Tammy Chan of the city's planning department said staff decided to require a full impact report following an appeal by a neighborhood group complaining that more study was needed of the overall traffic impact. Under the California Environmental Quality Act, an EIR is necessary when significant effects are found that cannot be mitigated.

The Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center tried for months to persuade commissioners that a smaller scaled, mixed-use development would make more sense for the 5.7-acre site zoned for light industrial use. Empty Whole Earth Access and Goodman's lumber stores currently sit on the parcel at the foot of the hillside neighborhood.

Last fall, San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano proposed additional permitting restrictions on any big-box project greater than 55,000 square feet, other than supermarkets, so that neighbors would have a chance to participate in the approvals process for such projects. While that legislation could still affect the Home Depot plan, it has yet to reach a vote before the board.