APPENDIX D TO ARTICLE 10 - NORTHEAST WATERFRONT HISTORIC DISTRICT

SEC. 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

The Board of Supervisors hereby finds that the area known and described in this ordinance as the Northeast Waterfront has 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 this area as an Historic District will further and conform to the purposes and standards of Article 10 of the City Planning Code, and that preservation on an area basis,

rather than on the basis of individual structures alone, is required in order to preserve the character of the Northeast Waterfront District.

This ordinance is intended to further the general purpose of historic preservation legislation as set forth in Section 101 of the City Planning Code through:

(a) The protection, enhancement, perpetuation and use of structures, sites and areas that are reminders of past eras, events and persons important in local, State or national history, or which provide significant examples of architectural styles of the past or are landmarks in the history of architecture, or which are unique and irreplaceable assets to the City and its neighborhoods, or which provide for this and future generations examples of the physical surroundings in which past generations lived;

• (b) The development and maintenance of appropriate settings and environment for such structures;

• (c) The enhancement of property values, the stabilization of areas of the City, the increase of economic and financial benefits for the City and its inhabitants, and the promotion of tourist trade;

(d) The preservation and encouragement of a city of varied architectural styles, reflecting the distinct phases of its architectural, cultural, economic, political and social history;

(e) The enrichment of human life in its educational and cultural dimensions; to serve spiritual and material needs by fostering knowledge of the past.

In addition, this ordinance is intended to maintain the scale and basic character of the Northeast Waterfront Historic District, through:

(a) Preservation of the basic characteristics and salient architectural details of structures within the Historic District;

(b) Affording the widest possible scope for continuing vitality through private renewal and architectural creativity, within appropriate controls and standards;

(c) Encouragement of the development of vacant and incompatibly developed properties in accordance with the character of the area.

(Added Ord. 171-83, App. 4/8/83)

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.

Pursuant to Section 1004 of the City Planning Code, Chapter II, Part II of the San Francisco Municipal Code, the Northeast Waterfront is hereby designated as an Historic District, this designation having been duly approved by Resolution No. 9517 of the City Planning Commission.

(Added Ord. 171-83, App. 4/8/83)

SEC. 3. LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES.

The location and boundaries of the Northeast Waterfront Historic District shall be as designated on the Northeast Waterfront Historic District Map, the original of which is on file with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors under File No. 90-82-15, which map is hereby incorporated as though fully set forth. (Added Ord. 171-83, App. 4/8/83)

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 the ordinance, nothing in this ordinance shall supersede, impair or modify any City Planning Code provisions applicable to property in the Northeast Waterfront Historic District,

including but not limited to existing and future regulations controlling uses, height, bulk coverage, floor area ratio, required open space, off-street parking and signs. (Added Ord. 171-83, App. 4/8/83)

SEC. 5. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE.

(a) History of the Area. The Northeast Waterfront District contains commercial warehouse buildings from nearly every decade of San Francisco's history. The area reflects the waterfront storage and maritime activities which, until recently, were an important aspect of San Francisco business history. These buildings range in age from the early clipper ship warehouses of Scotsman Daniel Gibb in the 1850's to the properties owned by the General Engineering and Drydock Co., a company crucial to the shipbuilding effort that made San Francisco Bay the major Pacific maritime support facility during World War II.

The original shoreline of Yerba Buena swept in a curve from Montgomery Street to roughly Jackson Street and on to the deeper waters slightly east of Battery. This point was known as Punta del Embarcadero. The cove itself fronting on the settlement was shallow and could be navigated only by small craft of shallow draft. The historic district boundary begins at what was the site of the first deep water landing in San Francisco at Clark's Point. The first vessel to moor at a wharf tied up at this site and discharged cargo in 1848. The first Pacific Mail steamer to arrive in San Francisco disembarked passengers in this area in 1848 and the unique clipper ships built expressly for San Francisco's Gold Rush trade docked in this area in large numbers.

ins at what was the site of the first deep water landing in San Francisco at Clark's Point. The first vessel to moor at a wharf tied up at this site and discharged cargo in 1848. The first Pacific Mail steamer to arrive in San Francisco disembarked passengers in this area in 1848 and the unique clipper ships built expressly for San Francisco's Gold Rush trade docked in this area in large numbers.

