[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 2, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26025-26027]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10580]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-5637-N-01]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the HOPE SF Development at Potrero Terrace and Potrero Annex
Public Housing Development, San Francisco, CA
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and
Development, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS and to Conduct Public
Scoping Meeting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This provides notice to the public, agencies, and Indian
tribes that the City and County of San Francisco's Mayor's Office of
Housing (MOH), as the Responsible Entity in accordance with 24 CFR
58.2(a)(7), intends to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Report/
Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the HOPE SF Development at
the Potrero Terrace and Potrero Annex Public Housing Development
(Potrero HOPE SF Master Plan Project). The EIR/EIS will be a joint
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) document. The EIR will satisfy requirements of CEQA
(Public Resources Code 21000 et seq.) and the State CEQA Guidelines (14
California Code of Regulations 15000 et seq.), which require that state
and local government agencies consider the environmental consequences
of projects over which they have discretionary authority before acting
on those projects. The proposed action is subject to NEPA, because
funding for the project may include HUD funds from programs subject to
regulation by 24 CFR part 58; these include, but are not limited to,
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds under Title I of the
Housing and Community Development Act of 1974; Home Investment
Partnership Program (HOME) grants under Title II of the Cranston-
Gonzales National Affordable Housing Act of 1990 as amended; Project
Based Section 8 Vouchers under the United States Housing Act of 1937;
and/or Section 8(o)(13) and Public Housing operating subsidies for
mixed income developments authorized under the U.S. Housing Act of
1937, Section 35. This notice is in accordance with the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations at 40 CFR parts 1500-1508.
A Draft EIR/EIS will be prepared for the proposed action described
herein. Comments relating to the Draft EIR/EIS are requested and will
be accepted by the contact person listed below. When the Draft EIR/EIS
is completed, a notice will be sent to individuals and groups known to
have an interest in the Draft EIR/EIS and particularly in the
environmental impact issues identified therein. Any person or agency
interested in receiving a notice and making comment on the Draft EIR/
EIS should contact the person listed below within 30-days after
publication of this notice.
This EIS will be a NEPA document intended to satisfy requirements
of federal environmental statutes. In accordance with specific
statutory authority and HUD's regulations at 24 CFR part 58
(Environmental Review Procedures for Entities Assuming HUD
Environmental Responsibilities), HUD has provided for assumption of its
NEPA authority and NEPA lead agency responsibility by the City and
County of San Francisco. The EIR will be a CEQA document intended to
satisfy State environmental statutes (Public Resources Code 21000 et
seq. and 14 California Code of Regulations 15000 et seq.).
ADDRESSES: All interested agencies, tribes, groups, and persons are
invited to submit written comments on the project named in this notice
and on the Draft EIS to the contact person shown in this notice. The
office of the contact person should receive comments and all comments
so received will be considered prior to the preparation and
distribution of the Draft EIS. Particularly solicited is information on
reports or other environmental studies planned or completed in the
project area, major issues that the EIS should consider, recommended
mitigation measures, and alternatives associated with the proposed
action. Federal agencies having jurisdiction by law, special expertise
or other special interest should report their interest and indicate
their readiness to aid in the EIS effort as a ``Cooperating Agency.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eugene Flannery, Environmental
Compliance Manager, City and County of San Francisco Mayor's Office of
Housing, 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 5th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103;
Phone: (415) 701-5598; Fax (415) 701- 5501; email:
eugene.flannery@sfgov.org.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
The MOH, 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
[[Page 26026]]
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437x) and HUD's regulations at
24 CFR part 58, in cooperation with other interested agencies, will
prepare an EIS to analyze potential impacts of the Potrero HOPE SF
Master Plan Project.
The proposed development would be on approximately 39 net acres in
the T 2S R 5W portion of San Francisco on the San Francisco North
Quadrangle 7.5-minute U.S.G.S. topographic quadrangle map. The project
site is located on the southeastern border of the Potrero Hill
neighborhood. The project site is one and one-half blocks west of
Interstate 280 (I-280), four blocks east of U.S. Highway 101 (U.S.
101), two blocks north of Cesar Chavez Street and is bordered to the
northwest by the Potrero Hill Recreation Center. The eastern edge of
the site sits on a ridge paralleling Pennsylvania Street below. The
project site is comprised of several parcels that contain the Potrero
Terrace and Potrero Annex properties and an adjacent San Francisco
Unified School District (SFUSD) owned property. Combined, these parcels
have a total acreage of approximately 39 acres, including roads. Areas
of the project site have very steep slopes. The highest topographic
elevation is to the north at the intersection of 23rd Street and
Arkansas Street at 265 feet above mean sea level (msl) and the lowest
elevation is to the south at the intersection of 26th Street and
Connecticut Street at 40 feet above msl. Surrounding land uses include
residential, commercial, recreational, and industrial uses. To the
north and northwest there are multi-family residences, single-family
residences, and the Potrero Hill Recreation Center. To the west are
multi-family residences, single-family residences, and Starr King
Elementary School. To the south are industrial uses. Across Texas
Street to the east are multi-family residential, single-family
residential, and industrial uses. The obsolete buildings that make up
the site are in need of replacement. In addition, dead-end streets and
steep topography isolate this housing development from the surrounding
neighborhood.
