translate. it's perfectly accurate and a brave new world for historians. >> very well done. >> commissioner frye? >> i want to chime in to remind you that with every landmark designation this will have to come back to you one more time and at that next hearing we will ask for a recommendation. this hearing is meant to review the report and hear from the public and see if there is any holes that we need to address prior to the next hearing. as you know this hearing is noticed through our standard agenda notice but for the next hearing we will send out a mailed notice to alert the public of the proposed designation. >> commissioner pearlman? >> i want to echo what

everybody is saying about the report. i have worked in the area for many years and i think it was dylan said how to neighborhood is changing and the shocking comparison of this building to i think it's called the lumina down at the head of dolores street with what's happening along the street is so stark and startling that i did have one comment. i don't think it said anything about the gable of the features. >> i believe with you the character defining in general includes exterior elevations. if you call out as many as the other items. >> the first one which talked about the massing just saying it's

a three 3 story building with a mezanine it's what you notice first. it's definitely a piece that should be called out. >> mr. highland? >> i just want to say this is exactly the type of building and story that we want to carry forward into future. i have lived in the neighborhood for 22 years and i didn't know there was a large swedish community. it good to know and let other people know. the cafe, it's been closed recently. was it closed in order to reopen. >> to my understanding it was closed and will be reopened after

remodeling. >> this is something our subcommittee will be interested in recognizing. >> given the recognition floating out there. it certainly would. >> commissioner johnck? >> i raised my kids on the park and i always walked by the hall and here i am today and little do i know this is where i would be here today. i'm thrilled to see this happening before this beautiful building. i definitely agree with you on the gables to mention that because that's really what you focus on immediately. and the question i have for staff is can you comment on when we do recommend landmarks on signage and how that's handled. i wanted to comment that we have spent a lot of time on the commission talking about plaques and

movement. i just went by 933 battery that is complete and the beautiful, the signage required there is fantastic. absolutely beautiful. you just stop right away and read it. i just wanted to comment on that. can you just mention how we handle signage. >> commissioners, similar to the twin weeks tavern where this commission recommended this a couple years ago, because of the 1st amendment law does not regulate content but more about the style and design of the signs. if a business were to change hands while we would likely require similar colors and neon and replication and size we wouldn't affect the change of the name. >> it would say landmark designated?

>> i thought we were talking about the cafe. in terms of plaque program, that is something we have developed with a graphic designer. because of funding issues it's sitting on my desk and something we wanted to bring to you as part of the roll out for the website which is also on hold because of backlog issues with our graphic design team, but certainly our goal is to at least make available a template for all landmark buildings interested in installing a plaque being able to do so. >> who would pay for that? >> right now there would be no funding and it would be up to the property owner. i have been getting quotes from various manufactures and anything from a couple hundred dollars to much higher as a fee. one idea was to either create something, add something to the department's

budget in consultation with dbi to allow us to fund for city plaques. another idea was perhaps the historic preservation fund committee could sponsor plaques for certain types of properties. we certainly wanted to talk to you once we bring the design forward. >> commissioner highland? >> yes, i have two thoughts as you were talking about the cafe signage. when i first started looking over the report, my first question was cafe part of the original structure and i was really pleased to see it was very early along if not with the original design. >> it appears to be the first thing that opened in the building. >> so while we can't maybe dictator require that names remain, it might be a way to encourage and

provide some incentive for doing that because i think the name is very important. >> that could be a part of the plaque, right? >> >> it would be a shame to lose cafe den oerd for that. >> it's perfectly within your jurisdiction if you decided to rename the designation swedish american hall cafe building as a way to memorialize the cafe's original location. >> commissioner pearlman in with that relative to twin peaks tavern and the bar, we are doing specifically that. so it seem to me that's a really nice way that no matter what happens in the future. i mean how often is there a name that has lasted as long as this name so far. i think that's actually a really good recommendation. is that

something? >> certainly something we can do. i would love to reach out to the swedish society. they very proud of their building and i also do not want to step on their toes. they are product of the cafe as well that they would rename it at the swedish hall which is the primary significance. >> mr. frye, our agenda says approval but you say we'll see it again and approve it the second time. >> we are going to adopt a resolution. >> i move we adopted the resolution to initiate designation of the american swedish hall. >> second. >> commissioners, before the commission secretary chiems in, would you want to include in that resolution direction to staff to amend the

character defining features indicated by commissioners pearlman and johnck, i don't know if there is anything you want to add about the plaque program or changing in the designation? >> i think we are going to wait. >> i would say yes, we would include you -- the additional changes that commissioner pearlman mentioned but the name of the designation, maybe we'll ask staff to investigate whether that's the swedish american hall feels it's appropriate. >> is that amenable to the second? >> yes. thank you. >> okay, then commissioners if there is nothing further there is a motion and second to adopt a recommendation to initiate this landmark designation as amended to include the double gate as a character of defining feeter, on

that motion, commissioner john's, wolf ram and commissioner hasz. that passes unanimously 7-0 and places you on item no. 7. 2014.095 il, 186-194 gough street. consideration of tools to manage initiate landmark designation of the r l gold bergberg building.

