Notice of Intent To Prepare Environmental Impact Statement for the HOPE SF Development at Alice Griffith Public Housing Development, San Francisco, CA, 76481-76482 [2010-30844]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 8, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76481-76482]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-30844]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5467-N-01]


Notice of Intent To Prepare Environmental Impact Statement for 
the HOPE SF Development at Alice Griffith Public Housing Development, 
San Francisco, CA

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development, HUD.

ACTION: Notice intent.

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SUMMARY: HUD gives notice to the public 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, intends to prepare a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for redevelopment of the Alice 
Griffith Public Housing as part of its HOPE SF development program. 
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 and 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, 
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 regulations of the 
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Federal agencies having 
jurisdiction by law, special expertise, or other special interest 
should report their interests and indicate their readiness to aid in 
the EIS effort as a ``Cooperating Agency.''
    A Draft EIS will be prepared for the proposed action described 
herein. Comments relating to the Draft EIS are requested and will be 
accepted by the contact person listed below. When the Draft EIS is 
completed, a notice will be sent to individuals and groups known to 
have an interest in the Draft 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 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.

ADDRESSES: All interested agencies, groups, and persons are invited to 
submit written comments on the project named in this notice, and the 
Draft EIS to the contact person shown below. 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 and 
dates that the EIS should consider, and 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, Mayor's Office of Housing, 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 
5th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103; Phone: (415) 701-5598; FAX: (415) 
701-5501; e-mail: 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 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 Alice 
Griffith Public Housing revitalization program under HOPE SF (Cal 118). 
The proposed development would be located on approximately 20 net acres 
in the southeastern portion of San Francisco on the San Francisco South 
Quadrangle 7.5-minute U.S.G.S. topographic quadrangle map. The project 
site is bounded by Gilman Avenue on the south, Hawes Street on the 
west, Carroll Avenue on the north, and Arelious Walker Drive on the 
east. This EIS will be a NEPA document intended to satisfy requirements 
of Federal environmental statutes.
    The proposed action would demolish and replace the existing 256 
public housing units at the Alice Griffith Public Housing Development 
which were built in 1962. The proposed action would proceed in phases 
and would not displace existing residents. The initial phases would 
develop currently vacant portions of the Alice Griffith site, and 
existing residents would then occupy replacement public housing units 
before existing structures would be demolished in subsequent phases. 
Overall, the Project would develop a total of up to 1,210 units of 
public housing, affordable housing, below-market rate housing, and 
market-rate housing at the Alice Griffith site. It will provide new 
affordable housing that is targeted to the lower income levels of the 
Bayview population, including new units that are suitable for families, 
seniors, and young adults on 20 net acres along with development of 
adjacent non-SFHA property. Housing would include one-for-one 
replacement of 256 public housing units currently on the site, and 954 
market-rate and below-market for-sale and rental units. Maximum 
buildings height would be up to 65 feet. A new 1.4-acre Alice Griffith 
Neighborhood Park would extend for several blocks near the center of 
the neighborhood.
    There are three alternatives to the proposed action to be analyzed 
in the EIS. The alternatives are all 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 B, Replacement of the Alice Griffith Housing Units

    Number of Units: 256.
    Acreage: 15 acres.
    No neighborhood park.
    Percent Reduction: 79 percent.

Alternative C, Reduced Development Alternative

    Number of Units: 875 units, distributed as follows:
    256 Alice Griffith 1:1 Replacement Housing.
    248 Affordable Housing Units <60% AMI.
    37 Inclusionary Housing Units 80-120% AMI.
    111 Workforce Housing Units 120-160% AMI.
    223 Market Rate Housing Units.
    Acreage: 20 acres.

[[Page 76482]]

    New 1.4-acre Alice Griffith Neighborhood Park.
    Percent Reduction: 27 percent.

Alternative D, No Project Alternative

    No changes to the existing conditions.
    The proposed redevelopment is consistent with requirements for a 
mixed-use, mixed-income housing project. The project site currently 
contains 256 residential units, a community center, a boys and girls 
club and a pump house. The residential units are in primarily two story 
structures. Much of the existing infrastructure would be demolished, 
and replaced, also in phases. Additional community space will be 
developed to provide a range of community uses (e.g., social services 
space, educational facilities, library, neighborhood services, 
commercial uses).

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.

D. EIS Issues

    The MOH has preliminarily identified the following environmental 
elements for discussion in the EIS: Earth (geology, soils, topography); 
air quality; water (surface water movement/quantity, runoff/absorption, 
flooding, groundwater movement/quantity/quality); plants and animals; 
energy use; noise; land use and socioeconomic factors (land use 
patterns, relationship to plans/policies and regulations; population; 
housing and relocations); environmental justice (disproportionately 
high and adverse effects on minority and low income populations); 
historic and cultural resources; aesthetics, light and glare; parks and 
recreation; public services and utilities (fire, police, parks/
recreation, communications, water, stormwater, sewer, solid waste); and 
transportation (transportation systems, parking, movement/circulation, 
traffic hazards).
    Questions may be directed to the individual named in this notice 
under the heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: December 2, 2010.
Mercedes M. M[aacute]rquez,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.
[FR Doc. 2010-30844 Filed 12-7-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P