During the Gold Rush era, the boundaries of the area were extended eastward by landfill into the Bay in order to create new warehousing space. Large sections of Telegraph Hill were excavated for the fill. In the late 1880's a sea wall was built which settled the eastern boundaries of the area. The clipper ships of the Gold Rush era and paddlewheel steamers of the delta and river trade docked alongside its wharves discharging a multitude of cargo, much of which passed through local warehouses. In the 1880's and 1890's large numbers of iron-hulled square riggers were involved in hauling grain From California's Central Valley to European markets. The new transcontinental trains were loaded on barges from the other side of the Bay and were docked and discharged in this area. A number of ships are presumed to have been buried beneath the fill used to extend the district. A ship buried in 1851 as an extension of Frederick Griffing's wharf was recently unearthed during the excavation for Levi's Plaza on the northern boundary of the district.

Many distinguished San Francisco names and firms have been associated with the warehouses in the area: William T. Coleman head of the Vigilante Committee; George Howes, operator of clipper ships; Daniel Gibb, builder of the earliest warehouses in the area which were bought in 1861 by John Sanborn; Charles Minturn, steamboat tycoon; Isaac Friedman, the "Wheat King"; and Samuel Haslett, founder of a leading warehouse firm in the Bay Area. Pioneer firms such as American Bisquit Co., Cowell's Lime and Cement Co., W.P. Fuller Co., the Petri Italian-American Cigar Co., and the California Fruit Packing Co., have major extant structures in the area. After 1906 firms such as Bemis Bag Co., National Ice and Cold Storage, Cudahy Meat Packing, Armour and Co., Ciocca-Lombardi Wine Co., and the Italian-American Canning Co. located in the area. In the 1920's and 1930's the Sunset Press, Security Lithograph, and various typography and lithography operations were set up in the district, reflecting the increasing importance of this industry in San Francisco's economic development. In 1940 General Engineering and Drydock marshalled a number of buildings for ship repair and maintenance during World War II.

These warehouse facilities have been in continuous industrial use from the Gold Rush to the mid 1960's. Since that decade showrooms, office and retail uses have been integrated into renovated warehouse structures.

The area is architecturally significant as a representation of warehouse and industrial buildings from the brick structures of the Gold Rush era to the reinforced concrete buildings introduced after the turn of the century. Some of the present buildings date from well before the turn of the century, though they were rebuilt after the 1906 fire. Since warehouse architecture did not undergo profound stylistic changes until the introduction of reinforced concrete, the preand post-fire brick warehouses embody the original appearance and spirit of the early warehouse district. Of particular

note is the block bounded by Front, Battery, Union, and Green streets, the most cohesive extant brick warehouse complex from this era in the City. In addition, cobblestone paving and the standard and narrow gauge belt line railroad track which served the district are visible at the foot of Commerce Street. The area clearly serves as a visual reminder of San Francisco's earlier maritime-warehousing commerce.

(b) Basic Nature of the Area. The Historic District includes historically and architecturally significant buildings dating from the 1850's to the present century. The buildings vary in height from approximately six stories closest to the base of Telegraph Hill to a maximum of four stories at The Embarcadero and the Bay. The area was pre-dominantly oriented toward shipping, drayage and warehousing, and is now being converted to low rise office space. The addition of Levi's Plaza on the northern boundary offers a modern structure compatible with the district.

(c) Architectural Character. Common architectural features tie the area together and provide visual distinction. Two major building materials were used in the area; brick since the Gold Rush era and reinforced concrete after the 1906 fire. Common architectural elements are repeated throughout the District. Of particular note are the large bulk and minimal fenestration of the earlier warehouse structures. Other common features are scale and proportion, materials, color, texture, and the minimal use of decorative elements. Visual distinction is due in some cases to the original construction plus the carefully designed addition of upper stories as evidenced in the original two-story Cudahy Meat Packing building by Henry Gielfus (1907) with a two-story addition by Ward and Blohme (1918).

