel Gunther, planning staff, told commissioners the project includes standard conditions of approval used at Sutro Tower and that Sutro Tower Inc. had sent notices and held a community meeting on Feb. 12; the department had received one letter of support and three letters of opposition, mostly objecting to the item’s initial placement on the consent calendar. Shaolin Chen and Walter Kaplan, neighborhood liaisons from Midtown Terrace and Forest Knowles respectively, said they supported the technical project but opposed the prior placement on consent and asked that future discretionary hearings not be placed on consent without neighborhood notice and liaison agreement.

Christenthal Peters, representing Sutro Tower Inc., confirmed the work is intended to protect sensitive equipment inside the tower and said the project sponsor would answer technical questions. Planning staff recommended approval with the standard Sutro Tower conditions. Commissioner Moore asked the city attorney whether mandatory discretionary review items could be placed on consent; the city attorney said she would review the question and report back but noted that any consent calendar item can be removed at the request of the public.

Commission action: A motion to approve the mandatory discretionary review with conditions carried unanimously, 7–0.

Why it matters: Sutro Tower is San Francisco’s principal communications facility; the project addresses public‑health issues tied to lead paint and maintenance of safety and equipment protection while also touching on neighborhood process: neighbors asked that future mandatory discretionary reviews not be placed on consent calendars without prior liaison notice and agreement.

Next steps and implementation: The project will proceed subject to the standard Sutro Tower conditions of approval. Planning staff committed to coordinate with the city attorney and the commission secretary about future consent‑calendar placement for Sutro Tower matters to ensure neighborhood liaisons are notified when appropriate.