In rare move, San Francisco board of supervisors overturns plan approved by planning board 10-unit townhouse development in Nob Hill This will replace a single-family house due to shading and soil issues.
In a 7-4 vote, the Board of Directors put the 1151 Washington Street project back on schedule for additional environmental review, led by Board Chair Aaron Peskin. According to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Peskin, who represents the district, said the 50-foot-tall project could cast a shadow over the Betty Ann Ong recreation center and basketball court heavily used by residents of nearby Chinatown.
“It’s the only recreational community center in Chinatown,” he said at the meeting. “It is a valuable and unique public resource that is heavily used by the Chinese community.”
Peskin’s vote coincides with him and London Mayor London Breed announcement of proposed legislation Keeping the city’s housing pipeline unimpeded Significantly reduced developer fees and affordability requirements.
Concerns about potentially contaminated soil at the site also affected supervisor Myrna Melgar, who voted against the project by a majority, The Chronicle reported. Directors Ahsha Safaí, Catherine Stefani, Matt Dorsey, and Joel Engardio are among the few hoping to move the project forward.
The proposed project, designed by San Francisco-based Macy Architecture, would replace a single-family home on a slope with 10 townhomes, the largest of which is more than 2,000 square feet. The developer used the state density dividend to increase the number of units allowed on the lot in exchange for an affordable townhouse for families earning 110% of the area median income.Breed and Ngadio to present an ordinance to planning council this week This will simplify approvals for state density projectsbut the legislation will not affect environmental review.
The legislation ties directly to the city’s state-mandated housing element goal of 82,000 new housing units over the next eight years. At the board meeting, YIMBY Action Jane Natoli told regulators that actions such as rejecting townhouse projects could further involve the state government.
“If we continue to abuse local control, we will lose local control,” Natoli said.
— Emily Landers
