August 15, 2007

FINAL ACTION MINUTES

OF THE

SAN FRANCISCO

LANDMARKS PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD MEETING

CITY HALL

1 DR. CARLTON B. GOODLETT PLACE, ROOM 400

August 15, 2007

12:43 P.M. ROLL CALL

FOR FULL LANDMARKS BOARD CONSIDERATION

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Cherny, Damkroger, Dearman (arr. @ 1:15 pm)Hasz, Maley, Martinez, Street

BOARD MEMBER(S) ABSENT: Chan

STAFF IN ATTENDANCE: Mark Luellen, Preservation Coordinator; D. DiBartolo; T. Frye; M. Jacinto; S. Middlebrook; Sonya Banks, Commission Secretary; Marlena Byrne, City Attorney

PUBLIC COMMENT

None

REPORTS

1. STAFF REPORT AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mark Luellen, Preservation Coordinator:

iOn July 31^st, Supervisors Mirkarimi, Dufty, and Ammiano introduced a resolution initiating designation of 194 Church Street as the first medical cannabis dispensary in San Francisco to help patients with life-threatening illnesses. This resolution was referred to the Land Use Committee and will go the full Board for a final vote.

iOn August 14^th, the Board of Supervisors voted to pass an ordinance designating three individual landmarks on the site of 55 Laguna: Woods Hall, Woods Hall Annex, and Richardson Hall. The second reading of this ordinance will be heard on September 11^th.

iThe Mills Act application for 1735 Franklin Street was approved by the full Board.

iThe Planning Commission will be on summer hiatus this week and next week; the next hearing will be held on August 30^th.

iThe Board of Supervisors will be on summer hiatus and their next hearing will be on September 11^th.

2. PRESIDENT'S REPORT AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

None at this time.

3. MATTERS OF THE BOARD

Maley

At the Board of Supervisors hearing on August 14^th, she and Board Member Martinez spoke in support of the landmark designation for 55 Laguna. She was a little disappointed that the Board did not landmark the entire site but she is happy with the three buildings that will be retained. She thanked Board Members Cherny and Martinez for all their hard work in moving the designation forward.

Damkroger

She asked if the Landmarks Board members were planning any recognition to Neil Hart on his retirement from the Planning Department.

Martinez

He thanked President Maley for her speech in support of the landmark designation of 55 Laguna.

He asked if the Preservation Coordinator had any information on 3052 Pacific Avenue regarding the categorical exemption. He questioned if the Landmarks Board could appeal a categorical exemption.

Luellen

Commissioner Sugaya requested information regarding 3052 Pacific Avenue at the next Planning Commission hearing. A written response will be given to Commissioner Sugaya's inquiry. I will share the written response with the Landmarks Board.

Deputy City Attorney Marlena Byrne

Responding to Board Member Martinez's question, she informed the Board members that any individual could appeal a categorical exemption.

4. LANDMARKS WORK PROGRAM 2005-2007 UPDATE

Maley

A meeting is being scheduled for Park Merced.

Damkroger

She informed the Board members that she may have some student interns to help with the Work Program.

Martinez

He requested an intern to help prepare the Mission Bank report.

1. HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND COMMITTEE UPDATE

The Planning Department staff proposed that the fund obtained from the Historic Preservation Committee budget will be used for: the Japantown survey, completing survey work in Balboa Park associated with the long range planning efforts, finishing up work initiated by the Office of Legislative Analysis on the Movie Theater designations, needed additional funding for the Eastern Neighborhood survey and neighborhood improvement to the Fisherman Wharf area. At the next Historic Preservation Committee meeting the department staff will provide more detailed scopes of work.

ACTION ITEM (S)

6. APPROVAL OF THE AUGUST 1, 2007 DRAFT ACTION MINUTES

Speaker(s):

None

Board Action

It was moved by Board Member Martinez (seconded by Street) to adopt the draft action minutes. The vote was unanimous.

