FILE NO. 180724
ORDINANCE NO. 257-18
[Planning Code - Mint-Mission Conservation District]
Ordinance amending the Planning Code to add a new Appendix K to Article 11,
Preservation of Buildings and Districts of Architectural, Historical, and Aesthetic
Importance in the C-3 (Downtown Commercial) Districts, to create the Mint-Mission
Conservation District, which includes certain properties in the area bounded by Fifth
Street, Stevenson Street, Minna Street, and Sixth Street, specifically Assessor's Parcel
BlockNo.3704, LotNos.003,010,012,013,015,017,018,019,020,021,022,024,028,
029, 034, 035, 059, 079, 113, and 144, and Assessor's Parcel Block No. 3725, Lot Nos.
087 and 088, and designates contributory and significant buildings within that District;
affirming the Planning Department's determination under the California Environmental
Quality Act; and making public necessity, convenience, and welfare findings under
Planning Code, Section 302, and findings of consistency with the General Plan, and the
eight priority policies of Planning Code, Section 101.1.
NOTE:
Unchanged Code text and uncodified text are in plain Arial font.
Additions to Codes are in single-underline italics Times New Roman (Ont.
Deletions to Codes are in strikethrough italics Times ,\ler1;1 Roman font.
Board amendment additions are in double-underlined Arial font.
Board amendment deletions are in strikethrough Arial font.
Asterisks (* * * *) indicate the omission of unchanged Code
subsections or parts of tables.
Be it ordained by the People of the City and County of San Francisco:
Section 1. Findings.
(a) Environmental Findings. The Planning Department has determined that the
proposed Planning Code amendment is subject to a Categorical Exemption from the
California Environmental Quality Act (California Public Resources Code section 21000 et seq.,
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"CEQA") pursuant to Section 15308 of the Guidelines for Implementation of the statute for
actions by regulatory agencies for protection of the environment (in this case, landmark
designation). Said determination is on file with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors in File
No. 180724 and is incorporated herein by reference. The Board of Supervisors affirms this
determination.
(b) On March 21, 2018, the Historic Preservation Commission, in Resolution No. 948,
adopted findings that the actions contemplated in this ordinance are consistent, on balance,
with the City's General Plan and eight priority policies of Planning Code Section 101.1. The
Board adopts these findings as its own. A copy of said Resolution is on file with the Clerk of
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the Board of Supervisors in File No. 180724, and is incorporated herein by reference.
(c) At that same public hearing, the Historic Preservation Commission, in Resolution
No. 948, recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve the Mint-Mission Conservation
District as set forth herein. A copy of said Resolution is on file with the Clerk of the Board of
Supervisors in File No. 180724 and is incorporated herein by reference.
(d) Pursuant to Planning Code, Section 302, the Board finds that the proposed
amendment to Article 11 will serve the public necessity, convenience and welfare for the
reasons set forth in the Historic Preservation Commission Resolution No. 948, which reasons
are incorporated herein by reference as though fully set forth. A copy of said Resolution is on
file with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors in File No. 180724.
(e) The Board of Supervisors hereby finds that the proposed Mint-Mission
Conservation District area is a Subarea within the C-3 District that possesses concentrations
of buildings that together create a subarea of architectural and environmental quality and
importance that contributes to the beauty and attractiveness of the City, and that its
designation as a Conservation District will further the purposes of and conform to the
standards set forth in Article 11 of the Planning Code.
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Section 2. Designation of Category I (Significant) Building in the Mint-Mission
Conservation District.
(a) The Board of Supervisors hereby finds that the following property is over 40 years
old, has been judged to be a Building of Individual Importance, and has been rated either
Excellent in Architectural Design or Very Good in both Architectural Design and Relationship
to the Environment. For these reasons, the Board finds that designating the following
property as Category I (Significant) will further the purposes of and conform to the standards
set forth in Article 11 of the San Francisco Planning Code.
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(b) Pursuant to Sections 1102 and 1106 of the Planning Code, the following property is
hereby designated Category I (Significant):
Address
44-48 Fifth Street
Assessor's Assessor's
Block No.
Lot No.
3704
Name of Building
Oakwood Hotel
( c) Appendix A of Article 11 of the Planning Code is hereby amended to include this
property.
