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Planning Commission takes public comment on Sunnydale Velasco HOPE SF Draft EIR
Summary
Staff presented the joint Draft EIR/EIS for the Sunnydale Velasco HOPE SF Master Plan, which would demolish existing public housing and build up to 1,700 units and supporting facilities in Visitation Valley. The Draft EIR found potentially significant construction and operational impacts (traffic delay, archaeological resources, noise, hazardous materials); the commission opened the public hearing but heard no public speakers at the city hearing (a community meeting was held in Sunnydale earlier).
Kansai Uchida, environmental and transportation planner for the Planning Department, briefed commissioners on the Sunnydale Velasco HOPE SF Master Plan Draft EIR/EIS and reminded attendees that the hearing was limited to the adequacy of the environmental analysis, not approval of the project. The Draft EIR/EIS, prepared jointly by the Planning Department and the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, identifies a phased redevelopment of the 48.8‑acre site with up to 1,700 residential units, community facilities, parks, and new street networks. Construction is expected to occur in phases over about 9–15 years.
Uchida and staff said the Draft EIR/EIS found potentially significant impacts that could be mitigated except for cumulative traffic delay, and that written comments would be accepted until 5 p.m. on Feb. 17. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the NEPA/CEQA joint document and the comment/response process; staff emphasized that spoken and written comments would be transcribed and addressed in the responses‑to‑comments document that will form part of the final EIR/EIS.
The Commission opened the public hearing; no speakers came forward at the city hearing (a first community hearing had already taken place on Jan. 20 at the Sunnydale Velasco Housing Complex). The hearing record remains open through the Feb. 17 deadline to allow the public to comment on the adequacy and accuracy of the DEIR/EIS.
What’s next: staff will compile responses to comments and revise the DEIR/EIS as appropriate; certification and project approvals would follow at later hearings once the record is complete.
