San Francisco planning commissioners today heard plans for a new 36-story tower in the city’s South Beach neighborhood, which borders the bay and is home to the Giants’ stadium.
The project would include 260 units of housing, 40 of them affordable. It would rise to 347 feet in a neighborhood where building heights are markedly lower than nearby Rincon Hill or the rest of SoMa, across the freeway.
That has some neighbors worried. Sue Bushnell, a nearby resident and the president of the South Beach District 6 Democratic Club, said the effect of such a project would be large, particularly on traffic.
“This has come to the attention of the residents very quickly. There are many major concerns, but one of them is traffic,“ Bushnell said. “I would certainly think it is extremely important to evaluate the traffic that will be increased during the construction and just living in general.”
But planning commissioners reminded Bushnell and others that under SB 423, the approval of the project is not in commissioners’ hands.
“The Planning Commission themselves, as we sit here, are not really approving or denying the project,” said commissioner Kathrin Moore.
Planning Commissioner Derek Braun added, “The actual approvals process for this project doesn’t ultimately fall to this commission. It’s going to be a matter of whether or not the project complies with the applicable objective, existing, planning code requirements and local and state laws.”
The project at 329 Bryant St. would require combining four parcels and demolishing an existing commercial space. Two other commercial structures would remain, given their historical status.
The 356,000 square feet building would have 142 one-bedroom units (20 of them affordable), 88 two-bedroom units (including another 20 affordable) and 30 three-bedroom units. It would also have 139 parking spots and 313 spaces for bicycles.
Twenty of the affordable units would be offered to those making up to 50 percent of the area median income ($54,550 for a single person, or $77,950 for a family of four) and another 20 for those making up to 120 percent of the median income ($130,900 for a single person, or $187,000 for a family of four).
The project would make use of a slew of state laws intended to expedite housing development as well as the state’s density bonus law.
Bushnell’s concerns on traffic were echoed by fellow neighbor Marsha Geller. She said congestion is already an issue for the neighborhood, given its proximity to the highway, the Ferry Building and sporting venues like Oracle Park and the Chase Center.
“It’s a busy neighborhood,” said Geller. “There’s no commercial level planned. There’s no broccoli, no eggs, no milk, no dry cleaner. Everybody who’s going to be occupying this building is going to be using those 139 extra cars and 313 extra bicycles to add to the traffic.”
Though residents’ concerns may not ultimately affect developers, whose representatives were present on Thursday, the discussion could sway them, Braun said.
“It’s an opportunity for the sponsor to determine whether or not to adjust the project based on that,” the commissioner said. “I do hope that you’ll continue to hone and refine the project based on the input you hear here.”
Stephen Allen, the project architect, left open the possibility of adding or removing parking. He said concerns like noise would be taken into account, and that the project could modify the parking garage entrances to ease traffic.
Allen said that developers would also study a city program aimed at reducing car miles traveled by new residents by providing on-site amenities, like ground-floor commercial space, restaurants or daycare.
The property, which lists Bryant Ventures LLC as an owner, was sold in 2024 for $7.3 million. It is unclear who is behind the LLC: When asked, Allen said the owner prefers to remain anonymous.
The developers’ next step is to submit an SB 423 application sometime in May. The project, the architect said, may change, but not drastically.
“I would say we’re studying what will be the optimal project. I would think that the volume of the building probably would not change yet, but the exact mix of rooms and the exact size of the units has the possibility to change,” Allen said.“We’ll be studying that in more detail, in preparation for our next submittal.”
I’m glad the planning commission can’t water down projects anymore, we need tons more housing so badly.
Yes, the NIMBYs quoted in this article sound particularly petty and myopic, even by NIMBY standards. Although one problem I can see with the plan is that only half the apartments have a parking space. That might limit marketability given that no doubt these units will all be seven figures. Anyone who can afford to drop a milsky on an apartment is going to have a car.
Perhaps the lack of parking will make the units less desirable and cost less, making them more affordable to people happy to walk 5 minutes to the N stop nearby
^….but do we really need more housing? We have cut off immigration, and the US population is not growing.
“It’s going to be a matter of whether or not the project complies with the applicable objective, existing, planning code requirements and local and state laws”. Right into my veins.
Not all of us D6ers are NIMBYs. I live one block south and cannot wait for more new neighbors! Housing humans matters more than any complaining about parking or traffic.
It’s a 15 min walk to a Whole Foods or Safeway from there. What is Geller talking about??
Losing one commercial space not existing housing. A few minutes walk to Bart, Caltrains, and muni.a new school opening close by. Tons of walking options new parks and the water front. This sound about perfect for dense housing. Hope it does not get bogged to oblivion.
The idea that one building of a few hundred units will make a difference to traffic, immediately in the shadow of off-ramps for a bridge used by about 160 cars *a minute*, within walking distance of many parts of one of the country’s densest mass transit networks, is… I just can’t even.
Looks like a great project!
Welllll, it’s going to take the Millenium 30 or 40 more years to finally get level. I hope the stilts at Bryant reach rock bottom.
That’s still way too much housing for cars, not enough for people. And in a transit-oriented neighborhood, no less.
Not really. About 70% of SF households have at least one car. So providing only 50% parking spaces versus housing units here is low.
An anonymous project sponsor? Sounds like there might be money laundering going on here.
Ludicrous that so few affordable units are demanded!! Traffic will be a billionaire problem!