In December 2013, developers proposed a condominium complex to replace the one-story warehouse at 198 Valencia St. that currently houses auto shop Oil Changers—and is directly across the street from Zeitgeist.
As SocketSite reported this summer, plans for the five-story, 28-unit mixed-use development fulfill the requirements of the Market and Octavia Plan, allowing the project to forgo a lengthy environmental review process, and possibly a Planning Commission hearing as well.
However, the team at Zeitgeist isn't pleased with the plans and has requested a discretionary review, forcing the project sponsor—Sternberg Benjamin Architects—to face the Planning Commission next month.
The primary concern for the team at Zeitgeist, which received legacy business status this fall, is the shadow the new development might cast on their popular beer garden. Gideon Bush, operations and general manager at Zeitgeist, says that as currently designed, the new building could negatively impact business in the beer garden, forcing the company to restructure.
"We are an institution. We employ about 45 people in the city, and we want to continue to do so," says Bush. "This proposed development threatens the livelihood of everyone here at Zeitgeist."
According to the project’s Community Plan Exemption Checklist, some surrounding properties—including Zeitgeist's patio—will receive "some additional new shadow by the proposed project if constructed as proposed."
The shadow analysis concludes that Zeitgeist's patio, in particular, would receive new shadows from 6-7pm during the summer solstice and from 5-6:06pm in the fall.
"While shadow on private property may be a concern to nearby neighbors, it is not considered a significant impact under CEQA [California Environmental Quality Act]," Planning's analysis states. "Therefore, the proposed project would not have any significant impacts related to shadow."
Despite the city's position, Bush says the Zeitgeist team has been asking the developers to revisit their design, with the goal of eliminating shadowing on the beer garden.
"We have proposed a few different design changes," he said. "They are currently looking at them, but we have yet to hear back. We just hope that they seriously consider that impact, and we feel they are not doing that right now."
One design alteration that could potentially help, Bush says, is offsetting the building from the street. Right now, the plans have the building right up against Valencia and Duboce, he says.
"We are not trying to shut down their development," he adds. "We are just hoping to find an equal balance, where they are still happy with their investment, and we are not taking a substantial hit in our sales due to the shadows from this building."
According to Planning Department archives, Zeitgeist isn't the only neighbor hoping to protect its investment. Duboce Street property owner Richard Krooth filed a discretionary review application the same day as Zeitgeist, also stating concerns about shadowing of his and other neighboring properties.
As proposed, the project "will place Krooth’s adjacent two-story building located at 118-120 Duboce in permanent shadows, dark and dank…” and eliminate its view to the east, he writes.
The project's shadow analysis also confirms that the proposed development would cast new shadows on the SOMA West Dog and Skate Park. Per the shadow analysis, the building is expected to increase the dog park's annual square-foot-hours of shadow by 1.07 percent, and the skate park's annual square-foot-hours of shadow by 0.02 percent.
Typically, Planning Code prohibits structures over 40 feet in height to "cast additional shadows on open space under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission between one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset, at any time of the year, unless that shadow would not result in a significant adverse effect on the use of the open space."
But since SOMA West Dog and Skate Park is not under the jurisdiction of the Rec and Parks Commission, it's not protected by this rule.
"Because the park was constructed in an area that is shaded most of the time, it is reasonable to conclude that the use and enjoyment of this park is not dependent on access to sunlight," Planning concludes. "Thus, the proposed project's incremental contribution to shadow at the SOMA West Dog and Skate Park would not substantially affect the use and enjoyment of this outdoor recreation facility."
The discretionary review hearing at the Planning Commission is slated for January 12th, Bush says. Other concerns likely to be raised during that hearing are whether the design is consistent with the existing neighborhood character, and potential traffic impacts.
Bush stresses that Zeitgeist is not an opponent of housing development in general, and only wants to protect its beer garden.
"We have had meetings with the developers, and we want to be very clear that we aren't against housing, but this is not exactly affordable housing," he says. "It's just more of a super-clean and super-modern type of complex, and the design and placement of it just doesn't fit in with the neighborhood."
