MEETING OF THE CIVIC DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE
OF THE SAN FRANCISCO ARTS COMMISSION

Monday, August 20, 2018
3:00 p.m.
401 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 125

Minutes
 

Commissioner Kimberlee Stryker called the meeting to order at 3:05 p.m.

1. Roll Call
   Commissioners Present
   Kimberlee Stryker
   Abby Schnair
   Paul Woolford
   
   Commissioners Absent
   Dorka Keehn
   Lydia So
   
   
   Staff Present
   Aleta Lee, Program Associate, Public Art Trust and Special Initiatives
   Jill Manton, Director, Public Art Trust and Special Initiatives
    
2. Public Comment
   N/A
    
3. Consent Calendar
   There was no public comment, and the Consent Calendar was not voted on.
    
   1. Motion to approve Salina’s Tree Plaque located on Silver Avenue in front of Hillcrest Elementary School.

The Committee felt that there was not enough information provided to pass the motion and wanted to ensure there were no pedestrian hazards. They recommended that the project team return with clarifications regarding the plaque installation details and revised drawings.

4. Southeast Health Center Expansion Project: Phase #2
   Greta Jones, Project Designer, Public Works
   Lisa Zayas-Chien and Joe Chin, Project Managers, SFDPH and Public Works
   Richard Gee, Architect, Public Works
   Koa Pickering and Jessica Perez, Landscape Architects, Public Works
   
   The team presented the site, existing and proposed site plan, floor plans, views of the previous and proposed design, and building elevations. The team showcased detailed sections of the anodized aluminum curtain wall with articulated mullion caps, along with the exterior materials which include structural silicone glazing, fiber cement panels, shadow boxes, and anodized aluminum canopy and signage. The team went on to present the landscape plan, planting palette, outdoor floor materials, and an update on the narrows section design. The updated narrows design included a runnel stone terminus that collected rain water and connected from the street to the narrows section. Additionally, the team brought materials to review, including the building panels, and aluminum and glass samples.
   
   The Committee thought the project team did a handsome job on the updated design. The Committee suggested that the team take another look at the mullion screen on the front façade and perhaps extend all the fins to the same length of the longer fins. Additionally, the Committee felt that the new stone runnel design looked squashed in between the ramp and the street. They suggested that team end the runnel stone terminus before the ramp. Lastly, the Committee thought that having the lithocrete connect through the entry lobby and outdoory entry plaza would better tie together the interior and exterior.
   
   Motion to approve Phases #2 of the Southeast Health Center Expansion Project contingent upon 1) either having glass or a simple metal band on the bottom of the second floor windows of the facades on Bancroft Avenue and Armstrong Avenue, 2) addressing the depth and dimensionality of the screened fins, 3) terminating the runnel before the ramp, and 4) visually unifying the exterior & Interior floor treatments of the front entry.
    
5. McLaren Park Picnic Area Project: Phase #1
   Erica Ruiz, Project Designer, Public Works
   Alexis Ward, Project Manager, Rec & Park
   Will Kwan, Architect, Public Works
   
   The team provided background to the project, sharing that ten million dollars was issued to invest in McLaren Park. Through a community engagement process, they found that the community was interested in having a new restroom there. Because of costs, a pre-fabricated restroom was proposed for the site. This restroom would be an all gender, single use facility. The team presented the site plan, site images, and options of the pre-fabricated restroom structures. The team’s preferred restroom option was the shed roof with lap siding above stucco.The shed roof was preferred as it provided better cross ventilation. Lastly the team showed photo renderings of the pre-fabricated restrooms integrated in the park.
   
   The Committee suggested that the team flip the cap of the roof, as typically shed strucutres have entrances on the taller side. They also suggested putting landscaping at the sides of the restrooms and making sure the door and vent were aligned.
   
   Motion to approve Phase #1 of the McLaren Park Picnic Area Restroom Project contingent upon 1) alignment of the door and vent, 2) relating the cant of the roof to the topography, and 3) integrating planting where restroom meets sloping grade.
    