(d) This property shall be subject to further controls and procedures pursuant to the
Planning Code and Article 11.
Section 3. Designation of Category IV (Contributory) Buildings in the Mint-Mission
Conservation District.
(a) The Board of Supervisors hereby finds that the following properties are over 40
years old, have been judged to be either a Building of Individual Importance or Contextual
Importance and have been rated either Very Good in Architectural Design or Excellent or Very
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Good in Relationship to the Environment. For these reasons, the Board finds that designating
the following properties Category IV (Contributory) will further the purposes of and conform to
the standards set forth in Article 11 of the San Francisco Planning Code.
(b) Pursuant to Sections 1102 and 1106 of the Planning Code, the following properties
are hereby designated Category IV (Contributory):
Address
431 Jessie Street
440-444 Jessie Street
471 Jessie Street
2-4 Mint Plaza
6-8 Mint Plaza
10 Mint Plaza
936-940 Mission Street
948 Mission Street
953-957 Mission Street
966 Mission Street
968 Mission Street
972-976 Mission Street
980-984 Mission Street
986 Mission Street/481
Jessie Street
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Assessor's Assessor's
Block No.
Lot No.
3704
3704
3704
3704
3704
3704
3704
3704
3725
3704
3704
3704
3704
3704
Name of Building
Wobbers Printing & Engraving
Hale Brothers warehouse & offices
Chronicle Hotel
Piedmont Hotel/Alkain Hotel
Ford Apartments/Mint Mall
Toledo Scale Co.
Dohrmann Hotel Supply Company
Brunswick-Balke-Callender Co.
Billiard Table Manufacturing
Hulse Bradford Carpets & Draperies
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1443 Stevenson Street
13704
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(c) Appendix D of Article 11 of the Planning Code is hereby amended to include these
properties.
(d) These properties shall be subject to further controls and procedures pursuant to
the Planning Code and Article 11.
Section 4. The Planning Code is hereby amended by revising Section 1103.1 to read
as follows:
SEC. 1103.1. CONSERVATION DISTRICT DESIGNATIONS.
The following Conservation Districts are hereby designated for the reasons indicated in
the appropriate Appendix:
(a) The Kearny-Market-Mason-Sutter Conservation District is hereby designated as
set forth in Appendix E.
(b) The New Montgomery-Mission-Second Street Conservation District is hereby
designated as set forth in Appendix F.
( c) The Commercial-Leidesdorff Conservation District is hereby designated as set
forth in Appendix G.
(d) The Front-California Conservation District is hereby designated as set forth in
Appendix H.
(e) The Kearny-Belden Conservation District is hereby designated as set forth in
Append ix I.
(f) The Pine-Sansome Conservation District is hereby designated as set forth in
Appendix J.
(g) The Mint-Mission Conservation District is hereby designated as set forth in Appendix K.
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Section 5. The Planning Code is hereby amended by adding Appendix K to Article 11,
to read as follows:
APPENDIX [(TO ARTICLE 11
MINT-MISSION CONSERVATION DISTRICT.
SEC. 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
It is hereby found that the area known and described in this Appendix as the Mint-Mission area
is a Subarea within the C-3 District that possesses concentrations of buildings that together create a
subarea of architectural and environmental quality and importance that contributes to the beauty and
attractiveness oft he City. It is further found that the area meets the standards for designation of a
Conservation District as set forth in Section 1103 of Article 11 and that the designation of said area as
a Conservation District will be in fitrtherance of and in conformance with the purposes of Article 11
ofthe Planning Code.
This designation is intended to promote the health, safety, prosperity, and welfare o[the people
of the City through the effectuation of the purposes set forth in Section 1101 of Article 11 and the
maintenance o[the scale and character ofthe Mint-Mission area bv:
(a) Protecting and preserving the basic characteristics and salient architectural details of
structures insofar as these characteristics and details are compatible with the Conservation District."
(b) Providing scope for the continuing vitality ofthe District through private renewal and
architectural creativity, within appropriate controls and standards,·
(c) Maintaining a separate identity from the adjacent Kearnv-Market-Mason-Sutter
Conservation District through the preservation ofthe District's small- to medium-scale industrial,
residential, and commercial buildings.
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.