>> as mentioned the consideration for the landmark consideration of the l goldberg building on gough street in san francisco. the building is located in the heys valley. this is a regularly scheduled hearing. the draft landmark designation report was prepared by senior historian on behalf of the requesters jackie nail or and upton. the building constructed in 1911 is under historical building. adding weight to its significance is the retention of three extraordinarily rare storefront. the

building was designed by bear demand joseph. the building is constructed by the pulitzer prize winning cartoonist ruben goldberg. the building may have tangent recognition. the landmark states this interior building retains a high point of integrity. staff concur that they do appear to be original features. however historically private interior spaces they do not appear eligible

for landmark designations. currently there is no known designation of the building. from the neighborhood valley association in support of the item. however the property owner, kenneth hersh has expressed this building not be designated. this concludes my presentation. i'm happy to answer any questions. >> no questions. so we will open this up for public comment. is there any additional public comment? seeing none, public comment -- thank you very much. jackie nay lor, i live in the building. it's exciting to be here. i want to thank you so much and i spoke with jennifer george, ruben

goldberg's granddaughter. she wishes she could be here. she's in new york. she thanks you for considering here grandfather's building for resignation. every building in hopes of being landmarked has demolished. we ask the commission preserve the building landmark status for architectural and association with rue goldberg preserving both interior features of this building. we are hoping that at some future date this might house the rue goldberg museum. i want to introduce edward yarbrough. >> so, i first wanted to speak a little bit about rue goldberg association and the difficulty we had to make it a concrete association but lots of circumstantial

evidence. rue 's father max raised the family at the house on laguna street after rue's mother passed away when the children were quite young. the house was a center of life for the police department, fire definite, -- department, the fire commissioner and police commissioners and fire marshall. the house always had a sense andrew speaks about this in his writing, a sense of, there were poker games, artist, policemen, firemen were made up of a lot of the crowd. so it's not surprising to me that as we see in the directory in 1915 and early 20th century, the primary residence are firemen, musicians, living in

these two very large flats and then when the chronicle reports as i was showing at the landmark designation report that rue would come back from his primary residence in new york and stay in san francisco at his hometown, he would tell his grand daughter jennifer george bedtime stories what she thought was this fantasy world of putting a building with his name in the cornice as there is it says rl goldberg building. that's how he dreamed of how he had a building with his name in the cornice that

is part of reconstructing san francisco after the earthquake and he told her what it was like being in the earthquake in san francisco. this association is a clear reflection of this building. unfortunately about three or 4 months before this process started, the 90-year-old late aunt or nieces of rue gold berg passed away. if we had been able to get an oral report that would have given us more ground. >> thank you. >> next speaker? >> good afternoon, commissioners,

beverly upton. i'm so happy to be here thop -- on this day. thank you very much. i hope to advance your approval for our hope for the status of the building. i wanted to thank you for your wonderful report and this love for our building. i want to thank jackie for all of her hard work and jennifer george. for bringing rue's memory alive to all of us. to london breed, our supervisor and valley brown who told us how to get to the planning commission. and of course the man himself rue goldberg, we learned so much about him and we are honored to live in his building for 25 years. >> is there any additional public comment? seeing none, public

comment is closed. commissioner pearlman? >> are you okay? >> i was in a meeting yesterday and three times during the meeting someone in the meeting referred to rue goldberg devices they had created and i was able to tell them about the hearing today and what that spoke to me was the power of this man from san francisco who, you know who is still very much alive in the lexicon of our world today that people know specifically and talk about rue goldberg devices. so i thought that was pretty important and while i appreciate that we don't have the define tive information, he is the guy who put up the money and built the building. i'm very excited about this and you know, we often

landmark buildings because of their architecture and we say this is a beautiful building but it's really fun to have one that is so much associated with person who had such a great really big personality and contributed so much to american culture. so thanks so much. you guys, unbelievable. you have done such an amazing job and it's great to get the public to work so hard to landmark buildings. thank you very much. >> commissioner matsuda? >> i would also like to thank you. you are one of the models to put this on the fast track for the program. you got it done in record time. the letter we received today from the hayes valley association says that this home has been to many artist and writers. i'm assuming they

