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Commissions approve 980 Folsom Street mixed-use project after staff finds minimal shadow impacts
Summary
The Planning Commission and Recreation and Park Commission unanimously approved large project and shadow authorizations for an 8-story mixed-use building at 980 Folsom Street after staff presented modeling showing a 0.005% increase in annual available sunlight and limited single‑moment shadow impacts.
On Oct. 5, 2017, Planning staff and Recreation and Park staff presented separate findings supporting joint actions to accommodate new shadow from a proposed 8‑story mixed‑use building at 980 Folsom Street; both commissions voted unanimously to approve the project authorizations and related findings.
Alyssa Monske (Planning) summarized the project: demolition of a single-story automotive repair and paint shop and construction of an eight‑story mixed‑use building with 33 dwelling units (four on-site affordable units), about 9,51 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, approximately 3,400 square feet of common open space and 1,300 square feet of private open space. The project requests several exceptions (rear yard, dwelling unit exposure and parking) documented in the draft section 3.29 motion.
Jordan Harrison presented the Rec & Park Department's shadow analysis for 980 Folsom Street and described the numerical results: "there is a 0.005% increase as a percentage of the TAAS" with the largest single new shadow approximately 805 square feet occurring near a Harriet Street entry and an average new-shadow duration of about 16 minutes during the May'August period. Harrison noted other nearby pipeline projects and provided cumulative slides for commissioners to review.
John Goldman, architect and member of 980 Folsom LLC, described the massing (85 feet on Folsom, 43 feet on Clementina) and emphasized neighborhood engagement and design features; he said the shadow impact is minor: "this is about as insignificant a shadow as any project you've yet seen." Community speakers—including representatives of United Players, West Bay Filipino Multi Service Center, SomCan and the Filipino American Development Foundation—said the sponsor had been transparent in outreach and expressed support for the project'specific mitigation (artist space, neighborhood-serving commercial tenancy and local hire commitments).
Commissioner Moore moved the joint action to accommodate new shadow and the Planning Commission recorded a unanimous vote (6 to 0) in favor. The Recreation and Park Commission then voted unanimously that the project "will not have a significant adverse impact." The Planning Commission moved and passed approval on item 2 by unanimous vote.
The record indicates both commissions acted on the basis of the submitted shadow modeling, design revisions and community outreach commitments; no commissioner votes in opposition were recorded.
