S.F. Church And Developer Square Off In Land-Use Debate
St. Gregory’s on Portero Hill is objecting to the design of a new 17-unit condominium development, saying it will deprive the Episcopal church of sunlight. The church was designed to incorporate light filtered through windows as a key component of religious services.
The architect of the condo project, Mitchell Benjamin of Sternberg Benjamin, says these objections seem last minute since neighborhood residents have been aware of the design since 2014, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Many church members attended and voiced disapproval at a late-stage S.F. Planning Commission meeting in January.
The planning commission has asked the two parties to compromise. Those meetings have seen little progress so far. The church is asking for a 30-foot carve-out while the developer contends the loss of three units would make the project unviable. The planning commission is keen to increase the city's housing stock. [SFC]
