Planning Commission approves revised 178 Townsend Street project with conditions and variances

The San Francisco Planning Commission on Sept. 3 approved a revised mixed-use conversion at 178 Townsend Street, granting variances for reduced parking and courtyard dimensions while imposing conditions that require continued work with planning staff on the Clarence Street elevation.

Planning staff described the project as adaptive reuse of a contributing historic building in the South End Historic District with a six-story insertion yielding 94 rental units, about 3,000 square feet of retail including daycare space, and 45 at-grade parking spaces. Staff noted a 15 percent on-site Below-Market-Rate (BMR) requirement in its report; the project sponsor said the plan will provide 20 percent on-site BMR units at 30 percent AMI.

Sponsor Patrick McNerney said the revision adds nine units (all affordable) and shifts parking from below-grade to at-grade for cost reasons; the project also proposes LEED Gold, rooftop solar and at least three car-share spaces. The Historic Preservation Commission had approved a certificate of appropriateness with conditions at its Sept. 2 hearing.

Organized testimony from affordable-housing advocates, labor unions, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and Livable City supported the approval, citing the uncommon depth of affordability (onsite 30% AMI units), transit proximity and job creation. Several commissioners expressed concern about the perceived bulk and articulation of the Clarence Street facade and potential shadowing for adjacent roof decks; the sponsor said it had struck a compromise with a previously vocal opponent to remove decks and windows that caused privacy concerns and agreed to continue design refinements with staff.

Commissioner Lague moved to approve the project with a condition directing the sponsor to continue working with staff on the Clarence Street elevation; the motion passed by roll call. The chair granted variances for parking and dwelling-unit exposure, subject to standard conditions of approval. The sponsor said the two projects before the commission will combine childcare allocations on-site into approximately 5,000 square feet and target roughly 54 slots in total; the sponsor will return with the childcare operator’s economics.

The approval preserves the project’s historic-compatible design approach while increasing on-site affordability, but commissioners asked staff to keep the commission informed of ongoing refinements to the design documentation.