SANFRANCISCOPUBLICLIBRARY 3 1223 06809 3641 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT R E P 0 R T WW ^ CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING DEPARTMENT 1234 Howard Street Residential Project 2002.0954E DOCUMENTS DEPT. SEP - 8 2004 EIRPublication Date: September4, 2004 SAN FRANCISCO EIRPublic HearingDate: October 14, 2004 PUBLIC LIBRARY EIRPublic CommentPeriod: September 4 to October 19, 2004 Writtencommentsonthis documentshould be sentto: PaulE. Maltzer Environmental ReviewOfficer SanFrancisco PlanningDepartment 1660 MissionStreet, Suite 500, SanFrancisco CA94103 D REF 711.4097 T916 San Francisco Government Information Center San Francisco Public Library 100 Larkin Street, 5th Floor San Francisco, CA 94102 REFERENCE BOOK Not to be taken from the Library City and County of San Francisco Planning Department HOWARD STREET RESIDENTIAL 1234 PROJECT DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT 2002.0954E EIR Publication Date: September 4, 2004 EIR Public Hearing Date: October 14, 2004 EIR Public Comment Period: September 4 to October 19, 2004 Written comments on this document shouldbe sentto: Paul E. Maltzer Environmental Review Officer San Francisco Planning Department 1660 Mission Street, Suite 500 San Francisco, CA 94103 Digitized by the Internet Archive 2014 in https://archive.org/details/1234howardstreet4200sanf 1234 Howard Street Draft Environmental Impact Report Table of Contents Page Summary I. 1 A. Introduction 1 B. ProjectDescription 1 C. Main Environmental Effects 2 D. MitigationMeasures 4 E. Unavoidable SignificantImpacts 7 F. Alternatives to theProposedProject 7 G. Areas ofControversyandIssuesto beResolved 14 II. Project Description 15 A. Project Sponsor's Objectives 15 B. ProjectLocation 15 C. ProjectCharacteristics 17 D. ProjectApprovalRequirements 26 III. Environmental Setting and Impacts 29 A. LandUse, Zoning andGeneral Plan Consistency 29 B. Historic ArchitecturalResources '. 34 C. GrowthInducement 51 rV. Mitigation Measures Proposed to Minimize the Potential Adverse Impacts ofthe Project 53 A. MitigationMeasures 53 B. ImprovementMeasures 57 V. Significant Environmental Effects That Cannot be Avoided ifthe Proposed Project is Implemented 59 VI. Alternatives to the Proposed Project 61 A. AlternativeA: No Project 62 B. AlternativeB; Rehabilitation ofthe Facade andNewResidential Project 63 C. Alternative C: Rehabilitation and Expansion ofthe Existing Building 65 D. Alternative D: Retention ofthe ExistingBuilding andNew ProjectAltemative 68 VII. Draft EIR Distribution List 71 VIII. EIR Authors, Persons Consulted, and Project Sponsor 89 IX. Appendices 91 A. Initial Study A-1 B. Historic Resource Evaluation Report B-1 September4, 2004 2002.0954E 1234HowardStreet i TableofContents Page List ofFigures Figure 1 Project Location Map 16 Figure 2 Proposed Ground Floor(Garage) Plan 18 Figures Proposed Plaza Level Floor Plan 19 Figure 4 Proposed Typical Floor Plan 20 Figure 5 Proposed Project Elevations 21 Figure 6 Proposed Project Sections 22 A Figure 7 ProjectPerspective 23 Figure 8 ProjectPerspective B 24 Figure 9 ProjectPerspective C 25 Figure 10 Existing Building Howard StreetFacade 36 Figure 11 Existing Building, Natoma Street Facade 37 Figure 12 Existing Building, FacadeDetail 39 Figure 13 Existing Building, Cornice, Windows, andPilasterCapital 40 Figure 14 Existing Building, Base ofPilasters 42 September4, 2004 2002.0954E 1234 Howard Street ii 3 1223 06809 3641 SUMMARY I. INTRODUCTION A. This is the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prepared in accordance with the California EnvironmentalQualityAct(CEQA)fortheproposeddemolitionoftheexistingbuildingat 1234Howard StreetbetweenEighth andNinth Streets, andthe construction ofan approximately 33,340-square-foot building consisting of 18 dwellingunits and 18 ground-floorparking spaces. Anapplicationforenvironmentalevaluationforthe 1234HowardStreetproject(the"Project")wasfiled on April 15, 2003. On the basis ofthe Initial Study published on June 21, 2003, the San Francisco Planning Department determinedthat an EIRis required. (See Appendix A-Initial Study.) This EIR isintendedtoprovideinformationonthe environmental