SAN FRANCISCO
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION

 

Meeting Minutes

 

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

Wednesday, October 4, 2017
12:00 p.m.
Architectural Review Committe
Meeting
 

COMMISSIONERS PRESENT:   Pearlman, Wolfram
COMMISSIONERS ABSENT:     Hyland, Hasz

THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER BY COMMISSIONER PEARLMAN AT 12:00 PM

STAFF IN ATTENDANCE:  Doug Vu, 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.

1. 2016-002809COA                                                                                   (D. VU: (415) 575-9120)
690 TENNESSEE STREET – west side, between Mariposa and 18th Streets; Assessor’s Block 3996, Lot 006 (District 10) - Request for Review and Comment by the Architectural Review Committee regarding the proposal for alterations to an existing, non-contributing, 1,875 sq. ft. two-story light-industrial building and conversion to a four-story over basement, 6,111 sq. ft. two-family dwelling within the Dogpatch Landmark District. The subject lot is located in a RH-2 (Residential, House - Two-Family) Zoning District and 40-X Height and Bulk District.
Preliminary Recommendation: Review and Comment

SPEAKER:	= Doug Vu – Staff presentation + (M) Speaker – Project presentation
ACTION:	Reviewed and Commented 1. Overall Form & Continuity Recommendation: Although the addition would be compatible with the typical three-story residential buildings in the Dogpatch Landmark District, a sightline study should be prepared for review and consideration by the Historic Preservation Commission to ensure the proposed fourth story, or penthouse, would not be visible from the street. ARC Review & Comment: The Committee agreed the proposal to maintain the building’s existing front wall including the new third floor, then setting back the new fourth floor by 18’-7” would minimize its visibility and be compatible with the typical residential buildings in the Dogpatch Landmark District. To confirm this finding, the Committee agreed that a sightline study should be prepared, but with a view of the addition at the corner of 18th and Tennessee Streets. 2. Scale & Proportion Recommendation: The proposed distribution of the building’s bulk and massing was determined to be compatible with the scale and proportion of residential buildings in the immediate context and the rest of the Landmark District, and was acceptable as proposed. ARC Comments: The Committee agreed that the Project’s total 6,111 sq. ft. of floor area was well distributed throughout five floors by including one floor that would be constructed below the existing grade at the rear of the property, and by reducing the footprint of the second floor to a depth of the average of the adjacent properties, that would also improve the mid-block open space. Furthermore, the footprint of the new third floor would be identical to the floor below, and the top floor’s setback on all four sides with a maximum horizontal dimension of 35’ was also found to have the appropriate scale and proportion compatible with the Landmark District. 3. Fenestration Recommendation: The Project’s fenestration includes inset double-hung wood windows at the primary façade and the same windows with simple wood trim along the other elevations, which are generally symmetrical in pattern and vertical in orientation, similar to other windows on residential buildings found within the Dogpatch Landmark District. Although the renderings illustrated deeply inset windows, the floor plans did not accurately detail this and should be revised to be consistent with the renderings. ARC Comments: The proposal to retain the existing garage door opening and demolish a portion of the adjacent area at the ground floor to accommodate a new recessed entrance with a glazed pedestrian door placed right of center was well received by the Committee. The second and third story windows that feature three evenly spaced and vertically proportioned bays that are inset with double-hung windows at the primary façade would provide contrast from the simple façade, but the Committee agreed the plans should accurately detail this feature.  It was also determined the infill of a pedestrian door and three hung windows along a side elevation would not detract from the building’s appropriate fenestration pattern. 4. Materials, Color & Texture Recommendation: The simple material palette consisting of horizontal wood siding, glazing, and painted metal was determined to be generally compatible with the residential development in immediate context and broader neighborhood, but it was recommended that the metal belt course and building cornice be powder coated to more closely align with the Landmark District’s residential character-defining features. ARC Comments: The Committee appreciated that the Project would retain as much of the existing horizontal rustic wood siding as possible, and match this material where openings would be removed, and to clad any new expansion of the building envelope. The Committee also stated that the recessed and painted metal belt course with articulated vertical fins, and a similar painted metal cornice was a creative and modern expression of these character-defining features, but agreed they should be powder coated in order to have a compatible texture and reduced sheen. 5. Design Features Recommendation: The proposed entrance was found to be sensitively designed and compatible with other residential buildings in the Dogpatch Landmark District. ARC Review and Comments: The Committee agreed the proposal to replace the existing pedestrian entrance with a recessed vestibule containing a glazed rectangular door placed right of center is characteristic of residential buildings in the Landmark District that have recessed porches and entry porticos at street-level, and appreciated that the other features at the ground floor, including the garage, would not be unnecessarily replaced or redesigned. 6. Architectural Detail Recommendation: The design of the belt course and cornice was found to be simple and compatible with similar architectural details present on residential buildings in the Dogpatch Landmark District, as well as the Project’s overall restrained application of details that could otherwise alter, change, obscure, detract, or destroy character-defining transitional elements associated with the Greek Revival, Eastlake, Queen Anne, Italianate and Classical Revival architectural styles.                      ARC Review and Comments: The Committee appreciated the proposed replacement of the non-historic dentilated cornice above the garage door and at the roofline with a thoughtfully designed, yet simple application of a recessed and articulated painted metal belt course with vertical fins, and similar projecting cornice above the third floor roof line.
LETTER:	0080

ADJOURNMENT – 12:22 PM
ADOPTED OCTOBER 4, 2017