for photography. >> a lot of people come into my classes and they don't feel like they really are creative and through the process of working and showing them and giving them some tips and ideas. >> this is kind of the best kept secret. you should come on and take a class. we have orientations on most saturdays. this is a really wonderful location and is the real jewel to the community. >> ready to develop your photography skills? the harvey milk photo center focuses on adult classes. and saturday workshops expose youth and adults to photography classes.

>> comments or opportunities to speak during the public comment period are available by calling in. when you have 30 seconds remaining you will hear a chime. when your time is reached we will take the next person in the

queue to speak. call from a quiet location, speak clearly and slowly. please mute the volume on your television or computer. i can take roll at this time. president matsuda. >> here. >> vice president nageswaran. >> here. >> commissioner black. >> here. >> commissioner foley. >> here. >> commissioner johns. commissioner johns. >> here. >> commissioner so. >> here. >> commissioner wright. >> here. >> thank you, commissioners. first item is general public comment. members of the public may address the commission on items within the subject matter jurisdiction of the commission except agenda items. with respect to agenda items, your opportunity to address the

commission will be afforded when the item is reached in the meeting. each member of the public may address the commission for up to three minutes. press star 3 to be added the queue. no requests to speak from members of the public. general public comment is closed. we can move to department matters and item 1 department announcements. >> no items in the director's report today. >> 2. president's report announcements. >> i would like to share that director hillis and i met with t yesterday to talk about the status of the african historic content statement.

that statement was advised. there was a draft to be circulated around community members when we were told about shelter-in-place. it has not made it around to the community. we got together to see what next steps should be, and hopefully, we will start to revisit that important contact statement and give you a positive update in the weeks to come. thank you. >> thank you. if there are no questions or additional comments. item 3. consideration of adoption of draft minutes of october 20, 2021. members of the public this is your opportunity to speak. seeing no comments from the public. public comment is closed.

>> motion to approve. >> second. >> thank you, commissioners. on that motion for adopting the minutes commissioner wright. >> yes. >> commissioner black. >> yes. >> commissioner foley. >> yes. >> commissioner johns. >> yes. >> commissioner so. >> yes. >> commissioner nageswaran. >> yes. >> commissioner president matsuda. >> yes. >> so moved that motion passes unanimously 7-0. item 4. commission comments and questions. >> are there any commission comments or questions? i don't see anybody in the chat. >> very good. that case we can move to item 5. case 2021-009976c r.v. for authorization to continue remote hearings for another 30-days. we should take public comment on

this matter. members of the public to comment on the resolution extending remote hearings for the historic preservation for 30-days press star 3. no requests to speak from members of the public. public comment is closed. this is before you, commissioners. this will come to you every 30-days. the first of every month until city hall re-opens. >> thank you. is there a motion. >> motion to approve. >> second. >> thank you, commissioners on the motion to extend remote hearings. commissioner wright. >> yes. >> commissioner black. >> yes. >> commissioner foley. >> yes. >> commissioner johns. >> yes. >> commissioner so. >> yes. >> commissioner nageswaran. >> yes. >> commission president matsuda. >> 7-0.

that is to items for continuance. there are no items proposed to be continued. placing us on item 6 a, b, c, d, e, f, g, had casey anthony 2021-010335lbr. 2021-010308, 010334, 010337lbr. 010305, 306, 341lbr for properties at 918 new hall.

4515 sacramento street. 714 pacific avenue. 2247 unit. 2100 van ness. 306 klemmment, 412 columbus avenue, 1199 clay street. all legacy business registry applications which we have not had before you in quite some time. i am happy to see them back before you. staff prepared for presentations? >> yes. i wanted to introduce two new planners. they will present on items 6g and h on the legacy business items. alaina moore grew up in san francisco and grated in may from swath more studying archeological history and is now a planner one on the survey team. next up with alexandro hall with