(d) Uniqueness and Location. The unique quality of the Northeast Waterfront Historic District stems from the fact that so many buildings from approximately 14 decades of San Francisco history are clustered within this nine-block area. Its distinct character is contrasted by Gateway Commons on the south and Levi's Plaza on the north. The district is close to the downtown high-rise core and the Jackson Square Historic District.

he unique quality of the Northeast Waterfront Historic District stems from the fact that so many buildings from approximately 14 decades of San Francisco history are clustered within this nine-block area. Its distinct character is contrasted by Gateway Commons on the south and Levi's Plaza on the north. The district is close to the downtown high-rise core and the Jackson Square Historic District.

(e) Visual and Functional Unity. The Historic District has an identifiable character and common architectural features. The primary unifying factors are scale and the texture of the buildings, as well as materials. In terms of function, there has been a continuous transition from the clipper ship services of the 1850's through the warehousing and shipping services of the early twentieth century, to the gradual transformation of warehouses into premium office space within walking distance of the downtown.

(f) Dynamic Continuity. The Northeast Waterfront District is an evolving commercial area. The area has proven its capacity for incremental adaption to new uses. Designation as an historic district is intended to complement the economic viability of the area.

(g) Benefits to the City and its Residents. Economically, the area in the past has housed specialized enterprises and is currently evolving into a satellite office district of the downtown core. Culturally, it provides a strong historical and educational resource and link with the past. Aesthetically, its architecture and visual appeal are immediate, while its value in terms of urban design within the City pattern as a whole is equally important.

(Added Ord. 171-83, App. 4/8/83)

SEC. 6. FEATURES.

(a) Overall Form and Continuity. Building height is generally within a six-story range, with the higher structures closer to the base of Telegraph Hill and lower buildings near the water. Many of the oldest structures are one or two stories in height.

(b) Scale and Proportion. The buildings are of typical warehouse design, large in bulk, often with large arches and openings originally designed for easy vehicular access. There is a regularity of overall form. The earlier brick structures blend easily with the scaled-down Beaux Arts forms of the turn of the century and the plain reinforced-concrete structures characteristic of twentieth century industrial architecture.

(c) Fenestration. Minimal glazing is deeply recessed, producing a strong shadow line. The earliest structures have few windows expressing their warehouse function. They are varied in size, rhythmically spaced, and relate in shape and

proportion to those in nearby buildings. Larger industrial sash windows began to be incorporated in structures built from the 1920's and onward. Door openings are often massive to facilitate easy access of bulk materials.

(d) Materials. Standard brick masonry is predominant for the oldest buildings in the District, with reinforced concrete introduced after the 1906 fire. Some of the brick facades have been stuccoed over. One of the structures still has its metal shutters, which were once typical of the area.

(e) Color. Red brick is typical, with some yellow and painted brick. Muted earth tones predominate in shades of red, brown, green, gray, and blue.

(f) Texture. Typical facing materials give a rough-textured appearance. The overall texture of the facades is roughgrained.

(g) Detail. Arches are common at the ground floor, and are frequently repeated on upper floors. Flattened arches for window treatment are typical. Cornices are simple and generally tend to be abstract versions of the more elaborate cornices found on downtown commercial structures from the nineteenth century. Most of the surfaces of the later

buildings are plain and simple, reflecting their function. Some of the earlier brickwork contains suggestions of pilasters, again highly abstracted. Where detail occurs, it is often found surrounding entryways.

(h) Age. All of the buildings in the area were either partially or totally destroyed by the earthquake and fire of 1906. As in the Jackson Square area, many were rebuilt along the lines of the previous design, often using materials salvaged from the construction site.

(Added Ord. 171-83, App. 4/8/83)

SEC. 7. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS FOR CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS.

The procedures, requirements, controls and standards in Sections 1006 through 1006.8 of Article 10 of the City Planning Code shall apply to all applications for Certificates of Appropriateness in the Northeast Waterfront 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 landmarks, landmark sites and the Historic District shall prevail.

(a) Character of the Historic District. The standards for review of all applications for Certificates of Appropriateness are set forth in Section 1006.7 of Article 10. For purposes of review pursuant to these standards, the character of the historic district shall mean the exterior architectural features of the Northeast Waterfront Historic District described in Section 6 of this ordinance.