Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning Commission Meeting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning Commission round-up: Chase bank cleared with lighting conditions; Mission Bay office allocation and department budget approved
Summary
On Feb. 14 the Planning Commission approved a Chase bank branch with conditions on illumination, authorized 700,000 sq ft of office at Mission Bay Block 40 with design conditions, extended hours for a Valencia Street restaurant, and adopted the department's FY2013—15 budget; several items passed unanimously while Orchard Supply drew an intent-to-disapprove vote.
The San Francisco Planning Commission held a full agenda on Feb. 14 that included land-use approvals, design reviews, and the Planning Department's proposed FY2013—15 budget.
Chase Bank (383 Seventeenth & Rhode Island): Staff presented a conditional-use request for a Chase bank in a UMU zone. Commissioners debated signage controls and lighting after members raised concerns about the bright blue illumination associated with Chase branding and internal ATM halos. Because formal approval of sign size is limited under current code, the commission added a condition directing staff and the sponsor to work on illumination levels and calendared an informational presentation on lighting and signage within two months. The motion to approve with those conditions passed 4-2; commissioners Moore and Fong voted against the motion as recorded in the hearing minutes.
Mission Bay Block 40 (1800 Owen Street): The commission authorized 700,000 square feet of office development and provided design direction for a two-campus project at Mission Bay Block 40 (two towers with podiums, max ~180 feet including mechanical). Commissioners and the Mission Bay Citizens Advisory Committee focused on podium treatment, retail activation, landscaping and wind mitigation; the commission approved the authorization with conditions and instructions for further design review by the successor agency, unanimously.
West Of Pecos (550 Valencia Street): The commission granted conditional-use authorization to extend the restaurant's hours to 2 a.m. daily after the owner presented community outreach and staff reported no recorded complaints since opening. The motion passed unanimously.
Department budget FY2013—15: Planning Department leaders presented a budget that included an increase in positions to address persistent project backlog and a growing large-project pipeline. The commission adopted the proposed budget unanimously after discussing several historic-preservation funding items and staffing allocations.
Votes at a glance: - Item 1 (continuance): Continued to March 21, 2013 (6-0). - Chase Bank (Case 2012.1296C): Approved with illumination/lighting conditions (4-2). - Pagoda Palace / Central Subway SUD & CU (Items 7A/B/C): Approved (4-2) with conditions synchronizing approvals to SUD effectiveness and environmental clearances. - Mission Bay Block 40 (Item 8): Office allocation and design guidance approved (7-0). - West Of Pecos (Item 9): Hours extension to 2 a.m. approved (7-0). - Orchard Supply (Item 10): Commission recorded an intent to disapprove the conditional-use authorization after extensive public comment (intent-to-disapprove vote recorded; staff to prepare formal findings). - Department budget FY2013—15 (Item 11): Approved (7-0).
Why it matters: The meeting advanced a major transit-related land-use change (Pagoda retrieval), set a local precedent on formula-retail scrutiny (Orchard Supply), and added new department resources to address backlogs and large projects. The Chase approval shows the commission's limited sign-size discretion under existing code but its willingness to place illumination and design conditions on entitlements.
What to watch next: Staff follow-ups on the Pagoda geotechnical documentation and environmental clearances, draft findings for the Orchard Supply intent-to-disapprove, and the informational briefing on signage/lighting promised in the Chase approval.
