MEETING OF THE CIVIC DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE
OF THE SAN FRANCISCO ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, November 16, 2015
3:00 p.m.
401 Van Ness Avenue, Room 125

Minutes
 

Committee Chair Cass Calder Smith called the meeting to order at 3:12 p.m.

1. Roll Call
   Commissioners Present
   Cass Calder Smith, Chair
   Roberto Ordeñana
   Paul Woolford
   Kimberlee Stryker
   Kathrin Moore, ex officio
    
   Commissioners Absent
   Dorka Keehn
    
   Staff Present
   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
   There was no public comment, and the Consent Calendar was approved unanimously as follows.
    
   1. Motion to approve Phase 3 of the Moccasin Control Building.
       
4. Balboa Park Pool: Phase 3
   Toks Ajike, Project Manager, Recreation and Parks Department
   Byron Kuth, Project Architects, ELS/Kuth Ranieri JV
   Jeffrey Miller, Landscape Architect, Jeffrey Miller Company
    
   The team presented the project, showing changes made since the prior review. The Committee discussed the project, including the glazing.
    
   There was no public comment, and the motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to approve Phase 3 of the Balboa Park Pool project.
    
5. Verizon Cell Sites on Streetlight Poles in Mission Bay: Phase 1
   Roberto Chobo, Project Designer, Verizon Wireless
   Kevin Bowyer, Project Manager, Modus-Corp.
   Walter Zalzali, Project Architect, Zalzali Company
   Omar Masry, Wireless Planner, Planning Department
    
   Mr. Masry presented the project, placing wireless antennas on existing poles. The Committee discussed the project, including how many poles per street there could be, and whether poles would be repainted.
    
   The Committee recommended administrative review for phases 2 and 3 unless there is significant change in the project.
    
   There was no public comment, and the motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to approve Phase 1 of the Verizon Cell Sites on Streetlight Poles in Mission Bay project; and to authorize administrative review of Phases 2 and 3 unless there is significant change.
    
6. Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove Street AT&T and Verizon Wireless Attachments: Phase 1
   Kelly Pepper, Project Designer and Project Manager, Town Consulting
   James Gray, Project Architect, Streamline Engineering
   Omar Masry, Wireless Planner, Planning Department
    
   Commissioner Ordeñana recused himself from discussion of this project because AT&T funds his employer, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center. He left the room at 3:31 p.m.
    
   Mr. Masry explained that he was seeking separate approvals for the AT&T and Verizon projects. He reviewed the projects and discussed the “FRP” (fiber-reinforced plastic) material used. The Committee discussed the project, including the location of the antennas.
    
   There was no public comment, and the motions were unanimously approved as follows, with the recusal of Commissioner Ordeñana.
    
   Motion to approve Phase 1 of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove Street AT&T Wireless Attachments project.
    
   Motion to approve Phase 1 of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove Street Verizon Wireless Attachments project.
    
    
   Commissioner Ordeñana returned to the meeting room at 3:40 p.m.
    
7. 1 South Van Ness, Market and Van Ness, Verizon Site: Phase 1
   Kelly Pepper, Project Designer and Project Manager, Town Consulting
   James Gray, Project Architect, Streamline Engineering
   Omar Masry, Wireless Planner, Planning Department
    
   Mr. Masry presented this project and the following one together. The Committee discussed the projects. There was no public comment, and the motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to approve Phase 1 of the 1 South Van Ness, Market and Van Ness, Verizon Site project.
    
8. 1 South Van Ness, T-Mobile New Wireless Facility: Phase 1
   Kevin Bowyer, Project Designer and Project Manager, Modus-Corp.
   Bret McComb, Architect, PDND
   Omar Masry, Wireless Planner, Planning Department
    
   There was no public comment, and the motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to approve Phase 1 of the 1 South Van Ness, T-Mobile New Wireless Facility project.
    
9. San Francisco Airport (“SFO”) Transportation Unit: Conceptual Presentation
   Paulett Taggart, Project Designer, Paulett Taggart Architects
   Derrick Homer, Project Manager, SFO
   Eric Robinson, Project Architect, Paulett Taggart Architects
   David Fletcher, Landscape Architect, Fletcher Studio
    
   The team presented the project, discussing the site, the scope and the schedule. They explained the construction phases of the project, which will include parking, as well as vehicle washing, fueling and inspection stations. The team is aiming for LEED Gold certification. They presented several design variations, and discussed their goal of creating a humanizing space in the industrial landscape of the airport.
    
