Historic Preservation Commission - April 20, 2016 - Minutes
SAN FRANCISCO
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes
Commission Chambers Room 400,
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102-4689
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
12:30 p.m.
Regular Hearing
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Wolfram, Matsuda, Johnck, Pearlman, Hyland, Hasz, Johns
THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER BY PRESIDENT WOLFRAM AT 12:34 PM
STAFF IN ATTENDANCE: Jeff Joslin - Director of Current Planning, Rich Sucre, Shelley Caltagirone, Tim Frye - Historic Preservation Officer, 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.
|
Hearing Materials are available at: Commission Hearing Broadcasts: |
A. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT
At this time, members of the public may address the Commission on items of interest to the public that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Commission except agenda items. With respect to agenda items, your opportunity to address the Commission will be afforded when the item is reached in the meeting. Each member of the public may address the Commission for up to three minutes.
None
B. DEPARTMENT MATTERS
1. Director’s Announcements
Jeff Joslin, Director of Current Planning:
No director’s announcements.2. Review of Past Events at the Planning Commission, Staff Report and Announcements
Jeff Joslin, Director of Current Planning:
Just have one announcement for the commission regarding the Legacy Business Registry. At the last hearing, Commissioner Hyland, I believe, requested report from Office of Small Business on the number of Legacy Business applications to date. Since that time, Planning staff has met with Regina Dick-Endrizzi and discussed the current status; thus far, there been 10 applications, though apparently a number of them still need some work. We requested a brief report which I'll distribute here; this first batch of 10 applications are anticipated before the department for the week of May 9th for review and comment at your June 1st HPC hearing. The Office of Small Business expects to transmit between 5 and10 applications depending on their readiness at that time. So in preparation of your June 1st hearing we scheduled a discussion at the next hearing on May 4th. This will allow staff to discuss your preferences for the case report contents and exhibits to insure you have all the information you need to discuss the pending applications.
C. COMMISSION MATTERS
3. President’s Report and Announcements
President Wolfram:
No reports or announcements.4. Consideration of Adoption:
SPEAKERS: None ACTION: Adopted AYES: Wolfram, Hyland, Hasz, Johnck, Johns, Matsuda, Pearlman 5. Commission Comments & Questions
Commissioner Johnck:
I attended the annual CPF conference held at the Presidio yesterday. I thought two of the sessions I attended were worthy of comments and would be of interest to the Commission.The session, Roots of Preservation in California, featured a distinguished panel of speakers who were leaders in organizing CPF and several other preservation legacy groups during the 1970s, such as the Los Angeles Conservancy, Hollywood Heritage, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The California legislature’s adoption of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was a key event. The first Landmark Club was founded in L.A. in 1895.
Advocacy for historic preservation was spawned during the political and environmental grassroots activism of the ‘70s with its base in communities and neighborhoods. Some of the early preservation success stories were the LA Library, the Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego, and Jackson Square Historic District in S.F.
Professionalization has grown out of and evolved from advocacy. Today the preservation profession is a scholarly and technically-skilled profession covering a wide range of disciplines. The reminder from the panel was the preservation professional should continue to work closely with its grassroots advocacy base in communities and neighborhoods.
The session, A New Attitude on Old Approaches: Examining Facadism, focused on the question whether saving the façade of a building is true preservation. Featured speakers were Flora Chou from Page & Turnbull; Justin Grieving, HPC staff; and Mike Buhler, Sf Heritage. Suggested new ideas to move towards true preservation are adaptive reuse; rehabilitation; and use of the CEQA alternatives process.
A major point was that the overall design is critical in the preservation solution. There were suggestions for developing guidance for architects and developers of key aspects or a typology of design elements that should be addressed, such as setback, volume, materials, and streetscape.
Other methods of avoiding facadism were in the arena of policy. Some examples of possible policy changes are: allow projects to shift density and height; expand San Francisco’s TDR program; change underlying economics that incentivize facadism (see Chicago example); incentivize additions rather than facadism; establish a mitigation penalty in lieu of façade retention.
Commissioner Hyland:
Just to add-on to Commissioner Johnck: the April 27th meeting is at Pier 1 between 6 and 8 pm.6. Historic Preservation Fund Committee – Report
Robert Cherny:
During the past six months, HPFC has approved funding for one new project and supplemental funding for another; conducted oversight for seven projects funded earlier, reviewed three completed projects, and is reviewing a proposal for a new project. Some oversight and review activities have been conducted by the Grant Review Sub-committee, which reports to the full committee on its work. All HPFC members are invited to attend sub-committee meetings, but the regular sub-committee members are Ryser, Cherny, Bland Platt, and Courtney Damkroger.A new proposal is first reviewed by the sub-committee, which nearly always requests a meeting with the project sponsors to discuss concerns over specific aspects of the proposal, followed by resubmission of the proposal with revisions addressing the concerns. Sometimes the sub-committee requires more than one re-submission. Once the sub-committee approves a proposal, it is then reviewed and discussed by the full committee; once the committee approves, the recommendation goes to the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, which develops contracts and handles financial arrangements. The sub-committee also reviews progress reports on individual projects and works with Planning Department staff on moving completed projects to HPC for approval.
