San Francisco Port Commission Meeting - January 14, 2020

The Port Commission of the City and County of San Francisco convened on Tuesday, January 14, 2020, at 10:00 AM for a full public meeting. The commission re-elected its president and vice president, honored a retiring 30-year port employee, approved a trust exchange with the California State Lands Commission, approved new street names and the schematic design for the Mission Rock development's China Basin Park, and authorized advertising for a construction contract for the Crane Cove Park roadway. The meeting adjourned at approximately 5:20 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (December 10, 2019): Approved unanimously.
• Executive Session: The commission voted unanimously to convene in executive session for a conference with legal counsel regarding anticipated litigation matters. No public comment was offered on executive session items.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Diane Walton, President of the Dolphin Club: Walton requested the commission's help breaking a bureaucratic logjam preventing the club from repairing its dock at Aquatic Park. She explained the club's city lease (signed in the 1970s, expiring in 2028) and that the port had requested evidence of dock apron approval from the 1960s, when the site was not under port jurisdiction. The club had been working on this since September 2019 and faced an upcoming swim season. Commission leadership committed to having staff reach out and continue contact.
• Bruce Agid: A 10-year Mission Bay resident and board member of the South Beach/Mission Bay Neighborhood Association, Agid expressed strong support for the Mission Rock development items, noting his eight-plus years of involvement in the community planning process and praising the project's waterfront park design.
• Shelley Carroll: A 20-year South Beach resident, Carroll enthusiastically supported the China Basin Park project and commended the port and the Giants for extensive community engagement.

Discussion Items

Election of Port Commission Officers (Item 9A):

• Commissioner Brandon was re-elected as Port Commission President by unanimous vote.
• Commissioner Willie Adams was elected as Vice President by unanimous vote.
• Brandon noted 22 years of service on the commission; Adams praised the commission as "the best commission in the city, pound for pound."

Executive Director's Report (Item 9B):

• Executive Director Elaine Forbes reported on the retirement of David Rauenbuehler, Port Plumbing Supervisor, who served more than 30 years with the port (per the commendation, June 1989 to January 2020, with 27 of those years as supervisor). Staff and commissioners praised his problem-solving, mentorship of younger staff, and photography contributions (over 80,000 photographs on his website). A commendation was presented marking his service.
• Forbes announced the release of the Request for Proposals (RFP) for Piers 38 and 40, issued January 10, 2020, with a pre-bid meeting and site tour scheduled for January 24, 2020 at 1:00 PM at the South Beach Harbor Community Room. Responses are due March 4, 2020 at 4:00 PM.

Trust Exchange Agreement with California State Lands Commission (Item 10A):

• Staff recommended approval of a trust exchange that would remove public trust from certain Transbay streets (Fremont, Beale, and portions of Mission and Beale Streets) and impress public trust on certain Fisherman's Wharf streets (Hyde, Bay, and Beach Streets).
• The exchange supports the Transbay Transit Center site consolidation and the Millennium Tower retrofit project at 301 Mission Street.
• A preliminary appraisal indicated the property going into the trust (approximately 153,000 square feet) exceeds the property coming out (approximately 143,000 square feet), satisfying the state law requirement for equal or greater value. The transcript's exact phrasing of these figures was somewhat garbled.
• The Planning Commission published the final mitigated negative declaration for the Millennium Tower project on December 27, 2019.
• Next steps: Board of Supervisors Land Use Committee on January 27, 2020; full board on February 4, 2020; State Lands Commission in February 2020.
• Commissioner Adams asked why the port owns the streets but not surrounding land; John Malamut of the City Attorney's office explained the Burton Act history regarding filled bay waterfront.
• Resolution 2001 approved unanimously.