a bachelor's degree from stanford. arrived in june of this year. he works with the planner one on the team. we want to welcome them to the h.p.c. with that i will turn it over to casety. -- katie. >> today we have 8 applications for businesses across the city presented by eight planners. after staff completed the presentations and public and business representatives will have opportunity to speak during public comment. to the first planner to begin the staff presentations. >> good afternoon, commissioner, department staff. first business application is barbershop a local african-american and family owned business provided beauty

and barber services to san francisco for a minimum of 72 years. originally it changed to sheer beauty in 1971. the business is currently owned by the four children and is operated by two of his grand sons. the beauty and barbershop has one location on new hall serving bayview-hunters point residents. this business is dedicated to personal care services to current and future residents of the community. the dedication can be seen through various community events such as backpack for local youth and hosting of on site health clinics for health issues in the african-american community. this resolution to add the

beauty and barbershop to legacy registry. now to gigi to continue the staff presentation. >> bear with us. we have just reoccupied the offices. still getting used to the systems here. you are on mute, gigi. >> good afternoon, commissioners. planning staff. the second business application is for button-down.

41-year-old retail store selling luxury clothing, accessories and furnishing. it was founded in 1980. michael opened and operated until 2020 when the current owners took over. button-down first opened in 1980 on fillmore street to sell high-quality men's wear from local and independent brands from europe. recognizing potential, button moved from fillmore street to sacramento street in 1990. retail anchor of the sacramento street corridor button-down's main area is staging. the collection of vintage decor, furniture and antique trunks, equipment and model airplanes. along with the.

[indiscernable] the fixtures in the instore full-service barbershop. built in 1990. inventory expanded from exclusively carrying men's wear to women's wear and home if you werenishings. they maintain men and women's classic clothing, accessories and furnishings from europe and the united states. button-down tries to stock high-quality item for manufacturers. paying close attention to the close details. the individual needs of each customer. it has given back to the presidio heights community. donating to schools, departments and charity departments including associated with the junior league of san francisco.

it is supportive of the application and it will be added to the legacy business registry. i will turn it over. thank you. >> thank you, gigi. good afternoon. department staff presenting to you legacy business. the application for the 33-year-old retail store in chinatown. located at 714a pacific street in 1998. the clientele is one of the most popular retail duty stores sourcing unique asian beauty products. in chinatown they encourage communities to shop local with special incentives to customers.

highly trained staff certified to provide skin care and educate customers on beauty trends. anchor it is popular shopping destination. it has sponsored the chinese golf turnnament to increase awareness of sun protection and collaborated to empower women and recruit them to those looking for jobs. business has won awards. [indiscernable] northern california beauty award. 714 pacific avenue is within the boundaries of the chinatown historic district and a contributor to the district. it has contextual importance in the architectural heritage.

it has a second location in chinatown on washington street with staffers and identified as a contributor to the chinatown district. staff supports this application and recommendations the application to the legacy business registry. i will turn it over to my colleague for her presentation. thank you. >> good afternoon, commissioners. planning department staff. the fourth business application today is for the company that has been in san francisco for 43 years. teevan company was founded in 1963. after several years of operating. [indiscernable]

the communities and the demolition of historic buildings. over the existence it has painted restored and remodeled hundreds of properties in san francisco and receive numerous awards from the preservation of the buildings. another award-winning project including the international center of san francisco. [indiscernable] and the sh residence. jim teevan hired the successor who took over the company with

his wife jessie in 2002. in 2004 he moved to 2247 union street. the paper upon which he wrote the control of the company is a reminder of core values, traditions and commitments to clients and city and history. the form of the application and resolution the business be added to the business registry. this concludes my presentation. i will pass it to katie for the next legacy business. >> katie will born presenting harris restaurant that opened in 1984 at 2100 van ness avenue. it remains after 37 years of business. it is a distinctive corner location and old school elegance.

three-piece painted mural by a local san francisco artist. they participate in fund-raising events and have served for three decades. the business is committed to safeguarding the interior features and steakhouse cuisine. staff recommends resolution that it be added to legacy business registry. next is upton.

