San Franciscans for Reasonable Growth v. City & County of San Francisco

—Plaintiff, San Franciscans for Reasonable Growth (SFRG), appeals from a judgment denying its petition for a writ of administrative mandate and from an order dismissing its claims made under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). (Pub. Resources Code, § 21000 et seq.)

This dispute involves a historic San Francisco restaurant, Hoffman’s Grill. In 1981 the Hoffman’s building was designated a landmark structure by the city. The Hoffman’s building occupies part of an irregular parcel (bounded on the northwest by Market Street, on the southeast by Stevenson Street and running through the block from Second Street to New Montgomery Street) on which real party in interest, Lincoln-Hunt Development Company (Lincoln-Hunt), planned to erect a 19-story office building. Because Hoffman’s had landmark status it was necessary for Lincoln-Hunt to acquire a “Certificate of Appropriateness” (S.F. City Planning Code, art. 10, § 1006) in order to build in Hoffman’s airspace. The Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board (landmarks board) adopted a resolution on May 4, 1983, finding that the Lincoln-Hunt proposal was appropriate and referred the matter to the San Francisco City…