Table Of Content

San Francisco Planning Department NEIMAN MARCUS EXPANSION PROJECT Draft Environmental Impact Report 98.813E Draft EIR Publication Date: May 8, 1999 Draft EIR Public Hearing Date: June 10, 1999 Draft EIR Public Comment Period: May 8 to June 10, 1999 Written comments should be sent to: The Environmental Review Officer San Francisco Planning Department 1660 Mission Street San Francisco, CA94103 Thisreporthasbeenprintedonpost-consumerrecycledpaper/ESA98042? DOCUMENTS DEPT. MAY 1 0 1999 SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY m 5/S GOVERNMENT INFORM/ SAN FRANCISCO PU SAN FRA«[SCO PUBLIC LTCRARY REFERENCE BOOK Not lo be takenfrom the Library SANFRANCISCOPUBLICLIBRARY PLANNING DEPARTMENT 3 1223 05247 5184 City and County of San Francisco 1660 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94103-2414 s^q PLANNINGCOMMISSION ADMINISTRATION CURRENTPLANNING/ZONING LONG RANGEPLANNING (iHaIiSq)XQS-DcO,-bJ/O FAX:558-6409 FAX:558-6426 FAX:558-6409 FAX:558-6426 DATE: May 8, 1999 TO: Distribution List for the Neiman Marcus Expansion Project DraftEIR FROM: Hillary Gitelman, Environmental Review Officer SUBJECT: Request for the Final Environmental Impact Report forthe Neiman Marcus Expansion Project (Case No. 98.813E) This is the Draft ofthe Environmental Impact Report (EIR) forthe Neiman Marcus Expansion Project. A public hearing will be held on the adequacy and accuracy ofthis document. Afterthe public hearing, our office will prepare and publish a document titled "Summary ofComments and Responses" which will contain a summary ofall relevant comments on this Draft EIR and our responses to those comments; it may also specify changes to this Draft EIR. Public agencies and members ofthe public who testify at the hearing on the Draft EIR will automatically receive a copy ofthe Comments and Responses document, along with notice ofthe date reserved for certification; others may receive such copies and notice on request or by visiting our office. This Draft EIR together with the Summary ofComments and Responses document will be considered by the Planning Commission in an advertised public meeting and certified as a Final EIR ifdeemed adequate. Aftercertification, we will modify the DraftEIR as specified by the Comments and Responses document and print both documents in a single publication called the Final Environmental Impact Report. The Final EIR will add no new information to the combination ofthe two documents except to reproduce the certification resolution. It will simply provide the information in one rather than two documents. Therefore, ifyou receive a copy ofthe Comments and Responses document in addition to this copy of the Draft EIR, you will technically have a copy ofthe Final ELR. We are aware that many people who receive the DraftEIR and Summary ofComments and Responses have no interest in receiving virtually the same information after the EIR has been certified. To avoid expending money and paper needlessly, we would like to send copies ofthe Final ELR to private individuals only ifthey request them. Ifyou would like a copy ofthe Final EIR, therefore, please fill out and mail the postcard provided inside the backcover to the MajorEnvironmental Analysis Office ofthe Planning Department within two weeks after certification ofthe ELR. Any private party not requesting a Final ELR by that time will not be mailed a copy. Thank you for your interest in this project. San Francisco Planning Department NEIMAN MARCUS EXPANSION PROJECT Draft Environmental Impact Report 98.813E Draft EIR Publication Date: May 8, 1999 Draft EIR Public Hearing Date: June 10, 1999 Draft EIR Public Comment Period: May 8 to June 10, 1999 Written comments should be sent to: The Environmental Review Officer San Francisco Planning Department 1660Mission Street San Francisco, CA94103 Thisreporthasbeenprintedonpost-consumerrecycledpaper/ESA9S0423 3 1223 05247 5184 E TABLE OF CONTENTS NEIMAN MARCUS EXPANSION PROJECT DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT Page SUMMARY I. 1 II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 13 A. Site Location and Project Characteristics 13 B. Project Sponsor's Objectives 21 C. Approval Requirements and General Plan Policies 24 III. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING AND IMPACTS 30 A. Zoning and Land Use 30 B. Historic Architectural Resources Setting 31 Impacts 43 C. Traffic and Circulation Setting 48 Impacts 49 D. Growth Inducement 53 IV. MITIGATIONMEASURES PROPOSED TO MINIMIZE 55 THE POTENTIAL ADVERSE IMPACTS OF THE PROJECT V. SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS THAT CANNOT BE 58 AVOIDED IFTHE PROPOSED PROJECT IS IMPLEMENTED VI. ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROPOSED PROJECT 60 A. No Project 60 B. Expansion ofExisting Neiman Marcus Store Building 62 C. Preservation Alternative 64 D. Rehabilitation Alternative 66 E. Reconstruction Alternative 68 VII. DRAFT EIR DISTRIBUTION LIST 72 VIII. APPENDICES IX. EIR AUTHORS AND CONSULTANTS; PERSONS CONSULTED Case No. 98.813 ii Neiman Marcus Expansion Project TABLEOFCONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES 1. Project Location 14 2. Proposed Elevations 18 3. Ground FloorPlan 19 4. New Sixth Floor 20 5. Architectural Resources in the Project Vicinity 37 6. Photographs ofExisting 125-129 Geary Street Building 41 7. Views ofSite 42 Case No. 98.813E iii Neiman Marcus Expansion Project E CHAPTER I SUMMARY PROJECT DESCRIPTION A. (p. 13) The Neiman Marcus Expansion Project ("Project") would demolish an existing approximately 37,150- square-foot