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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, November 19, 2014
12:30 p.m.
Regular Meeting
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Hasz, Hyland, Johnck, Johns, Matsuda, Pearlman, Wolfram
THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER BY PRESIDENT HASZ AT 12:31 P.M.
STAFF IN ATTENDANCE:
Jonathan Lammers, Tim Frye - Preservation Coordinator, 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 - None
B. DEPARTMENT MATTERS
1. Director’s Report
Preservation Coordinator Tim Frye: The Director’s Report is included in your packet and I am happy to any questions. That concludes my comments on the Director’s Report.
Commissioner Johns: I thought that the video, the YouTube link, to which there was a link, was extremely interesting.
2. Review of Past Events at the Planning Commission, Staff Report and Announcements
Mr. Frye: Just a couple of things to share with you. This morning I attended the Budget and Finance Committee Hearing for the three pending Mills Act contract applications in the Duboce Park Landmark District. Supervisor Wiener made some introductory remarks. Mike Buhler from San Francisco Architectural Heritage was present and expressed Heritage’s support on the three contracts and then Planning staff gave a short presentation. Committee member Supervisor Avalos did have some comments about San Francisco’s program in relationship to other programs throughout the State of California, the types of properties that took advantage of the program in other cities as compared to San Francisco and did make some comments as to whether or not the properties applying for the Mills Act this year were truly in need of a property tax break. As a result of those comments, the Committee decided to forward the contracts to the full Board without recommendation which was disappointing for us, but we believe we’ll be able to demonstrate to the full Board that the Mills Act Program is in fact a really important viable financial incentive for landmark properties in San Francisco. So, we’ll keep you posted on that effort and we believe the hearing will be schedule in the next couple of weeks. The second item I wanted to share with you was an item heard at the Planning Commission at its November 13th hearing for 110 Embarcadero. The Planning Commission unanimously approved the downtown project authorization for 110 Embarcadero which was before them. The reason I bring to your attention is Commissioner Richards contemplated adding a condition of approval requiring the property owner to pursue landmark designation for the property, but after further discussion with the Planning Commission members, they elected not to include the designation as a requirement, but encouraged the property owner to explore this option in the future. So with that, that concludes my comments and happy to answer any questions.
Commissioner Wolfram: The last project you spoke of, 110 Embarcadero, is that where the Commonwealth Club is going?
Mr. Frye: That is correct.
C. COMMISSION MATTERS
3. President’s Report and Announcements - None
4. Consideration of Adoption:
· Draft Minutes for HPC November 5, 2014
SPEAKERS: None
ACTION: Adopted
AYES: Hyland, Johnck, Johns, Matsuda, Pearlman, Wolfram, Hasz
5. Commission Comments & Questions
· Disclosures - None
· Inquiries/Announcements
Commissioner Hyland: Thank you, we wanted to report on the Cultural Heritage Assets Subcommittee and ask that we have our first meeting prior to our next meeting, which will be on December 3rd and hoping we can do it once a month probably the first meeting of the month and then if ARC is needed to be scheduled for a project or something like that than we can shuffle it if we need to.
Commission Secretary Mr. Ionin: We have this room starting around 11:15 am. So, like the ARC we would schedule it starting at 11:30 am to get ample time for a brief break in between. The recommendation also is to not refer to it as a subcommittee, but rather a committee.
Commissioner Hyland: Just as some context as to what Commissioner Matsuda and I were thinking. The first meeting agenda is to have an open forum to invite the community to talk about the cultural assets and specifically ask them what are the most important cultural assets in their neighborhood or in their community, the report by Heritage and the workshops that have been done previously have been a great start. We just think it might be good to open it up and give people the opportunity to speak who may not have had that opportunity. We would like to invite Supervisor Campos' office to present their legislation and someone from the Mayor's Office. I'm not sure if that would be with OEWD or with the Civic Innovation Department with someone to get some feedback from the Mayor and we would like to reach out to the Supervisors to see if there are community members in their district. What we'd like to do is really get some feedback from each of the separate districts at our first meeting. There is a lot of activity going on around here and we don't want to duplicate efforts, but want to hear what's happening. I just became aware of an opening of a program that's been launched by Census Place Lab in San Francisco tomorrow where they asked the communities of Bay View and Mission to do this exact thing. It's a photographic essay. They asked them to take photographs of community assets that they value and that’s going to be on display at SOMA Arts at 934 Brannan starting tomorrow for a few weeks. I will go visit that exhibit and see what's come of that. That's what our thinking is.
