Planning Commission approves 400 Grove Street (Parcel H) in Hayes Valley, with conditions
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Summary
The commission approved a 34-unit mixed-use project at 400 Grove Street (Parcel H) with four on-site BMR units and a 0.5 parking ratio, finding it consistent with the Market Octavia plan; neighbors asked for design adjustments to reduce mid-block bulk.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Planning Commission on Jan. 31 unanimously approved the conditional use authorization and variances for 400 Grove Street (Parcel H), a mixed-use infill project in Hayes Valley and the Market Octavia Plan area.
Staff recommended approval, noting the project adds 34 residential units, provides four below-market-rate (BMR) units on-site and includes roughly 2,025 square feet of ground-floor retail. The project proposes 17 off-street parking spaces (0.5 spaces per unit) and more than 25 bicycle spaces to promote transit and reduce vehicle dependence.
"This project will bring numerous benefits to the neighborhood and help fulfill the fundamental goals of the Market Octavia neighborhood plan," project principal Danielle Dignan told the commission. The architect, Anne Fougeron, described a stepped building massing that transitions from taller Gough Street frontages to lower-scale Grove Street blocks and a central courtyard pulled into public view through a two-story portal.
Supporters included neighborhood groups and housing advocates who said the project helps implement the Market Octavia plan and adds for-sale housing in a constrained market. Tim Cohen of the Housing Action Coalition said the project is an example of building to the plan and keeping parking at the as-of-right maximum. Yet adjacent homeowners asked the developer to address mid-block bulk and glazing that faces private yards; they requested stepped upper floors to decrease shading and privacy impacts.
Commissioners voted unanimously, with conditions recommended by staff and additional requests for planting choices and facade detailing. The commission also asked staff to report back on impact-fee funding and the Community Improvement Fund to track future transportation and pedestrian improvements in Market Octavia.
— Reporting from the Jan. 31 Planning Commission hearing.
