Public Health Hospital Housing Plan Gets Approval

By George McConnell

After a complex -and not always harmonious - dialogue that began in 2003 between the Presidio Trust and neighborhood groups over the future of the long-shuttered Public Health Service Hospital at 15th Avenue and Lake Street, an agreement has finally been reached, and the site will soon bloom once again with new life and purpose.

"It represents a win-win for the neighborhood and the park," said Claudia Lewis, president of Richmond Presidio Neighbors, one of the groups actively involved in the planning discussions for the property.

"We are very gratified that the Presidio Trust listened to our concerns and came up with a plan that was acceptable to our neighborhood," she said.

The plan selected, known officially as Alternative 3, represents a sharp departure from what had been originally envisioned for the property. Instead of up to 391 condominiums, there will be 186 units of market-rate rental housing.

Neighborhood groups had been particularly concerned about increased density, pollution and traffic to the area.

"The plan represents a 50 percent reduction in the number of units originally under discussion," Lewis stated.

The property will have an entrance at 14th Avenue and California Street and an exit at 15th Avenue and California. A transit hub will also be developed nearby to encourage tenant use of public transportation. To mitigate neighborhood traffic concerns, the Trust has also made a commitment to develop a comprehensive traffic plan and to monitor the traffic flow in the area for the next five years.

In addition, the plan also exempts construction and requires traffic restrictions on environmentally sensitive areas on the 42-acre site, including an area known as Battery Caulfield.

The plan was presented at a meeting of the Planning Association for the Richmond (PAR) on April 25. The unveiling represents the last phase of a process that included many public workshops and participation by the mayor's office, city supervisors Jake McGoldrick and Michela Alioto-Pier and Representative Nancy Pelosi's office. No further changes will be considered.

"At this point, any changes that come about will be through litigation," said Ron Miguel, president of PAR.

A spokesman for Forest City Development, the developer selected for the project, provided a summary of the key points of the plan. Included will be the demolition of the two wings added to the facility in the '50s, construction of a new residential building behind the hospital, restoration of the main hospital building and other historical buildings, and integrating natural design features to create a park-like landscape to the property.

Architectural drawings will take approximately one year to complete and construction, estimated to take two years, will begin soon after that. Forest City Development recently completed the San Francisco Ferry Building's restoration. The sprawling medical facility, originally constructed in 1875 and sometimes known as the Merchant Marine Hospital, was part of the Presidio Army Post and used for many years to care for military personnel.

The hospital was rebuilt in 1932 after an extensive fire. The hospital officially closed in 1981. It has been vacant since that date, except for occasional temporary tenants.

The facility is part of the 1200-acre Presidio, which is governed by the Presidio Trust, a body created by Congress in 1996 to manage the property after the Army abandoned the site in 1994.

Currently, it is home to 2,400 residents and 175 organizations employing 2,000 people. Because the Presidio has more than 70,000 trees, 13 native plant communities and the last free-flowing stream in San Francisco, environmental groups have been actively involved in its management.

One of the key points of contention between the Trust and neighborhood groups was the property's yearly lease fee. The Trust, as part of its mandate, is trying to achieve financial independence by 2013. Neighbors felt a larger development that would produce more rental income - up to $1 million per year projected at one point -would drive the process to determine a developer.

Although the plan selected is significantly smaller in scope than the other alternatives, it will still generate approximately $3.52 million by 2010, according to current projections.

"Who will live in the rental units is still a little bit away," said Tia Lombardi, head of the Trust's Public Affairs Office, "but it has been the policy of the Presidio Trust to give priority for renting the housing units to those employed at the Presidio."

For more information on the plan for the Public Health Service Hospital, visit www.presidio.gov.