AYES: Cherny, Damkroger, Dearman, Hasz, Maley, Martinez, Street

NOES: None

ABSENT: Chan

LANDMARK DESIGNATION

7. 2007.0600L (S. MIDDLEBROOK: 558-6372)

1601 LARKIN STREET – southwest corner of Larkin and Clay Streets; Lot 006 in Assessor's Block 0620 – Proposed designation of the existing church building as local San Francisco Landmark. The subject property is located in an RM-3 (Residential, Mixed-Use, Medium) District and a 65-A Height and Bulk District.

Preliminary Recommendation: Recommend approval of the landmark designation to the Planning Commission

Speaker(s):

Charles Chase

F. Joseph Butler

Dawn Trennert

Michael Schoolnik

Rowena Jen

Gordon Egan

Joel Yodowitz

Sylvia Johnson

Board Action

It was moved by Board Member Damkroger (seconded by Martinez) to approve the proposed designation of the existing church building. Motion passed 6-0.

AYES: Cherny, Damkroger, Hasz, Maley, Martinez, Street

NOES: None

ABSENT: Chan, Dearman (arrived at 1:15 p.m. She did not vote of this item)

Tape No. 1a

REVIEW AND COMMENT

8. (M. JACINTO: 575-9033)

Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans Project: Public Hearing to assist the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board to prepare a comment letter on the Draft Environmental Impact Report. The subject of the proposed rezoning is an approximately 2,200-acre project area that includes four neighborhoods on the eastern side of San Francisco: East SoMa, the Mission, Showplace Square/Potrero Hill and the Central Waterfront. The proposed rezoning would introduce new use (zoning) districts, including: (1) districts that would permit at least some production, distribution and repair (PDR) uses in combination with commercial uses; (2) districts mixing residential and commercial uses; (3) residential and PDR uses; and (4) new residential-only districts. The new districts would replace existing industrial, commercial and residential single-use districts. The project would also include certain adjustments to height limits. In conjunction with the proposed rezoning, the Planning Department is also developing area plans for inclusion within the General Plan for the four neighborhoods in the project area. These plans address policy-level issues pertaining to historic resources, urban design (including building heights and urban form), transportation, open space, and community facilities.

NOTE: The Draft Environmental Impact Report (SCH No. 2005032048) was published on June 30, 2007. The rezoning options analyzed in the Draft EIR could indirectly result in increased development pressure on certain sites due to potential changes in allowable uses and/or building heights. In some instances, historic districts, individual resources, potential resources and/or age-eligible properties could be threatened with demolition or substantial alteration, such that the historical significance of these properties could be  materially impaired. The Draft EIR identifies this as a significant and unavoidable environmental effect of the proposed project, and identifies mitigation measures to lessen these effects, though not to a level of insignificance.

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to receive comments on the Draft EIR on August 9, 2007. This hearing is intended to assist the Landmarks Board such that the Board may prepare written comments on the Draft EIR to submit to the Planning Department. Written comments on the Draft EIR will be accepted at the Planning Department until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 31, 2007.

(Continued from 8/1/07)

Speaker(s):

Toby Levine

Gus Murad

Judy West

Wendy Collins

Sylvia Johnson

Board Comments

A Board member had concerns with the relationship of potential historic districts to the actual substance of the plan. As a mitigation measure would like to see the survey informing the plans, informing the height limits, and informing the designation on how the buildings are used. A Board member feels that the surveys are being established to be used but he does not see any indication of how that's going to happen. Suggested that there be a mitigation that the surveys actually create changes to the plan options. A Board member suggested changing the word  radical change to  substantial change in mitigation measures K2 and K3 (in the second paragraph). The language in appendix I and L are clearer than the language used in the EIR because it is more specific and actually talks about the character defining features. On the last sentence in mitigation measure K2 and K3 suggested emphasizing incline instead of compatibility of material. A Board member does not agree with the following statement in K3:  The only instant where a replication of an original design may be appropriate is the replacement of a missing structure in a row of identical houses . A Board member recommended establishing creative mitigation measures (suggested a commitment to designate the districts, the creation of design guidelines for historic districts, or guidelines for the adaptive re-use of certain types of buildings).

