Table Of ContentSan Francisco Planning Department
525 GOLDEN GATE AVENUE
CITY ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING
Final Environmental Impact Report
1997.478E
Draft EIR Publication Date: September 23, 2000
Draft EIR Public Hearing Date: October 26, 2000
Draft EIR Public Comment Period: September 23 to November 7, 2000
Final EIR Certification Date: February 15, 2001
Changesfromthetextofthe DraftEIR are indicatedby solid dots (•) atthe
beginningofeach revisedsection,paragraph, graphic ortable.
Thisreporthasbeenprintedonpost-consumerrecycledpaper/ESA960223
DOCUMENTS
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SAN FRANCISCO
PUBLIC LIBRARY
GOVERNMENTINfORJ CENTER
SAN FRANCISCO LIBRARY
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PUBLIC LIBRARY
REFERENCE
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San Francisco Planning Department
525 GOLDEN GATE AVENUE
CITY ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING
Final Environmental Impact Report
1997.478E
Draft EIR Publication Date: September 23, 2000
Draft EIR Public Hearing Date: October 26, 2000
Draft EIR Public Comment Period: September 23 to November 7, 2000
Final EIR Certification Date: February 15, 2001
Changes from the textofthe DraftEIRare indicatedby soliddots (•) at the
beginning ofeach revised section,paragraph, graphic ortable.
Thisreporthasbeenprintedonpost-consumerrecycledpaper/ESA960223
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CaseFile No.: 97.478E
525 Golden Gate Avenue
Assessor's Block766, Lot 1
SANFRANCISCO
PLANNING COMMISSION
MOTIONNO. 16092
ADOPTINGFINDINGSRELATEDTOTHECERTD7ICATIONOFA FINALENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT REPORT FORTHE PROPOSED CITY ADMINISTRATIVEBUILDING GOLDEN
(525
GATE AVENUE) LOCATED ON ASSESSOR'S BLOCK 766, LOT 1 AT THE SOUTHWEST
CORNER OF POLK STREETAND GOLDEN GATE AVENUE.
MOVED, That the San Francisco Planning Commission (hereinafter "Commission") hereby
CERTIFIES the Final Environmental Impact Report identified as Case File No. 97.478E, (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 CaliforniaEnvironmental Quality Act (Cal. Pub.
Res. Code Section 21000 etseq., hereinafter "CEQA"), the State CEQA Guidelines (Cal. Admin. CodeTitle
14, Section 15000 et. seq., (hereinafter "CEQA Guidelines") and Chapter 31 of the San Francisco
Administrative Code (hereinafter "Chapter31").
a. The Department determined that an EIR was required and provided public notice of that
determination by publication in anewspaperofgeneral circulation on September 18, 2000.
b. On September 23, 2000, the Department published the Draft Environmental Impact Report
(hereinafter "DEIR") and provided public notice in a newspaperofgeneral circulation ofthe availability of
the DEIR forpublic review and comment and ofthe date and time ofthe Commission public hearing on the
DEIR onThursday, October26, 2000. This notice was mailed to the Department's list ofpersons requesting
such notice.
c. Notices ofavailability ofthe DEIR andofthe date andtime ofthe public hearings were posted
near the Project site by Department staffon or about September22, 2000.
d. On September 22, 2000, copies of the DEIR were mailed or otherwise delivered to a list of
persons requesting it, to those notedon the distribution list in the DEIR, to adjacent property owners, and to
government agencies.
2) The Commission held a duly advertised public hearing on said DEIR on October 26, 2000, at which
opportunity forpublic comment was given, and public comment was received on the DEIR. The period for
acceptance ofwritten comments ended on November7, 2000.
3) The Department prepared responses to comments on environmental issues received at the public
hearings and in writing during the 45-day public review period for the DEIR, prepared revisions to the text
oftheDEIRinresponsetocommentsreceivedorbasedon additionalinformation thatbecame availableduring
Case File No.: 97.478E
525 Golden Gate Avenue
Motion No: 16092
Page 2
the public review period, andcorrectederrors in theDEIR. This materialwaspresentedina "DraftSummary
ofComments and Responses," published on January 26, 2001, which was distributed tothe Commission and
to all parties who commented on the DEIR, and was available to others uponrequest atDepartment offices.
4) A Final Environmental Impact Report (hereinafter "FEIR") has been prepared by the Department,
consisting ofthe DEIR, any comments received during the review process, any additional information that
became available, and the Summary ofComments and Responses, all as required by law.
5) ProjectEnvironmentalImpactReportfileshavebeenmadeavailableforreviewbytheCommissionand
the public. Thesefilesare availableforpublicreviewby appointment at thePlanningDepartmentoffices, and
are part ofthe record before the Commission.