planning staff. next legacy business is blue dan danube house in the inner richmond district that serves coffee, beverages, breakfast items, pastries and more. the bluetanian was founded in 1979. the business was founded at 306 clement street. it was pad to two other owners

and it is currently one by jimmy shoe. it has updated the food but it keeps its comfortable atmosphere for patrons. blue dan union has a unique interior with local artists work. they also host multiple events like comedy night and culture night and live music. many items are from local grocers and businesses. they also help with local schools like roosevelt middle school. they have also hosted multiple

political and community events like board of supervisors. we recommend the blue dan union coffeehouse to the business registry. i am passing this off to alex a. >> good afternoon. planning department staff legacy business application. since opening on columbus avenue in 1946 it has been the premier destination for italian ceramic, icon of the business community.

the store known as the biordi italian. it attracted tourists and celeb trees in search for the finest decorative items. it is also an active participant in the community. hosting monthly events in italian culture and sponsoring local schools, community groups and festivals. in recognition of impact, they honored the business may first of this year 75th anniversary. the business is dedicated to maintaining relationship to italy helping to ensure survival of the 500-year-old craft. north beach location imports for the signage, recessed entry, transom windows.

we recommend the resolution to add biordi arts imports to the business registry. now, i will hand it over to to alana. thank you. >> hello. alana moore. this is for bj glory in the heart of nob hill. bj grocery was named on august 15, 1945. bj day or victory over japan day. since then vj grocery operated from clay and taylor streets, an black away from the nob hill favorites. bj grocery is family owned and

serves as a grocery matter, congregating and socializing for the nob hill community. vj is committed to safeguarding the store exterior, neighborhood feel, signs, vj grocery store names, and commemoration of bullet day. staff supports this application and recommends resolution to add to the legacy business registry. this concludes the staff presentations. thank you. members of the public press star 3 to be added the queue.

to the chair you have three minutes. when you hear your line is unmuted begin speaking. [indiscernable] >> try that again. go ahead, caller. hello, caller. you may have muted the wrong

device. >> hello. >> there is a strong echo. you have got two devices with a microphone on at the same time is the problem. >> do you hear me now? >> yes, much better. >> this is debra balldini. >> good afternoon. we would like to thank you for considering the art imports for the legacy business. when we purchased the art imports one of the main reasons was to preserve the legacy of biordi. we are committed to preserving the legacy of biordi not phone for now but for generations to come as we revolve the business

and ensure that it is an incredible place to come in the community. michael. >> good afternoon. my family immigrated to ellis island and ended up at the hotel down be the street on columbus. my return many years later in the 1980s for southern pacific as i explored north beach area, i became a customer of biordi and thought it a great place for gifts for families and for whatever occasion. ended up introducing my wife to it and i thought it less expensive to buy the business than to continue purchasing items for her. we receive a call that the second owner offered us to be

the third italian family in its 75 years to own the business. with great deal of effort we have continued through covid successfully and look forward to the years to come. we thank you for your consideration. >> thank you. >> center director of. [indiscernable] in the bayview. i want to congratulate nominees. this is an incredible journey. i am here in support of sheer's beauty and barbershop. as a person born and raised in bayview-hunters point and african-american. i always wanted to start and own a business.

there weren't any resources available. it wasn't until i got married and my wife's family mom and grandmother owned beauty salons. i realized and learned they were some of the first businesses owned by african-americans. i think it is great we can lift up this vision. it is especially during this time as a business that had been in business for more than 40 years. african-american business in san francisco to be aware of the out-migration of businesses. i hope you will support this business as a legacy business as a beacon in the community right now. >> hello.

i want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to be part of this historic program. when i think of the word legacy, i think of the rich history san francisco represents and how it relates to legacy of my family. migratingcle migrated from greece without knowing a word of english and opened bj grocery in 1945. on opening day was vj day. victory over japan. vj grocery. after 30 years my uncle sold the store to his nephew which then was inherited by his brother due to my uncle's sudden passing which was then sold to me. over 76 years of san francisco history in our blood. this is a legacy of my family. we are proud greek americans that have a saying that we go by

