SAN FRANCISCO
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes
Hearing Room 400
City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
12:30 P.M.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Regular Meeting
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Johns, Martinez, Matsuda, Damkroger, Chase, Hasz
COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Wolfram
THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER BY PRESIDENT CHASE AT 12:44 P.M.
STAFF IN ATTENDANCE: Kelley Amdur – Neighborhood Planning Director, Shelley Caltagirone, Pilar LaValley, Rich Sucre, Chelsea Fordham, Nannie Turrell, Tina Tam, Tim Frye – Acting Preservation Coordinator, and Linda Avery – Commission Secretary
A. PUBLIC COMMENT
SPEAKERS: Mr. [Hoffman] – Semi-Retired Architect, re: Asked HPC to consider a Certificate of Appropriateness (C of A) be sought and justified for the continuance of locating the constructed trash enclosure in the front yard and facade of the historic building at 3367 21st Street.
B. STAFF REPORT AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Acting Preservation Coordinator Frye:
1. 280 Divisadero Street - HPC’s 9/1/10 denial of this C of A was heard at the 3/8/11 Board of Appeals (BOA). The basis of HPC disapproval was the demolition of the landmarked Carriage House and the new construction did not meet the Secretary of Interior Standards. After some deliberations, the BOA decided to continue the item to its May 11 hearing to give Project Sponsors one last opportunity to meet with the Department, and to revise their design proposal to meet the Secretary of Interior Standards.
2. The Quarterly Report for Landmark Designation Work Program FY 2011-2012, memo from Staff Mary Brown, outlines the way the Department tracks how time was spent on landmark designations. The report is for HPC information.
3. CPF Conference this year is held during the week days and the last day of the conference, May 18, coincides with an HPC hearing. To ensure there’s a quorum for the HPC hearing, Mr. Frye asked commissioners’ their plans for attending the conference. (Commissioner Chase affirmed that he will attend the conference, Commissioners Hasz and Martinez may attend.)
C. MATTERS OF THE COMMISSION
3. President’s Report and Announcements - None
4. Consideration of Adoption:
a. Draft minutes of Hearing of February 16, 2011
b. Draft minutes of Hearing of March 2, 2011
SPEAKERS: None
ACTION: Approved as corrected on page 3, February 16 minutes, [Bugianthie] to Brigante; and however he is dispassionate to unreliable persuasions to he read things which are presented as would a dispassionate reader...and not persuaded by things which clearly are overstatements and argumentative. March 2 minutes were approved as drafted.
AYES: Hasz, Johns, Martinez, Matsuda, Damkroger, Chase
ABSENT: Wolfram
5. Disclosures - None
6. Commissioner Comments/Questions
Commissioner Hasz after speaking with developers and lobbyists he asked if HPC could calendar a discussion on how to reach out to property owners to explain what significant means in SOMA survey areas. He had a notion that there is push back because of misinformation being circulated in the public.
Commissioner Johns has an interest to preserve the once common steel rings on curb stones used historically by people to tie their horses in San Francisco. He was not sure of the preservation procedure for maintaining these steel rings but thought it would be desirable that whoever is in charge would not inadvertently rip them out. The two places he knew where those steel rings still exist are at the southwest corner of 6th and Clement Streets and the southeast corner of Bush and Kearny Streets; but there may be more.
Commissioner Martinez was concerned about 1) [this part of Commissioner Martinez’s recording was mostly inaudible]. Mr. Frye responded that if there are changes to the exterior of the Veterans’ Building within the Civic Center History District designation that would trigger a C of A, they will be presented to the HPC; 2) the continuing deterioration of the fence between the Opera House and the Veterans’ Building. He asked if someone could contact the Veteran Administration Trust to see if the fence repair work could be included in the seismic retrofit work; 3) the Joint Hearing with the Planning Commission for the Fairmont Hotel Project. He felt it was inappropriate to have the Joint Meeting because it is not a public policy matter but a private project, and HPC is a separate Commission, not enjoined to the Planning Commission. He asked could it not be on the HPC regular calendar. Mr. Frye explained the Department would want to schedule a joint hearing so once the EIR is certified, if it is certified, this body could review the C of A. Once that’s resolved, the project could move on to the two other entitlements that the Planning Commission needs to approve.
D. REGULAR CALENDAR
7. 2010.0009A (S. Caltagiorne: 415/558-6625)
940 GROVE STREET, north side between Steiner and Fillmore Streets. Assessor’s Block 0798, Lot 010. Request for Certificate of Appropriateness to rehabilitate the single-family residence at the southern end of the lot; demolish the contemporary school buildings located at the northern end of the lot; construct three (3) single-family buildings at the northern end of the lot; and subdivide the lot to create four (4) individual lots. The project would result in the addition of 21,066 square feet of residential use to the existing 9,769 square feet of institutional use, resulting in 30,835 square feet of residential space. The subject property is a contributing building within the Alamo Square Historic District. The property is zoned RH-3 (Residential, House, Three-Family) and is in a 40-X Height and Bulk District.
