There’s no Billy Bones on this Treasure Island but there may be a $1.5 billion residential and commercial development soon, given a California appeals court decision upholding an environmental review of the project.
Opponents of the 8,000-home deal lost the latest round in their battle to stop development of San Francisco’s Treasure Island on Tuesday when the First District Court of Appeals rejected claims the environmental review was too vague on how it would clean up toxic materiais.
The former Navy base, originally built in the middle of the bay for a 1939 world’s fair, has been slated since 1997 for development into a new, mixed-use community with homes, retail and commercial businesses, recreational facilities and open space on the 404-acre man-made island.
The Citizens for a Sustainable Treasure Island sued to stop the plan argued the environmental impact report violated California’s Environmental Quality Act.
They argued there was not sufficient detail about the specific development plans, street layout, building configuration and how hazardous materials left by the Navy would be cleaned up.
Contrary to the criticisms, “the EIR made an extensive effort to provide meaningful information about the project, while providing for flexibility needed to respond to changing conditions and unforeseen events,” the panel wrote. The documents “provide concrete information regarding building heights, mass, bulk, and design specifications CSTI claims is lacking,” the opinion states.
At this early stage in planning, there are many project features subject to future revision and supplemental review, but “the EIR cannot be faulted for not providing detail that, due to the nature of the project, simply does not now exist,” the court said.
Case: Citizens for Sustainable Treasure Island v. San Francisco, No. A137828
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