6) On February 15, 2001, theCommissionreviewedandconsidered theFEIRandfoundthatthecontents
ofsaid report and the procedures through which theFSEIR was prepared, publicized, andreviewed comply
with the provisions ofCEQA, the CEQA Guidelines, and Chapter 31 ofthe San Francisco Administrative
Code.
7) The Commission hereby does find that the FEIR concerning Case File No. 97.478E reflects the
independentjudgmentofthe City and County ofSan Francisco; is adequate, accurate and objective; and that
the Summary ofComments and Responses contains no significant revisions to the DEIR; and hereby does
CERTIFY THECOMPLETION ofsaid FEIR in compliance with CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines.
8) TheCommission, incertifying thecompletionofsaidFEIR, hereby does find thattheProjectdescribed
in the Environmental ImpactReportwith the incorporation ofthemitigation measures describedinthe Initial
Study and FEIR will not have any significant unavoidable environmental impacts.
I hereby certify that the foregoing Motion was ADOPTED by the City Planning Commission at its
regular meeting ofFebruary 15, 2001.
Linda Avery
Commission Secretary
AYES: Commissioners Theoharis, Baltimore, Fay, Joe and Salinas
NOS: None
ABSENT: Chinchilla
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
GOLDEN GATE AVENUE
525
(CITY ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING) PROJECT
• FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Page
SUMMARY
I. 1
II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 15
A. SiteLocation 15
B. Project Characteristics 15
C. Project Sponsor's Objectives 22
D. Project Approval Requirements 22
III. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING AND IMPACTS 24
A. Land Use and General Plan Conformity 24
B. Visual Quality 29
C. Transportation 44
D. Shadow 55
E. Wind 66
F. Growth Inducement 69
G. Significant Irreversible Environmental Changes 70
IV. MITIGATION MEASURES PROPOSED TO MINIMIZE 71
THE POTENTIAL ADVERSE IMPACTS OF THE PROJECT
V. SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS THAT CANNOT BE 75
AVOIDED IF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS IMPLEMENTED
VI. ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROPOSED PROJECT 76
A. No Project 76
B. Rehabilitation ofExisting Building 77
• C. Project with No Parking 79
D. Height and Bulk Limit Compliance 80
E. Off-Site Alternative 81
VII. DRAFT EIR DISTRIBUTIONLIST 84
• VIII. SUMMARY OF COMMENTS AND RESPONSES C&R.l
• IX. APPENDICES
• X. EIR AUTHORS AND CONSULTANTS
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TABLEOFCONTENTS
Page
LIST OF FIGURES
1. Project Location 16
2. Axonometric Views ofProject Massing- Option A 20
3. Axonometric Views ofProject Massing - Option B 21
4. Views ofExisting Building 31
5. View ofExisting Building from Civic CenterPlaza 32
6. View ofProject Site from Golden Gate and Van Ness Avenues 34
7. Visual Simulation ofProposed Project Viewed from Golden Gate and 35
Van Ness Avenues - Option A
8. Visual Simulation ofProposed Project Viewed Golden Gate and 36
Van Ness Avenues - Option B
9. View ofProject Site from Civic Center Plaza 37
10. Visual Simulation ofProposed Project Viewed from Civic CenterPlaza - Option A 38
11. Visual Simulation ofProposed Project Viewed from Civic Center Plaza- Option B 39
12. View ofProject Site from UpperLevel ofBill Graham Civic Auditorium 41
13. Visual Simulation ofProposed Project Viewed from UpperLevel of 42
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
14. Visual Simulation ofProposed Project Viewed from Upper Level of 43
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium- Option B
15. Maximum Extent ofProject Shadow on Civic CenterPlaza 58
• 16a. December 21 Option A Shadow Casts, 9:00 a.m. (Revised) 59a
• 16b. December21 Option B Shadow Casts, 9:00 a.m. (Revised) 59b
• 17a. December 21 Option A Shadow Casts, 10:00 a.m. (Revised) 60a
• 17b. December 21 Option B Shadow Casts, 10:00 a.m. (Revised) 60b
18. December 21 Shadow Casts, 12:00 noon 61
19. February 21 Shadow Casts, 9:00 a.m. 63
20. February 21 Shadow Casts, 10:00 a.m. 64
21. February 21 Shadow Casts, 12:00 noon 65
LIST OF TABLES
1. Project Characteristics 18
2. Travel Demand (Person Trip Ends) By Mode Type 47
3. PM Peak-Hour Intersection Level ofService and Average Stopped Delay 49
4. Planning Code Parking Requirements, Parking Demand, and Proposed Parking 52
5. Comparison ofKey Impacts: Proposed Project and Alternatives 83
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CHAPTER
I
SUMMARY
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
A. (p. 15)
At the southwest corner ofPolk Street and Golden Gate Avenue, in the San Francisco Civic Center, the
project would involve demolition ofan existing vacant State ofCalifornia office building and
construction ofa new building for City offices. Two options are under consideration: Option A would
entail construction ofa 14-story, 181-foot-tall building containing about 255,500 square feet ofoffice
space, while Option B would consist ofa 12-story, 156-foot-tall building with about 215,000 square feet.
