1000 Van Ness Avenue mixed use development/theater complex : final environmental impact report

244 Pages·1996·13.6 MB·English

by  San Francisco (Calif.). Dept. of City Planning

City and County of San Francisco
Department of City Planning
1000 VAN NESS AVENUE MIXED USE
DEVELOPMENT/THEATER COMPLEX
Final
Environmental Impact Report
94.618E
State Clearinghouse No. 95123031
DOCUMENTS
DEP"^,
AUG - 8 1996
Draft EIR Publication Date: March 1, 1996 SAN FRANCISCO
Draft EIR Public Hearing Date: April 4, 1996 PUBLIC LIBRARY
Draft EIR Public Comment Period: March 1 to April 15, 1996
Final EIR Certification Date: May 23, 1996
REF
711.4097
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PUBLIC LIBRARY
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SANFRANCISCOPUBLICLIBRARY
3 1223 04291 8913
City and County of San Francisco
Department of City Planning
1000 VAN NESS AVENUE MIXED USE
DEVELOPMENT/THEATER COMPLEX
Final
Environmental Impact Report
94.618E
State Clearinghouse No. 95123031
Draft EIR Publication Date: March 1, 1996
Draft EIR Public Hearing Date: April 4, 1996
Draft EIR Public Comment Period: March 1 to April 15, 1996
Final EIR Certification Date: May 23, 1996
Changes from the text of the Draft EIR are indicated by solid dots (#) at the
beginning of each revised section, paragraph, graphic or table.
This report has beenprepared onpost-consumer recycledpaper
REF 711.4097 On24f
1000 van Ness Avenue
mixed use
1996
.
3 1223 04291 8913
8.F. PUBLIC LIBRARY
• CERTIFICATION MOTION
SAN FRANCISCO
CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
MOTION NO. 14121
ADOPTING FINDINGS RELATED TO THE CERTIFICATION OF A FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT REPORT FOR A PROPOSED MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT/ THEATER COMPLEX,
LOCATED ON 1000 VAN NESS AVENUE AND 901 POLK STREET, BETWEEN O'FARRELL
AND MYRTLE STREETS.
MOVED, That the San Francisco City Planning Commission (hereinafter "Commission")
hereby CERTIFIES the Final Environmental Impact Report identified as case file No. 94.618E:
1000 Van Ness Avenue: Mixed Use Development/Theater Complex, (hereinafter "Project")
based upon the following findings:
1) The City and County of San Francisco, acting through the Department of City Planning
(hereinafter "Department") fulfilled all procedural requirements of the California Environmental
Quality Act (Cal. Pub. Res. Code Section 21000 et seg., hereinafter "CEQA"), the State CEQA
Guidelines (Cal. Admin. Code Title 14, Section 15000 et. seg., (hereinafter "CEQA Guidelines")
and Chapter 31 of the San Francisco Administrative Code (hereinafter "Chapter 31").
a. The Department determined that an EIR was required and provided public notice of
that determination by publication in a newspaper of general circulation on December 15, 1995.
b. On March 1 , 1996, the Department published the Draft Environmental Impact Report
(hereinafter "DEIR") and provided public notice in a newspaper of general circulation of the
availability of the DEIR for public review and comment and of the date and time of the City
Planning Commission public hearing on the DEIR; this notice was mailed to the Department's list
of persons requesting such notice.
c. Notices of availability of the DEIR and of the date and time of the public hearing were
posted near the project site by Department staff on March 7, 1996.
d. On, or about, March 1, 1996 copies of the DEIR were mailed or otherwise delivered
to a list of persons requesting it, to those noted on the distribution list in the DEIR, to adjacent
property owners, and to government agencies, the latter both directly and through the State
Clearinghouse.
e. Notice of Completion was filed with the State Secretary of Resources via the State
Clearinghouse on March 1, 1996.
2) The Commission held a duly advertised public hearing on said Draft Environmental
Impact Report on April 4, 1996, at which opportunity for public comment was given, and
public comment was received on the DEIR. The period for acceptance of written comments
ended on April 15, 1996.
CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
Motion No. 14121
Page Two
3) The Department prepared responses to comments on environmental issues received at the
public hearing and in writing during the 45-day public review period for the DEIR, prepared
revisions to the text of the DEIR in response to comments received or based on additional
information that became available during the public review period, and corrected errors in the
DEIR. This material was presented in a "Draft Summary of Comments and Responses,"
published on May 13, 1996, was distributed to the Commission and to all parties who
commented on the DEIR, and was available to others upon request at Department offices.
4) A Final Environmental Impact Report has been prepared by the Department, consisting of
the Draft Environmental Impact Report, any consultations and comments received during the
review process, anyadditional information that became available, and the Summaryof Comments
and Responses all as required by law.
5) Project Environmeiual Impact Report files have been made available for review by the
Commission and the public, and these files are part of the record before the Commission.
6) On May23, 1996, the Commission reviewed and considered the Final Environmental Impact
Report and found that the contents of said report and the procedures through which the Final
Environmental Impact Report was prepared, publicized and reviewed comply with the provisions
of CEQA, the CEQA Guidelines and Chapter 31.
7) The City Planning Commission hereby does find that the Final Environmental Impact Report
