OCII approves Mission Bay signage program for Warriors' Chase Center, including 68x38-foot video board

The Commission on Community Investment and Infrastructure voted 3–0 (one absent) June 5 to amend the Mission Bay South design for development and the Mission Bay signage master plan to establish a comprehensive sign program for the Golden State Warriors’ event center, the Chase Center.

OCII staff and project representatives told commissioners the amendments implement a condition from the commission’s 2015 schematic approval and are intended to allow arena-appropriate signage while limiting neighborhood impacts. Mark Slutskin, project manager for Mission Bay, described the program’s elements: a roof sign, six facade event signs (three on each side), a 68-foot-long by 38-foot-tall video board on the west facade facing the plaza, a gatehouse LED ticker and a theater LED ticker, 15 informational pylons, district signs reserved for nonprofit/education/health sponsors, and retail and office signage rules (office towers limited to two signs, each no larger than 81 square feet). Slutskin said final designs and exact locations for some district and pylon signs will be reviewed later by the Executive Director.

Representatives for the development team and the Golden State Warriors said they worked with OCII staff, the Planning Department and UCSF on view and illumination studies. Peter Bryant and other team members presented renderings and nighttime studies prepared by ARUP; staff said the highest modeled illumination increase at pedestrian scale near Campus Way was about 0.711 foot-candles and that impacts at sensitive receptors such as the UCSF helipad were substantially smaller (for example, 0.079 foot-candles). The presentation emphasized programming goals — farmer’s markets, movie nights and cultural content partnerships — to activate the plaza on non-event days.

OCII staff noted mitigation measures and next steps: the Entertainment Commission will consider extending amplified outdoor sound for specific post-game periods, an exterior lighting plan must be submitted and approved by OCII staff and the Executive Director, landscaping will be used to screen video boards from Third Street and the Muni platform, and staff will bring the exterior lighting and final pylon/district locations forward for approval. Staff also said the Commission had previously certified the supplemental final environmental impact report for the event center (FSEIR certified Nov. 3, 2015) and that the proposed signage amendments are implementing actions analyzed in that document. The team said the temporary certificate of occupancy for the event center is targeted for Aug. 1, 2019.

During public comment, residents and neighborhood representatives who had reviewed the plan supported the amendments. Corinne Woods, chair of the Mission Bay Citizens Advisory Committee, said neighborhoods found the plan restrained and thoughtful and recommended approval; Bruce Agud, a Mission Bay resident and neighborhood-association board member, said the Warriors had been responsive to neighborhood questions. Several commenters praised coordination with UCSF and the helipad safety work. Ace Washington raised separate historical and equity concerns about redevelopment practices and asked commissioners to address them in a later agenda item.

Commissioners commended staff and the project team for extensive outreach and mitigation. Commissioner Singh moved to approve the amendments, Commissioner Rosales seconded, and the commission’s roll call vote was 3 ayes, 1 absent.

The commission’s action adopts the proposed design-for-development and signage master plan amendments and approves specific signage as described; final design details, exterior lighting plans and any amplified-sound permit changes will be handled in subsequent reviews by OCII staff or other city bodies.