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Neighbors press planning panel on Consul General addition; commissioners continue item after State Dept. input
Summary
A contentious hearing over a proposed rear‑yard addition to the Chinese Consul General’s residence at 85 St. Elmo Way left the Planning Commission continuing the item for further review after residents raised emergency‑access and safety concerns and a U.S. State Department official described federal review and reciprocity considerations.
The Planning Commission continued consideration of a conditional‑use application for a residential addition at the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China’s residence at 85 St. Elmo Way after a packed public comment period in which neighbors raised health, safety and emergency‑access concerns.
Planning staff and the project sponsor presented revised plans and a set of negotiated conditions they said increase setbacks and preserve mature trees. Staff recommended approval with conditions, saying revisions were responsive to neighborhood concerns. Sponsor representatives described a smaller, terraced design and committed to a set of neighbor‑friendly construction conditions, including limited working hours and commitments intended to preserve open space and mature trees.
Neighbors urged the commission to require written guarantees for emergency access and clearer mechanisms for tree maintenance and utility access, citing past incidents where access for PG&E and emergency responders was contested. Kendall Patton testified about a 2001 fire response tied to access issues and asked that emergency access be a condition of approval.
State Department involvement: Steve Candy, acting regional director of the U.S. State Department’s Office of Foreign Missions, told the commission that the federal government had vetted the proposal through Washington and had "no objection" to the addition, and reminded the commission the State Department can and does decline consular construction proposals if reciprocity concerns arise. Candy cited the Vienna Convention provision that consent for emergency access "may be assumed in case of fire or other disaster requiring prompt protective action," and encouraged clear local communications between the consulate, mayor’s office, fire and utilities.
Commission action: Commissioners voted to continue the item for one week so that the absent commissioner could review the new materials and to allow staff, the sponsor and neighbors to finalize outstanding conditions. Staff and the project sponsor told the commission they would continue negotiating specific wording for emergency access and other conditions and would coordinate with the mayor’s office and State Department contacts.
What happens next: The commission’s continuance means the matter will return for final action after staff has circulated revised conditions to address emergency‑access protocols and the exact language of the neighbor concessions.
Representative quotes: Project counsel Deborah Stein said the consulate had "voluntarily agreed to a condition that as long as China owns the property, this will only be used for single family homes." Steve Candy of the State Department said Washington had reviewed the request and "we had no objection to this." Neighbors continued to press for a written, enforceable emergency‑access arrangement.
