New planning documents revealed artistic renderings of 76 homes at the foot of Sutro Tower in San Francisco. The plans are yet to be approved.
The mixed-income development will include 40 affordable teacher homes and townhome duplexes at 402 Dellbrook Ave. in the Twin Peaks neighborhood.
The townhomes would be between three and five floors at the Midtown Lands LLC development. The project will include 67 parking spaces and 76 bicycle parking spots.
The 3-acre project will extend the existing Fairview Court cul-de-sac 100 feet further along the base of Sutro Tower, an iconic feature of San Francisco’s skyline standing almost 1,000 feet tall. The TV and radio tower can be seen from much of the city most days, depending on the fog.
The educator housing will span seven floors, three of which will be below street level. Teachers will have access to a 19-car garage.
Upon completion, the project will feature 13 studios, seven one-bedroom homes, 13 two-bedroom homes and 43 three-bedroom or larger homes.
Property owner and developer James Keith said a realistic completion timeframe is anywhere between six and eight years due to a three- to five-year approvals process and an additional three years to build the homes.
“This is the first baby step in a very long process,” Keith said. “And we know a lot of work in front of us. And we're ready to work with all the stakeholders involved and bring it to the finish line.”
The project has faced some pushback from local residents whose concerns range from fears of increased traffic to the stability of the hillside that the development will be built into, Keith said.
“I think it really needs to get built out,” said Keith. “But that said, we're going to work with everybody and mitigate everything that we can and address all reasonable concerns.”
A city document says the plans are not eligible for help from the California Housing Opportunity and More Efficiency (HOME) Act (Senate Bill 9) and Senate Bill 35, which streamlines affordable housing.
"The Planning Commission will need to grant approvals at a public hearing," said Dan Sider, chief of staff for the San Francisco Planning Department. "Regarding the likelihood of any approval, we’d need to first see a Code-compliant project, but even then, it’s far too early to prognosticate."
Construction is expected to cost $50 million, according to the planning application.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated the plans were eligible for streamlining help through two state laws; they are in fact not eligible for help through either law as proposed, according to the SF Planning Department.