Mission Rock Street Names (Item 10B):

• Staff (Rebecca Benissini, Manager of Port Development Projects) presented proposed new street names "Spur Street" and "Plank Road" for the Mission Rock development at Seawall Lot 337, along with extensions of the existing street grid (Terry Francois, Longbridge Street, Bridgeville Way, and Channel Street).
• Spur Street references the site's history as a rail yard (late 1800s to mid-1900s); Plank Road references the historic Mission Plank Road toll road across Yerba Buena Cove.
• Benissini reported LBE (Local Business Enterprise) participation at approximately 15% of construction costs to date, working toward the committed 20% goal. She noted the number fluctuates between 14% and 19% depending on change orders.
• The final map is anticipated before the Board of Supervisors in the first or second week of February 2020, a prerequisite for CFD formation, the street improvement permit, and phase one parcel leases.
• Resolution 2002 approved unanimously.

China Basin Park Schematic Design (Item 11A):

• Dan Hodap (Port Planning and Environment Division) and Fran Weld (Senior Vice President, San Francisco Giants) presented the schematic design for the five-acre China Basin Park, the largest open space in the Mission Rock project.
• Public outreach included an October 1, 2019 open house (approximately 150 attendees at Oracle Park), a Central Waterfront Advisory Committee presentation on October 16, and a joint design review with BCDC's design review board on November 18. During discussion, it was clarified that the park had been discussed at SWAC at a project level but not at this level of design detail.
• Park features include: center and handshake plazas, a lifted tree grove, the Great Lawn (multi-use recreation and programming), stormwater gardens with public boardwalks, a dog run, paseos (pedestrian-only streets, Plank Road and Bridgeview Way), tidal shelves with saline-tolerant plantings and beach access, a kayak launch, and a food and beverage pavilion.
• The park is designed as part of the sea level rise resilience strategy with three elevation bands from 98 to 104 feet.
• Community concerns raised during outreach included encampment questions and traffic/congestion; the design team said these were addressed through transportation planning and street design.
• Commissioners asked about the design review committee membership (a mix of Waterfront Design Advisory Committee members and community participants), water taxi/ferry access connections, and pedestrian safety issues such as gap hazards in grating.
• Resolution 2003 approved unanimously.

Construction Contract No. 2813 - 19th Street Extension and Georgia Street (Item 12A):

• Erica Peterson, Port Project Manager for the Crane Cove Park Project, requested authorization to advertise for competitive bids.
• Scope: approximately 950 feet of new roadway (700-foot 19th Street extension and 250-foot Georgia Street segment), sidewalk, street lights, fire hydrants, and a combined sewer, providing access to the Pier 70 shipyard and the new 19th Street parking lot.
• Engineer's construction cost estimate: $4.3 million including a 10% contingency.
• Funding: $1 million federal grant through Caltrans, port capital, and potentially up to $1.6 million from the port's project contingency fund. Using the contingency would wipe out the port's remaining contingency through fiscal year 2019-2020.
• The DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) goal was revised by Caltrans from 28% to 18%. Federal funding prohibits LBE requirements and local hiring preferences.
• The project is designed to remain functional for up to 28 inches of sea level rise.
• Commissioners expressed significant concern about the cost increase over original estimates (the roadway estimate roughly doubled) and the impact on the overall Crane Cove Park budget, including the building 49 restoration scope. Vice President Adams called the project "an Achilles heel for the port." President Brandon stated, "We do not have any more money" for the park.
• The commission voted to authorize advertising despite these concerns, with the understanding that bids would provide more information and the commission could reject bids if costs exceed available budget.
• Resolution 2004 approved unanimously.

New Business

• President Brandon requested inviting WETA's new chair, Jim Wonderman, to present to the commission, as well as BCDC leadership, to coordinate on waterfront planning.
• A commissioner requested a February 2020 update on the Dolphin Club's dock repair situation.
• Vice President Adams requested updates on the navigation center, the shipyard, and ferry/water taxi plans.

Key Outcomes

• All four resolutions (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) were approved unanimously.
• Officers elected: President Brandon re-elected; Vice President Adams elected.
• RFP for Piers 38/40 released; responses due March 4, 2020.
• Trust exchange next steps: Board of Supervisors consideration on January 27 and February 4, 2020; State Lands Commission in February 2020.
• Final map for Mission Rock expected before the Board in February 2020.
• Construction contract for 19th Street Extension and Georgia Street to be advertised in March 2020, with substantial completion targeted by April 2021.