Historic preservation commission urges Planning Commission to protect Market Street character while advancing safety-focused project

The San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission on March 20 reviewed the Better Market Street draft environmental impact report and asked staff to send a focused memo to the Planning Commission highlighting the Commission's preservation priorities.

Planning Department EIR coordinator Chris Thomas told the commission the draft EIR covers a 2.2-mile corridor of Market Street between Stewart Street and Octavia Boulevard and includes changes to roadway configuration, transit stops, sidewalk level bikeways and streetscape elements. Senior preservation planner Frances McMillan said the draft EIR finds the corridor eligible for listing in the California Register of Historic Resources and that, "the proposed project would cause a significant unavoidable impact to the Market Street cultural landscape," even with mitigation.

Commissioners and public speakers agreed the project raises competing goals: preserving character-defining features while improving safety and accessibility. Commissioner Pearlman and others pressed for retention of granite curbs and design solutions that keep brick or brick-like paving as a character element without creating ADA barriers. Commissioner Black said she sees the brick as a place-making feature and wants as much of Lawrence Halprin's design character preserved as feasible. Charles Defarge of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition warned that the full preservation alternative "would compromise on the central safety goals of the project by eliminating or weakening protection for people biking." Ron Miguel, chair of the Citizens Working Group, said he found the EIR "complete and accurate" and urged the project to move forward responsibly.

Staff agreed to prepare and circulate to commissioners a standalone memo summarizing the HPC's comments for submission to the Planning Commission prior to the April 4 public hearing. Commissioners asked the memo to emphasize: retention of granite curbs where feasible; use of compatible paving if brick cannot be retained; attention to unintended business impacts (including the Zuni Cafe block raised in public comment); careful treatment of tree species to avoid monoculture; and clarification about which features will require separate certificates of appropriateness.

The Planning Department will accept comments on the draft EIR orally at the Planning Commission hearing and in writing; staff noted a responses-to-comments document will be prepared after that hearing and the Planning Commission will later consider certification of the EIR. The commission did not take a formal vote on a project approval at the March 20 meeting; it instead directed staff to deliver the comment memo to the Planning Commission and Land Use Committee.