are attracted to this building because of the owner. i would like to make sure this is a part of the permanent documentation that will exist hopefully after we pass and the board passes this building as a landmark. >> any other comments, questions? >> commissioners? >> i move that we make a recommendation to initiate landmark status for this building. >> second. >> commissioner frye? >> commissioners, apologize for interjecting. one item that would be helpful to clarify at this hearing in anticipation of the next one is that while we certainly agree that mr. goldberg's association the this building is apparent, the designation from the city attorney listed before you list only under architecture. if you believe different, there

is no opposition from us, but we would like that clarification because it does have ab an impact on the ordinance moving forward. >> commissioner pearlman? >> i'm not sure it matters. it's in the ordinance and talks about rue goldberg. i'm hoping there will be some plaque if there is ever a rue goldberg museum. as long as that information is presented to the public and that's not lost, which it seems almost impossible to lose it at this point, i'm not sure that it's that critical because it does immediate -- meet the requirements of being a landmark under article 10. >> commissioner? >> i agree with that except this one point. i do think that if not

critical, it's important that we do not designate buildings as landmarks for reasons that are not well supported factually. so i think that we should leave it as it is and maybe in the future there will be some evidence that is more directly related to mr. goldberg being in the building rather than just being responsible for having created this beautiful construction. >> commissioner matsuda? >> one way to maybe highlight this when the plaque program is off and running that we definitely put in a lot of information about the owner and the reason why he's important and then the reason why subsequent artist and writers have intentionally chosen to live here. i think that's a good way to keep this story alive and to highlight something that maybe won't be highlighted in other

things. >> call the roll. >> [calling roll]. that motion passes unanimously 7-0. >> can we reopen the commission matters? >> yes. real quick. commission matters? >> yes, i want to talk about the holiday gathering. >> real quick and from the chronicle may like to get some info, background research, he's doing an article tomorrow. you may want to contact him. okay. thank you. we reopen. >> commissioners through the chair we'll go back to item 5 under

commission comments and questions. >> yeah, i wanted to tell the commission that we are planning a holiday gathering. i think you have all received an e-mail about that and the date is after the hearing on the 17th and it would be at 4:30 at don ramon's. i wanted to make sure you get that on the calendar. city clerk: that places you on item 8. work program. >> commissioner, department staff. as you recall we discussed the landmark designation work plan. you needed more time to mull over the program and discuss over at future hearing and maybe prioritization of a couple pending landmark designation,

adding to or modifying the work program. we are here today to just open it up and see if you have any ideas or any suggestions on any pending landmark designations you feel are important to prioritize or if you would just like a current update. mr. landers is already here and we are here to discuss it with you and see how you would like to move forward. >> commissioners? >> commissioner pearlman? >> i know that 149 tsz street is in the program and they are also working to categorize this as a category 3 building relative to article 11. i'm wondering if there is any benefit to them to then also landmark the building after that or if, you know, i

met with the owner and of course their concern is to be able to be characterized as a structure that meets these requirements. one, i'm wondering if there is any additional benefit to the ownership that becomes a landmark, if not, if they are not particularly interested in moving forward, would that pull something off the landmark works program so there is more time to work for something else. >> all local incentives according to landmark buildings are also afforded to article 11 properties. the only designation that i can think of that would possibly benefit them if they were indiana -- in a n a rehabilitation tax credit which would go to this commission and this commission would provide comment.

that is something we can make them aware of. as i mentioned to you before we have a designation report ready to go for this building. so we don't anticipate it will be a lot of work for staff to bring this to a hearing. it's just a matter of making room on your calendar and making sure everybody is available to do so. >> okay. if you can inform them of that, that would be great. i wasn't aware of any additional benefits and if they are, i'm sure they would be interested to do that. >> just quick comments you know there are numbers of owners initiated that we just covered the goldberg building on san francisco heritage is working on great cloud of witnesses. understanding is atc is still interested in the article description

and they are under construction so i'm not sure what their timing is of this date. 2 -henry adams there was some discussion or comments raised at the last hearing about the building is still eligible as aligned -- landmark and the commission was in agreement with that. i'm not sure if it's worth keeping on the program or if it's something that you would like to keep on the program and revisit it at a future date since we have a designation report on the board of supervisors. the building the historic preservation fund committee awarded rec's and park to hire arg to commission an assessment of the property and what it would take to stabilize and restore the murals and seismic restore the building. once we have that report, we will be

asking them to present that to you and that will depend how we move forward on the landmark designation. the remaining designations are up to date in terms of their status. if you have any comments about them, i'm happy to address them at this time. >> commissioner pearlman? >> what is on 2 -henry adams, did that legislation pass that cohen initiated? >> it's at the call of the chair. if cohen's office is interested in moving it forward now that there is basically a code amendment that will not allow them to change the use as originally proposed, if cohen's office wanted to move