Board Action

It was moved by Board Member Cherny (seconded by Martinez) to accept the recusal of Board Member Street from this item. The vote was unanimous.

It was moved by Board Member Cherny (seconded by Dearman) to continue this item until September 5, 2007, Landmarks hearing. The vote was unanimous.

AYES: Cherny, Damkroger, Dearman, Hasz, Maley, Martinez

NOES: None

ABSENT: Chan

RECUSED: Street

Tape No. 1a and b

CERTIFICATED OF APPROPRIATENESS

9. 2007.0729A (T. FRYE: 575-6822)

128 KING STREET, historically known as the Castle Brothers Warehouse and a contributing structure to the South End Historic District. A request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to install signage for a new Bar/Restaurant The subject property is located within an M-2 (Heavy Industrial) District with a 105-F Height and Bulk limit.

Preliminary Recommendation: Approve with Conditions

Speaker(s):

None

Board Action

It was moved by Board Member Street (seconded by Dearman) to approve the request for a Certificate of Appropriateness based on staff recommendation. The vote was unanimous.

AYES: Cherny, Damkroger, Dearman, Hasz, Maley, Martinez, Street

NOES: None

ABSENT: Chan

10. 2007.0560A (D. DiBARTOLO: 558-6291)

333 GRANT AVENUE, Home Telephone Company, west side between Sutter and Bush Streets, Assessor's Block 286, Lot 26. Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to install a signage program consisting of four signs to identify a new ground level retail tenant. The subject structure is a six-story, mixed-use building, steel frame and brick construction, designed by Coxhead and Coxhead and constructed in 1908. The subject property is Landmark Number 141 under Article 10, and Category I (Significant) under Article 11 of the Planning Code. The landmark is located within the C-3-R (Downtown Office) District and is in a 80-130-F Height and Bulk District.

Preliminary Recommendation: Approval

Speaker(s):

Jack Fosack

Board Action

It was moved by Board Member Martinez (seconded by Dearman) to approve the request for a Certificate of Appropriateness. The vote was unanimous.

AYES: Cherny, Damkroger, Dearman, Hasz, Maley, Martinez, Street

NOES: None

ABSENT: Chan

ARTICLE 11 RECLASSIFICATION

11. 2007.0720G (D. DiBARTOLO: 558-6291)

545-547 MISSION STREET, north side between First and Second Streets, Assessor's Block 3721, Lot 82. Request to change Article 11 designation from Category V (Unrated) to Category III (Contributory). The subject property is a five-story, heavy-timber and steel framed commercial/light industrial loft building with Renaissance Revival style details constructed in 1906. The subject property is located within a C-3-O (Downtown Office)District and a 550-S Height and Bulk District. The site is designated as a Category V (unrated)building under Article 11 of the Planning Code and is not within any designated Conservation district.

Preliminary Recommendation: Adopt the Resolution

Speaker(s):

Christopher VerPlanck

Edward Suharski

Board Action

It was moved by Board Member Hasz (seconded by Dearman) to approve the request to change Article 11 designation from Category V to Category III. The vote wasunanimous.

AYES: Cherny, Damkroger, Dearman, Hasz, Maley, Martinez, Street

NOES: None

ABSENT: Chan

LANDMARKS BOARD COMMUNICATIONS

12. The Landmarks Boardwill draft a letter to the Board of Supervisors regarding the Planning Department's Citywide Survey Program.

(Continued from 8/1/07)

Speaker(s):

None

Board Action

It was moved by Board Member Martinez (seconded by Dearman) to continue this item until September 5, 2007, Landmarks hearing. The vote was unanimous.

AYES:

Tape No. 1b

ADJOURNMENT: 3:00 P.M.

Respectfully Submitted,

Sonya Banks,

Recording Secretary

ADOPTED: 9/5/07

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