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SAN FRANCISCO
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes
Commission Chambers, Room 400
City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102-4689
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
12:30 p.m.
Regular Meeting
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Hasz, Hyland, Johnck , Johns, Matsuda, Wolfram
COMMISSIONER ABSENT: Pearlman
THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER BY PRESIDENT HASZ AT 12:32 p.m.
STAFF IN ATTENDANCE:
Richard Sucre, Shelley Caltagironi, Tim Frye - Preservation Coordinator, and Jonas P. Ionin - Commission Secretary.
SPEAKER KEY:
+ indicates a speaker in support of an item;
- indicates a speaker in opposition to an item; and
= indicates a neutral speaker or a speaker who did not indicate support or opposition.
A. PUBLIC COMMENT
SPEAKER(S): None
B. DEPARTMENT MATTERS
1. Director’s Announcements
Preservation Coordinator Frye on behalf of Director Rahaim:
· Welcomed Gil Kelley as the new Director of the Citywide Division of the Planning Department;
· Announced that an open-house style public meeting for the African-American Historic Context Statement will be held at the Bay View Library on April 24th from 6-7 p.m. Another public meeting scheduled for the following week will be at Ingleside Presbyterian Church. He answered Commissioner Matsuda’s question about the photo contest and said the Department promotes the opportunity for the public to submit photos and there is some money for the contest.
2. Review of Past Events at the Planning Commission, Staff report and Announcements
Preservation Coordinator Frye:
· On April 3rd, the Planning Commission (CPC) adopted the Recreation and Open Space Elements in a 4-2 vote, with Commissioners Moore and Antonini voting against the adoption. The Department expected to have a hearing date before the Board of Supervisors (BOS) in the next several months;
· On the same date, the CPC unanimously recommended approval to the BOS a legislation to waive fees for awnings and signs on awnings each May during the Small Business Month. The BOS is expected to pick up the legislation shortly;
· On April 24th the CPC will consider readopting the 2009 Housing Element, including the EIR per the Court’s order. After the 2009 element was adopted in 2011, an association of neighborhood groups challenged the EIR in San Francisco Superior Court. The court found the EIR complied with CEQA in all respects, except for its analysis regarding alternatives. The Planning Department had revised and recirculated the alternative section of the EIR and published the Responses to Comments Document;
· On April 9th, the Board of Appeals heard the appeal of the issuance of a demolition permit for a one story convenience station at the DuPont Tennis Courts. The Project Sponsor (PS) proposed to construct a replacement convenience station within the same footprint of the existing. After hearing testimony from the neighbors who stated the station is a historic resource; judging the Historic Resource Evaluation report submitted by the Architectural Resource Group that concluded the DuPont site is eligible for inclusion on the California Resource of Historical Resources as a contributor to a noncontiguous historic district and is identified as significant under both Criterion 1 and 3; and disappointed that the PS did not properly evaluate the building before commencing lead abatement work that damaged the building, the Board of Appeals continued the item and directed the PS to work with the neighbors to find ways to restore and rehabilitate the existing the building;
· On March 4th a new Environmental Evaluation application for 2853 Broderick was submitted to the Preservation Team for expansion work on the 4th floor and the roof that went beyond the original scope approved by the Department and the Board of Appeals.
3. Landmark Designation Work Program Report
After highlighting the restructured organization of the Landmark Designation Work Program Report, Mr. Frye fielded questions from Commissioners.
Commissioner Matsuda commented 1) on the many activities that happened during 1980 to 1989 in the landmark effort and questioned why it plummeted thereafter; 2) the Peace Pagoda in Japantown, as she remembered from the JCHESS testimony, included the plaza; 3) the Japantown YWCA has a new official title that she could not recalled, but the owner of the property is Nohomachi Little Friends; 4) corrected the spelling of Kinman Kinmon Gakuen; and 5) asked are there any properties listed under the pending cases that might have potential challenges the HPC should to know. Mr. Frye responded 1) the likely cause is the result of the Downtown Plan which compiled hundreds of buildings within the C-3 district under Articles 10 and 11; 2) and 3) he would look into; 4) noted the correction; and 5) the most pressing one is the Mother’s Building. The Recreation and Park Department and their Commission submitted a condition assessment proposal to the Historic Preservation Fund Committee and are waiting to see how much seismic intervention is required to keep the building occupied and standing. That result might effect the HPC decision on pursuing designation.
President Hasz was disturbed to see how few landmarks the HPC has designated in the recent past and recommended a reasonable goal be set, especially for public structures, where there shouldn’t be an issue with property owners. He asked when the new budget for extra FTE’s would start, and asked staff to agendize the item for recommendation in response to Commissioner Johnck’s comment on making a priority list of potential landmark designations.
Commissioner Hyland asked 1) how many FTE’s are dedicated to the Work Program. President Hasz responded ½ FTE at first and then it goes to a full FTE; 2) asked for an update on the Doelger Building.
C. COMMISSION MATTERS
4. President’s Report and Announcements
President Hasz had no report but requested Item 7, HPC Rules and Regulations, be moved to the end of the hearing.