   The Committee asked about recycling water and stormwater treatment on the site, planning for sea-level rise, and landscaping; the design team noted that trees would not be planted close to a flight path. In response to the Committee’s questions, the team also discussed the importance of comfort in the breakrooms and social spaces, with natural light, and a very sophisticated and efficient air filtration system; noise and air quality make operable windows inappropriate.
    
   The Committee requested a master plan when the project returns for Phase 1 review, and recommended an informal review before that.
    
   There was no public comment and no motion.
    
10. Eagle Plaza: Phase 1
    Marcel Wilson, Project Designer, Project Landscape Architect, Bionic Landscape
    Jared Press, Project Designer, Build Public
     
    The team presented the project, discussing community support, funding plans and the Planning Commission approval. They discussed the site, materials and the color palette.
     
    The Committee discussed the project, including traffic management and challenges from the large homeless encampment just a couple of blocks away. The Committee asked about how the space could accommodate the wide variety of uses and the children’s play area; they also asked the team to work with the relationship of the mews to the plaza. The Committee expressed doubt that the flexible and mobile elements would actually be moved very much, and they encouraged the team to develop the design further. The Committee suggested shifting the road north, to increase the area to the south which receives more sun. They also asked the team to consider how to integrate the heritaage component into the plaza’s design.
     
    There was no public comment, and there was no motion.
     
11. Oak Plaza: Conceptual Presentation
    Michelle Delk, Project Designer, Snohetta
    Jared Press, Project Manager, Build Public
     
    The design team presented the project, describing the site at Van Ness and Market and the scope; they noted that the Planning Department suggested that they consider the entire block of Oak Street, encompassing the Conservatory of Music, the City building at 25 Van Ness and the building at 98 Franklin, in their design, as the “front porch” of Hayes Valley. The team discussed its design inspirations and concept, incorporating micro-retail and residential uses, along with a 45-foot plaza.
     
    They discussed the challenges of shade and strong winds at the site, which they proposed to address with artist-designed canopies. The Committee discussed the canopies in some detail, and whether they should be considered public art projects, as well as how to balance wind protection with maximizing sunlight at the site.
     
    The Committee also discussed how best to incorporate accessibility features, encouraged the team to keep the plaza contiguous on one level, and asked whether vehicle access from Van Ness could be eliminated. The team indicated that the volume of deliveries and drop-offs was too big to eliminate access from Van Ness.
     
    There was no public comment, and no motion.
     
    Commissioner Ordeñana left the meeting at 5:24 p.m.
     
12. Lombard Parking Garage: Conceptual Presentation
    Alejandro Pimentel, Project Designer, Bureau of Design and Construction, Public Works
    Douglas Ullman, Project Manager, Bureau of Design and Construction, Public Works
    Jose Oscar Recinos, Project Architect, Bureau of Design and Construction, Public Works
     
    The team presented the project, reviewing the site and the scope. They pointed out a neon sculpture installed on the building, recently repaired after being out of service for some time. They reviewed project goals, aiming to invigorate the Lombard Street side of the building while keeping the Moulton Street façade in scale with the residential neighborhood. They proposed several different treatments for the façade.
     
    The Committee discussed the scale of the building with its neon artwork, and how the team might best approach the project to make the garage a good neighbor, perhaps aiming for a handsome and quiet treatment. The Committee suggested that the team spend more time in the neighborhood to get a better feel for it. They added that color and finish would be important, noting that light colors could quickly become dingy and dirty-looking.
     
    There was no public comment, and there was no motion.
     
13. Visual Arts Committee Update
    In the absence of Commissioner Keehn, there was no report.
     
14. Staff Report
    Ms. Manton confirmed dates for upcoming meetings and presentations, and the availability of Commissioners. The December meeting will be held on December 14, and the January and February meetings will be held on January 11 and February 8 because of City holidays on the third Mondays of those months.
     
    Ms. Manton reported that Geary Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit will come before the Committee soon.
     
    There was no public comment.
     
15. New Business and Announcements
    There was no further new business or announcements, and no public comment.
     
16. Adjournment
    There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:55 p.m.
     

    posted 11/30/15, 10:15 a.m., spr
    revised 12/4/15
    approved 12/7/15
    
    
     

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    Language Accessibility

    Translated written materials and interpretation services are available to you at no cost. For assistance, please notify Director of Special Projects and Civic Design Review Program Manager Jill Manton, 415-252-2226, jill.manton@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，Director of Special Projects and Civic Design Review Program Manager Jill Manton, 415-252-2226, jill.manton@sfgov.org.
    
    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, 415-252-2226, 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, 415-252-2226, jill.manton@sfgov.org.