Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mint Plaza topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning Commission delays Mint Plaza referral to Sept. 7 after traffic study requests
Summary
Project sponsor for Mint Plaza urged commissioners not to continue Item 14; opponents and property owners sought more up-to-date traffic analysis. The commission voted to continue the item to Sept. 7 to allow additional traffic study results to be considered.
The San Francisco Planning Commission on Aug. 10 agreed to continue consideration of Item 14 — a general-plan referral concerning the Mint Plaza/400 block of Jessie Street — to its Sept. 7 hearing after members of the public and the commission said they wanted more current traffic data. The request to delay came at the president’s request; the motion carried 4–1 with Commissioner Olague dissenting.
Michael Yarny of Martin Building Company, the project sponsor, told the commission he was “in a difficult position today” and argued the item did not need to be continued because the general-plan referral was only an early-stage review and there would be “many months of hearings” before final approvals. Mary Murphy, legal counsel for Westfield Corporation and Urban Realty, said those property owners had retained an independent traffic consultant (Corve) and were still awaiting reliable analyses after anomalous counts during a holiday weekend. Murphy asked the commission to allow time for updated, representative traffic counts before final action.
Commission discussion focused on CEQA and whether a more recent traffic study could change prior environmental findings. City Attorney staff advised commissioners they must ensure any previously prepared environmental documents remain current and valid and that, if circumstances have changed, new significant impacts would need to be addressed.
Several commissioners expressed sympathy for both sides. Commissioner Michael Antonini said the project had been in process for a long time and that proponents had held extensive outreach; others emphasized fairness for neighbors who may not have been notified of late schedule shifts. Given those concerns and the president’s request, the commission voted to defer Item 14 to Sept. 7 so the parties could use updated traffic data as a basis for further discussion.
The continuance means the commission will review any newly submitted traffic analysis and revisit whether the previously issued negative declaration and related CEQA determinations remain adequate at the Sept. 7 meeting.
