OCII conditionally approves Block 48 major phase with 12% density bonus, commissioners press for marketing and COP data

The Commission on Community Investment and Infrastructure on March 3 conditionally approved environmental findings under the California Environmental Quality Act and a major phase application for Block 48 of the Hunters Point Shipyard project, including a 12% density bonus and schematic design approval for Phase 1A.

Staff and the applicant said the density-bonus approval would allow Block 48 to accommodate up to 404 residential units across multiple subphases, raising allowable heights to 45 feet and reducing the private open-space requirement from 125 to 80 square feet per unit in some building types. The schematic Phase 1A plan approved today covers 47 units; staff said five of those units will be affordable at 80 percent of area median income (AMI) and that the density-bonus units include a mix the developer proposes at higher AMI tiers (staff stated six density-bonus units at 120% AMI and two at 80% AMI). The agency described a broader shipyard program of more than 12,000 units citywide, 32 percent of which the agency said will be affordable in the overall plan.

Lennar representatives and the project architects presented the Hillside neighborhood scheme and unit types: a mix of flats, stacked townhomes and townhomes over garages, building heights generally between 30 and 45 feet, and typical unit sizes ranging from roughly 740 sq ft (one-bedroom lofts) up to 1,500+ sq ft for larger townhomes. Architects said the design emphasizes pocket parks, a pedestrian network and rear-loaded garages to preserve streetscape character.

Public commenters including Gerald Joseph (HSM Property Management), Linda Richardson and Dr. Veronica Honeycutt (CAC chair) spoke in support of the project and community engagement to date. Commissioners, however, pressed staff and Lennar for more detail on how affordable units will be marketed and allocated. Commissioner Bustos asked whether the additional 40 units created by the density bonus bring any new community benefits beyond required BMR units; staff replied there are no additional community-benefit payments tied specifically to the bonus, stating the listed community-benefit programs (for example, construction assistance and first-time homebuyer outreach) are already required by the project agreements and would continue.

Commissioners repeatedly demanded a marketing and outreach plan for affordable units and better reporting on the certificate-of-preference (COP) program, local hiring and small-business-enterprise (SBE) contracting. Staff agreed to ask the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) to provide a verbal interim update at the next commission meeting and to deliver a formal marketing report on April 21. Commissioner Mondahar and others said they expected continuing memoranda on SBE/compliance rather than waiting for quarterly reports.

The commission approved the item by roll call (4–0). Commissioners also recorded a public expectation that future schematic approvals for subsequent phases return with the requested marketing, COP and SBE details before substantial new approvals proceed.