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Board upholds Public Works order for UCSF Potrero campus despite appeals over EIR and tree loss
Summary
Appellants asked the Board to reverse Public Works’ approval for removal of multiple trees at UCSF’s 1001 Potrero (Zuckerberg San Francisco General) campus, arguing the tree removals conflicted with the project EIR and community outreach. The Board heard detailed testimony from appellants and UCSF; commissioners voted to deny the appeals after considering DPW and Planning explanations and developer commitments to replant.
Appellants criticized UCSF’s documentation and alleged a 'bait‑and‑switch' in which earlier environmental documents and community presentations showed the Vermont Street grove would remain; they urged the Board to remand the project for greater CEQA/EIR review or to deny the tree removal permits.
UCSF representatives said the project has gone through years of environmental review and city approvals, and that construction design changes driven by a state hospital regulator (OSHPD) required an updated layout that makes retaining the specified street trees infeasible. Urban Forester Chris Buck said Public Works reviewed the property and concluded seven street trees along Vermont Street are not viable to retain given construction impacts and root conflicts; four other trees are on Department of Public Health land and were outside BUFF jurisdiction. Planning staff said changes were covered by a 2019 EIR addendum and that the project remains generally conforming.
Appellants pressed the board on consistency between EIR documents and the removal application, on a tree removed earlier by hospital grounds staff, and on whether BUFF followed its own posting rules. Public Works explained its notification timeline and said it had jurisdictional clarifications; the Board denied the appeals (decision 4–0 after one commissioner recused) and required that replacement and establishment provisions be enforced by DPW.
Next steps: UCSF will proceed with the planned removals subject to DPW/Bureau of Urban Forestry oversight, and the bureau will enforce replacement planting and the required establishment period.