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Pursuant to Section 1103.1 of Article 11 ofthe Planning Code, the Mint-Mission area is hereby
designated as a Conservation District.
SEC. 3. LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES.
The location and boundaries ofthe Mint-Mission Conservation District shall be as designated
on the Mint-Mission Conservation District Map, the original of which is on file with the Clerk ofthe
Board ofSupervisors under File No. 180724, which Map is hereby incorporated herein as though fitlly
set forth and a facsimile of which is reproduced herein below. The Mint-Mission Conservation District
encompasses Lot Nos. 003, 010, 012, 013, 015, 017, 018, 019, 020, 021, 022, 024, 028, 029, 034, 035,
059, 079, 113, and 144 of Assessor's Block No. 3704 and Lot Nos. 087 and 088 of Assessor's Block No.
3725.
SEC. 4. RELATION TO CITY PLANNING CODE.
(a) Article 11 oft he City Planning Code is the basic law governing preservation of buildings
and districts of architectural importance in the C-3 District oft he City and County of San Francisco.
This Appendix is subject to and in addition to the provisions thereof
(Q) Except as may be specifically provided to the contrary in this Code, nothing in this Appendix
shall supersede, impair or modify any City Planning Code provisions applicable to property in the
Mint-Mission Conservation District, including, but not limited to, regulations controlling uses, height,
bulk, coverage, floor area ratio, required open space, off-street parking, and signs.
SEC. 5. JUSTIFICATION.
The characteristics of the Conservation District justirying its designation are as follows:
(a) History o(the District. The Mint-Mission Conservation District is representative ofthe
post-1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire reconstruction period and the evolution of!and use
patterns at the northern edge o[the South of Market neighborhood dating to the mid-nineteenth
century. The District retains a mix of residential hotels, small scale commercial buildings, warehouses
and manufacturing facilities reflective ofthe area's role as the center ofindustrial production in San
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and manufacturing facilities reflective of the area's role as the center ofindustrial production in San
Francisco and the major supplier of mining equipment, heavy machinery and other goods to the
western states. Residential hotels provided housing for the largely single men employed by the nearby
factories and manufacturing operations and in seasonal or tempormy positions along the waterfront.
This land use pattern was replicated during the reconstruction of South of Market following the 1906
earthquake and fire. The District encompasses a cohesive concentration of reinforced concrete and
brick masonry buildings constructed between 1906 and 1930. The District is particularly notable as it
is a survivor of the extensive redevelopment of So Ma in the late twentieth century during which much of
the building stock from the period when the neighborhood served as the city's industrial and
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manufacturing center was razed.
{b) Basic Nature of the District. The District is characterized by small- to mid-scale industrial,
residential, and commercial buildings ranging in height from one to ten stories, with the predominate
height between two and five stories. Most buildings in the District are constructed on through-lots with
visible rear elevations. The District includes several warehouses and industrial lofts. three residential
hotels with commercial ground floors, and a former bank. Twenty-two properties are located in the
District, 19 of which are Category I-IV buildings.
(c) Architectural Character. The buildings are primarily constructed of reinforced concrete
and brick masonry and are largely industrial in style and feature Classical Revival detailing typical of
early 20th century commercial architecture in San Francisco. Ornament on residential and mixed-use
buildings consists of belt courses, arches, moldings and drip pendants, applied cast shields or swag,
and corniced rooflines often featuring brackets, modillions, and dentil moldings. The District's
buildings are largely clad in smooth finish stucco or brick, with a few structures clad with rusticated
stucco, terra cotta, and concrete.
(d) Uniqueness and Location. The District is comprised of one of the few intact concentrations
of residential hotels, small-scale commercial buildings, warehouses and manufacturing facilities
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remaining in the South of Market neighborhood. The District is reflective of the land use patterns
developed in SoMa in the late nineteenth century and continued following the 1906 earthquake and
fire. Twenty-two buildings are located in the District. Five of the buildings located within the District
were constructed between 1906-1907, one of which is a partial survivor of the 1906 earthquake and
fire. The District is unique in that most o(its buildings are constructed on through-lots with visible rear
elevations. The District is adjacent to the Kearny-Market-Mason-Sutter Conservation District and
borders the 6th Street Lodginghouse Historic District. The Old Mint, a National Historic Landmark, is
located across from the eastern border and pre-dates the period of significance oft he District. The
District is particularly noteworthy as it survived the mid-twentieth century redevelopment ofSoMa
during which much of the area's building stock dating to the period when the neighborhood served as
the city's manufacturing center was razed.
