The Balboa Reservoir Design Standards and Guidelines (DSG) will guide the development of a 17-acre infill site in San Francisco. Balboa Reservoir is located immediately adjacent to City College of San Francisco and the Ocean Avenue commercial corridor, within walking distance of Balboa Park BART Station and several Muni lines. Utilized as surface parking for the last 30 years, the site is controlled by the SF Public Utilities Commission and has been the subject of several past attempts by the City at housing development since the 1980s.
Through extensive community and stakeholder engagement, the Balboa Reservoir planning team developed a master plan for a transit-oriented, mixed-income community including 1,100 residences – 50% dedicated for affordable/workforce housing, including 150 units for CCSF teachers and faculty – four acres of open space, a community center, and a childcare center.
Established in 2015, the Balboa Reservoir Community Advisory Committee (CAC) collaborated with the project team to lead a community process shaping the master plan. This process included a project-spanning series of CAC meetings, public site tours and open houses, individual and group meetings, and coordination with City College. Key components of the plan are the direct results of community guidance, including the level of affordability, scale and activation of public open space, the stepped-down building scale accommodating single-family neighbors, pedestrian orientation, and commitment to sustainability.
In August 2020, the SF Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Balboa Reservoir project as proposed. The Master Plan was led by a developer team of AvalonBay Communities and BRIDGE Housing, with PYATOK, VMWP Architects, and GLS Landscape | Architecture designing and assembling the Design Recommendations and Guidelines. The project has since advanced into Phase 1 architectural services; PYATOK is leading design on Blocks C and D.