December 2, 2009

Commission Secretary Linda Avery: Announced that we have received the digital recorder and will be testing it today. We hope to have it operational at our next hearing on December 16 with public access on December 17. We will keep you posted.

A. PUBLIC COMMENT

SPEAKERS:

Anthony Poplawski – President, Secretary, & Treasurer of the Marin Fireman Union Headquarters, re: Opposed listing their building as a landmark under Article 10.

Peter Warfield – Library Users Association (LUA), re: Announced Sunshine Ordinance Task Force took up minutes of the April 8 and August 19 hearing based on complaint filed by the LUA.

Bradley Wiedmaier – District 6 Resident, re: Asked for HPC collective support for 2750 Vallejo Street at the Board of Supervisors (BOS) hearing.

B. STAFF REPORT AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Preservation Coordinator Tina Tam:

Two samples of resolutions for recognition of services of Landmarks Board members were sent to the Commission.

Chief Finance Officer Elaine Forbes will return in January to listen to HPC priorities and wish list for your Work Program and Budget for the next fiscal year, which begins in 7/1/10.

The cost estimates, based on a 10 year study (since 1999), the average staff time to process landmark designations from initiation to adoption at the BOS for a simple, basic, small scale property with support from owners and community support was 40 – 60 hours, roughly $3,000 of staff time. For historic districts with multiple properties like the Music Concourse and Dogpatch, the average cost was roughly 300 hours, roughly $31,000. An individual landmark as the Metro Theater at 2055 Union Street, staff time was 125 hours, roughly $11,000. It is not a large or complicated building, but it took multiple hearings at the Landmark Preservation Advisory Board (LPAB), the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), the Planning Commission (PC), Land Use Committee, and the BOS.

The $44,000 Elaine Forbes mentioned in her presentation at the last hearing did not take into consideration time already spent on discussion of initiation for Appleton and Wolfard Libraries or other requests the HPC asked of staff. Based on staff efforts already spent, what’s left is roughly $30,000 for the HPC between now and 6/30/10.

1. Training/Information Presentation – Landmark Tree Program (Hui: 415/355-3731)

Urban Forest Coordinator for the Department of Environment by May Ling Hui: Ms. Hui gave a powerpoint presentation on the Landmark Tree Program.

Commission Wolfram asked what is the process to nominate a tree. The HPC could discuss whether they think a tree is worthy or not; assemble a nomination packet; maybe adopt a resolution, send a picture of the tree; and send all that information to her.

Commission Matsuda asked what would be a cultural tree. A historic tree is having importance to people who used to live here. A cultural tree has importance to people who are living here now. The official City tree across from McLaren Lodge is the City’s annual Christmas tree. That is an example of a tree with current cultural significance.

C. MATTERS OF THE COMMISSION

2. Consideration of Adoption:

· Draft minutes of Architectural Review Committee meeting of November 4, 2009

ACTION: Item continued to December 16, 2009 for corrections and summary of comments from the public

AYES: Hasz, Martinez, Wolfram, Matsuda, Chase

ABSENT: Buckley and Damkroger

3 President’s Report and Announcements

None

4 Commission Comments/Questions

Commissioner Martinez suggested to agendize for consideration a letter of support regarding the CEQA Categorical Exemption (Cat. Ex) appeal for 2750 Vallejo Street at the BOS hearing on 12/15/09. Preservation Coordinator Tina Tam will provide a copy of material prepared for the BOS hearing to the HPC Commissioners for review at the next HPC hearing.

NOTE: Holiday party set for the evening of December 16, following the hearing. The location is still to be determined.

D. CONSIDERATION OF ITEMS PROPOSED FOR CONTINUANCE

The Commission will consider a request for continuance to a later date. The Commission may choose to continue the item to the date proposed below, to continue the item to another date, or to hear the item on this calendar.

5. 2009.0948A (A. Threadgill: 415/558-6602)

760 Market Street, The "Phelan Building," corner of O'Farrell and Market Streets, in Assessor’s Block 0328, Lot 001. Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to install business signage (dba Walgreens). The property is Landmark No. 156 and is rated as Category I (Significant) within the Kearny-Market-Mason-Sutter Conservation District. It is within the C-3-R (Downtown Retail) Zoning District, in an 80-130-F Height and Bulk District, and is also within the Market Street Special Sign District.

Preliminary Recommendation: Approval with Conditions

(Continued from Regular Meeting of November 4, 2009.)

(Proposed for Continuance to December 16, 2009)

ACTION: Continued to December 16, 2009

AYES: Hasz, Martinez, Wolfram, Matsuda, Chase

ABSENT: Buckley and Damkroger

SPEAKERS: None

E. CONSENT CALENDAR

6. 2009.1022A (A. Starr: 415/558-6362)

819 Grove Street - (Assessor’s Block 0804; Lots 023) south side between Fillmore Street and Webster Street. The subject property is a contributing structure to the Alamo Square Historic District. It is located within a RH-3 (Residential, House, Three-Family) Zoning District and 50-X Height and Bulk District. The proposal is a request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for a rear horizontal addition.

Recommendation: Approval

SPEAKERS: None

ACTION: Approved as recommended.

AYES: Hasz, Martinez, Wolfram, Matsuda, Chase

ABSENT: Buckley and Damkroger

MOTION NO: 0038

F. REGULAR CALENDAR

7. 2007.0519E (B. Bollinger: 415/575-9024)

1645 Pacific Avenue Project, - Review and Comments on the Draft Environment Impact Report on the proposed project would demolish the existing two-story, 27,275 sq.ft. commercial building (1645 Pacific Ave), retain the front façade of the adjacent building (1661 Pacific Ave.) and construct a new six-story, 65-foot-tall residential and retail building located on a block bounded by Pacific and Van Ness Avenues and Jackson and Polk Streets (Assessor’s Block 0595, Lot 013). The existing 1661 Pacific Ave. building is a contributor to the Van Ness Auto Row District. Preliminary Recommendation: The Historic Preservation Commission will discuss the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) to frame their written comments on the adequacy of the DEIR, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Commission Martinez: Commented that 3 stories instead or 4 on top of 1661 would be part of the mitigation.

Commission Wolfram: Commented that the historic resource report could be more thorough. There was very little visual documentation to back up some statements that were made in the report. Some interpretation could be made in the lobby of the building that talks about the Riding Academy and its history.

Commissioner Matsuda: Commented on the consideration of another preservation alternative. In addition there should be at least an interpretive sign or documentation included in this new project.

Commissioner Hasz: Maybe there could be more than one preservation alternative.

Commissioner Chase: Commented that the project sponsor should/could make a gesture through mitigation measures to interpret that period of evolution of these buildings. The Page and Turnbull memorandum should be part of this documentation reviewed by the public.

SPEAKERS:

James Joannides – Resident at Polk and Washington Neighborhood - expressed concern about the scale of the project and the cultural resources along this part of the automobile repair row.

Dawn Trenneert – Middle Polk Neighborhood Association – expressed the need to preserve the historic nature and highlights of the area as new projects come into the Auto Row Historic District.

ACTION: None - Action is not required on this item

Adjournment: 1:43 P.M.

The minutes was proposed for adoption at the Regular Meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission on Wednesday, December 16, 2009.

ACTION: Approved

AYES: Buckley, Hasz, Martinez, Matsuda, Wolfram, Damkroger, Chase

The minutes was proposed for adoption at the Regular Meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission on Wednesday, November 18, 2009

ACTION: Approved

AYES: Buckley, Martinez, Matsuda, Wolfram, Damkroger, Chase

ABSENT: Hasz