Ordinance No. 0194-22

Ord. No. 0194-22

in effect

FILE NO. 220507 ORDINANCE NO. 194-22 [Planning Code - Landmark Designation - 200 Rhode Island Street (aka Takahashi Trading Company)] Ordinance amending the Planning Code to designate 200 Rhode Island Street (aka Takahashi Trading Company), Assessor's Parcel Block No. 3936, Lot No. 001, as a Landmark consistent with the standards set forth in Article 10 of the Planning Code; 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 Nei,,v Roman font. Deletions to Codes are in s.!rilrethrough italics Thnes l\'ew Roman/on!. 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) CEQA and Land Use Findings. (1) The Planning Department has determined that the Planning Code amendment proposed in this ordinance is subject to a Categorical Exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (California Public Resources Code Sections 21000 et seq., "CEQA") pursuant to Section 15308 of California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Sections 15000 et seq., the Guidelines for implementation of the statute for actions by regulatory agencies for protection of the environment (in this case, landmark designation). Said Supervisors Dorsey; Peskin, Preston BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Page 1 determination is on file with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors in File No. 220507 and is incorporated herein by reference. The Board of Supervisors affirms this determination. (2) Pursuant to Planning Code Section 302, the Board of Supervisors finds that the proposed landmark designation of 200 Rhode Island Street (Assessor's Parcel Block No. 3936, Lot No. 001 (aka Takahashi Trading Company) ("200 Rhode Island Street"), will serve the public necessity, convenience, and welfare for the reasons set forth in Historic Preservation Commission Resolution No. 1226, recommending approval of the proposed designation, which is incorporated herein by reference. (3) The Board of Supervisors finds that the proposed landmark designation of 200 Rhode Island Street is consistent with the General Plan and with Planning Code Section 101.1 (b) for the reasons set forth in Historic Preservation Commission Resolution No. 1226. (b) General Findings. (1) Pursuant to Charter Section 4.135, the Historic Preservation Commission has authority "to recommend approval, disapproval, or modification of landmark designations and historic district designations under the Planning Code to the Board of Supervisors." (2) The Landmark Designation Fact Sheet was prepared by Planning Department Preservation staff. All preparers meet the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualification Standards for historic preservation program staff, as set forth in Code of Federal Regulations Title 36, Part 61, Appendix A. The report was reviewed for accuracy and conformance with the purposes and standards of Article 10 of the Planning Code. (3) The Historic Preservation Commission, at its regular meeting of February 16, 2022, reviewed Planning Department staffs analysis of the historical significance of 200 Rhode Island Street set forth in the Landmark Designation Fact Sheet dated February 16, 2022. Supervisors Dorsey; Peskin, Preston BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Page 2 (4) On November 17, 2021, after holding a public hearing on the proposed initiation, the Historic Preservation Commission initiated the proposed landmark designation of 200 Rhode Island Street by Resolution No. 1213. Said resolution is on file with the Clerk of the Board in File No. 220507. (5) On February 16, 2022, after holding a public hearing on the proposed designation and having considered the specialized analyses prepared by Planning Department staff and the Landmark Designation Fact Sheet, the Historic Preservation Commission recommended designation of 200 Rhode Island Street as a landmark under Article 10 of the Planning Code by Resolution No. 1226. Said resolution is on file with the Clerk of the Board in File No. 220507. (6) The Board of Supervisors hereby finds that the 200 Rhode Island Street Street has a special character and special historical, architectural, and aesthetic interest and value, and that its designation as a Landmark will further the purposes of and conform to the standards set forth in Article 10 of the Planning Code. In doing so, the Board hereby incorporates by reference the findings of the Landmark Designation Fact Sheet. Section 2. Designation. Pursuant to Section 1004 of the Planning Code, 200 Rhode Island Street, Assessor's Block No. 3936, Lot No. 001 (aka Takahashi Trading Company), is hereby designated as a San Francisco Landmark consistent with the standards set forth in Section 1004. Appendix A to Article 10 of the Planning Code is hereby amended to include this property. Supervisors Dorsey; Peskin, Preston BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Page 3 Section 3. Required Data. (a) The description, location, and boundary of the Landmark site consists of the City parcel located at 200 Rhode Island Street (Takahashi Trading Company), Assessor's Block No. 3936, Lot No. 001, in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood. (b) The characteristics of the Landmark that justify its designation are described and shown in the Landmark Designation Fact Sheet and other supporting materials contained in Planning Department Record Docket No. 2021-007060DES. In brief, 200 Rhode Island Street is eligible for local designation as it is associated with events that have made a culturally and historically significant contribution to the broad patterns of San Francisco history and with persons significant to San Francisco history. Specifically, designation of 200 Rhode Island Street