Each option would include twobasementparking levels containing about 100 spaces (corresponding to
about 140 spaces with valet operations). The project would support up to approximately 950 City
employees, most ofwhom are expected to be relocated fromexisting leased office space elsewhere in the
greater Civic Center.
The project would include a height reclassification (amendment ofthe height and bulk designations in
the zoning maps and General Plan maps) ofthe site to accommodate the proposed building, and the
project will also seek a variance from the Planning Code requirement for on-site parking and loading.
The project would include one loading space to accommodate vans and small trucks at a loading dock on
Redwood Street and the above-noted 100 parking spaces, instead ofthe two loading spaces and
430 parking spaces required (Planning Code Sections 151 and 152). The project would include at least
32 to 37 bicycle parking spaces, depending on the option approved (Sec. 155.1) and at least four showers
and eight clothes lockers (Sec. 155.3).
The proposed City Administrative Building would be a steel-frame structure clad in panels ofmasonry
and/or stone and glass and intended to be compatible with otherpublic buildings in the Civic Center.
Based on preliminary design work, the new building is anticipated to be constructed in a generally
rectangular shape at levels one through 12 (for Option A) (or levels one through 10 for Option B), to a
height of 155 feet (130 feet) above Golden Gate Avenue. The 13th story (11th story for Option B) would
be set backfromGolden Gate Avenue to limit new shadow on the Tenderloin Community School one
block to the north, and would reach 168 feet (143 feet for Option B) in height. The partial mechanical
story (14th for Option A, 12th for Option B) would be set back on three sides -fromPolk Street, Golden
Gate Avenue, and the western property line - and would rise to 181 feet (156 feet for Option B). A
10-foot tall elevator penthouse would be situated near the southern edge ofthe roof. The preliminary
design also indicates a slightly curved facade in the center portion oflevels three through 12 (for
Option A) (levels three through 10 for Option B) that would echo the curved facade ofthe new State
Office Building across Polk Street. The main pedestrian entrance would be on Golden Gate Avenue,
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SUMMARY
I.
near the corner ofPolk Street. The proposed project is anticipated to be constructed pursuant to apilot
program for the design and construction ofnew Resource-Efficient City Buildings (the "Green Building"
ordinance) approved by the Board ofSupervisors and the Mayor in 1999.
Demolition ofthe existing building is anticipated to last approximately four months, beginning in early
2001. Construction ofthe new office building would take approximately 20 months. Occupancy in
anticipated by late 2003. The project is anticipated to be executed through a design-build process,
meaning that the City would select a single team to complete the final design and construct thebuilding.
Therefore, the final design is subject to change, particularly as concerns architectural details. The
design-build process is subject to final approval by theBoard ofSupervisors and the mayor.
Following certification ofthe EIR, the Board ofSupervisors and the Planning Commission would be
asked to approve a General Plan Amendment for changes to the Urban Design Element Height and Bulk
maps and rezoning ofthe site to change the Height and BulkDistrict ofthe entire site from 130-E to
200-L or 160-L allow for construction ofthe project. Because the project would be apublic building
constructed on City-owned land, the Art Commission has authority to approve the building design. The
Planning Commission would also be asked to consider a General Plan referral for conformity with the
General Plan fordemolition ofexisting building and construction ofthe project. The project would
require demolition and construction permits from the Department ofBuilding Inspection and a variance
from the Zoning Administrator forproviding less than the Planning Code-required amount ofparking and
loading. No building permit applications have been filed to date.
MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
B.
This environmental impact report, for the 525 Golden Gate Avenue project, focuses on the issues of
visual quality, transportation, shadow, and wind. 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, for analysis ofother environmental issues.) In addition, this environmental
impact report discusses land use for informational purposes, although effects related to land use were
found to be less-than-significant in the Initial Study.
LAND
USE(p. 24)
The Civic Center is a central area forgovernmental and cultural activity. Other land uses include private
offices, retail, restaurant, and residential uses. The project site was occupied by state government offices
until shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Nearby uses include the new Civic Center
Courthouse to the south, with City Hall beyond; the State ofCalifornia complex to the east; and the
Phillip Burton Federal Building to the northeast. Retail uses and offices are north and west ofthe site,
and the new Tenderloin Community (elementary) school is one block northeast. The proposed project, a
new building containing approximately 215,000 to 255,500 square feet ofCity offices and about
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