Planning Commission certifies final EIR for Southern Skyline Ridge Trail despite unavoidable biological and safety impacts

The San Francisco Planning Commission on April 29 certified the final environmental impact report (EIR) for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission(SFPUC) Southern Skyline Boulevard Ridge Trail extension, a multi-agency effort to add public trail access through the Peninsula watershed.

Planning staff environmental coordinator Tim Johnston told commissioners the projectan approximately 6-mile trail with supporting parking and restroom facilities and a half-mile universal-access loopwould "result in significant and unavoidable impacts related to biological resources and to transportation hazard," citing the risk of spreading plant pathogens that cause sudden oak death and the potential for hazardous crossings of State Route 92 where no signalized crosswalk currently exists. "Due to the project's significant and unavoidable impacts, the SFPUC would need to adopt a Statement of Overriding Considerations in order to approve the proposed project," Johnston said.

The final EIR analyzes the proposed alignment and three program variants as well as four alternatives including a no-project option. Staff recommended certification of the final EIR on the grounds the document and the administrative record satisfy California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements and provide decisionmakers with the information necessary to consider mitigation and trade-offs.

Public commenters included Liz Westbrook, Trail Program Director for the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, who urged certification and future collaboration: "Bridal Trail supports the certification of the final EIR for the Southern Skyline," she said, adding the project advances a 550-mile regional trail vision. Resident Denise Bobo praised the protection of SFPUC watershed lands and encouraged the commission to consider more restrictive alternatives where appropriate.

Johnston acknowledged that only the no-project alternative would avoid all identified significant and avoidable impacts and described mitigation measures for archaeological and tribal cultural resources, biological resources, noise, air quality, transportation and wildfire hazards. He also described a public outreach record including a published responses-to-comments document and an errata adding an omitted letter.

Commissioners asked staff about safety at Highway 92 crossings and about the range of access-management variants. Commissioner Dunn moved to certify the final EIR; the motion passed unanimously. The certification does not approve trail construction, but clears the CEQA step necessary for the SFPUC and its partners to advance design and to consider a Statement of Overriding Considerations and any required mitigation before a construction decision.

Next steps: certification places the EIR in the record for subsequent permitting and SFPUC approvals; staff and regional partners will continue coordination on highway crossing treatments and mitigation measures that address sudden oak death and other biological concerns.