Table Of Content

5/S GOVERM?/ENTINFORMATj SAN FRANCISCO PlrBl SAN FRAN PUBLIC LI REFERENCE BOOK Nol lo In- Idkcn from /lie Liltniiy Digitized by the Internet Archive 2014 in https://archive.org/details/asianartmuseunnfi1019sanf San FranciscoPlanning Department MUSEUM ASIAN ART Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report 97.750E Draft SEIR Publication Date: July 18, 1998 Draft SEIR Public HearingDate: August 20, 1998 Draft SEIR Public Comment Period: July 18, 1998 -August 20, 1998 Final SEIRCertification Date: December 10, 1998 DOCUMENTS ^ DEPT. FEB' 1 9 1999 SAN FRANCISCO REF PUBLIC LIBRARY 711.57 As415f ;beenprimedonpost-consumerrecycledpaper/ESA970419 GOVERNMENT INT'ORMATrON C?NTF)!^ SAN FRA^jCISCO FUBLiC LIBRARY SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY REFERENCE BOOK NoI lo he tdkcnfroin Ilie Lihrary SANFRANCISCOPUBLICLIBRARY 3 1223 05236 1848 FileNo. 97.750E: Asian ArtMuseum, Address: 200Larkin Street Assessor's Block 353, Lot 1 SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING COMMISSION MOTION NO. 14749 ADOPTING FINDINGS RELATED TO THE CERTIFICATION OF A FINAL SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR A PROPOSED NEW ASUN ART MUSEUM, LOCATED AT200 LARKIN STREET, THE ENTIRE BLOCKBOUNDED BY LARKIN,FULTON, HYDE AND MCALLISTER STREETS, IN THE CIVIC CENTER. MOVED, That the San Francisco Planning Commission (hereinafter "Commission") hereby CERTIFIES the Final Supplemental Environmental ImpactReport(hereinafter SEIR)identified as case file No. 97.750E: Asian Art Museum, (hereinafter "Project") based upon the following findings: 1) The City and County of San Francisco, acting through the Planning Department (hereinafter "Department") fulfilled all procedural requirements ofthe California Environmental Quality Act (Cal. Pub. Res. Code Section 21000 etseg., hereinafter "CEQA"), the State CEQA Guidelines (Cal. Admin. Code Title 14, Section 15000 et. seq., (hereinafter "CEQA Guidelines") and Chapter 31 of the San Francisco Administrative Code (hereinafter "Chapter 31"). a. On February 27, 1992, the Planning Commission certified a Final EIR, San Francisco Main Library (Case No. 90.808E, also referred to as the Main Library/Asian ArtMuseum FEIR), forathree-part project including construction ofanew Main Library; conversion ofthe old Main Library building foruse by theAsian ArtMuseum; andconstruction ofapedestrian mall onFulton Streetbetween the two buildings. b. The Planning Departmentprepared anEIRAddendum, datedMay 1, 1996, thatreviewed the Asian ArtMuseum portion ofthe project in lightofchanges in circumstances subsequenttocertification of the priorEIR. c. The Departmentdetermined thataSupplementalEIRwas required. The SEIRsupplements information and analysiscontainedinthepriorEIR andAddendum. Itcontains new descriptivematerial about alterations to theold Main Hbrary building includingnew information thatwas notknown atthetime of FEIR certification or publication ofthe EIR Addendum. The SEIR thus provides updated information about the project design and evaluates associated impacts. The SEIR includes additional analysis of alternatives, includingalternatives thatwouldreduceeffects on historicarchitecturalresources, anddiscusseseffects related to urban design, shadow, transportation and airquality, in light ofthe moredetailed design information now available. And, SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING COMMISSION FileNo. 97.750E: Asian ArtMuseum Address: 200 Larkin Street Assessor's Block 353, Lot 1 Motion No. 14749 Page 2 d. On July 18, 1998, the DepartmentpublishedtheDraft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (hereinafter "DSEIR") and provided public notice in a newspaper of general circulation of the availability of the DSEIR for public review and comment and of the date and time of the Planning Commission public hearing on the DSEIR; this notice was mailed to the Department's list of persons requesting such notice. e. Notices of availability of the DSEIR and of the date and time of the public hearing were posted at and near theproject site on July 29, 1998. f. OnJuly 18, 1998 copiesoftheDSEIR,oranoticeofits availability weremailed orotherwise delivered to a list of persons requesting it, to those noted on the distribution list in the DEER, to adjacent property owners, and to government agencies, the latterboth directly and through theState Clearinghouse. g. Notice of Completion was filed with the State Secretary of Resources via the State Clearinghouse on July 17, 1998. 2) The Commission held aduly advertised public hearing on said Draft Supplemental Environmental ImpactReporton August20, 1998 at which opportunity forpubhc comment was given, and public comment was received on the DSEIR. The period for acceptance ofwritten comments ended on August 20, 1998. 