Residents Sue to Put Kibosh on Geary Senior Center

By George McConnell

The Institute on Aging's proposed senior housing and health care center to be constructed on the old Coronet Theater site on Geary Boulevard hit another roadblock July 5 when a local neighborhood association filed suit in Superior Court against the project's developers and the SF Board of Supervisors.

At issue, the neighbors say, is the size of the building, alleged violations of city and state building codes, and added parking and traffic congestion in the area. Meetings between neighborhood groups and the developers have been taking place for more than three years.

According to Libby Benedict, co-president of the Francisco Heights Neighborhood Association, the lawsuit's petitioners, and a long-time resident of a small cul-de-sac of homes that will sit directly behind the new facility, the six-story 230,000-square-foot structure will be set too close to property lines, blocking light and views and severely affecting the area's quality of life.

"This is a quiet and peaceful and pleasant neighborhood and it will be gone once this building goes up," she said. "The developers, Bridge Housing Corporation and the Institute on Aging, were not accommodating to our concerns, hence the suit."

The Francisco Heights Neighborhood Association, established in 1940, represents 360 homeowners and businesses in the area near the planned project, according to Benedict. The proposed $60 million facility will provide 150 independent living spaces for low-income seniors and those with special needs, as well as health care services and a 67-space underground parking garage, according to representatives at the Bridge Housing Corporation, which is responsible for building the senior housing component of the plan. Benedict said the neighbors do not have a problem with senior housing per-se, but with the bulk and intensive use of the facility.

"The institute does excellent work, and we are not against a senior housing project in the neighborhood," she said. "We thought it was a valid use of the site."

The Institute on Aging purchased the property in 2000, and Bridge Housing Corporation subsequently bought the rights to build and manage the housing units, which will be located on the top four floors of the building. The Institute on Aging will operate the health care services located on the first two floors, and the new building will consolidate four of its existing senior housing sites currently located along Geary, according to Ken Donnelly, executive vice president.

Ongoing negotiations with neighborhood groups have resulted in a number of re-designs in an attempt to reach a compromise, Donnelly said.

"We've sacrificed a lot of space and units trying to accommodate the neighbors' concerns, including creating a U-shaped terrace in the rear of the building, which sets back 150 feet from the property line, and reducing the height of the building by five feet. I don't know if we can do anything more in the way of re-design," he said.

The lawsuit alleges a flawed Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared, including violations of existing city and state environmental and building codes. In addition, it asserts that the proposed structure will be greater in height and bulk than all existing buildings in the vicinity, which will result in adverse affects on traffic, parking and air quality, and change the character of the neighborhood.

The Coronet Theater, built in 1940, ceased operations in March 2005. It was operated for many years by the Levin family, originators of the San Francisco Film Festival, and believed to be an historic structure. According to Donnelly, however, after careful research the City deemed it not historic two years ago.

"We did not have any problems with the theater when it was operating. It was not a going concern," Benedict said.

The lawsuit seeks an adequate EIR, compliance with existing building codes, a halt in construction until all environmental and planning codes have been resolved, plus the cost of the lawsuit and attorney's fees. Paperwork for the EIR was submitted to the SF Planning Commission in April 2003, but did not receive final approval until April 2006, Donnelly said.

The SF Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the project on May 23. The project's developers currently have the legal authority to proceed with construction unless the court issues an injunction, which appears unlikely, Donnelly said.

"We would like a smaller design, maybe 4 or 5 stories instead of 6 or 7, more open space and less bulk. Otherwise, we feel the design is perfect," Benedict said. "This is really a David versus Goliath thing. Bridge Housing has a lot of resources and we are just a group of homeowners. We hope they will do the right thing and accommodate our suggestions."

A court-mandated settlement conference held on Aug. 8 failed to produce a compromise agreement between the parties. The petitioners now have until Sept. 22 to file a brief with the court, with a response due from the developers within 60 days. A hearing in Superior Court to determine the matter is now scheduled for Dec. 12, Donnelly said.