SANFRANCISCOPUBLICLIBRARY 3 1223 08514 2777 SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING DEPARTMENT 1650MissionSt. Suite400 Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report SanFrancisco, CA94103-2479 Date: October 1, 2008 Reception; 415.558.6378 CaseNo.: 2007.0519E Project Title: 1645 PACIFIC AVENUE Fax: Zoning: PolkStreetNeighborhood Commercial District(Polk NCD) 415.558.6409 65-A Heightand BulkDistrict Planning Block/Lot: 0595/013 Infonnation; 415.558.6377 LotSize: 15,959 square feet Project Sponsor 1645 PacificAvenueLLC. Owner DOCUMENTS DEPT. (650)581-6600 in FranciscoPlanningDepartment •ett Bollinger-(415)575-9024 OCT - 2 2008 [email protected] SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY k 0595, Lot013) is located on theblock bounded by Pacific Avenue to the ckson Street to the south, and Van Ness Avenue to the east, in the Nob San Francisco PublicLibrary project sponsor, 1645 Pacific Avenue, LLC, proposes to construct a six- -foot building containing 48 dwelling units, 3,410 square feet of ground- Government Information Center it level with 49 parking spaces. The proposed building would bea LEED Design) Gold rated building. San Francisco Piibiic Library 100 Larkin Street, 5th Floor San Francisco, CA 94102 REFERENCE BOOK cant effect on the environment and an Environmental Impact Report is based upon the criteria of the State CEQA Guidelines, Sections 15063 ; Not to be taken from the Library ling Significant Effect), and 15065 (Mandatory Findings of Significance), 1 in the Environmental Evaluation (Initial Study) for the project, which is Written comments will be accepted until the close of business on October 31, 2008. Written comments should be sent to Bill Wycko, San Francisco Planning Department, 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400, San CA Francisco, 94103. If you work for a responsible State agency, we need to know the views of your agency regarding the scope and content of the environmental information that is germane to your agency's statutory responsibilities in connection with the proposed project. Your agency may need to use the EIR when considering a permit or other approval for this project. Please include the name of a contact person in youragency. D REF Date Bill Wycko 711.4097 Acting Environmental Review Officer Si9775 .2007.0519E 1 1645 PacificAvenue SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING DEPARTMENT 1550MissionSt. Suite400 Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report SanFrancisco, CA94103-2479 Date: October 1, 2008 Reception: 415.558.6378 CaseNo.: 2007.0519E Project Title: 1645 PACIFIC AVENUE Fax: Zoning: PolkStreetNeighborhood Commercial District(Polk NCD) 415.558.6409 65-A Heightand BulkDistrict Ftanning Block/Lot: 0595/013 information: 415.558.6377 LotSize: 15,959 square feet Project Sponsor 1645 PacificAvenueLLC. Owner DOCUMENTS DEPT. (650)581-6600 LeadAgency: San FranciscoPlanningDepartment StaffContact: BrettBollinger-(415)575-9024 gQ-j" - 2 2008 [email protected] SAN FRANCISCO PROJECT DESCRIPTION PUBLIC LIBRARY The project site (Assessor's Block 0595, Lot013) is located on theblock bounded byPacific Avenue to the north. Polk Street to the east, Jackson Street to the south, and Van Ness Avenue to the east, in the Nob Hill area of San Francisco. The project sponsor, 1645 Pacific Avenue, LLC, proposes to construct a six- story, 65-foot-tall, 64,170 square-foot building containing 48 dwelling units, 3,410 square feet of ground- floor retail space, and a basement level with 49 parking spaces. The proposed building would be a LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) Gold rated building. FINDING This projectmay have a significant effect on the environment and an Environmental Impact Report is required. This determination is based upon the criteria of the State CEQA Guidelines, Sections 15063 (Initial Study), 15064 (Determining Significant Effect), and 15065 (Mandatory Findings of Significance), and for the reasons documented in the Environmental Evaluation (Initial Study) for the project, which is attached. PUBLIC SCOPING PROCESS Written comments will be accepted until the