Built in two phases in 1941 and 1955, the Potrero site is comprised
of two of the oldest public housing developments in San Francisco,
Potrero Terrace and Potrero Annex. Together, these public housing
developments house a population of approximately 1,200 people. The
proposed project would replace all 606 existing housing units;
incorporate additional affordable housing and market-rate homes into
the community; and add amenities such as open space, retail
opportunities, and neighborhood services. Including the 606 public
housing units, the proposed project would build up to 1,700 homes. The
proposed project would include buildings between three to eight
stories, and would range in height from 40 feet to 85 feet. Development
would occur in phases to minimize disruption to existing residents. The
proposed project would include new vehicle connections, new pedestrian
connections, a new circulation pattern and new bus transit stops. In
addition, the proposed project would incorporate green construction and
sustainable principles.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
There are three alternatives to the proposed action to be analyzed
in the EIS. Alternative 1 is a variation of the project density.
Alternative sites for the project were explored early in the process
and it was determined that no other more viable site was available.
Alternative 1--Reduced Development Alternative
Number of Units: 1,280.
Maximum Height: 40 feet.
Acreage: 39 acres (no change).
Percent Reduction: 25 percent.
Alternative 2--Replacement of Existing Public Housing Units
Number of Units: 606 units.
Acreage: 39 acres.
No Community Center, No retail, no additional open space.
Percent Reduction: 64 percent.
Alternative 3--No Project Alternative
The No Project Alternative would analyze the ``no action''
alternative, which would be the continuation of uses on the site;
therefore, existing buildings and tenants would remain at the project
site and no new buildings or uses would be constructed.
B. Need for the EIS
The proposed project may constitute an action significantly
affecting the quality of the human environment and an EIS will be
prepared on this project by the City and County of San Francisco's MOH
in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). Responses to this notice will be used to: (1)
Determine significant environmental issues, (2) identify data that the
EIS should address, and (3) identify agencies and other parties that
will participate in the EIS process and the basis for their
involvement.
C. Scoping
A public EIS scoping meeting will be held on a date within the
comment period and after at least 15 days of publishing this Notice of
Intent. Notices of the scoping meeting will be mailed when the date has
been determined. The EIS scoping meeting will provide an opportunity
for the public to learn more about the project and provide input to the
environmental process. At the meeting, the public will be able to view
graphics illustrating preliminary planning work and talk with MOH
staff, and members of the consultant team providing technical analysis
to the project. Translators will be available. Written comments and
testimony concerning the scope of the EIS will be accepted at this
meeting. In accordance with 40 CFR 1501.7 affected Federal, State, and
local agencies, any affected Indian tribe, and other interested parties
will be sent a scoping notice. Owners and occupants within a 300-foot
radius will also be notified of the scoping process. In accordance with
24 CFR 58.59, the scoping hearing will be preceded by a notice of
public hearing published in the local news media 15 days before the
hearing date.
The scoping process associated with the CEQA process took place
from November 2010 through December 2010. A CEQA public scoping meeting
was held on November 22, 2010.
D. Probable Environmental Effects
The following subject areas will be analyzed in the combined EIR/
EIS for probable environmental effects: Land Use and Planning (land use
patterns, relationship to plans/policies and regulations; Visual
Quality/Aesthetics (views/light and glare); Socioeconomics and
Community (demographic character changes, displacement); Environmental
Justice (disproportionately high and adverse effects on minority and
low income populations); Cultural/Historic Resources; Transportation
and Circulation; Noise (construction and operational); Air Quality
(construction and operational); Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Wind and
Shadow; Recreation; Utilities and Service Systems (water supply,
stormwater, sewer, solid waste); Public Services (fire, police,
schools, parks); Biological Resources; Geology/Soils; Hydrology/Water
Quality (erosion control and drainage); Hazardous and Hazardous
Materials; Mineral and Energy Resources; and Agriculture and Forest
Resources.
Questions may be directed to the individual named in this notice
under the heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
[[Page 26027]]
Dated: April 25, 2012.
Mercedes M. M[aacute]rquez,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.
[FR Doc. 2012-10580 Filed 5-1-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P