MEETING OF THE CIVIC DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE
OF THE SAN FRANCISCO ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, July 20, 2015
2:30 p.m.
25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 70

Minutes
 

Committee Chair Cass Calder Smith called the meeting to order at 2:37 p.m.

1. Roll Call
   Commissioners Present
   Cass Calder Smith, Chair
   Dorka Keehn
   Kimberlee Stryker
   Paul Woolford
    
   Commissioners Absent
   Roberto Ordeñana
   Kathrin Moore, ex officio
    
   Staff Present
   Tom DeCaigny, Director of Cultural Affairs
   Jill Manton, Director of Public Art Trust and Special Initiatives
   Sharon Page Ritchie, Commission Secretary
    
2. Public Comment
   There was no public comment.
    
3. Consent Calendar
   Commissioner Stryker requested that the first Consent Calendar item, regarding Dogpatch Arts Plaza, be severed from the Consent Calendar for separate consideration.
    
   Commissioner Smith called for a vote on the remaining Consent Calendar items. There was no public comment, and the Consent Calendar was approved unanimously as follows.
    
   1. Motion to approve Phases 1, 2, and 3 of Mountain Lake Park Project.
       
   2. Motion to approve Phases 1, 2, and 3 of Portsmouth Square Garage Improvements Project.
       
   3. Motion to approve conceptual review of Treasure Island Signage Master Plan Project.
       
      Turning to the Dogpatch Arts Plaza, Commissioner Stryker asked the design team to address the Committee’s previously expressed concerns about whether the trees would be planted in permanent or rolling planters, and how the plaza demarcated public from private space.
       
      Jared Press of CMG and other members of the project team discussed the decision to use trees rather than umbrellas to delineate the café zone in the plaza. The team explained that Public Works had not yet issued a sidewalk encroachment permit for the café, and that if the café has a liquor license, California’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control would also have a say in how the café is separated from the public space.
       
      The Committee discussed how the design could make it clearer that the entire plaza is public, addressing a drainage trench, paving materials and the location of trees. The Committee recommended changing the locations of some of the trees so that they do not form a distinct line dividing the public space of the plaza, and make changes in the wall facing the street, indicated with #9 in the plans, to make a more welcoming entry. The Committee requested staff review of the project with the changes.
       
      There was no public comment, and there was no motion.
       
4. Moscone Expansion Project: Phase 3
   Brook Mebrahtu, Project Manager, San Francisco Department of Public Works
   Craig Hartman, Project Architect, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
   Kevin Conger, Landscape Architect, CMG Landscape Architecture
   Mark Cavagnero, Associate Architects, Cavagnero and Associates
    
   The design team presented the project, discussing items that have changed from Phase 2, including a new north plaza and a new visitors’ center. They described locations for public art, including the Keith Haring sculpture which will be at the corner of Third and Howard streets, and a light sculpture by Leo Villareal for the bridge. The team also discussed plants and the landscape design, including the children’s garden.
    
   The Committee praised the project, and discussed the changes, the schedule and the status of the artist selection process for the remaining public art sites. The Committee also asked about traffic and paving changes on the street.
    
   There was no public comment, and the motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to approve Phase 3 of the Moscone Expansion Project.
    
5. San Francisco International Airport (“SFO”) Interim Boarding Area B: Phase 3
   Jason Sayner, Project Designer, Snohetta Architects
   Tania Gharechedaghy, Project Manager, San Francisco International Airport
   Jeff Mangels, Architect, Corgan Architects
    
   The design team presented the project, noting changes made since the Committee’s last review: using galvanized metal panels with black mullions.
    
   The Committee discussed the changes, agreeing that they were appropriate for this interim structure.
    
   There was no public comment, and the motion was approved as follows.
    
   Motion to approve Phase 3 of the San Francisco International Airport Interim Boarding Area B project.
    
6. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Building: Post-Phase 3 Changes
   Jack Dybas, Project Designer, KMD Architects
   Magdalena Ryor, Project Manager, SF Public Works
   Anastasios Stathopoulos, Architect, KMD Architects
   Merrill Morris Partners, Landscape Architect
    
   The team presented the project, discussing the changes since the Committee’s last review, including changes in the landscape design, eliminating one of the two generators, replacing the double gates at the driveway with a single sliding gate and changes in the façade. They discussed the public art, a sculpture by Richard Deutsch which was very well received.
    