close of business on October 31, 2008. Written comments should be sent to Bill Wycko, San Francisco Planning Department, 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400, San CA Francisco, 94103. If you work for a responsible State agency, we need to know the views of your agency regarding the scope and content of the environmental information that is germane to your agency's statutory responsibilities in connection with the proposed project. Your agency may need to use the EIR when considering a permit or other approval for this project. Please include the name of a contact person in youragency. Acting Environmental ReviewOfficer CaseNo. 2007.0519E 1 1645 PacificAvenue 3 1223 08514 2777 ' 1645 PACIFIC AVENUE CASE NO. 2007.0519E PROJECT DESCRIPTION Theprojectsponsor, 1645 PadficAvenue, LLC, proposes to construct a six-story, 65-foot-tall building containing approximately 64,170 net square feet. The project would contain 48 dwelling units, 3,410 square feet of ground- floor retail space, and a basement level with 49 parking spaces. The building would be constructed to the standardsrequiredfora LEED (Leadership inEnergy EfficientDesign) Gold rating. Project Location and Site Characteristics Theprojectsite, locatedonthesouthsideofPacificAvenuebetweenVanNessAvenueandPolkStreetintheNob Hill area ofSanFrancisco, is within thePolkStreetNeighborhood Commercial District (PolkNCD), onAssessor's Block 0595, Lot 013 (see Figure 1, page 2). The project site is within the 65-A height and bulk district (65-foot height limit; bulk limits for linear and diagonal dimensions above 40 feet of height per San Francisco Planning Code Section 270(a)). The Polk NCD district is described in Planning Code Section 723.1 as a north-south commercial strip with a dense mixed-use character consisting of dwelling units above ground-floor commercial use. The district provides convenience goods and services to the residential communities in the Polk Gulch neighborhood and to residents on the west slopes of Nob and Russian Hills. It has many apparel and specialty stores, as well as some automobile uses, which serve a broader area. Commercial uses also include movie theaters, restaurants, and bars, which keep the district active into the evening. Office-based service uses are also common in the neighborhood. The district permits residential and retail uses. The Polk NCD permits one dwelling unit per 400 square feet (SF) oflot area and retail space at a floor area ratio (FAR) of 2.5:1. The project site is located adjacent to the RC-4 zoning district along Van Ness Avenue, which permits one dwelling unit per 200 square feet of lot area. Pursuant to Planning Code Section 207.4 the dwelling unit density in Polk NCD is required to be at a density ratio not exceeding the number ofdwelling units permitted in the nearest Residential District (RC-4), provided that the maximum density ratio is in no case less than the 1 unit per 400 SF of lot size. Pursuantto the adjacentRC-4zoning,up to79 dwelling unitswouldbe permitted on the projectsite; 48 dwelling unitsareproposed. The rectangular, 15,959-square-foot (SF) projectsite has frontage on the south side of Pacific Avenue. The site is currently occupied by two contiguouscommercialbuildings containing a total of27,275 SF (1645 and 1661 Pacific Avenue) that are used for automotive repair/service and parking. The larger, eastern building (1645 Padfic InformationabouttheLEEDratingsystemcanbeobtainedathttp://www.usgbc,org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategorylD=19,accessedonJuly23,2008. CaseNo.2007.0519E 1 1645PadficAvenue NoticeofPreparation CaseNo.2007.0519E 2 1645PacificAvenue Notice ofPreparation Avenue), constanjcted in 1895, is two stories and approximately 30 feet in height, and the smaller, western building (1661 Pacific Avenue) is one story and approximately 18 feet in height. There are no trees or other vegetationonthesite.Figure 1 showstheprojectlocationandprojectsite. The project site slopes gently downward from southwest to northeast. The area surrounding the project site slopes gently downward to the north, and gently upward to both the east and west. Land