San Francisco Approves 848-Home Marina Safeway Redevelopment

The San Francisco Planning Department has approved a plan to transform the Marina Safeway site into a pair of towers containing 848 homes, including 86 designated for low-income households. The project would also include a new, larger Safeway at street level.

The city approved the project using Assembly Bill 2011, which lets certain housing developments receive ministerial approval, without the usual public hearing or environmental review. A separate state law’s density bonus provisions allow the project to exceed the site’s 40-foot height limit; the towers are planned to reach 22 and 18 stories.

The Planning Department concluded that the site qualifies for streamlined approval. Opponents, including Supervisor Stephen Sherrill and neighborhood groups, argue that the property does not meet the law’s requirements because nearby land includes parks and open space. They have also raised concerns about possible contamination linked to past industrial uses at and near the property.

A federal lawsuit filed by residents and community groups challenges the approval and alleges inadequate investigation of hazardous waste and violations of federal law. The plaintiffs are seeking to overturn the city’s decision and require further health and safety assessments. Align’s attorneys have moved to dismiss the case.

The project’s approval allows Align to apply for demolition and excavation permits. A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments on the dismissal motion in February. The Planning Department has said the tower’s potential new shadows on Marina Green and Fort Mason would not significantly affect park use.

State Housing Law Clears Path for 848 Marina Homes

San Francisco has cleared a major housing project to move forward, approving Align Real Estate’s plan to replace the Marina Safeway with 848 homes and a new grocery store. The project includes 86 homes for low-income households, in a neighborhood the developer says has seen relatively little new development.

The city used Assembly Bill 2011, which requires ministerial approval for qualifying projects and removes the usual public hearing and environmental review. A separate state law allows the towers to rise above the site’s 40-foot zoning limit because the plan includes affordable homes. The proposed towers would reach 22 and 18 stories.

Opponents are trying to overturn that approval, arguing the property does not qualify for the state’s streamlined process and needs further contamination assessment. Their lawsuit brings the dispute into federal court, where Align’s attorneys have asked a judge to dismiss it.

The conflict puts the stakes of California’s housing rules in sharp relief: qualifying projects are meant to receive a clear path through local approval, while residents say the city’s eligibility decision denied them a meaningful review. Planning officials maintain that the site qualifies and that potential shadows on nearby parks would not significantly affect their use.

The approval lets Align seek authorization to remove the store and dig up the site. A judge is scheduled to hear the dismissal arguments in February.

Marina Tower Approved Without Public Hearing or Environmental Review

San Francisco has approved a 22- and 18-story redevelopment on a waterfront site zoned for buildings no taller than 40 feet, allowing the Marina Safeway project to advance without a public hearing or the usual environmental review. The proposal would replace the store with 848 homes and a new Safeway.

The city relied on Assembly Bill 2011 to streamline approval and a separate state law to waive the height limit, based on the project’s 86 low-income homes. But residents and neighborhood groups dispute whether the site qualifies for the fast track, pointing to nearby parks and open space. They also want further investigation of contamination tied to former industrial operations.

Their federal lawsuit seeks to reverse the approval and require health and safety assessments before the project proceeds. The city’s Planning Department says the site meets the state law’s criteria and that any new shadow on Marina Green and Fort Mason would not significantly affect park use. Align has asked a judge to dismiss the case.

The approval means the developer may apply for demolition and excavation permits while the legal challenge continues. A federal judge is scheduled to hear the dismissal motion in February. The dispute centers on whether streamlined housing approval can substitute for the review and public scrutiny residents say this site warrants.