Neighbors raise light, air and health concerns as commission approves modified plan for 1130 Clement Street

The Planning Commission on Jan. 5 took discretionary review and approved staff‑recommended modifications for a proposal at 1130 Clement Street that would add three residential units to an existing building and create a total of five units including ground‑floor commercial.

Staff architect David Winslow described the proposal as a vertical and horizontal rear addition to a three‑story, two‑unit building that would create three additional units, bringing the total to five. Staff reported 11 letters in support and 4 opposed and said the project is close to the threshold of demolition under Planning Code Section 317 but was noticed as an addition.

Brendan Meyer, the Doctor requester and adjacent property owner, and several neighbors presented photographs and a shadow study, saying the revised design still creates a roughly 35‑foot wall at the rear property line and will significantly reduce afternoon sunlight, airflow and privacy for adjacent yards. Meyer also argued the application should be classified as a demolition rather than an addition under section 317, which would trigger conditional use review.

Project architect Mimi Lee and the owners (John Tran and Kim Lee) said they made multiple revisions in response to concerns: removal of roof decks and certain penthouses, lowered building height by inches, additional setbacks (including a back‑wall setback described as 14 feet in the latest revision) and relocation of bays. They said the project adds family‑sized units and that further reductions would make family units infeasible.

Several neighbors described health impacts tied to loss of airflow and sunlight; one caller said she is a disabled veteran with PTSD and asthma and asked for accommodations to minimize construction and long‑term impacts.

Commission discussion referenced the Housing Accountability Act, which limits a jurisdiction’s ability to reduce the density of a code‑compliant project without specific findings. After deliberation, a motion to take discretionary review and approve the proposal with staff modifications passed unanimously, 5–0.