APPENDIX G TO ARTICLE 11

COMMERCIAL-LEIDESDORFF CONSERVATION DISTRICT

SEC. 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

It is hereby found that the area known and described in this Appendix as the Commercial-Leidesdorff area is a Subarea within the C-3 District that possesses concentrations of buildings that together create a Subarea of architectural quality and importance which contributes to the beauty and attractiveness of the City. It is further found that the area meets the standards for designation of a Conservation District as set forth in Section 1103 of Article 11 and that the designation of said area as a Conservation District will be in furtherance of and in conformance with the purposes of Article 11 of the City Planning Code.

This designation is intended to promote the health, safety, prosperity and welfare of the people of the City through the effectuation of the purposes set forth in Section 1101 of Article 11 and the maintenance of the scale and character of the Commercial-Leidesdorff area by:

(a) The protection and preservation of the basic characteristics and salient architectural details of structures insofar as these characteristics and details are compatible with the Conservation District;

(b) Providing scope for the continuing vitality of the District through private renewal and architectural creativity, within appropriate controls and standards. It is intended to foster a climate in which the Commercial-Leidesdorff area may continue to exist as an important part of the City's commercial base, providing a quiet contrast to the bustle of the rest of the Financial District; and

(c) Encouragement of the continued intensive use of the District by financial district workers during the noon hours. (Added Ord. 414-85, App. 9/17/85)

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.

Pursuant to Section 1103.1 of Article 11, of the City Planning Code (Part II, Chapter XI of the San Francisco Municipal Code), the Commercial-Leidesdorff area is hereby designated as a Conservation District.

(Added Ord. 414-85, App. 9/17/85)

SEC. 3. LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES.

The location and boundaries of the Commercial-Leidesdorff District shall be as designated on the CommercialLeidesdorff Conservation District Map, the original of which is on file with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors under File No. 223-84-4, which Map is hereby incorporated herein as though fully set forth, and a facsimile of which is reproduced hereinbelow.

(Added Ord. 414-85, App. 9/17/85)

SEC. 4. RELATION TO CITY PLANNING CODE.

(a) Article 11 of the City Planning Code is the basic law governing preservation of buildings and districts of architectural importance in the C-3 District of the City and County of San Francisco. This Appendix is subject to and in addition to the provisions thereof.

(b) Except as may be specifically provided to the contrary in this Code, nothing in this Appendix shall supersede, impair or modify any City Planning Code provisions applicable to property in the Commercial-Leidesdorff Conservation District, including, but not limited to, regulations controlling uses, height, bulk, coverage, floor area ratio, required open space, off-street parking, and signs.

(Added Ord. 414-85, App. 9/17/85)

SEC. 5. JUSTIFICATION.

The characteristics of the Conservation District justifying its designation are as follows:

(a) History of the District. In the 1840's, Montgomery Street (where Captain Jack Montgomery landed) was the wharfside street of the new City. During the Gold Rush a few years later, the new street running parallel with the extended shoreline was named after William Alexander Leidesdorff, the owner of a warehouse at the water's edge. Commercial Street, originally one block between Kearny and Montgomery Streets, grew to the east as land was filled around the Long Wharf.

The first relocation of financial offices in the downtown happened when banks moved their offices, which had been at Portsmouth Square, to the intersection of Montgomery and Commercial Streets. Since that time, Montgomery Street has been the financial center for San Francisco. While financial uses gradually moved south on Montgomery Street towards Market Street in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, by the 1920's, the banking center was reestablished in the vicinity of Montgomery and California Streets.

The completion of the Pacific Gas and Electric Substation at the corner of Sacramento and Leidesdorff Street in 1923, largely completed the redevelopment of the Commercial-Leidesdorff District. Buildings along Montgomery Street such as the Bank of Italy Building and the former Bank of Canton Building retained the scale of the pre-fire city. A classical design was used for these banking temples in order to impress the public with the soundness and stability of the bank. The Bank of America (then known as the Bank of Italy) had its headquarters located in the District for many years.

While Montgomery Street has historically been the preferred address for major banks and offices, Commercial and Leidesdorff Streets contained a wide variety of uses which found it convenient to be located near the office district. In the 19th century, Leidesdorff Street connected the A. Paladini Fish Market on Clay Street with the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce on Pine. In the 1920's, these streets boasted several printers and binderies, a cigar factory (554 Commercial), photoengravers, a chemical storage warehouse as well as a paints, oils and varnish business.

(b) Basic Nature of the District. The special character of this block is created by the intersection of Commercial and Leidesdorff Streets, dividing the block into quadrants. The northeast quadrant of the block has been developed by a

highrise of insensitive scale and design and was therefore excluded from this District. The remaining three quadrants of the Conservation District remain intact. The small size of the parcels determines narrow width of the buildings.

Focusing on the intersection of the two alleys, the District is a quiet area contrasting with the intensity of the Financial District. Because of the small scale, presence of sunshine, and variety of restaurants, this area is extremely popular at lunchtime.