is proper given its association with Japanese American history and culture in San Francisco. Specifically, for over 50 years, circa 1965-2019, the venue served as the headquarters of the Takahashi Trading Company, which imported high-caliber home goods from Japan for Takahashi retail stores in the Bay Area and New York City. The Takahashi family acquired the property after their original Japantown shop was demolished due to a San Francisco Redevelopment Agency program; thus, the building has an association with the hardships faced by Japanese Americans who were forcibly displaced from Japantown due to redevelopment. The building also served as the headquarters of the Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation, which was established in 1986 to support the Japanese American community through cultural and educational projects. Furthermore, the original 1912 portion of the building is significant as an early distinctive project of famed San Francisco master architect Gustave Albert Lansburgh. The property lies within the Showplace Square Heavy Timber and Steel Frame Brick Warehouse and Factory District, which is eligible for the California Register of Historical Resources as San Francisco's most important concentration of large heavy timber and steel-frame American Commercial Style industrial buildings. Supervisors Dorsey; Peskin, Preston BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Page4 (c) The particular features that should be preserved, or replaced in-kind as determined necessary, are those generally shown in photographs and described in the Landmark Designation Fact Sheet, which can be found in Planning Department Record Docket No. 2021-007060DES, and which are incorporated in this designation by reference as though fully set forth. Specifically, all those physical and spatial features which define the historic character of the building should be preserved or replaced in-kind, including: (1) General (A) Integrated plan of the original building and subsequent additions. (2) 1912 Building (A) Heavy timber frame; (B) Five-story height; (C) (0) (E) Irregular plan conforming to the triangular parcel; Flat roof; Red brick cladding laid in English bond pattern; (F) Brick belt courses separating the first and second and fourth and fifth stories; (G) (H) Shallow pilasters with diamond-shaped wall anchor plates; Fenestration with alternating columns of window types; (I) Brick window surrounds with terra cotta keystones and springers; (J) Yellow brick window sills; (K) Yellow brickwork laid in a diamond-shaped pattern at the fifth story of the west fa9ade; and (L) "Takahashi" signage, including metal lettering and painted brick. (3) 1968 Concrete Tilt-Up Addition (A) Two-story height; Supervisors Dorsey; Peskin, Preston BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Page 5 (B) Irregular plan conforming to the triangular parcel; (C) Flat roof; (D) Boxy shape and massing; (E) Exposed aggregate concrete walls; (F) Shallow relief pilasters constructed of smooth concrete; (G) Narrow, metal-sash windows across both stories; (H) Overall austerity and lack of adornment; and (I) Painted "Takahashi" signage on the transom window on the east fa9ade and on a wood panel affixed to the north fa9ade. (4) 1976 Brick Addition (A) Three-story height; (B) Rectangular plan; (C) Flat roof; (D) Brick veneer cladding laid in running bond pattern; (E) Decorative brickwork cornice; (F) North facing concrete belt course with "Takahashi" signage separating the first and second stories; (G) Fenestration including segmental arched, industrial windows at the third story; and (H) Height and width of the area at first floor of the east fa9ade reflecting the historic location and dimensions of original loading dock. Section 4. Effective Date. This ordinance shall become effective 30 days after enactment. Enactment occurs when the Mayor signs the ordinance, the Mayor returns the ordinance unsigned or does not Supervisors Dorsey; Peskin, Preston BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Page 6 .. sign the ordinance within ten days of receiving it, or the Board of Supervisors overrides the Mayor's veto of the ordinance. APPROVED AS TO FORM: DAVID CHIU, City Attorney By: Isl Victoria Wong VICTORIA WONG Deputy City Attorney n:\legana\as2021 \1800206\01594440.docx Supervisors Dorsey; Peskin, Preston BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Page 7 City and County of San Francisco Tails Ordinance City Hall I Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place San Francisco, CA 94102-4689 File Number: 220507 Date Passed: September 13, 2022 Ordinance amending the Planning Code to designate 200 Rhode Island Street (aka Takahashi Trading Company), Assessor's Parcel Block No. 3936, Lot No. 001, as a Landmark consistent with the standards set forth in Article 10 of the Planning Code; 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. July 25, 2022 Land Use and Transportation Committee - RECOMMENDED September 06, 2022 Board of Supervisors - PASSED ON FIRST READING Ayes: 11 - Chan, Dorsey, Mandelman, Mar, Melgar, Peskin, Preston, Ronen, Safai, Stefani and Walton September 13, 2022 Board of Supervisors - Fl NALLY PASSED Ayes: 11 - Chan, Dorsey, Mandelman, Mar, Melgar, Peskin, Preston, Ronen, Safai, Stefani and Walton File No. 220507 London N. Breed Mayor City and County of San Francisco Pagel I hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance was FINALLY PASSED on 9/13/2022 by the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco. Angela Calvillo Clerk of the Board Date Approved Printed at 9:50 am on 9/14/22

References

amendsSec. 1015

Source: sf_ordinance_pdfURL: https://sfbos.archive.sf.gov/sites/default/files/o0194-22.pdfFetched: 7/4/2026