HPFC projects completed during the past six months:
- The People’s Palace (partial funding for a documentary film on the history of San Francisco City Hall). The grant was made to the City Hall Centennial Committee with the proviso that all research materials including documents and interviews be given to the San Francisco History Center of the San Francisco Public Library and with the recommendation that creation of a teachers’ guide be a high priority. Preview screening in City Hall on Nov. 18 and broadcast on KQED on November 24. The film is available online by searching for The People’s Palace.
- Assessment of Mothers’ Building, San Francisco Zoo. Report dated July 2015 was received by committee members on September 1. The report details the serious structural problems of this landmark and recommends corrective action. Action by Recreation and Parks is pending.
- San Francisco African American Citywide Historic Context Statement, 1579-2014. Report submitted in January 2015; reviewed in subcommittee on February 10, 2015; Planning Department revisions reviewed on February 22, 2016. Continuance from HPC agenda of April 6.
Projects funded during the past six months:
1. Approved supplemental funding on September 28, 2015, for Sacred Heart Church Complex to extend landmark nomination report to a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Draft reviewed and discussed in subcommittee on January 12, 2016.
2. Approved funding on February 22, 2016, for development of an historic context statement for the Great Depression-New Deal Era and individual landmark nominations for George Washington High School, Theodore Roosevelt Middle School, and the former Sunshine School (now Hilltop School). This project addresses four of the top eight priorities developed by HPFC last year (see below).Project oversight during the past six months:
- Eureka Valley Historic Context Statement.
- Corbett Heights Historic Context Statement.
- Sacred Heart Church landmark nomination.
- Residence Parks Historic Context Statement.
- San Francisco Latino Historic Context Statement.
- Mission Dolores Neighborhood Historic Context Statement and National Register District nomination.
- Citywide Historic Context Statement for LGBTQ History in San Francisco: reviewed and commented on final draft; approved by HPC on November 18, 2015
Priorities for future funding, as approved on May 29, 2015:
On May 29, 2015, the HPFC established priorities for self-initiated projects using the remaining Historic Preservation Fund (approximately $300,000). The top eight priorities are:
- Great Depression-New Deal Era Historical Context Statement (to focus on architecture and art).
- Landmark nomination for Theodore Roosevelt Middle School.
- Preservation of photographs of the city from the early 20th century.
- Landmark nomination for George Washington High School.
- Completion of an historic resource survey of the Ocean Avenue commercial district.
- Landmark nomination for the historic structures and landscaping of the San Francisco Zoo.
- Landmark nomination for the former Sunshine School, now Hilltop School.
- National Historic Landmark nomination for Coit Tower.
A project is now underway (see above) that addresses items 1, 2, 4, and 7. We are pleased that progress is being made on item 3 without the need, so far, of funding from HPFC. The HPFC and the Grant Review Sub-committee have reviewed and made recommendations regarding a proposal to address item 5; we expect to have a final revised proposal in the near future.
D. CONSIDERATION OF ITEMS PROPOSED FOR CONTINUANCE
The Commission will consider a request for continuance to a later date. The Commission may choose to continue the item to the date proposed below, to continue the item to another date, or to hear the item on this calendar.
7. 2015-007219DES (S. PARKS: (415) 575-9101)
INGLESIDE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND THE GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES – Consideration to Initiate Landmark Designation of the Ingleside Presbyterian Church & Community Center and The Great Cloud of Witnesses. Located on the south east corner of Ocean Avenue and Granada Avenue, Assessor’s Block 6942, Lot 050 (District 7), as an individual Article 10 Landmark pursuant to Section 1004.1 of the Planning Code. The building is architecturally significant as the work of San Francisco master architect, Joseph Leonard, who designed the Neoclassical building in 1923. The church is also significant for its interior “collage-mural,” and folk artist’s environment, entitled The Great Cloud of Witnesses. Begun in 1980, the mural has a 35-year work-in-progress, created by church pastor Reverend Roland Gordon, to inspire the community and to highlight the accomplishments of African Americans.
