1601 Larkin Is Back with a Nip and Tuck (Again)

1601 Larkin is getting another day in the spotlight today. First, the Planning Commission will have a special closed door hearing this morning with legal counsel about the project lawsuit. Pacific Polk Properties, LLC and the United Methodist Church sued the City for the Commission's 2010 decision not to certify a final environmental impact report and denial of a conditional use authorization for a proposed project that demo'd a church at the corner of Larkin and Clay for a Stanley Saitowitz-designed 27-unit condo project. The project sponsor then new project architects Ian Birchall & Associates, who came up with a whole new design. But the commish didn't like that one either, and rejected it because it was too big and out-of-scale with the neighborhood. After a bunch of meetings with neighbors and Planning staff, the project team is back with a more scaled-down version, removing the top floor and sticking those units on the back, and wants the Commission's unofficial opinion before they have a formal hearing. This afternoon they'll give a mini presentation on the new design.
· Informational Hearing on 1601 Larkin [SF Planning]
· Previous Coverage of 1601 Larkin [Curbed SF]