Monday morning KQED, our local public radio station, hosted an hour-long show about the ecotopian redevelopment of Treasure Island. Schlesinger was part of the debate focused on the recently released draft environmental impact report (EIR) of the project that will be publicly discussed later this week. Listen to the show.
Useful information
A joint public hearing on the draft EIR will be held before the Planning Commission and TIDA Board on Thursday, August 12th, starting at 10 am in City Hall, Room 250. Read up on the full EIR here (scroll down to 7/12/10) or just jump to the summary.
Public comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 26, 2010. Written comments should be addressed to Bill Wycko, Environmental Review Officer, San Francisco Planning Department, 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94103. Comments will be responded to in a Comments and Responses document. If you would like a CD or hard copy of the Draft EIR, please contact Rick Cooper at 415-575-9027 or via email at rick.cooper@sfgov.org and provide your mailing address.
My feeling is the show was great if you’ve never heard of the TI redevelopment project, and a bit tedious if you have. We really didn’t cover new ground or delve deeply into the EIR. Perhaps that’s just radio, and perhaps that’s what blogs are for.
Having been part of a five-person reporting team whose work was published by the San Francisco Public Press in a special section on Treasure Island, I’ve had a chance to study the draft EIR. Here’s what I think the public should raise questions about in the coming weeks.
- The city and the TI developers will tell you that this redevelopment project has been subject to great public scrutiny. But six of the seven members of the Treasure Island Development Authority (TIDA) board, which oversees the development project, are appointed by the Mayor. The majority of the citizens sitting on the Treasure Island Citizen Advisory Board, which at times advises TIDA, are also mayoral appointees. This raises questions about the allegiances of those vetting the project and suggests that tough questions are in order.
- The city needs to initiate an independent report looking at the cost of accommodating higher sea level rise on TI. Currently, the city and developer have settled on raising parts of the island by 36 inches, but they’re unable to give concrete reasons why they’ve chosen this height as opposed to a greater one. I was told that to build higher would be too expensive; then I was told it wasn’t about the money; but no one has calculated the cost. Also no one has calculated the future costs of adapting to more sea level rise, an expense TI residents will pay for through a special tax. We need more information on why 36 inches is that right number.
- The EIR states clearly that the project’s construction will violate new Bay Area Air Quality Management District thresholds for air pollution, particularly with particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns. This problem combined with a few other factors leads me to think there’s a perfect storm brewing for a repeat of the Bayview Hunters Point dust problems.
TI’s average wind speed is 16 mph and the Dust Control Ordinance requires additional dust control measures when wind exceeds 15 mph. Formerly homeless and youth at risk residents living on TI have few options for escaping the construction conditions. Home builder Lennar already has a bad reputation for adhering to the Dust Control Ordinance after the debacle in Bayview. The city needs to be prodded to keep a very close eye on air pollution during construction and make sure Lennar is toeing the line.
