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Public Asks Commission to Stop Calendaring Cases Until Environmental Docs Are Available
Summary
Public commenters urged a policy that no case be calendared until environmental documents (EIR or CATEX with historical study) are complete, alleging developers and staff sometimes delay documents and constrain public review; the commission did not take immediate action on the request.
Speakers during general public comment urged the San Francisco Planning Commission to adopt a policy requiring environmental review documents be complete before cases are calendared, saying late documents prevent meaningful public review.
Sue Hester told the commission she has a case calendared for January whose CATEX and historical study remain unavailable despite staff assurances. "Nothing should be put on calendar until a CATEX is done," Hester said, adding that notices (03:11 notices in the transcript) should not be issued until environmental paperwork is complete.
Why it matters: Hester and other commenters said calendaring projects before environmental analysis is available forces community members to scramble to review materials and limits meaningful participation on contentious projects. She described a case with "70 r's" on the file to illustrate the complexity and controversy that can follow incomplete documentation.
Commissioners did not adopt a new policy at the meeting. Hester asked the commission to direct staff to require that draft EIRs or CATEX documentation (with historical studies where required) be posted before calendaring so the public can review documents in time for hearings.
Next steps: The comment was entered into the record for future consideration; no formal motion or vote was recorded during the meeting.