Preliminary Recommendation: Approval with Conditions
PRESENTER: Louis Felthouse - Project Architect; [August Forin] - Preservation Architect; Ted Barlette - Project Sponsor
SPEAKERS: None
ACTION: Approved with conditions from 1) HPC that the entire front facade of the new buildings and the final details come back to HPC for review ; 2) Staff recommendation that Project Sponsor shall attain the approval for subdivision of the lot prior to the issuance of building permits for the proposed new buildings.
AYES: Hasz, Johns, Martinez, Matsuda, Damkroger, Chase
ABSENT: Wolfram
Motion No. M0108
8. 2011.0103A (P. LaValley: 415/575-9084)
201 VAN NESS AVENUE (aka 270-290 HAYES STREET), block bounded by Hayes, Grove, and Franklin Streets and Van Ness Avenue, Assessor’s Block 0810, Lot 001. Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to install new signs on the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The subject property is a non-contributing structure to the Civic Center Historic District and is located within a P (Public) Zoning district and a 96-S/130-G Height and Bulk district. Per Section 605 of the Planning Code, the project also requires approval by the Planning Commission and will be heard at a regularly scheduled future hearing.
Preliminary Recommendation: Approval
PRESENTER: Nan Keeton, San Francisco Davies Symphony - Head of External Affairs, Debra Nicols from Debra Nicols Design
SPEAKERS: None
ACTION: Approved
AYES: Hasz, Johns, Matsuda, Damkroger, Chase
NAY: Martinez
ABSENT: Wolfram
Motion No. M0109
9. 2010.1072A (R. Sucre: 415/575-9108)
937 VALENCIA STREET, east side of street between 20th and 21st Streets, Assessor’s 3609, Lot 036. Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to replace the existing garage door and main entry staircase, and relocate the secondary stair. The subject property is a contributing resource to the Liberty-Hill Historic District and is located within the Valencia Street Neighborhood Commercial Transit District with a 50-X Height and Bulk limit.
(Continued from 2/16/11 hearing)
Preliminary Recommendation: Approval with Conditions
PRESENTOR: Jane Martin, Architect
SPEAKERS: None
ACTION: Continued to 4/6/11 for ARC review
AYES: Hasz, Johns, Martinez, Matsuda, Damkroger, Chase
ABSENT: Wolfram
10. 2010.1139A (R. Sucre: 415/575-9108)
1067 TENNESSEE STREET, east side of street between 20th and 22nd Streets, Assessor’s 4108, Lot 010. Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for rear façade alterations, installation of new skylight and repainting/cleaning of the primary street facade. The subject property is a contributing resource to the Dogpatch Historic District and is located within the RH-3 Zoning District with a 40-X Height and Bulk limit.
Preliminary Recommendation: Approval with Conditions
RECUSED: Commissioner Matsuda
PRESENTER: Project Architect, SIA Consultant
SPEAKERS: None
ACTION: Approved per staff’s recommended conditions
AYES: Hasz, Johns, Martinez, Damkroger, Chase
ABSENT: Wolfram
Motion No. M0110
11. 2009.0418E (C. Fordham: 415/575.9071)
PIER 36/BRANNAN STREET PROJECT - east side of The Embarcadero, in proximity to the intersections of Brannan and Townsend Streets (Lots 034,036 in Assessor’s Block 9900). Commission Review and Comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Report on the proposed demolition of the existing Pier 36, including 133,000 square feet (sq.ft) of pile-supported concrete and wooden decks and piles, the 35,000 sq. ft. Pier 36 warehouse building, and approximately 18,800 sq.ft. of marginal wharf which runs between Piers 30-32 and Pier 38, and construction of a new approximately 57,000 sq.ft. open space park. The proposed open space, “the Brannan Street Wharf”, would be approximately 830 feet long, and would vary in width from 10 feet to 140 feet. The construction of the proposed Brannan Street Wharf would require driving 269 new piles and reinforcing the adjacent seawall. The project site is located in a M-2 (Heavy Industrial) Zoning District and 40-X height and bulk district.
This public hearing is intended to assist the Commission in its preparation of comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). Comments made by members of the public at this hearing will not be considered comments on the DEIR and may not be responded to in the Final EIR (FEIR). The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to receive comments on the DEIR on September 2, 2010. Written comments on the DEIR will be accepted at the Planning Department until 5:00 p.m., September 7, 2010.
Preliminary Recommendation: The Commission may direct staff to draft written comments of the Commission.
PRESENTER: Mark Paez, Port of San Francisco Staff
SPEAKERS: None
ACTION: HPC directed staff to submit a comment letter inclusive of all comments made by the HPC to the Planning Commission.
AYES: Hasz, Johns, Martinez, Matsuda, Damkroger, Chase
ABSENT: Wolfram
Comment Letter No: L0005
ADJOURNMENT: 3:03 P.M.
The minutes was proposed for adoption at the Regular Meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
ACTION: Approved
AYES: Hasz, Johns, Martinez, Matsuda, Wolfram, Damkroger, Chase
