SEC. 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
The Board of Supervisors hereby finds that the area known and described in this ordinance as the Telegraph Hill 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. 442-86, App. 11/13/86)
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.
Pursuant to Section 1004 of the City Planning Code, Chapter II, Part II of the San Francisco Municipal Code, the Telegraph Hill Historic District is hereby designated as an Historic
District, this designation having been duly approved by Resolution No. 10786 of the City Planning Commission.
(Added by Ord. 442-86, App. 11/13/86)
SEC. 3. LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES.
The location and boundaries of the Telegraph Hill Historic District shall be as designated on the Telegraph Hill Historic District Map, the original of which is on file with the Clerk of the
Board of Supervisors under File 115-86-35, which Map is hereby incorporated herein as though fully set forth.
(Added by Ord. 442-86, App. 11/13/86)
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 Telegraph Hill 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. 442-86, App. 11/13/86)
SEC. 5. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE.
Telegraph Hill is one of the most famous hills in the world, as well-known as Sugar Loaf in Rio de Janeiro, and a visual landmark to sailors entering the Bay since its European discovery
by Capt. Juan Manuel de Ayala in the San Carlos on August 5, 1775. The second European to enter the Bay, Capt. George Vancouver in 1792, specifically mentioned the fine anchorage he
had between two promontories, one of which was Loma Alta, the original name for Telegraph Hill. Telegraph Hill is famous as "the hill that's been around the world" as great portions of it
were blasted out for ballast in sailing ships, "ultimately to be used to pave the streets of various exotic places" (Lotchin). The Hill's present configuration is the historical expression of the
ravages created by quarrying. The rock was used not only for ballast, but also to build Gold Rush era warehouses (in a combination of brick and stone known as rubble), to fill the Bay for
flatlands east of the Hill, and to build the seawall which stabilized San Francisco's waterfront. The last quarrying occurred as late as 1914.
The Historic District is a unique expression of the pattern of development which took place on the east slope of Telegraph Hill from 1850 to 1939. Topographical constraints shaped the
original settlement of the Hill. The difficulty of access on hillside and cliffs, and the proximity to the City's most active waterfront area first produced a community of waterfront workers
housed in "cloth lined" shacks and modest vernacular Gothic Revival houses. Intact groupings of these buildings remain within the District, and comprise the City's largest concentration of
pre-1870 structures. While other areas of the City experienced ongoing development through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Telegraph Hill remained isolated. Bypassed by
cablecar or streetcar lines and with vehicular access limited to Union Street, infill residential construction from 1870 - 1935 was limited to small-scale vernacular construction stylistically
comparable to the earliest development on the Hill. Due to the cliffside location, steps, wooden walkways and a hidden network of footpaths developed throughout the area. Street paving
of Montgomery and Alta in 1931 and Union and Calhoun in 1939 - 1940 improved general accessibility, and heralded new development in the area. Low property values facilitated real
estate development. Owners retained an array of architects who produced a collection of noteworthy and (then) innovative designs. Among these are Richard Neutra's International Style
Kahn House at 66 - 70 Calhoun Terrace (1939), and Irvine Goldstine's Art Moderne Malloch Apartment Building at 1360 Montgomery Street (1936). This change in style, scale and pattern
of development punctuates the district's period of significance.
The steep cliffs, a decisive factor in determining the historic development pattern of the area, are a highly significant aesthetically important component defining the setting of the District.
The abrupt changes in grade produce dramatic and unique vistas at points throughout the District. Unimproved street rights-of-way are valuable open spaces ranging in character from the
well-tended, renowned Grace Marchant and Valetta's Gardens on Filbert and Greenwich Streets, to the rock-face cliffs of Green and Calhoun Streets.
(Added by Ord. 442-86, App. 11/13/86)
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 "Telegraph Hill Historic District," adopted August 7, 1985, as amended by the City Planning Commission, which is hereby incorporated herein and made a part hereof as though fully
set forth.
(Added by Ord. 442-86, App. 11/13/86)
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 Telegraph Hill 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 open space of the Telegraph Hill Historic District referred to and
described in Section 6 of this ordinance.
(b) Height. Buildings should relate to the height of structures immediately adjacent and in the general area with the intent that the building should be contained within an envelope that
slopes upward or downward with the slope of the property.
(c) Alterations and New Construction. Alterations and new construction shall be compatible with the nearby contributory buildings within the Historic District, and shall conform to
the following provisions:
(1) Style. New construction in a contemporary idiom is encouraged, with specific regulation as follows:
(a) Bay windows and porticos are not characteristic of the District, and are discouraged.
(b) Porches and balconies are characteristic design features of the District, and are encouraged.
(c) Gable roof forms are encouraged.
(d) The mass of new buildings should relate to the topographical contour of the site, and be compatible with adjacent buildings.
(e) Horizontal rustic wood siding is the traditional building material in the District, and its use is encouraged over other surfacing materials, including wood shingles. Masonry
surfaces may be appropriate in subareas with a concentration of Art Moderne or International Style building.
(f) Fenestration should be proportionate and in scale with traditional patterns within the District. Wooden sash is encouraged over aluminum or other metal sash.
(g) Detailing should relate to the simple, straightforward traditional vernacular forms found in the District.
(2) Landscaping. All applications for Certificates of Appropriateness for construction shall include landscaping plans for required yards, setbacks and areas counting toward useable
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 to minimize interference with historic gardens in public rights-of-way and in historic gardens adjoining them. Fences shall
not obstruct views of private gardens abutting historic public rights-of-way.
(3) Access. Access for demolition and/or construction shall utilize existing paths, steps and walkways. The project sponsor shall replace in kind and value any landscaping features on
public space which may be damaged or destroyed by such activities.