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 San Francisco Civic Center 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, the procedures,
requirements, controls and standards affording stricter protection to the Historic District shall prevail, except for the provisions of Section 8 of this designation ordinance.
A Certificate of Appropriateness shall be required for all major alterations, as set forth below, to Contributory or Contributory/Altered buildings sites, structures or objects within the
Historic District. Within 10 days after the Central Permit Bureau refers any permit application to the Department, the Zoning Administrator and the Secretary to the Landmarks Preservation
Advisory Board shall determine in writing whether the proposed alteration is a major alteration or a minor alteration. The decision of the Zoning Administrator shall be final.
(a) An alteration is considered major if any of the following apply:
(1) The alteration will remove or cover an exterior architectural feature or a portion of an exceptionally significant interior as set forth in Section 10, or replace it with substitutes that
are inappropriate in material, scale, color or architectural style. This provision shall apply to exceptionally significant interior public spaces designated in Section 10 of said ordinance; or
(2) The alteration would affect all or any substantial part of a structure's interior or exterior column or load-bearing wall, exterior walls or exterior ornamentation; or
(3) The alteration results in a substantial addition of height above the height of the structure; or
(4) The cumulative impacts of serial permits may be determined to be a major alteration. An alteration, in combination with other alterations authorized within the preceding five years,
shall be deemed a major alteration if the cumulative impact of said alterations may be considered a major alteration as described above.
(b) An alteration is considered minor if the criteria set forth in Subsection (a) do not apply or the work consists of ordinary repair and maintenance.
(c) The Department of City Planning in consultation with the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board, may promulgate Rules and Regulations to distinguish major alterations from
minor alterations for this Historic District consistent with this Section 7.
(d) Permit applications determined to be for minor alterations shall be returned, with that determination noted, to the Central Permit Bureau for further processing; provided, however,
that the Zoning Administrator may take any other otherwise authorized action with respect to the application.
(Added by Ord. 413-94, App. 12/23/94)
SEC. 8. APPEALS FROM THE LANDMARKS PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD AND CITY PLANNING COMMISSION DECISIONS ON CERTIFICATES OF
APPROPRIATENESS.
(a) Certificate of Appropriateness decisions of the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board may be appealed to the City Planning Commission pursuant to the provisions of Planning
Code Section 1006.8. Nothing in this ordinance shall supersede, impair or modify provisions of the City Charter or laws governing the State of California and the United States of America.
All governmental bodies shall work cooperatively with the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board on proposed exterior and interior changes to ensure that the alteration of buildings
within this Historic District comply with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, Revised 1990 (and subsequent revisions).
(b) This ordinance designating the Civic Center Historic District shall in no way diminish the powers, rights and duties vested in the Art Commission, the War Memorial Board of
Trustees, the Library or the Asian Art Museum. It is the intent of the Board of Supervisors, however, to retain its authority, and the authority of the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board
and the Planning Commission, over historic preservation decisions in the Civic Center Historic District in order to ensure the appropriate treatment of the historical elements of this historic
district.
(c) The entities referenced in Subsection 8(b) above shall consult with the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board on any proposed interior alterations to the publicly accessible spaces
of their buildings, regardless of whether a Certificate of Appropriateness is required by this ordinance or by Article 10.
(Added by Ord. 413-94, App. 12/23/94)
SEC. 9. STANDARDS FOR REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS.
(a) The standards for review of all applications for Certificates of Appropriateness are as set forth in Section 1006.7 of Article 10 and are as follows:
(b) For applications pertaining to sites, buildings, structures and objects in the Civic Center Historic District, any alteration, construction, relocation or demolition, shall comply with the
standards contained in Section 1017(c), and shall (1) be compatible with respect to height, massing, fenestration, materials, color, texture, detail, style, scale and proportion, signage,
landscaping and street furniture which may define the character of the historic district as described in Section 5 of this designating ordinance and in the Civic Center Urban Design
Guidelines adopted by the City Planning Commission; and (2) preserve, enhance or restore, and not damage or destroy, the exterior architectural appearance of the subject site, building,
structure and object which is compatible with the character of the Historic District.
(1) Notwithstanding the foregoing, any exterior change to a site, building, structure and object which is not already compatible with the character of the Historic District shall bring the
site, building, structure and object closer to compatibility. Where the required compatibility exists, the application for a Certificate of Appropriateness shall be approved.
(2) Except as provided in Planning Code Subsection 1017(d), no application for a demolition permit in a Historic District may be approved until a Certificate of Appropriateness for
the replacement structure has been approved by the Landmarks Board.
(c) Alterations to Contributory and Contributory/Altered buildings shall be compatible with the architectural and historic character of this Historic District. New construction shall be
compatible with the character of the Historic District as described in the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board San Francisco Civic Center Historic District Case Report and its
Appendix A and with the Civic Center Urban Design Guidelines adopted by the City Planning Commission. Said Case Report was adopted by the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board
at its Regular Meeting of October 6, 1993 by Resolution No. 454 and was adopted and amended by the City Planning Commission at its Regular Meeting of July 7, 1994 by Resolution No.
13719 and is contained in Board of Supervisors File No. 115-94-10.
