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Commissioners hear calls to coordinate three Valencia projects; sponsor opposes delay
Summary
Public commenters urged commissioners to hear three Valencia Street projects together because they are within 75 feet and raise similar rezoning and affordability questions; the project representative for the 8-unit proposal opposed a continuance, citing prior delay and dozens of attendees.
At a commission hearing, public commenter Sue Hester urged commissioners to schedule three closely sited projects on Valencia Street to be heard on the same day, saying the sites are "literally 75 feet away from each other" and raise similar issues of scale, rezoning and affordability.
Hester told the commission she had not been given copies of recent plan changes and described an "evolving change condition" the planning department was pursuing, saying that makes it difficult for the public to track proposed conditions. "It's more efficient for the commission, and it's more efficient for the public to consider cases that have similar issues on the same block, 75 feet away from each other, to hear them together," she said.
David Silverman, who said he represents project sponsor Ron Malia on 736 Valencia, opposed Hester's request for three reasons: the hearing had already been continued once, an audience of "40 or 50 people" was present and would be inconvenienced if the matter were delayed, and the projects "stand on their own merits." Silverman said the 736 Valencia proposal is "only 8 units" and is not comparable to a separate 60-unit project on the block.
Staff had announced multiple proposed continuances across the calendar, including several cases listed for continuance to May 10, 2007 (for example, cases 2006.0766X at 345 Stockton Street and 2006.1148C at 1149 Jackson Street). The transcript shows public comment on the proposed continuances and closes that portion of the record; a commissioner (Olague) began responding but the excerpt ends before a formal decision or vote is recorded.
Why it matters: Coordinating hearings for adjacent or nearby projects can affect how conditions and mitigation measures are applied and can change what information is available to neighbors before a decision. Advocates argued for consolidated consideration to ensure consistent application of standards on a block facing rezoning proposals; a sponsor argued scheduling should not delay a small project with an assembled audience.
The transcript records public comment and initial commissioner response but does not record a final motion or vote on the requested continuance in the provided excerpt. The commission’s next procedural step is not specified in the available text.
