Land Use Committee Unanimously Recommends City Accept Public Infrastructure for "5M" Project

SAN FRANCISCO — The Land Use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Oct. 31 to recommend an ordinance that would let the city accept ownership, liability and maintenance for public infrastructure built as part of the "5M" project and to establish the associated rights-of-way.

Supervisor Myrna Melgar, chair of the committee, moved to forward the item to the full Board with a positive recommendation. The committee recorded three ayes — Supervisor Aaron Peskin, Supervisor Dean Preston and Chair Melgar — and the motion passed. The clerk said items acted on Oct. 31 are scheduled to appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda on Nov. 8 unless stated otherwise.

The proposal, described to the committee by Philip Wong, project manager at the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, covers acceptance of public improvements constructed in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project. "The ordinance will allow the city again to accept for ownership, liability and maintenance required public improvements as part of the 5M project, in phase 1 and phase 2," Wong said.

Wong told the committee the project already includes two completed towers: a residential building referenced in the presentation as Building M (now called the George) containing 302 units, 91 of which are described as middle-income below-market-rate units, and 415 Natoma, described as a 640,000-square-foot office tower currently open and in lease negotiations with a tenant. He also described planned elements of future phases, including a 400-unit condominium identified as N1.

The ordinance would also declare certain city parcels and additional property as open public rights-of-way and amend an existing ordinance identified in the presentation as "Ordinance No. 10 61" to codify sidewalk and related changes. Examples of improvements Wong cited included new sidewalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps and truncated domes, small triangular land dedications to accommodate infrastructure features, streetlights and street trees.

Wong reviewed the geographic footprint shown to the committee — Mission Street, Howard Street and Fifth Street — and summarized project milestones, including a development agreement the presentation said was approved and executed in 2015 and a previous permit for a pedestrian-only alley.

Public comment was brief. No in-person speakers approached the podium; one remote caller identified as Eileen Bokin, representing CSSN but speaking on her own behalf, referenced Brookfield Properties and said the company "currently has 3 meg mega projects in process," mentioning "5 M Pier 70 in Stonestown." The clerk closed public comment after the lone caller.

After the presentation and public comment, Chair Melgar recommended the item be moved forward with a positive recommendation to the full Board. The committee recorded votes as follows: Peskin, aye; Preston, aye; Melgar, aye. The clerk announced "three ayes" and the motion passed.

The ordinance and its supporting materials will be considered by the full Board of Supervisors on Nov. 8, according to staff.

(Reporting by the committee clerk’s statements and the on-record presentation by Philip Wong; public comment and vote tallies are from the Oct. 31, 2022 committee proceeding.)