concerning File No. 94.618E: 1000 Van Ness Avenue: Mixed Use Development/Theater
Complex reflects the independentjudgment ofthe City and County of San Francisco, is adequate,
accurate and objective, and that the Summary of Comments and Responses contains no
significant revisions to the Draft Environmental Impact Report, and hereby does CERTIFY THE
COMPLETION of said Final Environmental Impact Report in compliance with CEQA and the
CEQA
Guidelines.
8) The Commission, in certifying the completion of said Final Environmental Impact Report,
hereby does find that the project described and evaluated as the proposed project in the
Environmental Impact Report:
a. Will not have a project-specific significant effect on the environment; and
b. Will have a cumulative significant effect on the environment, in that it would cause the
Level of Service (LOS) at the Van Ness Avenue/O'Farrell Street intersection to worsen from
LOS D to LOS F with cumulative conditions in year 2005. Project sponsor has agreed to
pay the cost of implementation of a mitigation measure to improve LOS at the intersection
from F to C. However, that measure must be approved by the Department of Parking and
Traffic and Caltrans, which approvals must occur after EIR certification, and therefore
CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
Motion No. 14121
PageThree
cannot be guaranteed at this time. The measure is outside the jurisdiction of the Planning
Commission or the ability of project sponsor alone to implement. If the mitigation measure is
implemented, the project would not have a cumulative significant effect on the environment.
hereby certify that the foregoing Motion was ADOPTED by the City Planning Commission
I
at its regular meeting of May 23, 1996.
Linda Avery
Secretary
AYES: Commissioners Chinchilla, Hayden, Levine, Lowenberg, and Mills
NOES: Commissioner Marks
ABSENT: Commissioner Martin
ADOPTED May 23, 1996
1000 VAN NESS AVENUE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT/THEATER COMPLEX
•
FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION
1
SUMMARY
3
I.
A. Project Description and Site Characteristics 3
B. Main Environmental Effects 5
C. Mitigation Measures 11
D. Alternatives to the Proposed Project 15
E. Issues To Be Resolved 19
PROJECT DESCRIPTION 20
II.
A. Project Sponsor's Objectives 20
B. Project Location 20
C. Project Characteristics 22
D. Project Schedule, Cost, Approval Requirements, and Master Plan Policies ... 29
ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING 35
III.
A. Land Use and Zoning 35
B. Architectural and Historic Resources 40
C. Shadow 49
D. Transportation 49
E. Air Quality 53
IV. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS 56
A. Land Use and Zoning 57
B. Architectural and Historic Resources 60
C. Shadow 69
D. Transportation 71
E. Air Quality 93
F. Growth Inducement 97
V. MITIGATION MEASURES PROPOSED TO MINIMIZE POTENTIAL
ADVERSE IMPACTS OF THE PROJECT 98
A. Cultural Resources 98
B. Transportation 100
C. Hazards 102
D. Construction Air Quality 103
E. Geology 103
SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS THAT CANNOT BE AVOIDED
VI.
IF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS IMPLEMENTED 105
SIGNIFICANT IRREVERSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES 106
VII.
Table of Contents
Page
ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROPOSED PROJECT 107
VIII.
A. Alternative A: No Project 107
B. Alternative B: No Exceptions to the Planning Code 109
C. Alternative C: Housing Alternative 112
D. Alternative D: Smaller Project 116
IX. DRAFT EIR DISTRIBUTION LIST 120
# X. SUMMARY OF COMMENTS AND RESPONSES C&R.1
APPENDICES 129
XI.
Appendix A: Initial Study A.1
Appendix B: Architectural Resources A.45
Appendix C: Transportation A.47
Appendix D: Air Quality .A.54
XII. EIR AUTHORS, EIR CONSULTANTS, AND
ORGANIZATIONS AND PERSONS CONSULTED 130
LIST OF FIGURES
1 . Site Location Map . 21
2. Project Section 23
#
3. [Revised] Van Ness Avenue Ground Floor Plan 24
#
4. [Revised] Van Ness Avenue Representative Floor Plan (Fifth Floor) 25
#
5. [Revised] O'Farrell Street Elevation 26
#
6. [Revised] Polk Street Elevation 27
7. Existing Land Uses in the Project Area 36
8. Planning Code Use Districts and Height and Bulk Districts 39
9. Architectural Resources in the Project Vicinity 41
10. Project Area Photograph: O'Farrell Street and Van Ness Avenue Looking Northeast 44
1 1 . Project Area Photograph: O'Farrell Street Looking West 45
12. Street Network and Transit Routes in Project Area 52
#
13. [Revised] Photomontage from O'Farrell Street and Van Ness Avenue Looking
Northeast 62
#
14. [Revised] Photomontage from O'Farrell Street Looking West 63
15. Year-Round Shadow Trace - Sergeant John Macaulay Park 70
16. Alternative B: No Exceptions to the Planning Code 110
17. Alternative C: Housing 113
18. Alternative D: Smaller Project 117
ii
Table of Contents
Page
LIST OF TABLES
1. Project Characteristics 22
2. Project Person-Trip Generation 78
3. Project Vehicle-Trip Generation 79
4. Trip Distribution Patterns 80
5. Existing and Project Peak-Hour Intersection Levels of Service
and Delays 81
6. Arterial Level of Sen/ice Future (2005) Cumulative
(with Project) Conditions 83
7. Pedestrian Crosswalk Level of Service, Existing (1994/1995) Plus Project
Conditions, Van Ness Avenue/O'Farrell Street Intersection 86
#
8. [Revised] Project Parking Supply, Planning Code Requirement, and Demand 88
9. Existing and Projected Curbside Carbon Monoxide Concentrations at
Selected Intersections 95
10. Project Daily Transportation-Related Pollutant Emissions 96
iii