Commission certifies two South-of-Market EIRs and advances large projects at 900 Folsom and 260 Fifth

The Planning Commission certified Final Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) for two large South-of-Market projects — 900 Folsom Street and 260 Fifth Street — and then considered the projects' large-project authorizations and conditions on May 20.

Brett Bollinger of the Planning Department's environmental analysis team told commissioners the agencies had issued a draft EIR in July 2009, published a comments-and-responses packet in early May 2010 and circulated an errata for 900 Folsom correcting a parking description; staff said the errata did not change EIR conclusions. The EIRs identified transportation, pedestrian and historic-resource questions; 260 Fifth would require a statement of overriding considerations if the commission approves because demolition would remove a contributing building to a potential historic district, the staff report said.

The projects are separate but were presented together. 900 Folsom proposed a nine-story, up-to-269-unit building with up to 221 off-street parking spaces (projected 0.82 spaces per unit) and 40 on-site below-market-rate units; 260 Fifth proposed up to 179 units, with a proposed 0.57 parking ratio and 27 on-site BMR units. Both projects target LEED Gold (or equivalent) green-building performance and were presented as transit-oriented infill in an Eastern Neighborhoods Plan area.

Public comment was lengthy and split. Supporters, including the Yerba Buena Alliance, affordable-housing advocates and a range of neighborhood groups, commended the outreach and said the projects would deliver infill housing, open space improvements and employer opportunities. Opponents, including preservation advocates and residents near 260 Fifth, raised concerns about demolition of contributing historic fabric, cumulative traffic and parking impacts, unit mix (many "junior" two-bedroom units), and whether the projects provide sufficient family-sized affordable units.

Commissioners and staff negotiated additional conditions to address neighborhood concerns: strengthened notice and outreach for BMR availability, a community liaison to assist residents seeking affordable units, monitoring and potential reporting back on the projects' traffic and activation measures, and "good neighbor" notices to prospective buyers about mixed-use neighborhood conditions.

After deliberation the commission approved the motions with the added conditions, finding the EIRs adequate for certification and the projects consistent with planning policies and the Eastern Neighborhoods plan, and moved the entitlements forward with the required conditions including on-site affordable housing.