unreinforced masonry building (UMB), at 125-129 Geary Street, currently vacantexcept for one retail store, and construct a new six-story-plus-basement building that would be integrated with the existing Neiman Marcus store building, serving to expand the existing Neiman Marcus store building horizontally eastward on Geary Street. The Project would also add a partial sixth story to the existing Neiman Marcus store building and would include a small infill expansion ofthe existing Neiman Marcus store building fifth floor. The Project would add about 61,450 square feet ofretail space to the existing approximately 189,200-square-foot Neiman Marcus store building. The new sixth story would increase the height ofthe expanded Neiman Marcus store building from about 89.5 feet (measured at the existing center ofthe Geary Street facade) to about 105 feet (measured at the proposed center ofthe widened Geary Street facade, to the midpoint ofa skylight proposed at the northwest corner ofthe partial sixth story). The sixth-story addition to the existing Neiman Marcus store building would not be visible from the sidewalk on either side ofGeary Street or Stockton Street because it would be set back about 42 feet from the store's existing Geary Street facade, and about 107 feet from the Stockton Street facade. The proposed horizontal extension at 125-129 Geary Street would have approximately the same street wall height as the existing four-story building at that location, about 65 feet; the overall height would be the same as the partial sixth floor addition to the existing Neiman Marcus store building. Above 65 feet, the fourth and fifth floors ofthe horizontal extension would be set back about 8.5 feet, and the sixth story would be setback about 25 feet more. The stepped back fourth and fifth floors would notbe visible from the sidewalk in front ofthe Neiman Marcus store building, but would be visible from the north sidewalk, across Geary Street. The sixth floor, set back about 33.5 feet from the facade, would not be visible from either sidewalk. The horizontal extension would include a new east entrance to the expanded store, replacing the current secondary entrance at the east end ofthe Geary Street facade ofthe existing Neiman Marcus store building. This new entrance would be inset about 6 feet inside the property line and would be at grade. Neiman Marcus proposes to operate an espresso bar/cafe at this new entrance, potentially with sidewalk seating. The new entrance would be fully disabled-accessible, in contrast to the current secondary entrance, which has a stairway. Case No. 98.813 1 Neiman Marcus Expansion Project SUMMARY I. The exterior ofthe newly constructed horizontal extension is intended to be consistent with the design of nearby buildings in the Kearny-Market-Mason-Sutter Conservation District in which the Project site is located, with a glazed "curtain wall" with visible columns and beams. The design proposes reuse, as interior ornamentation, ofthe exterior cornice and medallions from the existing 125-129 Geary Street building. In a further effort to achieve compatibility with the Conservation District, the Project would also include certain exterior changes to the existing Neiman Marcus store building to integrate the existing building and the new horizontal extension, and to make the existing Neiman Marcus store building more compatible with nearby historic buildings. These changes would include, at the Geary and Stockton Streets corner, squaring offthe existing rounded corner and replacement ofthe vertically oriented glazing surrounding the former City ofParis rotunda with horizontally oriented glazing. In addition, the curved skylight atop the Geary Street facade ofthe existing Neiman Marcus store building would be replaced with stepped glazing, and the existing eastern entrance would be closed and glazed as well. In addition, the existing harlequin (checkerboard) granite facades ofthe Neiman Marcus store building would be sandblasted to diminish the contrast in colors. Three new loading bays in the proposed horizontal extension would replace the three existing loading bays in the Neiman Marcus store building. The existing site has no parking, and no parking would be provided as part ofthe Project. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS B. This environmental impact report, for the Neiman Marcus Expansion Project, focuses on the issues of historic architectural resources and transportation. The historic architectural resource issue relates to the proposed demolition ofthe existing 125-129 Geary Street building, a Category IV (Contributory) building under Article 11 ofthe San Francisco Planning Code. The transportation issue is based on the proposal to increase the floor area ofthe existing Neiman Marcus store building. 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, foranalysis ofissues other than historic architectural resources and transportation.) HISTORIC ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES 43) (p. The existing four-story-plus-basement building at 125-129 Geary Street is a Category IV (Contributory) Building within the Kearny-Market-Mason-SutterConservation District and was rated "C" (of Contextual Importance) by San Francisco Architectural Heritage. The building is classified by the Department ofBuilding Inspection as an Unreinforced Masonry Building, meaning that it must be seismically strengthened by 2004 in accordance with the City's Unreinforced Masonry Building Ordinance, or be demolished. Case No. 98.813E 2 Neiman Marcus Expansion Project