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Draft EIR for 469 Stephenson draws heavy public comment over shadowing and displacement
Summary
Planning staff presented a draft EIR for a proposed 27-story, ~497-unit development at 469 Stephenson Street; commenters highlighted a significant, unavoidable shadow impact on Mint Plaza, concerns about displacement and requests to extend the public comment period and hold additional outreach.
The Planning Department presented the draft environmental impact report for a proposed 27-story residential tower at 469 Stephenson Street during the April 16 commission hearing, prompting extensive public comment that polarized around two themes: potential neighborhood displacement and the project’s shadow impacts on nearby public spaces.
Jenny DeLillo, the Planning Department environmental coordinator, summarized the draft EIR and said the analysis concluded the project could cast a “substantial and adverse” shadow on Mint Plaza that would be a project-level and cumulative significant and unavoidable impact. The draft EIR also analyzed alternatives, including a reduced-density alternative that would avoid the new shadow impact.
Public commenters urged different responses. David Wu of the Selma Filipinas Cultural District and Angelica Cobande said the draft EIR failed to fully study gentrification, transportation and "micro-mobility" impacts and urged the commission to continue the hearing and extend the comment period to improve outreach during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place. Jill Helfenstein, board president of Friends of Mint Plaza, urged the commission to treat Mint Plaza as park-like space and reduce the tower’s height to avoid net new shadow, saying the plaza’s sunlight is essential to its use.
Other commenters, including representatives of labor and housing advocates, supported building at the site to provide new housing and union construction jobs; Leonard Basoco of the Carpenters Union and Corey Smith of the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition said housing production and local employment matter amid the economic fallout of COVID-19.
Commissioners discussed scheduling an informational hearing focused on project design and context, and staff extended the public review period for the draft EIR to May 11 to allow more time for written comments. Commissioners signaled intent to hold a future informational hearing prior to a later approval hearing but took no approval action on the EIR during the April 16 session.