(c) Architectural Character. The character of the area is established by a number of buildings of outstanding merit serving as anchors for the District. The contributory buildings are of relatively high quality and are unusually supportive of the District's character. A wide variety of styles exists in the small district, including Classical banking temples, three Pacific Gas and Electric substations with Romanesque and Classical ornament, and one of the more unique Gothicornamented structures in the downtown. This collection of styles creates rich visual interest within a concentrated pedestrian environment.

(d) Uniqueness and Location. The area is located on the northern edge of the Financial District and is separated from the Jackson Square Historic District by the Transamerica Pyramid. The District is readily accessible from Chinatown, North Beach and Telegraph Hill, as well as the downtown adjacent development. There are no inappropriate modern structures located within its boundaries. Alterations to the ground story have generally been sympathetic to both the character of the district and the buildings themselves.

(e) Visual and Functional Unity. The character of the area is one of a common small scale and intimacy created by its intersecting alleys, small lots, masonry structures and buildings with classically derived ornament. Commercial Street links the area to surrounding older development, with views down Commercial Street to the Ferry Building tower in one direction, and to Chinatown in the other direction. The narrowness of the alley and small scale of its buildings makes the district attractive to pedestrians.

(f) Dynamic Continuity. The District is a center for restaurants catering to a lunch and after-work clientele. In addition to its entertainment functions, banking, office, retail and industrial uses insure a healthy and productive mix of activities throughout the day.

(g) Benefits to the City and its Residents. The District provides a variety of older buildings incorporating space for commercial uses. The area serves as an architectural resource for its concentration of early 20th Century architecture. (Added Ord. 414-85, App. 9/17/85)

SEC. 6. FEATURES.

The exterior architectural features of the Commercial-Leidesdorff District are as follows:

(a) Massing and Composition. For the most part, the buildings are two- or three-part vertical compositions consisting either of a base and a shaft, or a base, a shaft and a capital. The District has a number of low, one-part buildings. These are banking temples and the Pacific, Gas and Electric substations. Some of the smaller buildings use central entryways to create a symmetrical composition. These designs relate well to their context, largely because the narrow streets do not demand a high building or one with multiple parts to maintain a street enclosure.

In addition, buildings are often divided into bays expressing the structure. This was accomplished through fenestration, structural articulation or other detailing which serves to break the facade into discrete segments. A common compositional device in the district is an emphasis placed upon either the end bays or the central bay, creating a varied facade.

Lots are narrow and shallow, typically 20 feet X 60 feet, encouraging a predominant building form of from one to four stories. Buildings up to eight stories on Montgomery Street reflect its function as a prime financial office address. Almost without exception, the buildings in the Commercial-Leidesdorff Conservation District are built to the front property line and occupy the entire site. A number of buildings have "L"-shaped massing or through-block lots with frontages on two streets. This reflects the high land values of this District at the time of construction, and the function of the alleys for building service access.

(b) Scale. The buildings are of small scale, created by elaborate detailing and low height. A major influence on scale is the degree to which the total facade plane is broken into smaller parts. Window and door openings are relatively small, creating large wall areas, which are frequently heavily ornamented. The bay width is generally from 15 feet to 20 feet. The narrow spacing between the vertical elements creates a regular rhythm. As noted above, the wider frontages are often broken up by articulation of the facade, making the buildings appear narrower. Heights generally range from one to four stories on lots 20 feet to 30 feet wide, although a few taller and wider buildings exist. The base is generally delineated from the rest of the building, giving the District an intimate scale at the street. The alleys are only 30 feet to 36 feet wide, creating an intimate scale. Sacramento Street, the narrowest major street in the downtown at 49 feet, also enhances this small scale.

(c) Materials and Colors. Buildings are either clad in masonry over a supporting structure, or are constructed of masonry with load-bearing walls. The cladding materials include brick, terra cotta, stucco, and stone. The buildings fronting on the alleys use materials with rough surface treatments, reflecting the buildings' utilitarian nature. Wood, metal, and metal panels are not commonly used facade materials in the District, although painted wood and metal are sometimes used for window sash and ornament.

f masonry with load-bearing walls. The cladding materials include brick, terra cotta, stucco, and stone. The buildings fronting on the alleys use materials with rough surface treatments, reflecting the buildings' utilitarian nature. Wood, metal, and metal panels are not commonly used facade materials in the District, although painted wood and metal are sometimes used for window sash and ornament.

The materials are generally colored of light or medium earth tones, including cream, buff, yellow, grey, and brown. Individual buildings generally use a few different tones of one color, highlighting the ornament. Dark or intense colors are not commonly used.

(d) Detailing and Ornamentation. The buildings are not constructed in a single style, but with ornament drawn from a variety of historical sources, primarily classical sources. Arcades and arched entryways are common elements in the buildings. Popular details include arches, columns, pilasters, projecting bracketed cornices, multiple belt-courses, elaborate lintels, and pediments. Details were used to relate buildings to their neighbors by repeating and varying the ornament used in the surrounding structures.

