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Planning Commission certifies EIR and approves Saint Anthony Foundation senior housing at 121 Golden Gate
Summary
The commission certified the final EIR for the Saint Anthony Foundation/Mercy Housing project at 121 Golden Gate Avenue, acknowledged unavoidable historic and air‑quality impacts, and approved conditional use and variance requests to build a 10‑story facility containing a modernized dining room, social services and 90 affordable senior units.
The San Francisco Planning Commission on March 24 certified the final environmental impact report for the Saint Anthony Foundation and Mercy Housing proposal at 121 Golden Gate Avenue and approved related land‑use entitlements.
The project would demolish the existing two‑story building at 121 Golden Gate and construct a 10‑story, 99‑foot building that includes a larger, ADA‑accessible dining room and clothing distribution area for Saint Anthony’s on the lower floors and 90 affordable senior housing units developed by Mercy Housing on the upper floors. Planning staff said the EIR found two impacts—the project’s effect on a historic resource and air quality during construction—would remain significant and unavoidable, and recommended adoption of a statement of overriding considerations if the commission chose to approve the project.
Supporters said the project would replace an aging dining‑room facility, bring social services under one roof and add much‑needed affordable senior units to the Tenderloin. Sherry Raesler, executive director of Saint Anthony Foundation, told commissioners the rebuilt dining room and relocated social work services would improve service delivery and move queuing off the public sidewalk. Mercy Housing noted the 90 units would be targeted to very‑low‑income and homeless seniors and include community rooms and 24‑hour staffed lobbies.
Neighbors raised construction‑period concerns, including noise, dust and potential impacts on residents of the adjacent Boyd Hotel. Mercy Housing said it will use the dining room at 150 Golden Gate as interim facilities during construction and described outreach with the Boyd Hotel and planned construction mitigation measures, including pre‑construction communication, contractor commitments on scheduling and dust control, and a dedicated site superintendent contact for residents.
After hearing presentations and public testimony, the commission first moved to certify the final EIR and then adopted CEQA findings and conditional use authorization with conditions; the commission also indicated it would grant the requested variance with standard conditions. Votes on the EIR certification and the project entitlements were unanimous.
The commission’s actions allow the project to proceed to the permitting phase subject to the conditions of approval and the requirements of the adopted mitigation and monitoring measures; staff said the project is phased and construction was projected to begin in mid‑2012 under the schedule presented.
Commissioners emphasized ongoing oversight of construction and asked staff to track the promised pre‑construction communications and the mitigation measures described in the EIR.