5. Consideration of Adoption:
· Draft Minutes for HPC April 2, 2014
SPEAKERS: None
ACTION: Adopted
AYES: Hyland, Johnck , Johns, Matsuda, Wolfram, Hasz
ABSENT: Pearlman
6. Commission Comments & Questions
· Disclosures - None
· Inquiries/Announcements - None
· Future Meetings/Agendas -None
Item 7 was heard after Item 11.
7. (J. IONIN: (415) 558-6309)
HPC RULES AND REGULATIONS - consideration of proposed amendments to the Commission Rules and Regulations.
(Continued from April 2, 2014)
SPEAKERS: None
ACTION: Reviewed and Commented
D. CONSENT CALENDAR
8. 2014.0323H (R. SUCRE: (415) 575-9108)
1235 MISSION STREET, located on the south side of Mission Street between 7th and 8th Streets, Assessor’s 3728, Lot 089. Request for a Permit to Alter for modification to exterior openings on the non-historic 1967 Addition. No work would occur on the historic terracotta-clad portions of the existing building. The subject property is designated as Category II (Significant) in Article 11 of the San Francisco Planning Code, and is located within the SLR (Service/Light Industrial/Residential) Zoning District and 68-X Height and Bulk Limit.
Preliminary Recommendation: Approve
SPEAKERS: None
ACTION: Approved
AYES: Hyland, Johnck , Johns, Matsuda, Wolfram, Hasz
ABSENT: Pearlman
MOTION: M-0226
E. REGULAR CALENDAR
9. 2013.1211A (R. SUCRE: (415) 575-9108)
101 TOWNSEND STREET, located at the southwest corner of Townsend and 2nd Streets, Assessor’s 3794, Lot 015. Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior alterations, including storefront alterations on the ground floor level, window replacement on the second and third floors, construction of a new roof deck, and patching, repair and repainting of the exterior stucco and removal of non-historic elements from the street facades. The subject property is a contributing resource to the South End Landmark District, and is located within the MUO (Mixed-Use Office) Zoning District and 105-F Height and Bulk Limit.
Preliminary Recommendation: Approve with Conditions
SPEAKERS: None
ACTION: Approved with Conditions as amended to include non-metallic factory finishes on the rooftop penthouses.
AYES: Hyland, Johnck , Johns, Matsuda, Wolfram, Hasz
ABSENT: Pearlman
MOTION: M-0227
10. 2013.0693A (S. CALTAGIRONE: (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 revise the rehabilitation project previously approved under HPC Motion No. 0147, including: (1) modifying the configuration and location of the new garage; (2) modifying the location of window and door openings at the north and east facades and replacing windows at all facades; (3) replacing the historic wood siding at the north façade; (4) reinstalling a window at the west gable end at the attic level to match the previous condition; (5) increasing the height of the third floor deck and reconfiguring the elevator penthouse roof; (6) restoring the front doors and roof finials; (7) constructing a balcony at the east façade; and, (8) adding fencing and gates to the landscape. Please note that many of the proposed changes have already been completed and that the applicant is requesting that the Commission legalize the work performed without the benefit of a permit. The subject property is a contributing building within the Alamo Square Landmark District. The property is zoned RH-3 (Residential, House, Three-Family) and is in a 40-X Height and Bulk District.
(Continued from November 20, 2013)
Preliminary Recommendation: Approve with Conditions
PRESENTERS: Lewis Butler and [Frederic Engle] from Butler Armsden Architects
SPEAKERS:
= Erma Cobb, Neighbor - asked why the work started without permit;
+ Ted Bartlett, previous Owner - support the project
ACTION: Approved with Conditions as amended to include an interim inspection.
AYES: Hyland, Johnck, Johns, Matsuda, Wolfram, Hasz
ABSENT: Pearlman
MOTION: M-0228
11. (T. FRYE: (415) 575-6822)
PRESERVATION ELEMENT - Draft Preservation Element of the San Francisco General Plan - Request for Review and Comment. The Planning Department seeks comments on the most recent draft in order to produce a final draft Preservation Element to bring before the Historic Preservation Commission and the Planning Commission for endorsement at a future date.
SPEAKERS:
= Desiree Smith, SF Heritage Issues and Policy Committee - has issues similar to those identified by the Commission and recommended improving the context to the draft element.
ACTION: Reviewed and Commented
NOTE:
President Hasz reopened Matters of the Commission at the end of the hearing to announce that the HPC regular meeting on May 21st will be a roundtable discussion held off-site and be facilitated by Vince Michael for the discussion of the Local Interpretations of the Secretary of Interior’s Standards. Mr. Frye commented that Vince Michael will discuss the origin of the Standards, how they are used and applied at various jurisdictions over times, and set the stage for the Commissioners, Staff and the public to set goals and directions in developing the guidelines document. Commissioner Secretary Ionin is working with SFGovTV to broadcast the meeting and to find a site conducive for the round-table discussion.
Mr. Ionin announced that the Office of Commission Affairs made an offer to Christine Lamorena who accepted the offer as Manager of the Office. She will be the direct back up to Mr. Ionin and assists him with Department’s public record reqeust work. She will be shadowing Mr. Ionin when she officially starts on April 28th.
Adjournment: 2:15 PM
The minutes was proposed for adoption at the Regular Meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission on Wednesday, May 21, 2014.
ACTION: Adopted
AYES: Hasz, Hyland Johnck, Matsuda, Pearlman, Wolfram
ABSENT: Johns
