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Planning Commission hears updated design-for-development for Candlestick Point and Hunters Point Shipyard
Summary
At an informational hearing, planners and the project team described tightened design-for-development (D4D) documents for Candlestick and Hunters Point, highlighting standards on tower massing, mid-block pedestrian breaks, parking, sustainability, and historic-preservation alternatives ahead of a June 3 joint hearing on the EIR and related approvals.
The San Francisco Planning Commission on May 20 received an informational update on the Candlestick Point and Hunters Point Shipyard design-for-development documents, which staff and the development team said have been tightened since the last presentations.
David Tom, the lead planner and architect for the design team, said the revisions focused on clarity and consistency across the D4D materials and on several design topics the commission had previously asked to see refined. He described new or clarified standards for tower benching and massing intended to maintain a shaped skyline even if towers are built below maximum heights, and revised setback and articulation rules to prevent long ‘‘apparent faces’’ and to ensure buildings respect slope and topography. Tom said the documents also moved some sustainability measures from guidance into standards and added clearer rules for bicycle parking and mid-block pedestrian breaks intended to make large blocks more walkable.
Planning staff reiterated that the May 20 meeting was informational and that certification of the final environmental impact report (EIR) was scheduled for a June 3 joint hearing with the Redevelopment Agency. Staff advised members of the public that the comment-and-response document for the draft EIR had been published mid-May and that interested parties who had not received a copy could call the planning department for a copy.
Public commenters used the informational hearing to press for additional EIR review time and to raise safety and contamination concerns at Hunters Point, particularly referencing radiological findings and methane concerns raised by community members. Several speakers asked the commission to ensure cleanup is adequate before allowing transfers of contaminated parcels, and urged more, earlier outreach before final action on June 3.
The commission and staff discussed logistics for the June 3 joint hearing — including whether to start earlier, to hold parts of the hearing in the Bayview neighborhood for easier public access, and to sequence agenda items — and agreed to work with Redevelopment staff on notice and venue constraints.
The hearing closed with staff and the development team offering to return on June 3 prepared to answer technical questions and with the commission noting the session was informational only; the EIR certification and related actions remain scheduled for the joint hearing.