effects concerningtheproposed 1234 Howard Street project to allow the San Francisco Planning Commission to make an informed decision on the project PROJECT DESCRIPTION B. Theprojectsiteis inanareaknown as SouthofMarket. Therectangular-shapedprojectsite is nearthe middle ofCityblockboundedby Howard, Ninth, Natoma, and Eighth in the South ofMarket Area of SanFrancisco, andfrontsonbothHowardandNatomaStreets. Theprojectsiteisrelativelyflat, sloping graduallyupthreefeetfromHowardStreettoNatomaStreet. The8,250-square-footsite(approximately 0.19 acre) currentlycontains an approximately 8,250 square foot vacant structure The building fronts onHowardStreetandconsistsofatwo-levelofficewithanattachedone-storywood framedwarehouse directlybehindit. Thisbuildingwasconstructedin 1924as a sheetmetal fabrication shop (The Guilfoy Cornice Works), and is rated as a Category III (Contributory) building under Article 1 1 ofthe San FranciscoPlanningCode. ThecurrentNatoma Streetfagade wasbuiltin 1985 when 17 feet ofthe rear ofthe original building was demolished. The Howard Street frontage reflects a two-story interior mezzanine that once served as offices for the single story warehouse behind it. September4,2004 2002.0954E 1234HowardStreet 1 Summary I. Theprojectsponsor, 1234HowardLLC,proposestodemolishtheexistingbuildingandconstructafive- story, approximately 33,340-square-foot residential condominium building with ground floorparking. The project would contain ten one-bedroom and eight two-bedroom units, for a total of 18 dwelling units. Pedestrianaccesswouldbe frombothNatomaandHoward Streets. Vehicularingresstothe off- street parking would be from Howard Street, and vehicular egress would be onto Natoma Street. MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS C. ThisEnvironmentalImpactReportfortheprojectfocusesontheissueofhistoricarchitecturalresources. All other potential environmental effects were found to be at a less-than-significant level or to be mitigated to a less-than-significant level with mitigation measures to be implemented by the project sponsor. (Please see the Initial Study, included in this document as Appendix A, for analysis ofother A environmental issues.) section on growth inducement is also included, and land use is discussed for informational purposes. Land Use, Zoning, and General Plan Consistency (page 29) The proposed residential use is a principally permitted use in the SLR (Service/Light Industrial/ Residential) zoning district. Followingcompletion andcertification ofthe Final EIR, theprojectwouldrequire a demolitionpermit for a Category III Significant Building. The project would also require Department of Building Inspection approvals ofdemolition and building permits. Theprojectsite iswithinthe SouthofMarketAreaofSanFrancisco. Thezoningis SLR(Service/Light Industrial/Residential), and the project site is in a 50-X Height and Bulk District. SLR districts encourage service and light industrial uses, while protecting existing housing and encouraging the development ofhousing that is compatible with the existing neighborhood. The broader South ofMarket District (including the project site) is part ofthe Eastern Neighborhoods Community Planning Process, ofwhich one ofthe goals is to develop a new set ofzoning regulations. After a series ofcommunity workshops, the Planning Department published the Community Planning in the Eastern Neighborhoods. Rezoning Options Workbook - First Draft, containing three zoning September4, 2004 2002.0954E 1234Howard Street 2 Summary I. options, inFebruary2003. However, atthistime, itisnotknownwhethertheproject site or its vicinity will undergo any change in zoning as a result ofthis community-basedplanningprocess. Historic Architectural Resources (page 34) The existing building is proposed to be demolished, and, is rated as a Category III (Contributory) building, denoting "individual importance," under Article 11 of the San Francisco Planning Code. CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(a)(2) defmes "historic resources" to include buildings that are included in a local register of historical resources, as defined by Public Resources Code section 5020.l(k), andArticle 11 