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Planning Commission upholds Mitigated Negative Declaration for proposed Hearst Building rehabilitation
Summary
After contested appeals from preservation advocates, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to uphold the Planning Department's finding that revisions to the Hearst Building project meet the Secretary of the Interior's rehabilitation standards and that mitigation measures make environmental impacts less than significant.
The Planning Commission on Feb. 14 unanimously upheld a Planning Department determination that a proposed rehabilitation and partial reuse of the Hearst Building at 5 Third Street can proceed under a mitigated negative declaration (MND).
The item drew a contested appeal from preservation advocates who argued the project would remove the Julia Morgan'designed penthouse and that the loss could materially impair the building's historic significance. Planning staff, an independent consultant and the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) reviewed revised plans and concluded the project meets the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and that proposed mitigation reduces impacts to a less-than-significant level.
Why it matters: The Hearst Building is a designated historic resource and the appeal centered on whether demolition of a rooftop penthouse would amount to a substantial adverse change under CEQA. The commission's decision allows the project to proceed to further HPC and entitlement hearings.
Planning staff summarized the project changes and the SHPO review, noting that the sponsor revised entrances and other details following initial SHPO comments. Appellants presented expert analysis pushing the commission to require an environmental impact report, arguing a fair argument exists that the penthouse demolition could be significant. The sponsor and preservation allies including San Francisco Heritage, SHPO and the project's consultants said the adaptive reuse and preservation commitments meet federal rehabilitation standards.
After discussion, the commission voted to uphold the MND and allow the project to move to Historic Preservation Commission review and later entitlement hearings. Commissioners stressed that the decision addresses only the CEQA threshold (whether an EIR is required) and not the merits of design, which will be evaluated at the HPC hearing.
Quote: "An independent consultant, the department, and the SHPO all determined that the project met the standards for rehabilitation," Planning staff said in presenting the department's recommendation.
Outcome: Motion to uphold the MND passed unanimously; next steps include an HPC hearing and subsequent entitlement hearings for the adaptive reuse project.
