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Planning Commission certifies final EIR for 275 Tenth Street supportive housing after recusals
Summary
The San Francisco Planning Commission certified the final environmental impact report for the 275 Tenth Street supportive-housing project, after two commissioners recused themselves and a 4–1 roll call in favor of certification. Commissioners debated historic-building impacts and cumulative loss of PDR space.
The San Francisco Planning Commission on Tuesday certified the final environmental impact report (EIR) for the proposed 275 Tenth Street supportive-housing project following a 4–1 roll call vote.
Planning Department staff member Michael Jacinto told the commission the record now before them — the draft EIR together with a draft summary of comments and responses — constitutes the final EIR. Jacinto pointed out an editorial error in the comments document and asked that a passage on “CR 10” be omitted as mistakenly carried over from another item.
Commissioner Mike Antonini voted against certification after a lengthy exchange about consistency with a past decision on 2660 Harrison Street. Antonini said the proposed project will demolish three buildings with historical context and raised concern that city policy is being applied inconsistently across similar cases. "If the considerations are significant enough to cause stoppage of that building, then how can it be that those considerations are not considered significant enough in this project?" he said.
Project consultants and staff countered that the difference in the earlier case was procedural: the other project had not been studied with an EIR. Bill Wycombe, who said he had worked with planning staff on the document, told commissioners, "We're acknowledging those impacts, and they're part of the findings and part of the environmental document." Jacinto also warned of a significant unavoidable cumulative impact identified in the EIR related to potential future loss of production, distribution and repair (PDR) space and associated jobs in San Francisco.
Before certification, two commissioners — identified on the record as Commissioner Seguia and Commissioner Sue Lee — were recused from participatiion in this item after the commission approved a motion to recuse. The recusal was taken up first; later the commission moved to certify the EIR. On the certification motion Commissioner Antonini voted No; other voting commissioners voted Aye and the motion passed 4 to 1.
Next steps: certification allows the city to proceed with related approvals for the as-of-right housing use and for any later variance hearings tied to the project. The commission’s action on certification does not itself approve construction; one variance related to rear-yard requirements will be docketed separately for discretionary review.
