REPORT

Potrero HOPE SF Master Plan - Environmental Impact Statement

Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development

A Response to Comments to the draft joint Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has been prepared by the City and County of San Francisco Planning Department and the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD). The Response to Comments and the Draft EIR/EIS along with the cover sheet comprise the Final EIR/EIS.  It is available by clicking the links immediately below this paragraph and is also available for viewing at MOHCD at 1 South Van Ness Avenue 5th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103 or at the San Francisco Planning Department, Planning Information Center (PIC) counter on the first floor at 1660 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement

A draft joint Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has been prepared by the City and County of San Francisco Planning Department and the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD).

For purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act, MOHCD is the Federal Responsible Entity acting under authority of Section 104(g) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5304(g)), Section 288 of the HOME Investment Partnerships Act (42 U.S.C. 12838), Section 26 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437x) and HUD's regulations at 24 CFR Part 58 for redevelopment of the Potrero Terrace and Potrero Annex Public Housing sites as part of the HOPE SF development program. The Proposed Action is the approval by HUD of funding and development agreements associated with redevelopment of the Project site with affordable housing. This notice is in accordance with regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) at 40 CFR Parts 1500 – 1508. All interested parties including Federal, State, tribal and local agencies, in addition to the public are invited to comment on the Draft EIR/EIS. Agencies having jurisdiction by law, special expertise, or other special interest should inform MOHCD of environmental information germane to their responsibilities.

Project Description: The Proposed Project would demolish 620 public housing units and develop housing for a range of income levels for a total up to 1,700 new units on the Project site, which is located in Potrero Hill and comprised of the existing Potrero Terrace, and Potrero Annex housing developments, and Block X. The purpose of the Proposed Project is to revitalize the distressed Potrero Housing Development as part of the HOPE SF program and add additional affordable housing options in the City of San Francisco. The Proposed Project would include, but not be limited to, new vehicle connections, new pedestrian connections, a new street and block layout, new transit stops, and new water, wastewater, and storm water infrastructure. In addition, the Proposed Project would incorporate green construction and sustainable principles, retail, community facilities, and open space. The Proposed Project would be built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED ND) standards. The Proposed Project would be developed in three non-overlapping phases over at least a 10-year period.

A portion of the Project site, Block X, would need a zoning amendment from P to RM-2 to be consistent with the Potrero Annex and Potrero Terrace areas of the Project site. The existing height and bulk designation of the Project site would need to be amended through a Height and Map Amendment to allow buildings above 40 feet.
The Draft EIR/EIS discusses the purposes and need for the Proposed Project and identifies and evaluates three alternatives: Alternative 1 – Reduced Development Alternative; Alternative 2 – Housing Replacement Alternative; and Alternative 3 – No Project Alternative.

DRAFT EIR/EIS: The Draft EIR/EIS finds that implementation of the proposed project would lead to significant unavoidable project-level and cumulative impacts related to air quality, noise, and transportation and circulation. The buildings used for the public hearings are accessible to person with disabilities. Any individual who requires special accommodations, such as a sign language interpreter, accessible seating, documentation in alternative formats, are requested to contact Eugene Flannery at Eugene.Flannery@sfgov.org or at Call: (415) 701-5598. The Draft EIR/EIS is also available for viewing at MOHCD at 1 South Van Ness Avenue 5th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103 or at the San Francisco Planning Department, Planning Information Center (PIC) counter on the first floor at 1660 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103.

Public comments on the Draft EIR/EIS will be accepted from November 7, 2014 to 5:00 p.m. through January 7, 2015. Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the Draft EIR/EIS to: Sarah Jones, Environmental Review Officer, San Francisco Planning Department, 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, California 94103. All comments received by 5:00 P.M. P.S.T January 7, 2015 will be considered.

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