(Added Ord. 414-85, App. 9/17/85)

SEC. 7. STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FOR REVIEW OF NEW CONSTRUCTION AND CERTAIN ALTERATIONS.

(a) Standards. All construction of new buildings and all major alterations, which are subject to the provisions of Sections 1110, 1111 through 1111.6 and 1113, shall be compatible with the District in general with respect to the building's composition and massing, scale, materials and colors, and detailing and ornamentation, including those features described in Section 6 of this Appendix. Emphasis shall be placed on compatibility with those buildings in the area in which the new or altered building is located. In the case of major alterations, only those building characteristics that are affected by the proposed alteration shall be considered in assessing compatibility. Signs on the buildings in Conservation Districts are subject to the provisions of Section 1111.7.

The foregoing standards do not require, or even encourage, new buildings to imitate the styles of the past. Rather, they require the new to be compatible with the old. The determination of compatibility shall be made in accordance with the provisions of Section 309.

(b) Guidelines. The guidelines in this subsection are to be used in assessing compatibility.

(1) Composition and Massing. New construction should maintain the character of the District by relating to the prevailing height, mass, proportions, rhythm and composition of existing historic buildings.

The height and massing of new buildings should not alter the traditional scale of existing buildings, streets and open spaces. On the interior of the block, the existing streetwall height should be maintained. An appropriate streetwall height is established by reference to the prevailing building height on the block and especially that of adjacent buildings. If the adjacent buildings are of a significantly different height than the rest of the buildings on the block, then the prevailing height of buildings on the block should be used as a guide. A setback at the streetwall height can permit additional height above the setback without breaking the continuity of the street wall. On blockfronts where the street wall is less welldefined, greater latitude in height may be allowed.

Most existing buildings are built to the property or street line. This pattern should not be broken since it could damage the continuity of building rhythms and the definition of streets.

The standard proportions of new buildings should be established by the prevailing streetwall height and width of lots. Lot assembly should be discouraged to maintain the existing lot pattern and building proportions. In cases where lot assembly does occur, it is necessary to break up the facades of new buildings into discrete elements that relate to prevailing building proportions. The use of smaller bays is a way in which to relate the proportions of a new building with those of historic buildings.

The design of a new structure should repeat the prevailing pattern of two- and three-part vertical compositions, although low buildings could use a one-part vertical division. A base element is necessary to define the pedestrian environment. Alterations to existing structures should maintain the existing vertical and horizontal divisions, and should respect the original ground story enframement. Cornices and belt courses should not be removed or altered.

(2) Scale. The existing scale of the immediate area and the Conservation District should be maintained. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, including: a consistent use of size and complexity of detailing in regards to surrounding buildings, continuance of existing bay widths, maintenance of an existing streetwall height, and incorporation of a base element (of similar height to existing bases) to maintain the pedestrian environment. Large wall surfaces, which increase a building's scale, should be broken up through the use of detailing and textural variation to reduce the scale.

Existing fenestration (windows, entrances) rhythms and proportions which have been established by lot width or bay width should be repeated in new structures. The spacing and size of window openings should follow the sequence set by historic structures. Large glass areas should be broken up by mullions so that the scale of glazed areas is compatible with that of neighboring buildings. Casement and double-hung windows should be used where possible.

nd proportions which have been established by lot width or bay width should be repeated in new structures. The spacing and size of window openings should follow the sequence set by historic structures. Large glass areas should be broken up by mullions so that the scale of glazed areas is compatible with that of neighboring buildings. Casement and double-hung windows should be used where possible.

(3) Materials and Colors. The use of like materials can relate two buildings of obviously different eras and styles. Similarly, the use of materials that appear similar (such as substituting concrete for terra cotta) can link two disparate structures, or harmonize the appearance of a new structure with the architectural character of a conservation district. The preferred surface materials for this district are brick, terra cotta, stone, and concrete (simulated to look like terra cotta or stone). The texture of surfaces can be treated in a manner so as to emphasize the bearing function of the material, as is done in rustication on historic buildings. In addition, in some cases it may be appropriate to leave the surface roughly dressed, emphasizing the utilitarian character of the interior frontages.

Traditional light colors should be used in order to blend in with the character of the district. Dissimilar buildings may be made more compatible by using similar or harmonious colors, and, to a lesser extent, by using similar textures.

(4) Detailing and Ornamentation. A new building should relate to the surrounding area by picking up elements from surrounding buildings and repeating them or developing them for new purposes. An ornamental detail can be taken from an adjacent building and used in a new building to relate the latter to the surrounding area. Alternately, similarly shaped forms can be used without directly copying historical ornament. The new structure should incorporate prevailing cornice lines or belt courses and may use a modern vernacular instead of that of the original model. (Added Ord. 414-85, App. 9/17/85)