ofthe Planning Code is anadoptedlocalregisterofhistoric resources in the downtown zoning district for the purposes ofCEQA. The 1234 Howard Street building is also listed in two surveys that contain buildings that could be considered historic resources: the 1976 Citywide Architectural Survey, and San Francisco Heritage's extended surveyofthe Downtown, althoughneitherofthese surveys have been officiallyadopted as a local register ofhistoric resources. The building is neither a designated San Francisco Landmark nor part ofa local historic district. Because 1234 Howard Street is designated as a Category III Contributory Building in Article 11, an adoptedlocalregisterofhistoric resources forpurposes ofCEQA, thePlanningDepartmentconcludes that the 1234 Howard Street building is a significant historic resource. Growth Inducement (page 51) Theproposedprojectentailsconstructionofanewfive-storybuildingproviding33,340grosssquarefeet ofresidential space, which would include 18 residential units and 18 parking spaces. The additional residentialspaceintheSouthofMarketneighborhoodwouldincreasethedailypopulationontheproject site to approximately34 people, from the currentlyvacantbuilding on the site. Because ofthe current strongdemandforhousing, especiallyforhousingcloseto employmentcenters includingthe Financial District,whichwouldexistwithorwithouttheproject,theprojectwouldnotinduce substantial growth or concentration ofpopulation beyond that which would have occurred without the project. Some September4, 2004 2002.0954E 1234HowardStreet 3 Summary I. project residents may relocate from other parts ofthe Bay Area to be closer to their employment in downtown SanFrancisco. Tothe extentthatthisoccurs,theprojectwouldresultinreducedcommuting to work. Forthese reasons, theproposedprojectwouldnotcause significantgrowth-inducingimpacts. MITIGATION MEASURES D. (page 53) Measures That Would be Implemented by the Project Sponsor Construction Air Quality • The project sponsorwouldrequire the contractor(s) to spraythe site withwater during demolition and construction activities; sprayunpaved construction areas withwater at least twice per day; cover stockpiles of soil, sand, and other material; cover trucks haulingdebris, soils, sand, orothersuchmaterial; andsweep surroundingstreetsduring demolition, excavation, and construction at least once per day to reduce particulate emissions. • Ordinance 175-91, passed by the Board ofSupervisors on May 6, 1991, requires that non-potable water be used for dust control activities. Therefore, the project sponsor would require that the contractor(s) obtain reclaimed water from the Clean Water Program forthis purpose. The project sponsors wouldrequire theproject contractor(s) tomaintainandoperate construction equipmentsoastominimize exhaustemissionsof particulates and otherpollutants, bysuchmeans asaprohibition on idlingmotors when equipment is not in use or when trucks are waiting in queues, and implementation of specific maintenance programs to reduce emissions for equipment that would be in frequent use for much ofthe construction period. Archaeological Cultural Resources • Given the location and depth of excavation proposed, and the likelihood that archaeological resources would be encountered on the project site, the sponsor has agreed to retain the services ofan archaeologist. The archaeologist would carry out a pre-excavationtestingprogramtobetterdeterminetheprobabilityoffindingculturaland historical remains. The testing program would use a series ofmechanical, exploratory borings ortrenches and/or othertestingmethods determined bythe archaeologist tobe appropriate. • The followingmitigationmeasureisrequiredtoavoid any potential adverse effect from theproposedprojectonaccidentallydiscoveredburiedorsubmergedhistoricalresources as defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(a)(c)). The project sponsor shall distribute the Planning Department's archaeological resource "ALERT" sheet to the projectprimecontractor;toanyprojectsubcontractor(includingdemolition,excavation, grading, foundation,piledriving,etc. firms); orutilities firm involvedinsoilsdisturbing September4, 2004 2002.0954E 234 Howard Street 4 1