November 2, 2011

 

12:30 P.M.

 

ROLL CALL:   Commission President:                       Charles E. Chase

                        Commission Vice President:               Courtney Damkroger

                        Commissioners:                                   Richard Johns

                                                                                      Karl Hasz

                                                                                      Alan W. Martinez

                                                                                      Diane Matsuda

                                                                                      Andrew Wolfram

 

A.                  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.

 

1.         2011.0926H                                                                    (P. LaValley: 415/575-9084)

1355 MARKET STREET (aka 1301-1363 MARKET STREET), south side of Market between 9^th and 10^th Streets, in Assessor’s Block 3508, Lot 001.  Request for a Permit to Alter to demolish the 9^th floor addition (added in 1941) on the western portion of the building, to construct a new mechanical room on roof, and to install a roof deck with amenities including benches, planter boxes, and a green wall.  New openings for access to the roof deck would be made in the newly exposed west elevation of central tower portion of the building.  The subject building, historically known as the Western Furniture Exchange & Merchandise Mart, is a Category I (Significant) Building in the C-3-G (Downtown General Commercial) District and the 120-X-200-S Height and Bulk District.

Recommendation: Approval

(Proposed for Continuance to November 16, 2011)

 

B.        PUBLIC COMMENT

At this time, members of the public may address the Historic Preservation Commission on items of interest to the public that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Historic Preservation Commission except agenda items.  Public comment will be taken on each agendized item.  Each member of the public may address the Commission for up to three minutes.  If it is demonstrated that comments by the public will exceed 15 minutes, the President or chairperson may continue Public Comment to another time during the meeting. 

The Brown Act forbids a commission or board from taking action or discussing any item not appearing on the posted agenda, including those items raised at public comment.  In response to public comment, not on an agendized item, the Commission is limited to:   

 

(1) briefly responding to statements made or questions posed by members of the public, or

(2) requesting staff to report back on a matter at a subsequent meeting, or

(3) directing staff to place the item on a future agenda.   (Government Code Section 54954.2(a).).

 

C.        STAFF REPORT AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

2.         Modern Architecture & Landscape Design Historic Context statement receives Governor’s Historic Preservation Award.

 

D.        MATTERS OF THE COMMISSION

3.         President’s Report and Announcements

 

4.         President to appoint Commissioner to attend the next scheduled Planning Commission hearing regarding proposed adoption of Articles 10 and 11.

 

5.         Review and finalize draft letter to BART regarding the identification of the Glen Park BART Station in the Glen Park Community Plan Historic Resource Survey.

 

6.         Consideration of Adoption:

              a.        Draft minutes of Hearing of May 4, 2011

              b.        Draft minutes of Hearing of October 19, 2011

 

7.         Disclosures

[On August 17, 2011, at a public hearing on its Rules and Regulations, the HPC approved continuing its practice of allowing Ex Parte Communications with required disclosure.]

8.         Commissioner Comments/ Questions

 

E.         REGULAR CALENDAR

9.         2007.0558E & 2007.0789E                                                (S. Jones: 415/575.9034)

TRANSIT CENTER DISTRICT PLAN AND TRANSIT TOWER.  Commission Review and Comment on Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR).  The Transit Center District Plan proposes new policies and controls for land use; building height and design; street network; historic preservation; and sustainability. The Plan area is bounded generally by Market, Steuart, and Folsom Streets, and a line east of Third Street. The Plan would permit approximately six buildings with heights ranging from 700-1,000 feet.  The EIR analyzes at a project level the Transit Tower, a proposed 61-story, 1,070-foot-tall (including sculptural element) building with about 1.3 million square feet (sf) of office space, about 16,500 sf of retail, and subgrade loading and parking for about 300 vehicles (480 valet spaces). The Transit Tower project site is located at 425 Mission Street (Block 3720, Lot 001), on the south side of Mission Street between First and Fremont Streets, immediately north of the new Transit Center currently under construction.  The DEIR concluded that the changes to zoning controls in the Transit Center District Plan could lead to demolition or substantial alteration of historical resources in the Plan area.

 

This public hearing is intended to assist the Commission in its preparation of comments on the 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 November 3, 2011.  Written comments on the DEIR will be accepted at the Planning Department until 5:00 p.m., November 14, 2011.

 

10.       2011.0167T                                                                   (S. Hayward: 415/558-6372)

PLANNING CODE CONTROLS FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION.  The Commission will consider a proposed Ordinance sponsored by the Planning Department that would amend the Planning Code controls for Historic Preservation, including but not limited to Articles 10 and 11.  The Planning Commission reviewed proposed amendments on August 5, 2010 and recommended approval with minor modifications of various Code Sections to the Board of Supervisors.  The Historic Preservation Commission began a parallel review of the proposed amendments in 2010 on the following dates: July 21st, August 4th, 18th, September 1st, 15th, and 29th, October 6th 15th, and 21st, November 3rd and 17th, and December 1, 2010.  The Historic Preservation Commission is considering further modifications prior to sending recommendations to the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors, and began this re-review at its August 17th, 2011 public hearing, and continued the review at its September 7th, September 21st,  October 5th, 2011, and October 19th, 2011 public hearings.

Preliminary Recommendation:  Approve with modifications.

(Continued from Regular meetings of August 17, September 7, 2011, September 21, 2011, October 5, 2011, and October 19, 2011)

 

ADJOURNMENT

NOTE:  For information on the next Historic Preservation Commission Calendar, please call 558-6320 on Fridays (before the scheduled hearing) after 5:00 p.m. for a recorded message.

