1 3 1223 08679 1283 ADDENDUM TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT Date ofPublication ofAddendum: August 12, 2009 Date of Certification ofFinal Environmental Impact Report: April 5, 2007 Lead Agency:Planning Department, City and County of San Francisco 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94103 Agency Contact Person: Paul Maltzer Telephone: (415) 575-9038 Project Title: 2003.0347E - Market and Octavia Neighborhood Plan "earstin Dischinger Telephone: (415) 558-6284 The project area is located in the central city neighborhoods along 5/S Market Street from about 10th Street on the east to Noe Street on the west, north along the former Central Freeway alignment at Turk Street, and south along Howard and Sixteenth Streets. The project site encompasses about 85 city blocks. San Francisco San Francisco PublicLibrary Government InformationCenter San Francisco PublicLibrary 100 Larkin Street. 5th Floor I report (EER.) for the Market and Octavia Neighborhood Plan, file SanFrancisco, CA 94102 tified on April 5, 2007. The project analyzed in the EIR consisted REFERENCE BOOK ancisco Planning Code and Zoning Maps, General Plan, and elopment Plan to establish a new policy framework and new Not to be taken from the Library mtrols for the Market/Octavia area, generally west ofthe downtown, dc Center, Hayes Valley, Western Addition, South ofMarket, Inner Triangle, Eureka Valley and Upper Market Neighborhoods. The se controls, urban design guidelines, public street and open space cific development proposals, mitigation measures, conditions of approval and community improvement fees and funds for the project area. Subsequent to certification of the EER., the Market and Octavia Neighborhood Plan was adopted by the Planning Commission on April 5, 2007 and by the Board of Supervisors on October 23, 2007. At the time ofPlan adoption, it was contemplated that an Historic Resources Survey of the Plan area would laterbe completed, and that the Plan would be amended in the future to incorporate the results of that Historic Resources Survey. GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS DEPT (Continued on reverse side) AUG 1 3 2CC3 D SAN FRANCISCO REF PUBLIC LIBRARY 711.4097 M341a - ADDENDUM TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT Date ofPublication ofAddendum: August 12, 2009 Date of Certification ofFinal Environmental Impact Report: April 5, 2007 Lead Agency:Planning Department, City and County of San Francisco 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94103 Agency Contact Person: Paul Maltzer Telephone: (415)575-9038 Project Title: 2003.0347E - Market and Octavia Neighborhood Plan Project Sponsor/Contact: Kearstin Dischmger Telephone: (415)558-6284 Project Address: The project area is located in the central city neighborhoods along Market Street from about 10th Street on the east to Noe Street on the west, north along the former Central Freeway alignment at Turk Street, and south along Howard and Sixteenth Streets. The project site encompasses about 85 city blocks. City and County: San Francisco Remarks: Background A final environmental impact report (EIR) for the Market and Octavia Neighborhood Plan, file number 2003.0347E, was certified on April 5, 2007. The project analyzed in the EIR consisted of amendments to the San Francisco Planning Code and Zoning Maps, General Plan, and Western Addition A-2 Redevelopment Plan to establish a new policy framework and new Planning Code and zoning controls for the Market/Octavia area, generally west ofthe downtown, and including portions of Civic Center, Hayes Valley, Western Addition, South ofMarket, Inner Mission, the Castro, Duboce Triangle, Eureka Valley and Upper Market Neighborhoods. The Plan proposed a set of land use controls, urban design guidelines, public street and open space improvements, some site specific development proposals, mitigation measures, conditions of approval and community improvement fees and funds for the project area. Subsequent to certification of the EIR, the Market and Octavia Neighborhood Plan was adopted by the Planning Commission on April 5, 2007 and by the Board of Supervisors on October 23, 2007. At the time ofPlan adoption, it was contemplated that an Historic Resources Survey of the Plan area would later be completed, and that the Plan would be amended in the future to incorporate the results of that Historic Resources Survey. GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS DEPT (Continued on reverse side) AUG 1 3 2CC9 • SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Remarks (continued): Proposed Revisions to Project The Planning Department is currently proposing revisions to the previously adopted Market and Octavia Neighborhood Plan. As contemplated at the time of original Plan adoption, an Historic Resources Survey has been completed at the direction ofthe Planning Department. Pursuant to that survey, the Planning Department proposes to amend the Market and Octavia Neighborhood Plan to formally recognize eight historic districts, as follows: Duboce Park National Register District; Duboce Triangle California Register District; Hayes Valley Residential California RegisterDistrict; Hayes Valley Commercial Locally Significant District; UpperMarket California Register District; San Francisco State Teacher's College Locally Significant District; Elgin Park-Pearl Street Reconstruction California Register District; and Jessie-McCoppin- Stevenson Streets Reconstruction California Register District. [See Attached District Descriptions and Map.] In concert with the proposed formal recognition ofthe eight historic districts, the Department also proposes to terminate the existing interim review procedures for permit applications within the Plan area. Those interim review procedures were originally established to provide protection to potential historic resources, pending completion of