Motion affirming the determination by the Planning Department that the proposed project at the Embarcadero Fountain by Armand Vaillancourt (Vaillancourt Fountain) is statutorily exempt from environmental review.

This motion affirms the Planning Department's determination that the proposed project to disassemble and remove the Embarcadero Fountain (Vaillancourt Fountain) is statutorily exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15269. The fountain, located at the northeast corner of Embarcadero Plaza, has been inoperable since May 2024 due to a failed pump, posing a public safety risk and containing potentially hazardous materials. The project, expected to take approximately two months, involves disassembling the fountain, storing its components off-site for up to three years, and conducting a thorough inspection to evaluate future rehabilitation, relocation, or reinterpretation options. An appeal of the exemption determination was filed by Docomomo US/Northern California but was ultimately denied by the Board of Supervisors on January 13, 2026, with a vote of 10-1.

This decision means the Embarcadero Fountain will be disassembled and removed due to safety concerns and structural issues, with its future status to be determined later. This action is considered exempt from further environmental review.

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