   The Committee discussed the project and recommended simplifying the façade and modifying some of the plantings.
    
   There was no public comment, and the motion was approved unanimously as follows.
    
   Motion to approve Post-Phase 3 changes to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner project, contingent upon: (1) eliminating cement plaster finish CP3 on the façade and changing those areas to CP2; and (2) using taller plantings behind the seating to create a buffer between the parking area and the plaza.
    
7. Living Innovation Zone Pause: Request to Extend Term of Exhibition
   Paul Chasan, Project Manager, Department of City Planning
   Josh Bacigalupi, Architectural Designer, Exploratorium
   Andrew Robinson, Director of Neighborhood Partnerships, Yerba Buena Community Benefit District
    
   The team described the Living Innovation Zone (“LIZ”) and the various partners in the project, including the Planning Department, the Mayor’s Office of Civic Innovation, Better Market Street and the Exploratorium, among others. They added that they have been really pleased to have the curatorial expertise of the Arts Commission.
    
   Ms. Manton explained that the Arts Commission decided that a structure in place for less than two years does not require review by this Committee. This project was previously approved for temporary installation, and the LIZ team was now seeking to extend the installation for another year; they explained that they had made a presentation to the Visual Arts Committee as well.
    
   The team discussed the goals and vision of the project, and discussed community reactions to it. They explained that they are working to develop a more open and transparent process to seek proposals for the next temporary LIZ project for this site. They intend to move the currently installed Pause to another site, and explained that they would like to extend its time at the current location in the meantime.
    
   The Committee discussed the project and suggested an additional six-month extension to October 21, 2016.
    
   Commissioner Keehn explained that she was a co-founder of Sites Unseen, a group which intends to program large-scale public art in eight alleys around Moscone Center, and that the Yerba Buena Community Benefit District is one of their fiscal sponsors. While she didn’t think it was required, in an abundance of caution she recused herself from voting on this item, and she left the room at 3:57 p.m.
    
   There was no public comment, and the amended motion was approved as follows by Commissioners Smith, Stryker and Woolford, with the recusal of Commissioner Keehn.
    
   Motion to approve the extension of the display of Pause, a project of the Living Innovation Zone, through October 21, 2016.
    
   Commissioner Keehn returned to the meeting room at 3:59 p.m.
    
8. Chinatown Plaza Central Subway: Phase 3
   Aileen Read, Project Designer, SFMTA
   Jane Wang, Project Manager, SFMTA
   Mona Tamari, Project Architect, Kwan Henmi
   Manuela King, project Landscape Architect, Royston, Hanamoto, Alley and Abey
    
   The team explained that in its last review, at Phase 2, this Committee had seven comments, and the team showed how each had been addressed. They also showed a rendition of the artwork by Tomie Arai in place.
    
   The Committee discussed the sculptural trellis, and its lighting and finishing. They recommended eliminating the faceting of the uni-strut frame to conform with the circular radius of the trellis.
    
   There was no public comment, and the motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to approve Phase 3 of the Chinatown Plaza Central Subway project, contingent upon eliminating the faceting of the outermost frame for the ceiling of the arbor, changing it to radius, and submitting an updated ceiling plan for the arbor, with cross-section, for final review.
    
9. Visual Arts Committee Update
   Commissioner Keehn reported on several public art projects recently reviewed by the Visual Arts Committee, including artworks at San Francisco Airport and the Central Subway Yerba Buena/Moscone station. She also showed images of tall light sculptures proposed for the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit project. The Committee discussed the height of the sculptures relative to both bus and truck traffic and to pedestrians and waiting passengers.
    
   She also reported on artists recommended by the selection panel for the Moscone project Howard Street and West Bridge sites; Mr. DeCaigny added that these recommendations were expected to come to the full Commission in September.
    
   There was no public comment.
    
10. New Business and Announcements
    There was no new business or announcements, and no public comment.
     
11. Adjournment
    There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:34 p.m.
     

    posted 8/3/15, 3:00 p.m., spr
    approved 9/15/15
    
     

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    Language Accessibility

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    Materiales traducidos y servicios de interpretación están disponibles para usted de manera gratuita. Para asistencia, notifique a Director of Special Projects and Civic Design Review Program Manager Jill Manton, 415-252-2585, jill.manton@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 Director of Special Projects and Civic Design Review Program Manager Jill Manton, 415-252-2585, jill.manton@sfgov.org.