the Historic Resources Survey and any Plan amendments that responded to the completion of said Survey. The Planning Department also proposes to increase height limits from 50/55 feet (existing) to 65 feet (proposed) on approximately 12 lots on Market Street, roughly between Church Street to the east and Noe Street to the west. This proposal represents a balance between the Department's original intention to promote smart growth along an important City transit spine, and the additional objective ofprotecting the character ofthe proposed Upper Market historic district. The Planning Department further proposes to lower the height limit from 85 feet (existing) to 65 feet (proposed) on two lots at the intersection ofGuerrero and Duboce Streets [See Attached Maps.] This proposal rectifies an oversight with respect to these two lots at the time ofPlan adoption. Throughout the Plan area, through lots that have frontages on Market Street plus another street are intended to have higher height limits on Market Street and reduced height limits on the back side ofthe lot. The proposed height adjustment would make these lots consistent with other similarly situated lots throughout the Plan area. Lastly, the Department proposes to replace an out-of-date Bicycle Network Map that was inadvertently included within the Plan with a corrected map, to be consistent with City policy [See Attached Maps.] Section 31.19(c)(1) ofthe San Francisco Administrative Code states that a modified project must be reevaluated and that, "If, on the basis ofsuch reevaluation, the Environmental Review Officer determines, based on the requirements ofCEQA, that no additional environmental review is necessary, this determination and the reasons therefor shall be noted in writing in the case record, and no further evaluation shall be required by this Chapter." -2- 3 1223 08679 1283 Analysis ofPotential Environmental Effects Adoption of Historic Districts . As indicated above, the Department proposes to amend the Market and Octavia Neighborhood Plan to formally recognize eight historic districts [See Attached District Descriptions and Map.] The incorporation ofthese historic districts into the Plan would entail no physical changes to these Plan areas, but rather would officially recognize and document the historic importance of the designated districts, as per the Historic Resource Survey. Hence, no physical effect on the environment would result from this action. In fact, the establishment of historic district designations for these areas, in combination with existing Planning Code permit review procedures and CEQA protections for historic resources, would tend to preserve and protect the status quo regarding historic resources within the Plan area. In recognition ofthis, the designation of historic districts is typically Categorically Exempt from CEQA pursuant to Class 8 - Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protections of the Environment. & Replacement ofthe Market Octavia interim permit review procedures with the permanent Code procedures for review of permits within historic districts would similarly have no adverse physical effect on historic resources. While the interim procedures require extra scrutiny of permits to alter buildings greater than 50 feet in height, or more than 48 years old, the proposed adoption ofhistoric districts would provide Code required scrutiny and evaluation offuture alterations and new construction proposed within the newly established historic districts. Hence, historic resources presently recognized by the Department through the Historic Resources Survey would become protected by Code. Additionally, through the Department's existing CEQA and permit review procedures for permits to alter buildings more than 50 years old, which requires Department Preservation Technical Specialist review, potential impacts to presently unknown historic resources within the Plan area would still be protected by the Department's CEQA existing permit and review process. As indicated above, amendment ofthe Plan to incorporate the results ofthe Historic Resources Survey, once completed, was contemplated at the time oforiginal Plan adoption. The Final EIR originally completed for this project found that ifthe Plan was adopted, historic buildings would tend to be preserved as an integral part ofthe project area's living history. Individual permit applications to alter or demolish buildings in the Plan area would be subject to permit review procedures and policies that promoted preservation and discouraged loss ofhistoric resources. The EIR concluded that the project would not result in significant environmental impacts on historic resources. The proposed Plan amendments would be entirely consistent with the analysis and conclusions ofthe EIR. Two additional potential historic districts (South ofMarket Art Deco district; and Auto Repair district) identified in the Historic Resource Survey are not being pursued by the Department for adoption at this time, as Department Preservation Technical Specialist staff does not concur with the consultant recommendations for district designation. Regarding the recommended South of Market Art Deco district, Department staffconcluded that there was an insufficient number of potential contributory buildings and lack of a unifying theme tojustify creation of an historic district. Regarding the recommended Auto Repair district, staff concluded that further study of a - 3 - much larger city area outside ofthe Market & Octavia Plan area was merited before it could be determined whether there wasjustification for such an historic district. Nevertheless, historic resource information about individual buildings surveyed within these two additional areas will be added to the Department's parcel information data base for informational purposes. The proposed amendments to the Market and Octavia Neighborhood Plan