NOTE:  Items listed on this calendar will not be heard before the stated time.   

NOTE:  Speaker Cards will be available at all hearings.  For your convenience, they may be picked up in advance of the hearing from the Planning Department Reception Counter, 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400.

NOTE:  For information related to Historic Preservation Commission matters, please email Historic Preservation Commission Secretary, Linda.Avery@sfgov.org.

NOTE:  Pursuant to Government Code § 65009, if you challenge, in court, the approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness, Permit to Alter, Landmark or Historic District designation, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Historic Preservation Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing.

NOTE:  Material submitted by the public for Historic Preservation Commission review prior to a scheduled hearing, should be received at the Planning Department Reception Counter, 1650 Mission Street, 4th Floor, no later than 5:00 p.m. the Tuesday (eight (8) days) prior to the scheduled public hearing.  Persons unable to attend a hearing may submit written comments regarding a calendared item to the Commission at the above listed address.  Comments received by 11:00 a.m. on the day of the hearing will be made part of the official record and will be brought to the attention of the Historic Preservation Commission at the public hearing.  Otherwise, submit material related to a calendared item at the scheduled hearing for distribution.  For complete distribution to all Commissioners, necessary staff and case/docket/ correspondence files, submit an original and 14 copies.

NOTE:  If any materials related to an item on this agenda have been distributed to the Historic Preservation Commission after distribution of the agenda packet, those materials are available for public inspection at the San Francisco Planning Department, 1650 Mission Street, 4^th Floor during normal office hours.

 

CELL PHONE AND/OR SOUND-PRODUCING ELECTRONIC DEVICE USAGE AT HEARINGS

Effective January 21, 2001, the Board of Supervisors amended the Sunshine Ordinance by adding the following provision:  The ringing of and use of cells phones, pagers and similar sound-producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting.  Please be advised that the Chair may order the removal from the meeting room of any person(s) responsible for the ringing or use of a cell phone, pager, or other similar sound-producing electronic devices (67A.1 Prohibiting the use of cell phone, pager, or other similar sound-producing electronic devices at and during public meetings).

                                                                             

ACCESSIBLE MEETING POLICY

Hearings are held at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 400, Fourth Floor, San Francisco, CA.  The closest accessible BART Station is the Civic Center Station located at the intersection of Market, Hyde and Grove Streets.  Accessible curb side parking has been designated at points along McAllister Street.  Accessible MUNI Lines serving City Hall are the 9 San Bruno, 47 and 49 Lines and 71 Haight/Noriega and the F Line.  Accessible MUNI Metro Lines are the J, K, L, M, and N at the Van Ness Muni Station at Van Ness Avenue and Market Street.  For more information regarding MUNI accessible services, call (415) 923-6142.

 

Requests for American sign language interpreters, sound enhancement system and/or language translators will be available upon request by contacting Lulu Hwang at (415) 558-6318, at least 48 hours prior to a hearing.  A sound enhancement system will be available upon request at the meetings.  Please contact Services for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired at 557-4433 (TDD) or 557-4434 (Voice) at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Late requests will be honored if possible.  A person who is deaf or hearing impaired may gain meeting information prior to the meeting by calling 557-4433 (TDD) or 557-4434 (Voice).  In addition, the California Relay Service can be used by individuals with hearing and speech impairments by calling 1-800-735-2929 (TDD) or 1-800-735-2922 (Voice).  Minutes of the meetings are available in alternative formats. If you require the use of a reader during the meeting, please contact the Library for the Blind and Print Handicapped at 292-2022 at least 48 hours in advance of need.  Accessible seating for persons with disabilities (including those using wheelchairs) will be available at meetings.

 

Individuals with severe allergies, environmental illnesses, multiple chemical sensitivity or related disabilities should call our accessibility hotline at (415) 554-8925 to discuss meeting accessibility.  In order to assist the City’s efforts to accommodate such people, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical-based products.  Please help the City to accommodate these individuals.

 

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE SUNSHINE ORDINANCE

Government's duty is to serve the public, reaching its decisions in full view of the public.  Commissions, boards, councils and other agencies of the City and County exist to conduct the people's business.  This ordinance assures that deliberations are conducted before the people and that City operations are open to the people's review.  For more information on your rights under the Sunshine Ordinance or to report a violation of the ordinance, contact Adele Destro by mail to Administrator, Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, 1 Dr. Carlton Goodlett Place, Room 244, San Francisco, CA 94102-4689; by phone (415) 554-7724; by fax at (415) 554-7854; or by e-mail at sotf@sfgov.org.  Citizens interested in obtaining a copy of the Sunshine Ordinance can be request a copy from Ms. Destro or by printing Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code on the Internet, http://www.sfgov.org/sunshine/

 

SAN FRANCISCO LOBBYIST ORDINANCE

Attention:  Individuals and entities that influence or attempt to influence local legislative or administrative action may be required by the San Francisco Lobbyist Ordinance [SF Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code §2.100] to register and report lobbying activity.  For more information about the Lobbyist Ordinance, please contact the Ethics Commission at 30 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 3900, San Francisco, CA 94102, telephone (415) 581-8300, fax (415) 581-2317; web site http://www.sfgov.org/ethics/.

COMMUNICATIONS

Note: Each item on the Architectural Design Review and/or Regular calendar may include the following documents:

1) Planning Department Case Report

2) Draft Motion with Findings and/or Conditions

These items will be available for review at the Planning Department, 1650 Mission Street, 4th Floor Reception.