Geary/Masonic Housing Plan gets OK to Move Forward without EIR

The SF Planning Department has determined there will not be any significant environmental impacts from a proposed development at Geary Boulevard and Masonic Avenue.

Because of the department's determination, a plan to demolish The Pub restaurant and bar and several small Victorians at the southwest corner of the intersection can move forward without an Environmental Impact Report.

The project's sponsor, Jacques Janot, still needs to get a Conditional Use Permit from the SF Planning Commission, however, before proceeding with his plan to build a four-story building with 57 units of housing and 23,000 square feet of commercial space, with 2,800 square feet of the space being reserved for a restaurant.

The housing would consist of 54 units of two-bedroom housing and three units of one-bedroom units. The development project conforms with the city's master plan insofar as it provides additional housing units in areas located near a major transit line.

An underground garage is planned for the site, with enough space to park 195 vehicles. Of that total, 76 would be reserved for the housing units and 119 would be used for the commercial enterprises.

The parking in the project's plan is projected to provide 30 less parking spaces than needed at peak times, but a survey of the area found more than an adequate number of on-street parking spaces to make up the shortfall.

A total of seven buildings, including a couple of Victorian cottages built before the turn-of-the-century, would be demolished if the plan moves forward. They currently house eight residential units and several businesses, including The Pub, an insurance office, dry cleaners and auto upholstery and repair shop.

Construction is slated to last 22 months. The Preliminary Negative Declaration for the project claims any potential negative impacts can be adequately offset with planned mitigation measures. They include:

· muffling construction sounds by using pre-drilled piles and state-of-the-art muffling techniques;

· maintaining good air quality by covering truck-loads of soil and other building materials and using non-potable water to cut down on dust created during construction;

· protecting potential archaeological resources by halting work if a site with historical items is discovered.

The entrance and exit to the facility's parking lot would be located on the Masonic Avenue side of the building so as to minimize traffic disruptions in the neighborhood.

In an effort to encourage people to travel to the site without using an automobile, space is being provided to "park" up to 50 bicycles.

- Paul Kozakiewicz