Commissioner Matsuda: And to ask if we can have the Planning Department Staff to help us do the outreach and to contact people who have already been involved in various communities in various forms to also feel free to offer their thoughts.
Commissioner Hyland: We might as well ask Heritage to participate.
Mr. Ionin: I think we'd be happy to coordinate that for you.
President Hasz: Okay, thank you. That's a big agenda for one hour.
Commissioner Johnck: Tim, I was wondering curious how we are doing with Cultural Landscape Inventory Analysis. What’s the projected project completion coming back to us?
Mr. Frye: The project was continued to your December 3rd hearing. At that time, we will be asking for an additional continuance. We did receive authorization for the additional funding for the consultant to update the project. So we’re still in contract negotiations and finalizing some of the details to extend the contract, hoping to have that done in the next month or so. Mr. Hasz did share some information with us which we have forwarded to the consultant. As soon as we are under contract with the consultant we'll have a better understanding of when the revised document will come back to you. Likely, I’m presuming late winter, early spring next year, but I'm hoping we’ll have a date at the December 3rd hearing to present to you. At least the outline of what you are going to contract them to cover.
Commissioner Johnck: That would be great. Thank you.
· Future Meetings/Agendas - None
D. REGULAR CALENDAR
6. 2011.0910L (J. LAMMERS: (415) 575-9093)
2168-2174 MARKET STREET – Consideration to Initiate Landmark Designation of the Swedish American Hall, north side of Market Street between Church Street and Sanchez Street, Assessor’s Block 3542, Lots 017 and 062, as an individual Article 10 Landmark pursuant to Section 1004.1 of the Planning Code. Constructed in 1907, the Swedish American Hall is the most significant extant building associated with San Francisco’s Swedish community. The building is also significant as the work of master architect, August Nordin. The building was added to the Landmark Designation Work Program on June 15, 2011. It is located in the Upper Market Neighborhood Commercial Transit (NCT) zoning district and 40-X and 50-X Height and Bulk districts.
Preliminary Recommendation: Approve
PRESENTER: Dylan McEwan, Project Sponsor and New Tenant
SPEAKERS: None
ACTION: Adopted a Recommendation to Initiate as Amended to include the double gable as a character defining feature.
AYES: Hyland, Johnck, Johns, Matsuda, Pearlman, Wolfram, Hasz
RESOLUTION: R-740
7. 2014.0951L (J. LAMMERS: (415) 575-9093)
186-194 GOUGH STREET – Consideration to Initiate Landmark Designation of the R. (Rube) L. Goldberg Building, southeast corner of Gough and Oak streets, Assessor’s Block 0837, Lot 014 as an individual Article 10 Landmark pursuant to Section 1004.1 of the Planning Code. Constructed in 1911, the property was commissioned by Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist and author Rueben (Rube) Goldberg, and designed by architect Bernard J. Joseph. The property is architecturally significant as an example of a Classical Revival style mixed use building, and may also be significant for its association with Rube Goldberg. This item was calendared at the HPC’s request following public comment at its regularly scheduled hearing on June 18, 2014 in support of Article 10 designation. It is located in the Hayes Neighborhood Commercial Transit (NCT) zoning district and 50-X Height and Bulk district.
Preliminary Recommendation: Approve
SPEAKERS: + Jackie Naylor, Resident of the building - Support initiation;
+ Edward Yarborough, Preservation Architect - Spoke in regards to Rube Goldberg;
+ Beverly Upton - Support initiation
ACTION: Adopted a Recommendation to Initiate
AYES: Hyland, Johnck, Johns, Matsuda, Pearlman, Wolfram, Hasz
RESOLUTION: R-741
Vice President Woflram reopened through the Chair Item 5, Commission Comments and Question: I wanted to tell the commission that we are planning a holiday gathering. I think you have all received an e-mail about that and the date is after the hearing on the 17th and it would be at 4:30, Don Ramon's at 225 11th Street. I wanted to make sure you get that on the calendar.
8. (T. FRYE: (415) 575-6822)
LANDMARK DESIGNATION WORK PROGRAM - Discussion of the HPC’s Landmark Designation Work Program, prioritization and status of pipeline projects.
Preliminary Recommendation: The HPC may modify the Work Program based on discussion with Planning Staff and members of the public
(Continued from October 15, 2014)
SPEAKERS: None
ACTION: Reviewed and Commented
Adjournment: 1:38 PM
The minutes was proposed for adoption at the Regular Meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission on Wednesday, December 3, 2014.
ACTION: Adopted
AYES: Hasz, Hyland Johnck, Johns, Matsuda, Wolfram
ABSENT: Pearlman