area that are reviewed in this Addendum would have no physical effect whatsoever on these additional areas, as no physical changes for those sites are proposed. Any future proposals to alter or develop sites within those areas would be subject to CEQA review at that time. Such CEQA review would include information from the Department's parcel information database regarding potential individual historic resources within those plan areas. Height Limit Changes on Upper Market and at Guerrero/Duboce As indicated above, the Department proposes to increase height limits on approximately 12 lots along Market Street, and reduce height limits on two lots at Guerrero/Duboce Streets (see maps.) Regarding the proposed height limit increases along Market Street, the proposed new height limit of 65 feet on those lots would be consistent with the original Plan proposal for heights on those portions ofMarket Street. As such, potential development up to a height of 65 feet on those lots was analyzed in the EIR previously completed for the proposed Plan in 2007. Therefore, with respect to the potential physical impacts ofnew development up to those height limits (e.g., shadow impacts, wind impacts, urban design, etc.,) there would be no new or increased impact beyond that which has already been analyzed and described in the EIR for the Plan. Similarly, any new potential growth as a result ofdevelopment on those lots would be within the growth projections that were incorporated into the original EIR analysis. None ofthe lots presently proposed for the increased height limit are identified as sites contributory to the proposed historic district along Upper Market Street. The Planning Department's Preservation Technical Specialist staffhave reviewed the proposal in terms ofits potential impact to the proposed Upper Market California RegisterDistrict and determined that there would be no adverse impact to the proposed historic district. This determination was made on the basis that i) none ofthe contributory lots to the district would be directly affected; ii) the proposed height increase is slight, relative to both the existing height limit and scale of development; and iii) the character defining features ofthe proposed district are related to and reflect changes in development and building form over time along an important transit corridor. A prescribed or uniform building height or scale is not identified as an important character defining feature ofthe district. As such, no direct or indirect adverse impacts to the proposed Upper Market California Register District are anticipated from the proposed increase in height limits on the identified lots. Regarding the proposed reduction in height limits on the two lots at Guerrero/Duboce, this would tend to preserve the status quo regarding development ofthose lots. No new physical changes or impacts would likely result from this proposed reduction in height limit. Updated Bicycle Network Map As described above, the Department also proposes to update the Bicycle Network Map included within the Plan, to be consistent with City policy, as expressed in correspondence from John SFMTA Rahaim, Director ofthe Planning Department to Nathaniel Ford, Executive Director, on October 8, 2008. This is an update in information only, as the Market and Octavia Plan itself did not and is not proposing any bicycle network improvements. A Bicycle Network Map was included in the original Market and Octavia Plan, but inadvertently contained outdated information. Some bicycle projects on portions ofHoward, Mission, Steiner, South Van Ness and Waller Streets, which were inadvertently shown in the Bicycle Network Map contained within the original Market and Octavia Plan, have been removed from the updated Bicycle Network Map. As indicated above, these changes in the Bicycle Network Map are not a part ofthe Market and Octavia Plan proposal, but rather an update ofinformation to reflect City policy. The Department proposes to replace the outdated Bicycle Network Map with a corrected map. Because the changes are only making corrections to an outdated map and are not proposing any bicycle network improvements, there would be no new environmental impacts resulting from the update ofthis information. Conclusion Based on the foregoing, it is concluded that the analyses conducted and the conclusions reached in the final EIR certified on April 5, 2007 remain valid. The proposed revisions to the project would cause no new significant impacts beyond those previously identified in the EIR, and no new mitigation measures would be necessary to reduce significant impacts. The EIR for the Plan was certified in 2007 and little new development has occurred in the project area subsequent to said EIR certification. Development that has occurred since EIR certification has been consistent with the Plan. As such, no changes have occurred with respect to circumstances surrounding the proposed project that would cause significant environmental impacts to which the project would contribute considerably, and no new information has become available that shows that the project would cause significant environmental impacts. Therefore, no supplemental environmental review is required beyond this Addendum. Date ofDetermination: I do hereby certify that the above determination has been made pursuant to State and Local requirements. August 12, 2009 ^ WYCKO BILL Environmental Review Officer cc: Distribution List Virna Byrd, Master Decision File/Bulletin Board -5- Attachments: & Proposed Historic Districts within the Market Octavia Area Plan Existing Upper Market Heights Map Proposed Upper Market Heights Map Existing Heights Guerrero Street Map Proposed Heights Guerrero Street Map Existing and Proposed Bicycle Network Maps -6- & Proposed Historic Districts within the Market Octavia Area Plan 1. Duboce Park National Register District 2. DuboceTriangle