(e) Visual and Functional Unity. The District is a cohesive mix of small- to mid-scale
buildings with common architectural character and vocabulary.
CO Dynamic Continuity. The District is located at the intersection ofthe major large-scale
retail and commercial fimction of Market Street and the mix of small-business storefronts, residential
hotels and industrial buildings converted to office and residential use that characterize the South of
Market neighborhood.
Cg) Benefits to the City and its Residents. As the anchor to the district, the Old Mint is
surrounded by the mix of residential hotels, industrial, manutacturing and warehouse structures found
in the District. Mint-Mission is unique to San Francisco as it is one of the few remaining intact clusters
of buildings that reflect South of Market's nineteenth-century fimction as the city's industrial and
manufacturing center.
SEC. 6. FEATURES.
The exterior architectural features of the Mint-Mission Conservation District are as follows:
(a) Massing and Composition. Buildings in the District are rectangular in plan, with the
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exception of two L-shaped structures. Multi-story buildings feature multiple bays and two- or three-
part vertical compositions consisting of a base and shaft or a base, shaft and capital. The majority of
the buildings within the District occupy the entirety of their lots and are built to the front property line.
One and two st01y buildings largely feature flat roo{S with simple cornices. Projecting cornices with
modillions, scrolled brackets, shield motifs, egg and dart molding, and decorative low-relief panels are
found on several of the District's multi-story buildings.
(Q) Scale. The buildings are small- to medium-scale with heights ranging from one to ten
stories, with the predominate height between two and five stories. The majority of the buildings are
built on the entirety of their lots and are primarily 1500-9000 square feet in size, with the exception of
three buildings that are approximately 12, 000 square feet.
(c) Materials and Colors. Buildings in the District are primarily clad in terracotta, smooth
and polychrome brick, stone tiles and smooth or rusticated stucco or concrete. Masonry is the
predominate framing, but two buildings located in the district are steel frame. One is a brick masomy
structure and the other is reinforced concrete. Ornamentation materials are largely stucco, brick, terra
cotta tile, and wood. Wood is commonly used for window framing, millwork and ornamentation.
Materials and paint are generally light colors and light to medium earth tones.
(d) Detailing and Ornamentation. Ornament on the District's residential and mixed-use
buildings consists of belt courses, decorative millwork, brick corbelling, and projecting bracketed
cornices with dentil molding, applied cast shields and molding. Industrial buildings commonly feature
simple cornices, flat facades with little ornament, and punched window openings. These shared details,
along with the common height, scale, and materials found in the district create a cohesive grouping of
buildings.
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SEC. 7. STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FOR REVIEW OF NEW CONSTRUCTION
AND CERTAIN ALTERATIONS.
(a) All construction of new buildings and all ma;or alterations, which are subject to the
provisions o[Sections 1110, 1111 through 1111. 6, and 1113, shall be compatible with the District in
general with respect to the building's composition and massing, scale, materials and colors, and
detailing and ornamentation, including those features described in Section 6 of this Appendix.
Emphasis shall be placed on compatibility with those buildings in the area in which the new or altered
building is located. In the case of major alterations, only those building characteristics that are
affected by the proposed alteration shall be considered in assessing compatibility. Signs on buildings in
conservation districts are subject to the provisions o[Sectionl 111. 7.
The foregoing standards do not require, or even encourage, new buildings to imitate the styles
of the past. Rather, they require the new to be compatible with the old. The determination of
compatibility shall be made in accordance with the provisions o[Section 309.
(b) The guidelines in this Subsection are to be used in assessing compatibility.
(1) Composition and Massing. New construction should maintain the district's
essential character by relating to the prevailing height, mass, proportions, rhythm and composition of
existing Significant and Contributory Buildings. The height and massing of new buildings should not
alter the traditional scale of existing buildings, streets and open spaces. In addition to the
consideration of sunlight access for the street, an appropriate streetwall height is established by
reference to the prevailing height of the buildings on the block and especially that of adjacent
buildings. 