(d) Treatment of Stone Surfaces. Numerous structures in the Historic District exhibit stone, terra cotta, or brick exterior surfacing. Proposed treatment of said masonry surfaces with any
acid wash, sandblasting, high pressure wash or other abrasive methods is discouraged as such abrasive treatments can severely damage historic masonry surfaces.
(Added by Ord. 413-94, App. 12/23/94)
SEC. 10. CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS APPLICABILITY FOR ALTERATIONS TO EXCEPTIONALLY SIGNIFICANT INTERIOR PUBLIC SPACES.
Pursuant to Section 1004(c)(1) of the City Planning Code, proposed alterations to exceptionally significant interiors of the following publicly owned buildings shall require a Certificate of
Appropriateness:
(a) San Francisco City Hall, 400 Van Ness Avenue (City Landmark No. 21 and a Contributory Building to the Historic District) shall comply with Sections 1006 and 1006.8(e) for any
construction or alteration which requires a building permit for the following exceptionally significant interior public spaces which shall be designated and shall include: the Board of
Supervisor's Chambers (Room C200); the Rotunda; and the Mayor's Office (Rooms D200, D205 and D209) including the Reception Room, inner corridors and offices and the Chief
Administrator's Officers (C.A.O.'s) Offices (Room 289) which were previously designated under Ordinance No. 16-70, effective date, March 13, 1970.
(b) The Main Library, 200 Larkin Street, a Contributory Building to the Historic District. The following exceptionally significant interior public spaces shall be designated: the
Monumental Grand Staircase (Room S101), the Main Entrance Hall and Vestibule, (Rooms 101 and 191); the Monumental Public Corridors and Balcony Spaces including the Gottardo
Piazzoni Murals in Public Corridor 290 (Rooms 190, 192, 193, 290 and 291A); and the Main Program Spaces (Rooms 200, 201, 202, 203, 210 and 218).
(c) The Public Health Department, 101 Grove Street, a Contributory Building to the Historic District. The following exceptionally significant interior public spaces shall be designated:
the Main Entry and Elevator Lobby; the Marble Lined Corridors (All Floors) and the Third Floor Board Meeting Room/Auditorium.
(d) No other sites, buildings, structures and objects have exceptionally significant interior public spaces and would be subject to this Section.
(Added by Ord. 413-94, App. 12/23/94)
SEC. 11. SIGNIFICANCE OF INDIVIDUAL BUILDINGS TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
The history of each parcel within the Historic District is documented in Appendix A: Survey of Parcels, and is included in the San Francisco Civic Center Historic District Case Report as
readopted by the Landmarks Board on October 6, 1993 by Resolution No. 454 and as amended and readopted by the City Planning Commission on July 7, 1994 by Resolution No. 13719
and is located in Board of Supervisors File No. 115-94-10.
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 (1906 to 1936) which reflect a Beaux Arts style and which retain their
historic and architectural integrity. These structures are of the highest importance in maintaining the character of the Historic District. Recognizing the unique character of this Historic
District which is derived from its expression of an historic plan, some structures within the Historic District may date from the Historic District's period of significance but do not contribute
to the intended original plan in their architecture, detailing, height or scale. Such buildings are designated noncontributory and may be considered for replacement with structures designed
in a monumental style and manner which would complete the San Francisco Civic Center Plan as originally conceived.
The following buildings are deemed Contributory to the Historic District: Newton Tharp Commercial High School, 170 Fell Street, Lot 1 within Assessor's Block 815; (a portion of
Landmark No. 140), Federal Building, 50 Fulton Street, (50 United Nations Plaza) Lot 35 within Assessor's Block 351; Exposition Auditorium, 99 Grove Street, Assessor's Block 812;
Department of Public Health, 101 Grove Street/50 Ivy/Lech Walesa Street, Lot 1 in Assessor's Block 811; San Francisco Public Library, 200 Larkin Street, Lot 1 in Assessor's Block 353;
Orpheum Theater Building, 1182 - 92 Market Street, Lot 22 in Assessor's Block 351; 1212 Market Street, Lot 3 in Assessor's Block 355; 1240 - 1242 Market Street, Lot 6 in Assessor's
Block 355; Hotel Avalon, 1272 - 1276 Market Street, Lot 9 in Assessor's Block 355; 1278 - 1298 Market Street, Lot 10 in Assessor's Block 355; Methodist Book Concern, 83 McAllister
Street, Lot 32 in Assessor's Block 351; Old State Office Building, 50 McAllister Street, Lot 2 in Assessor's Block 765; Barbara Apartments, 580 McAllister Street, Lot 8 in Assessor's Block
767; 1 United Nations Plaza (35 - 57 Fulton Street); Lot 37 in Assessor's Block 351; the High School of Commerce, 135 Van Ness Avenue, (a portion of Landmark No. 140), Lot 1 in
Assessor's Block 815; War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Avenue (a portion of Landmark No. 84), Lot 1 in Assessor's Block 786; San Francisco City Hall, 400 Van Ness Avenue
(Landmark No. 21), Lot 1 in Assessor's Block 787; War Memorial Veteran's Building, 401 Van Ness Avenue (a portion of Landmark No. 84), Lot 1 in Assessor's Block 786; and, the
Corinthian Court Apartments, 500 - 524 Van Ness Avenue, Lot 6 in Assessor's Block 766.