CaliforniaRegisterDistrict 3. Hayes Valley Residential CaliforniaRegister District 4. Hayes Valley Commercial Locally Significant District 5. UpperMarket California RegisterDistrict 6. San Francisco State Teacher's CollegeLocally Significant District 7. Elgin Park-Pearl Street Reconstruction California Register District 8. Jessie-McCoppin-Stevenson Streets Reconstruction California Register District Duboce Park The contributors to the National Register Duboce Park Historic District are overwhelmingly residential, being composed primarily of single family dwellings and residential flats. A few multiple-family residences within the district (typically located on street corners) also include a commercial use at the street level. Buildings in the district are all one to four stories in height, with two and three stories predominating. Additionally, nearly all of the buildings are of wood frame construction and clad in wood or stucco siding. Late Victorian and Edwardian era architectural styles predominate, with the Queen Anne style most widely represented. Construction dates for the vast majority of contributing resources within the District range from ca. 1897 to approximately 1905. Duboce Triangle The contributors to the California Register Duboce Triangle Historic District are overwhelmingly residential. Although single family dwellings are scattered throughout the district, multiple- family dwellings are the most prevalent, and largely consist of two or three story flats. A few residential buildings within the District (typically located on street corners ornear Market Street) also include a commercialuse at the streetlevel. Buildings in the district are all one to four stories in height, with two and three stories predominating. Additionally, nearly all of the buildings are of wood frame construction and clad in wood or stucco siding. Victorian and Edwardian era architectural styles predominate, with the Classical Revival style most widely represented. As a consequence, bay windows and facades organized into multiple bays are common features throughout the District, as are properties exhibiting a high level of ornamentation and architectural detail. Most buildings within the district were constructed between ca. 1885 and 1910. The earliest contributors were constructed ca. 1870, while the latestwas constructed in 1925. Several buildings evaluated for the District were also found to be individually significant at the local level, or individually eligible for separate listing in the California Register. One property also appears individually eligible forlistingin the National Register. Hayes Valley Residential The "residential" moniker given to California Register Hayes Valley Historic District is indicative of the types of contributing resources that are prevalent throughout the area. The original Hayes Valley Historic District focused on Victorian and Edwardian houses built between 1860 and 1910. This update expands the period of significance slightly to more accurately reflect the range of architectural expressions within those periods and that conform to the district's themes. Therefore, new contributors are located both within the original district boundaries, where properties constructed between 1910 and 1920 may not have been previously considered, and in neighboring areas, where the update records additional properties built within the period of significance. The additional contributing buildings are primarily of wood frame construction, with masonry and concrete construction in the minority. The earliest contributor dates to circa 1868, while the latest dates to circa 1920. Hayes Valley Commercial The Hayes Valley Commercial District is a locally-eligible historic district located within the Hayes Valley neighborhood ofSan Francisco. Its boundaries should be considered a subset of the larger Hayes Valley Residential Historic District. The primary building types consist largely of Victorian-era flats and dwellings, with commercial development and apartment buildings clustered along Market, Haight, and Hayes streets—the latter comprising the heart of the subject district. From its earliest days to the present, Hayes Valley has remained an area ofmixed use, boasting a variety of residential and commercial properties, as well as a scattering of light industrial buildings. It also contains some of the oldestextant buildings in the city—at least west of Octavia Street—which marks the western boundary of the fires that swept the area in the wake of the 1906 earthquake. Thus, the neighborhood may also be seen as representing two distinct, yet tightly woven eras: the pre-Earthquake Victorian city, as well as the post-Earthquake Edwardian era ofreconstruction. The "commercial" moniker given to the district is indicative of the types of contributing resources that are prevalent throughout the area. Primarily, these take the form of 1 - 3 story commercial buildings and mixed-use residential and commercial structures. A few industrial buildings are also located in the district—notably auto repair shops—but these are also considered contributing because of their quasi-commercial use. The contributing buildings are primarily of wood frame construction, with masonry and concrete construction in the minority. The earliestcontributor dates to circa 1885, while the latest dates to 1927. San Francisco State Teacher's College Vicinity Apartments The "apartments" moniker given to San Francisco State Teacher's College Vicinity Apartments Historic District is indicative of the types of contributing resources. These take the form of four- to seven-story multiple-family residential structures, usually with a raised basement or parking garages at ground level. While one other apartment building of a smaller scale is also located within in the district, it does not contribute due to its later construction date. The contributing