6. Castro Mission Health Center Project: Phase #2
   Ruairi O’Connoll, Project Designer, MEI Architects
   Steven Juergens, Project Manager, MEI Architects
   Mei Mei Chan, Architect, MEI Architects
   Jessica Perez, Landscape Architect, Public Works
   
   Due to feedback from the Historic Preservation Commission staff, the Castro Mission Health Center project came back for another phase #2 review to go over the updated design. The new design entailed the recreation of the existing pilasters in the new shear walls, mimicing both the width and depth of the existing. Horizontal control joints were reduced in number, but still aligned with the window sill and head datum. At the existing CMU spandrel bands, it was not technically possible to recreate score lines in the proposed skim coat to mimic CMU patterning. Therefore, the smooth skim coat approach approved at CDR Phase 2 is preferred. Additionally, the project team reduced the scale of the typeface signage, and updated the signage to match the existing.
   
   The Committee thought the new design did not have as strong of a relationship to the original building as the design they passed in the previous phase. The Committeee understood the integration of vertical pilasters, but recommended to modulate the horizontal panels within them to make it more proportional and track consistently across the building. Additionally they suggested the team refer to the orginial block size of the façade if it seemed appropriate. The Committee suggested that the team abstract from the orginal design of the building without doing a simulacrum of it.
   
   The Committee commented that they had two choices, either to stick with the previous design they had approved or to move forward with their new comments given the new design. They decided to move forward with their new comments in order to not hold up the timeline of the project team.
   
   Motion to approve Phase #2 of the Castro Mission Health Center Project contingent upon modulating the horizontal panels within the vertical pilasters to make them more proportional and make them track consistently across the building.
   
   Jill Manton reminded the Committee that the previous motion phase #2 that passed for the Castro Mission Helath Center Project would need to be rescinded at the next Full Commission meeting in October.
7. Visual Arts Committee Update
   N/A
    
8. Staff Report
   Jill Manton provided an image of the updated final design of the Golden Gate Park Tennis Center project. The project team chose to remove the windows of the west façade of their building per the Commissioners’ comments.
   
   Jill Manton also went on to discuss new information regarding the jurisdiction of the Civic Design Review Committee and the Historic Preservation Commission. The Art Commission’s City Attorney Lauren Curry provided sections from the 2018 Mayorial memo which provided a summary of what each Commission was chartered to do that she shared with the Committee. SFAC staff is hoping to arrange for the Civic Design Review Committee and the Historic Preservation Commission to meet together to review of new projects at an early phase of design, such as the Civic Center Public Realm plan, for better streamlining of the multiple review processes.
   
   Lastly, Commissioner Paul Woolford and Commissioner Kimberlee Stryker reported back on their trip with the Department of Public Utilities Commission to Hetch Hetchy and their facilities.
    
9. New Business and Announcements
   Commissioner Abby Schnair shared that she thought that safety was still a heavy issue in the Arts Corridor of Mid-Market Street and asked for support from the Arts Commission to have this addressed.
    
10. Adjournment 
    There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:54 p.m.
    posted  8/24/18, 2:15 p.m., akl
    updated 9/13/18 akl
    approved 10/1/18

Language Accessibility

Translated written materials and interpretation services are available to you at no cost. For assistance, please notify Special Projects and Civic Design Review Program Associate Aleta Lee, 415-252-2251, aleta.lee@sfgov.org.

我們將為閣下提供免費的書面翻譯資料和口譯服務。如需協助，Special Projects and Civic Design Review Program Associate Aleta Lee, 415-252-2251, aleta.lee@sfgov.org.

Materiales traducidos y servicios de interpretación están disponibles para usted de manera gratuita. Para asistencia, notifique a Special Projects and Civic Design Review Program Associate Aleta Lee, 415-252-2251, aleta.lee@sfgov.org.

Ang mga materyales na nakasalin sa ibang wika at ang mga serbisyong tagapagsalin sa wika ay walang bayad. Para sa tulong, maaring i-contact si Special Projects and Civic Design Review Program Associate Aleta Lee, 415-252-2251, aleta.lee@sfgov.org.