SAN FRANCISCO
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION

CORRECTED - Meeting Minutes

Commission Chambers Room 400,
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102-4689

Wednesday, March 1, 2017
11:30 a.m.
Architectural Review Committe
Meeting
 

COMMISSIONERS PRESENT:   Hyland, Hasz, Pearlman

THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER BY COMMISSIONER HYLAND AT 11:31 AM

STAFF IN ATTENDANCE:  Marcelle Boudreaux, Tim Frye – Historic Preservation Officer, Jonas 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.

1. 2013.1535E                                                   (M. BOUDREAUX: (415) 575-9140)
450 O'FARRELL STREET/ 474-480 O'FARRELL STREET/ 530-532 JONES – north side of O'Farrell Street between Jones and Taylor Streets, east side of Jones Street between Geary and O'Farrell Streets; Lots 007, 009 and 011 in Assessor's Block 0317 (District 6) – Review and Comment before the Architectural Review Committee on the proposed preservation alternatives in advance of publication of the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the project. The project proposes to demolish three contributors to the Uptown Tenderloin National Register Historic District; in addition, one of these properties (450 O'Farrell Street – Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist) has also been determined individually eligible for the California Register of Historic Resources. The new construction would be a 13-story, 130‐foot‐tall (with an additional 20 feet for the elevator penthouse), mixed-use building with up to 176 dwelling units, restaurant/retail space on the ground floor and a replacement church (proposed religious institution) incorporated into the ground and two upper levels. The project site is within the RC-4 (Residential Commercial, High Density) Zoning District, the Downtown Plan Area, and the 80-130-T Height and Bulk Districts. The proposed project would require Conditional Use Authorization for Planned Unit Development and various other authorizations and modifications under the Planning Code.
Preliminary Recommendation: Review and Comment

SPEAKERS:

= Marcelle Boudreaux – Staff report + Tyler Rebian – Project presentation + Johana Street – Project presentation + David Cincotta – Project presentation

ACTION:

Reviewed and Commented Overall, the ARC felt that neither the full preservation alternative nor the partial preservation alternative were adequate for incorporation in the Draft EIR. The ARC felt that the proposed alternatives were understating the estimated number of dwelling units that could be incorporated on the site. Additionally, the ARC felt that through more articulated design, the alternatives could increase the dwelling unit count to be closer to the proposed Project’s total unit count, and could come into better conformance with Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, specifically Standard No. 9. The ARC recommended that the Sponsor to explore how the existing church could still be used by a congregation, which may entail potentially reducing the sanctuary space. In addition, the ARC felt the proposed Project, which removed the raised entry stair and porch and incorporated only the exterior façade for the first 16 feet of the existing church building, was facadism. The ARC recommended that the Sponsor and the Department to explore modifications to the alternatives, as follows: Full Preservation Alternative In deference to interior character-defining features, incorporate a small vertical addition with a substantial setback from public rights of way; Increase height of replacement structure at 474 O’Farrell to the maximum permitted in the height district; and Investigate utilization of the State Density Bonus, which would allow increased height and additional units at other areas of the site, with the goal to preserve the church building (individual resource). Partial Preservation Alternative Increase height of addition at church building to the maximum permitted in the height district; Reduce the size and/or relocate the interior courtyard with the goal to add more dwelling units in the area previously un-occupied by the interior courtyard space; and Investigate utilization of the State Density Bonus, which would allow increased height and additional units at other areas of the site, with the goal to conserve the church building (individual resource).

ADJOURNMENT – 12:12 PM
ADOPTED MARCH 15, 2017
CORRECTIONS ADOPTED JUNE 7, 2017