3) The Department prepared responses to comments on environmental issues received at the public hearing and in writing during the 33-day public review period for the DSEER, prepared revisions to the text of the DSEIR in response to comments received or based on additional information that became available duringthepublicreviewperiod, and corrected errors in the DSEIR. This material was presented in a "Draft Summary ofComments andResponses," publishedonNovember30, 1998, wasdistributedtotheCommission and to all parties who commented on the DSEIR for whom addresses were available, and was available to othersupon requestatDepartment offices. A 4) Final Supplemental Environmental ImpactReporthasbeen preparedby theDepartment, consisting oftheDraftSupplemental Environmental Impact Report, and the Summary ofComments and Responses all as requiredby law. 5) Project Supplemental Environmental ImpactReportfiles havebeen madeavailable forreview by the Commission and the public. These files are available for public review at the Department offices at 1660 Mission Street, and are part ofthe record before the Commission. 6) On December 10, 1998, the Commission reviewed and considered the Final Supplemental EnvironmentalImpactReportand found thatthecontents ofsaid report andtheprocedures through which the Final Supplemental Environmental ImpactReport was prepared, pubUcized and reviewed comply with the provisions ofCEQA, the CEQA Guidelines and Chapter31. 7) The Planning Commission hereby does find that the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report concerning File No. 97.750E: reflects the independent judgment of the City and County of San Francisco, is adequate, accurate and objective, and that the Summary ofComments and Responses contains SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING COMMISSION File No. 97.750E: Asian ArtMuseum Address: 200 Larkin Street Assessor's Block 353, Lot 1 Motion No. 14749 Page 3 no significantrevisions to the Draft Supplemental Environmental ImpactReport, andhereby does CERTIFY THE COMPLETION of said Final Supplemental Environmental ImpactReportin compliance v^ith CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines. 8) The Commission, in certifying the completion ofsaid Final Supplemental Environmental ImpactReport, hereby does find that the project described in the Supplemental Environmental ImpactReport: a. Will have aproject-specific significanteffecton Historic Architectural Resources. The Asian Art Museum would retain and adaptively reuse the old Main Library building. However, theplan would result in demolition or alteration of much ofthe interior ofthe old Main Library building, including a numberof spaces designated as Exceptionally Significant InteriorSpaces in thePlanningCode (Appendix J ofArticle 10 (Sec.10)). Therefore, theproject would result in asignificantunavoidableeffect on Historic Architectural Resources. b. Could potentiallyhaveaproject-specific significanteffecton Shadow, in thatitwould add shadow to Civic CenterPlaza; this parkis underthejurisdiction ofthe Recreafion and Park Department and subject to the requirements ofthe sunlight ordinance (Planning Code Section 295). The project would cause an increase of0.1 16 percent above the Absolute CumulativeLimit ofone percentforCivic CenterPlaza. The one percent has already been absorbed by other recentdevelopment; total shadow with recentdevelopment plus the project, therefore, would be 1.116 percent compared to the baseline when the Absolute Cumulative Limit was established. Theadditional shadow dueto the project would notbeexpected to interfere with use ofthePlaza, norwould itconflict with qualitativecriteriaadopted by the Planning and Recreation andPark Commissions, which call for afternoon sun. The mechanical penthouse on the proposed Asian ArtMuseum would add new shadow to theplazafrom March through Septemberin early morninghoursbefore9 a.m., when the sun is low on the horizon. After these hours, the sun would be high enough that the penthouse would cause no new shadow. From October through February the sun is too far south for the old Main Library building including the proposed new mechanical penthousetocast new shadow on theplaza. New project shadow would represent about0.116 percent (aboutone-ninth ofonepercent)ofthetotal yearround square-foot-hours ofsunlighton this plaza when the Section 295 criteria were established. In view ofthe above, new project shadow would not be substantial. However, new project shadow would exceed the Absolute Cumulative Limit for Civic Center Plaza, and would require either that the two commissions find thenew shadow tobede minimis, orthat they increase theAbsolute Cumulative Limitfor theplaza. Until eitheraction occurs, new project shadow is consideredpotentially significant. And, c. Will have a significant cumulative impact, in that cumulative development in the Greater Downtown andVicinity in San Francisco (which includes theprojectsite) would have asignificant effecton the environment in that it would contribute to cumulative traffic increases as well as cumulative passenger loadingson MUNI, BART and otherregional transitcarriers. These cumulativetransportation impacts could cause violations of air quality standards. The proposed project would contribute incrementally to these cumulative effects. 2 43733 SFPLiECONO JRS 207 SFPL 12/10/99 29 SAN FRANCISCOPLANNING COMMISSION File No. 97.750E: Asian ArtMuseum Address: 200 Larkin Street Assessor's Block 353, Lot 1 Motion No. 14749 Page 4 Ihereby certify thattheforegoingMotionwasADOPTEDby the PlanningCommission atitsregular meeting ofDecember 10, 1998. Jonas lonin Commission Secretary AYES: Commissioners Chinchilla, Mills, Hills, Antenore, Theoharis, Joe and Martin NOES: None ABSENT: None ADOPTED: December 10, 1998 G:\WP5IVAAMCERTM.WPD