APPENDIX N TO ARTICLE 10 - DUBOCE PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT

SEC. 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

The Board of Supervisors hereby finds that the area known and described in this ordinance as the Duboce Park 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 Planning Code and the standards set forth therein, and that preservation as a district rather than as 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 Planning Code, to promote the health, safety and general welfare of the public. (Added by Ord. 107-13 , File No. 130070, App. 6/13/2013, Eff. 7/13/2013)

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.

Pursuant to Section 1004 of the Planning Code, the Duboce Park Historic District is hereby designated as an Article 10 Historic District, this designation having been duly approved by Resolution No. 699 of the Historic Preservation Commission and Resolution No. 18781 of the Planning Commission which Resolutions are on file with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors under File No. 130070 and which Resolutions are incorporated herein and made part hereof as though fully set forth.

(Added by Ord. 107-13 , File No. 130070, App. 6/13/2013, Eff. 7/13/2013)

SEC. 3. LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES.

The location and boundaries of the Duboce Park Historic District are: the west side of Steiner Street, the south side of Waller Street, the rear property line o lots adjacent to Duboce Park, and the three interior block park entrances at Carmelita, Pierce, and Potomac Streets (with a 10-foot buffer at each set of steps and retaining walls). In addition to the interior block entrances, the historic district encompasses all lots contained within Assessor's Block 0863, 0864, 0865, and 0866 and shall be as designated on the Duboce Park Historic District Map, the original of which is on file with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors under File No. 130070, which Map is hereby incorporated herein as though fully set forth. (Added by Ord. 107-13 , File No. 130070, App. 6/13/2013, Eff. 7/13/2013)

SEC. 4. RELATION TO PLANNING CODE AND THE PROVISIONS OF THE CHARTER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO.

(a) Article 10 of the 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 Planning Code provisions applicable to property in the Duboce Park 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. 107-13 , File No. 130070, App. 6/13/2013, Eff. 7/13/2013)

SEC. 5. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE.

The Duboce Park Historic District is a three-block residential enclave in the Duboce Triangle neighborhood that is immediately adjacent to and shares a common development history with Duboce Park, a small civic park. The district is comprised of 87 residential buildings and the stone steps and Serpentine rock retaining walls at the three interior block park entrances: Carmelita, Pierce, and Potomac Streets. The district is significant for its unusual development history and architectural expression, as described below.

y adjacent to and shares a common development history with Duboce Park, a small civic park. The district is comprised of 87 residential buildings and the stone steps and Serpentine rock retaining walls at the three interior block park entrances: Carmelita, Pierce, and Potomac Streets. The district is significant for its unusual development history and architectural expression, as described below.

The Duboce Park Historic District is significant for the unusual development history of the contested tract of land upon which it was built and the way in which the contested nature of the tract impacted the district's physical appearance and connection to the adjacent park. The tract (formerly known as the Public Reservation, Hospital Lot, and Marion Tract) was subject to a decades-long series of court battles over legal ownership, with the City of San Francisco losing half of its claim to the land to the German Savings and Loan Association in the late 1890s. After acquiring title to half of the tract, the bank subdivided the land, carved out interior block streets, and sold lots to builders who developed the residential portion of the tract. The lots sold quickly and a handful of builders immediately began developing the parcels. Due to the delay in development caused by the litigation, construction dates for the vast majority of contributing resources within the district range from 1899 to approximately 1902. This short period of development and limited number of builders resulted in a remarkably uniform streetscape of Victorian- and Edwardian-era houses and flats of similar design and proportion. The contested nature of the tract, its history as a debris dump, and neighborhood activism and development of the adjacent civic park are key themes linked to the Duboce Park Historic District. One important visible manifestation of this interrelated history is found at the park's northern border – specifically the lack of separation between the park and residential buildings. The district represents the best example of San Francisco's handful of municipal parks that directly abut residential buildings, without any separation of a street or sidewalk. In addition, the historic stone steps and rock retaining walls at the three interior block park entrances – Carmelita, Pierce, and Potomac Streets – reflect the transformation of the City-owned portion of the contested tract from a dumping ground for Serpentine rock rubble to a picturesque, landscaped civic park. Serpentine rock rubble is also found in the foundations of many district buildings. The Duboce Park Historic District is also significant for its architectural expression as a remarkably intact grouping of Victorian- and Edwardian-era residential buildings. The district expresses the distinctive characteristics of late Victorian-

and Edwardian-era architectural styles, with the Queen Anne style widely represented. Although the district displays a remarkable variety of ornament, unifying design features include asymmetrical and articulated façades, steep roof pitches, the use of multiple textures and wood cladding, and front yard setbacks.

Many of the Queen Anne cottages and flats were developed by Fernando Nelson, a master builder known for his exuberant ornamentation and elaborately applied millwork. Nelson designed and built approximately one half of the district properties, including nearly all of the residences on Carmelita and Pierce Streets. The district represents one of the earliest developments in his 77-year career and is an excellent representation of his effusive interpretation of the Queen Anne style. District features characteristic of Nelson's Victorian-era period include button boards, drips, and donuts; blocky geometric cut-outs above the entry porch; two-sided bay windows; half-circle rows of dentils located in gable ends; and a wavy, stylized quarter-sunburst detailed at the arched entry.

The turn-of-the-century development of buildings within the district often resulted in a rare fusion of Edwardian-era massing with exuberant Victorian-era detailing. It is common in the district for Edwardian-era flats to feature unusually ornamented spandrel panels and decorative friezes and several are capped with the gable roof form more commonly associated with Queen Anne style buildings.

The period of significance for the Duboce Park Historic District dates from 1899 to 1911, inclusive of the known period of construction of all buildings within the district. Additional historic information may be found in the Duboce Park Historic District Designation Report, which is hereby incorporated herein as though fully set forth. This document is on file at the Planning Department under Case No. 2011.0683L.

(Added by Ord. 107-13 , File No. 130070, App. 6/13/2013, Eff. 7/13/2013)