uses in the vicinity varyand include residential, office, retail, commercial, restaurant, bar, medical, automotive service, religious, and parking uses. There are various building types, sizes, and ages, with building heights ranging from one to nine storieswithin a two-blockvicinity. Building types aremixed, varyingfrom older to more modem buildings with amixofresidentialandnon-residentialuses. ProjectCharacteristics The proposed project would include demolition of the 1645 Pacific Street commercial building and the rear portion of the 1661 Pacific Street commercial building and construction of an approximately 64,170-net-square- foot, 65-foot-tall, six-story building. The building would contain 48 dwelling units (46,570 SF) and 3,410 SF of ground-floor retail space. The dwelling unit mix would be as follows: 26 studios; seven one-bedroom; 12 two- bedroom; and three three-bedroomunits. Thebasementlevel (12,850SF) would contain49 vehicleparkingspaces and 24 bicycle parking spaces, a ramp up to Pacific Avenue, area for utility and trash, and storage rooms. The grovtnd floor would be occupied by four retail spaces fronting on Pacific Avenue; five dwelling imits facing the rear yard; lobby; elevators; storage and trash rooms; stairways; and hallways (Figure 2, page 4). A ramp to the below-grade parking would be located on the northwest comer of the site in the retained portion of the 1661 PacificStreetbuilding. The second throughfifth floorswould eachcontainnine dwelling units, storage and trash rooms, elevators, stairways, and hallways (Figure 3, page 5). The sixth floor would contain seven dwelling units, storageandtrashrooms,elevators, stairways, andhallways. Open spacefor the dwellingimits would be provided througha combination ofcommon rearyard and roofdeck (4,000 SF) and private decks (2,450SF). The main residential entrywould be located on Pacific Avenue, in the middle ofthebuilding, and would lead to an entry lobby, mailroom, and elevators. Flanking the main residential entry on each side would be two retail spaces (atotal offour), eachwith anentrance offPacificAvenue. CaseNo. 2007.0519E 3 1645PacificAvenue NoticeofPreparation 20ft(AFPROXlMA'rej Source; BDEArchitecture Proposed First Floor Plan Figure 2 CaseNo. 2007,0519E 4 1645PacificAvenue NoticeofPreparation PacificAvenue Source: BDUArchitecture Proposed Upper Residential Floor Plan Figure 3 CaseNo.2007.0519E 5 1645PacificAvenue NoticeofPreparation Table 1 summarizesthecharacteristics oftheproject. Table1 ProjectCharacteristics BuildingUses NetSquareFeet Residential 46,570 Retail 3,410 Lobby 470 Storage 870 Parking 12,850 Total (openspacenotincluded) 64,170 OpenSpace 6,450 DwellingUnits 48units ParkingSpaces, ofwhich: 49 • MechanicalLift 39 • IndependentlyAccessible 9 • CarShare 1 65feet, excluding16feetofthe HeightofBuilding highestmechanicalpenthouse NumberofStories 6 As shown in the North Elevation in Figure 4, page 7., the facade along Pacific Avenue would be separated into two main components, corresponding to the facades ofthe two existing buildings on the site. The larger, eastern portion (correspondingto theexisting 1645 PacificAvenuebuilding) would be rectilinear in form with horizontal bands ofwindows, articulated by setbacks, bay and recessed windows, and cornices, withmore detailed ground- floor treatment featuring full-height arched windows and other architectural elements. Above the roofline, two recessed mechanical penthouses wouldbe located near the center and east side of the building, respectively. The ground floor of the retained 1661 Pacific Avenue building would feature rectilinear doors and windows framing the garage entrance, below the existing decorative cornice. The upperfloors ofthe western portion would have a plainerdesignin keeping with thebuilding's pastautomotiveuse. Theupper floors ofthewestern portion would be setback from the retained facade, withfull-width industrialsashwindowsframedbybrick walls. The projectsite doesnothaveanyexisting trees;however, streettrees wouldbe planted along the PacificAvenue frontage ofthe site, and landscapingwould be planted in therearyard. CaseNo.2007.0519E 6 1645PacificAvenue