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SEC. 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

The Board of Supervisors hereby finds that the area known and described in this ordinance as the Blackstone Court Historic District contains a number of structures having a special character and special historical, architectural and aesthetic interest and value, and constitutes a distinct section of the City. The Board of Supervisors further finds that designation of said area as an Historic District will be in furtherance of and in conformance with the purposes of Article 10 of the City Planning Code and the standards set forth therein, and that preservation on an area basis rather than on the basis of individual structures alone is in order. This ordinance is intended to further the general purpose of historic preservation legislation as set forth in Section 1001 of the City Planning Code, to promote the health, safety and general welfare of the public. (Added by Ord. 464-87, App. 11/19/87) SEC. 2. DESIGNATION. Pursuant to Section 1004 of the City Planning Code, Chapter II, Part II of the San Francisco Municipal Code, the Blackstone Court Historic District is hereby designated as an Historic District, this designation having been duly approved by Resolution No. 10997 of the City Planning Commission. (Added by Ord. 464-87, App. 11/19/87) SEC. 3. LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES. The location and boundaries of the Blackstone Court Historic District shall be as designated on the Blackstone Court Historic District Map, the original of which is on file with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors under File 115-87-13, which Map is hereby incorporated herein as though fully set forth. (Added by Ord. 464-87, App. 11/19/87) SEC. 4. RELATION TO CITY PLANNING CODE. (A) Article 10 of the City Planning Code is the basic law governing historic preservation in the City and County of San Francisco. This ordinance, being a specific application of Article 10, is both subject to and in addition to the provisions thereof. (B) Except as may be specifically provided to the contrary in this ordinance, nothing in this ordinance shall supersede, impair or modify any City Planning Code provisions applicable to property in the Blackstone Court Historic District, including but not limited to existing and future regulations controlling uses, height, bulk, lot coverage, floor area ratio, required open space, off-street parking and signs. (Added by Ord. 464-87, App. 11/19/87) SEC. 5. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE. The significance of Blackstone Court Historic District is more historical than architectural, though enough physical evidence of past history remains to create a sense of the former place and time in this unusual mid-block enclave of five structures on a blind alley. The north line of the ally, Blackstone Court, follows the north line of an early trail shown on U.S. Coast Survey maps of the 1850's and 1860's, a trail that ran from town toward the Presidio, around the north end of Washerwoman's Lagoon (now drained and filled; so named for the Gold Rush laundries). The western end of Blackstone Court is the western edge of William Eddy's 1849 Lagoon Survey which set up a grid parallel to Market Street, facing the view through the Golden Gate. On a lot alignment perpendicular to the north edge of the old trail, 9-11 Blackstone Court appears to date from the 1850's because of its Gothic Revival veranda and its interior plan and finish. It is first documented on its site in 1893 (possibly moved to clear a street right-of-way designated by the Laguna Survey of 1889-91). Before 1899 it was raised a story by the Favilla family from North Beach, very early Italian-American residents in what became the Marina District. Abraham House, 30 Blackstone Court, was constructed in 1885 by Charles Abraham, and enlarged by him in 1905. Abraham was the horticulturally significant founder of Western Nursery, which operated on most of this block from 1885 to 1947. It was the last expression of the Cow Hollow/Marina District agricultural enterprises. An Australian peppermint tree and a Monterey Cypress appear to date from the nursery. All of these elements combine to present a unique physical expression of the pre-1906 settlement patterns of this section of the City: the pre-Gold Rush trail, the lot lines perpendicular to it, the nursery, the modest old houses and early, pre-1900 Italian-American investment in the Marina District. (Added by Ord. 464-87, App. 11/19/87) SEC. 6. FEATURES. The architectural features of the said Historic District that should be preserved are described and depicted in the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board's case report with appendix titled "Blackstone Court Historic District," adopted June 4, 1986, which is hereby incorporated herein and made a part hereof as though fully set forth. (Added by Ord. 464-87, App. 11/19/87) SEC. 7. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS FOR CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS. The procedures, requirements, controls and standards in Sections 1005 through 1006.8 of Article 10 of the City Planning Code shall apply to all applications for Certificates of Appropriateness in the Blackstone Court Historic District. In addition, the following provisions shall apply to all such applications; in the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the following provisions and Article 10, those procedures, requirements, controls and standards affording stricter protection to the Historic District shall prevail. (A) Character of the Historic District. The standards for review of all applications for Certificates of Appropriateness are as set forth in Section 1006.7 of Article 10. For purposes of review pursuant to said standards, the character of said Historic District shall mean the architectural features and historic street and lot lines, freestanding buildings, and low scale and intensity of development of the Blackstone Court Historic District. (B) Alterations to Contributory and Contributory/Altered Buildings. Alterations to Contributory and Contributory/Altered buildings shall be compatible with the architectural and historic fabric of the building. New construction shall be compatible with the character of the historic district defined in Section 7(A) above, including but not limited to materials, fenestration, scale, bulk, detailing and intensity of development. Alterations or new construction shall maintain and enhance existing visual access to the historic buildings in the district. (C) Landscaping. All applications for Certificates of Appropriateness for construction shall include landscaping plans for required yards, setbacks and areas counting toward usable open space requirements of Section 135 of the City Planning Code. All construction activities, such as but not limited to demolition, storage of construction materials, excavation, and application of concrete and other chemicals shall be conducted so as to minimize interference with gardens. (D) Street Furniture. Street furniture including but not limited to lighting fixtures, trash receptacles, and benches shall require a Certificate of Appropriateness. Such features shall complement the scale and character of the district. (E) Demolition. Demolition of Contributory and Contributory/Altered buildings shall be subject to the maximum controls allowed under Article 10 of the City Planning Code. A demolition permit shall not be issued until all other required permits for new construction have been approved, except in situations considered unsafe or dangerous pursuant to Section 1007 of Article 10 of the City Planning Code. No applications for a demolition permit shall be deemed complete until all building permits for the replacement structure have been approved. (F) Significance of Individual Buildings to the Historic District. The history of each parcel within the historic district is documented on the survey worksheets (Appendix A to the Blackstone Court Historic District Case Report). Each building is assigned a finding from the three following categories: (1) Contributory. This category identifies buildings which date from the historic district's period of significance and retain their historic integrity. These structures are of the highest importance in maintaining the character of the historic district. The maximum suspension period allowable under Article 10 shall be imposed on applications for demolition of Contributory buildings. (2) Contributory/Altered. This category identifies buildings which date from the historic district's period of significance but have had their historic integrity compromised by inappropriate alterations.