(Continued from regular hearing March 16, 2016)
(Proposed continuance to May 4, 2016)
SPEAKERS: None ACTION: Continued to May 4, 2016 AYES: Wolfram, Hyland, Hasz, Johnck, Johns, Matsuda, Pearlman 8. 2015-014090PTA (P. LAVALLEY: (415) 575-9084)
1 STOCKTON STREET - northwest corner of Stockton and Ellis Streets; Assessor’s Block 0327, Lots 025 (District 4). Request for Major Permit to Alter to replace the non-historic Stockton and Ellis Street façades and install new cladding, fenestration, and internally illuminated wall signs. Constructed in 1973, with substantial alterations to the façade in early 2000s, the subject building is a Category V (Unrated) Building within the Kearny-Market-Mason Conservation District, the C-3-R (Downtown Retail) Zoning District, and 80-130-F Height and Bulk District.
Preliminary Recommendation: Approve with conditions
(Proposed continuance to May 18, 2016)
SPEAKERS: None ACTION: Continued to May 18, 2016 AYES: Wolfram, Hyland, Hasz, Johnck, Johns, Matsuda, Pearlman
E. CONSENT CALENDAR
All matters listed hereunder constitute a Consent Calendar, are considered to be routine by the Historic Preservation Commission, and will be acted upon by a single roll call vote of the Commission. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a member of the Commission, the public, or staff so requests, in which event the matter shall be removed from the Consent Calendar and considered as a separate item at this or a future hearing.
9. 2015-011522COA (A. KIRBY: (415) 575-9133)
2249 WEBSTER STREET – Located on the west side of Webster Street between Washington and Clay Streets; Lot 001B in Assessor’s Block 0612 (District 2). Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to construct a horizontal rear addition within an existing side setback at the southwest facade. The subject building is a contributor to the Webster Street Landmark District and is located within a RH-2 (Residential, House, Two Family) Zoning District and 40-X Height and Bulk District
Preliminary Recommendation: Approve
SPEAKERS: None ACTION: Approved AYES: Wolfram, Hyland, Hasz, Johnck, Johns, Matsuda, Pearlman MOTION: 0279
F. REGULAR CALENDAR
10a. 2015-000308COA (R. SUCRE: (415) 575-9108)
38 LIBERTY STREET – located on the north side of Liberty Street between Valencia and Guerrero Streets, Assessor’s 3608, Lot 044A (District 8). Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for restoration of the street façade along Liberty Street, the construction of a new single-car garage, and construction of a three-story rear horizontal addition. The project would increase the size of the existing single-family residence from 2,203 square feet to 3,968 square feet. The subject lot is located within the Liberty-Hill Landmark District, RH-3 (Residential, House, Three-Family) Zoning District and 40-X Height and Bulk Limit.
Preliminary Recommendation: Approve with Conditions
(Continued from regular hearing March 16, 2016)
SPEAKERS: = Rich Sucre – Staff presentation
+ Stephen Fowler – Project presentation
= Lawrence Siracusa – tree concerns
= Jeffrey Gainer – Tree concerns
= Brent Hatcher – Tree concerns
+ John Barbey - SupportACTION: Approved with Conditions AYES: Wolfram, Hyland, Hasz, Johnck, Johns, Matsuda, Pearlman MOTION: 0280 10b. 2015-000308VAR (R. SUCRE: (415) 575-9108)
38 LIBERTY STREET – located on the north side of Liberty Street between Valencia and Guerrero Streets, Assessor’s 3608, Lot 044A (District 8) – Request for a Variance from the Zoning Administrator to address the requirements for rear yard (Planning Code Section 134). The proposed project includes construction of a three-story rear horizontal addition within a portion of the required rear yard. The subject lot is located within the Liberty-Hill Landmark District, RH-3 (Residential, House, Three-Family) Zoning District and 40-X Height and Bulk Limit.
(Continued from regular hearing March 16, 2016)
SPEAKERS: Same as Item 10a. ACTION: ZA Closed the PH and indicated an intent to Grant AYES: Wolfram, Hyland, Hasz, Johnck, Johns, Matsuda, Pearlman 11. (S. CALTAGIRONE: (415) 558-6625)
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY - Informational Presentation regarding the status of enforcement, environmental review, projects requiring Historic Preservation Commission action, and potential Historic Preservation Commission review process. The Existing Sites Technical Memorandum (ESTM) will be published by the Planning Department on May 4th, 2016 and the Historic Preservation Commission will hold a Review and Comment hearing for the ESTM document on May 18th, 2016. Today’s presentation is intended to provide an overview of the ESTM contents and the Historic Preservation Commission’s role in reviewing the document.
Preliminary Recommendation: None - Informational
SPEAKERS: = Shelley Caltagirone – Staff presentation
= Zane Gresham – AAU commentACTION: None – Informational AYES: Hyland, Hasz, Johnck, Johns, Matsuda, Pearlman RECUSED: Wolfram
ADJOURNMENT – 2:03 PM
ADOPTED AS AMENDED MAY 4, 2016