Better Market Street Project Initial Study Planning Department Case No. 2014.0012E State Clearinghouse No. 2015012027 March 30, 2016 City and County of San Francisco Planning Department Written comments should be sent to Sarah B. Jones, Environmental Review Officer, San Francisco Planning Department, 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94103 or [email protected]. This page intentionally left blank. TABLE OF CONTENTS 2014.0012E – Better Market Street Project Section Page List of Figures........................................................................................................................................ ii List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................... ii List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ................................................................................................ iii A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................................... 1 A.1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 A.2. Project Location ................................................................................................................ 9 A.3. Project Overview ............................................................................................................ 10 A.4. Alternatives and Design Options................................................................................. 13 A.5. Project Construction and Phasing ................................................................................ 36 A.6. Project Approvals ........................................................................................................... 39 B. PROJECT SETTING ............................................................................................................................. 41 C. COMPATIBILITY WITH EXISTING ZONING AND PLANS .................................................... 47 D. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ............................................................................ 50 E. EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ....................................................................... 51 E.1. Land Use ......................................................................................................................... 52 E.2. Aesthetics ........................................................................................................................ 56 E.3. Population and Housing ............................................................................................... 62 E.4. Cultural Resources ......................................................................................................... 65 E.5. Transportation and Circulation ................................................................................... 70 E.6. Noise ................................................................................................................................ 72 E.7. Air Quality ...................................................................................................................... 74 E.8. Greenhouse Gas Emissions ........................................................................................... 77 E.9. Wind and Shadow ......................................................................................................... 81 E.10. Recreation ........................................................................................................................ 83 E.11. Utilities and Service Systems ........................................................................................ 87 E.12. Public Services ................................................................................................................ 96 E.13. Biological Resources .................................................................................................... 101 E.14. Geology and Soils ........................................................................................................ 107 E.15. Hydrology and Water Quality ................................................................................... 115 E.16. Hazards and Hazardous Materials ............................................................................ 123 Case No. 2014.0012E i Better Market Street Project E.17. Mineral and Energy Resources .................................................................................. 131 E.18. Agricultural Resources ................................................................................................ 134 E.19. Mandatory Findings of Significance.......................................................................... 135 F. MITIGATION MEASURES AND IMPROVEMENT MEASURES ........................................... 136 G. PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENT ............................................................................................. 138 H. DETERMINATION ........................................................................................................................... 139 I. INITIAL STUDY PREPARERS ......................................................................................................... 140 List of Figures Page Figure 1. Proposed Project Location ........................................................................................................ 11 Figure 2. Proposed Project – Conceptual Illustrations .......................................................................... 15 Figure 3. Market Street Surface Transit – Alternatives 1 and 2 ............................................................ 25 Figure 4. UN Plaza Conceptual Illustration ............................................................................................ 35 Figure 5. Hallidie Plaza Conceptual Illustration .................................................................................... 37 Figure 6. Districts and Centers .................................................................................................................. 42 Figure 7. Major Traffic Routes .................................................................................................................. 44 List of Tables Page Table 1. Reasonably Foreseeable Land Use Projects in the Project Corridor Vicinity ......................... 8 Table 2. Summary of The Three Alternatives for The Proposed Project ............................................. 16 Table 3. Anticipated Permit and Approvals Necessary for Certification of the CEQA Document ........................................................................................................................ 39 Table 4. Anticipated Recommendations that May Proceed Prior to or After Certification of the CEQA Document .......................................................................... 40 Table 5. Parks and Street‐Level Plazas in Project Area ......................................................................... 84 Table 6. Police District Stations in the Vicinity of the Project Corridor .............................................. 97 Glossary Included as an attachment Case No. 2014.0012E ii Better Market Street Project Acronyms and Abbreviations 2010 Clean Air Plan Bay Area 2010 Clean Air Plan AB Assembly Bill AB 939 California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 ABAG Association for Bay Area Government ADA Americans with Disabilities Act ADL aerially deposited lead ADMP Asbestos Dust Mitigation Plan APE area of potential effect AQTR Air Quality Technical Report ARB California Air Resources Board ASA Archaeological Sensitivity Assessment AWSS auxiliary water supply system BAAQMD Bay Area Air Quality Management District BART Bay Area Rapid Transit Blue Book San Francisco’s Regulations for Working in San Francisco Streets – 8th Edition BMPs Best Management Practices BRT Bus Rapid Transit Building Code San Francisco Building Code CAC Community Advisory Committee Cal/OSHA California Occupational Safety and Health Administration CalRecycle California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery CAP Climate Action Plan CEQA California Environmental Quality Act CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 CGS California Geological Survey CH4 methane City City and County of San Francisco CO2 carbon dioxide CO2E carbon dioxide-equivalent Cortese Hazardous Waste and Substances Sites CRHR California Register of Historic Resources DOE San Francisco Department of Environment DTSC Department of Toxic Substances Control EIR Environmental Impact Report EO Executive Order FARR Final Archeological Resources Report Case No. 2014.0012E iii Better Market Street Project FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FIRMs Flood Insurance Rate Maps g gravity General Plan San Francisco General Plan GHG Reduction Strategy Strategies to Address Greenhouse Gas Emissions GHGs greenhouse gases Golden Gate Transit Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District HRE Historic Resource Evaluation LUST Leaking Underground Storage Tank Market Street The 2.2 miles of Market Street between Octavia Boulevard and Steuart Street, as well as Valencia Street between Market and McCoppin streets, McAllister Street between Market Street and Charles J. Brenham Place, Charles J. Brenham Place between Market and McAllister streets, and several adjacent streets intersecting both north and south of