when we mention vj grocery. we have to putter for the store. that mean -- we have to putter hurt for the store. we feel the pain. it is part of san francisco and our family for almost eight decades. we have established beautiful relationships with customers. vj grocery only a place where people come in to buy every day items. where people unwind. it reminds me of the show cheers. we have customers that come in to tell us all of their personal problems. sometimes it turns into a therapy session. it is what i love about the grocery store. it always being there for someone that needs to just get something off their chest. vj grocery is a landmark for

tourists. most famous movie film there was bullet in 1968 by steve mcqueen. fans come in. every year a flock of ford mustangs flock in front of the store for photos. customers replicate the scene when steve mcqueen grabs the noon out of the noon stand. it is a good feeling to see people from all over the world finding great pleasure from the movie filmed at vj grocery. a few more films that are part of the store over the past years. hear after with clint eastward. dwayne johnson. georgia the gung el. the wedding planna.

jennifer lopez and several commercials were filmed here as well. vj grocery to me is somewhat of a living legacy. it will continue to be part of my family legacy for years to come. i want to truly tell you guys that i appreciate your time and hope to merge the legacy of vj grocery, outstanding legacy of san francisco into one. thank you. >> good afternoon, commissioners. woody from san francisco heritage. we support all of these nominations to the legacy business registry. we want to give special attention to t van. it is a project that has advanced over the decades.

restoration of historic resources including the landmark house. we were proud to assist with the application and we support inclusion as well as all of the other fine and deserving businesses. thank you so much. >> last call for public comment. press star 3 to be added the queue. no additional requests to speak. public comment is closed. >> if i may, this is lee hefner to provide public comment for item 8. >> i don't know. >> thank you very much. good afternoon, commissioners. a quick note on behalf of supervisor peskin's office listening to the presentations was wonderful. we support awful of those.

the -- all of those. staff presentations were fantastic. three fantastic businesses from district three before you this afternoon that all deserve your support. they do represent an array of communities across the district. the boutique in chinatown, art imports is a beacon, treasure of north beach and vj grocery in nob hill. i loved hearing so much more of that history and i am sure there are stories that run deeper than that. i would love to spend time with vj grocery and thank you to the baldin i's to be here. it is critical to reiterate importance of this program remaining funded. that is a priority for supervisor preston when we were able to dedicate increased funds on the grant side and to make

sure that the staffing at the city side has the resources it needs to continue to process these applications. we are thrilled to celebrate and encourage your support. thanks so much. >> thank you, mr. hefner. again, that concludes public comment for this item. these legacy applications are before you, commissioners. >> thank you. for some reason. commissioner johns. >> yes, thank you very much. these are really a fabulous collection of very worthy and very, very interesting businesses. i have known and been a customer of button-down.

tee van and terrace and blue danube. i can testify firsthand and the others i believe the staff presentation. it is so wonderful to see legacy businesses back before us. i support all of them. thank you. >> thank you. commissioner so. >> i really enjoy hearing the reports from the various staff. it is nice to get the chance to see new staff coming in and having a chance to present. i am in full support for all proposals today. i would like to shout out to sheer's beauty and barbershop around for 70 years in that neighborhood and district. thank you for anchoring that.

i know my really good friends will continue to be your patrons. you do an amazing job in hairstyling for men and women. thank you for doing this and passing them to the next generation and further along the road and happy to see you there. thank you. thank you for being there. i would like to shout out to the boutique. i walk buy-in chinatown and know the products. i would love to get more the next time i am there this evening. i will stop by at your store, too. i will say yes for all of them. >> thank you. >> commissioner black. >> thank you. one of the things i would like to add. something i am struck by.

not just for these businesses but for others that have come before us over the years. the number of legacy businesses started by new immigrant americans and passed down for many generations staying in the family. i find that to be very touching and very valuable to the city and the community as a whole. these small businesses are really deeply woven to the local fabric of san francisco. the other common theme i hear about over and over is these businesses also give so much back to the community. supporting charities, helping all sorts of other organizations. i am really impressed by all of these organizations. three of them have been around for 70 some years. that is amazing. they have been here for a long time. they are treasured. they have survived because they

are treasured by patrons. i say yes to all of them. >> thank you. any other commissioners wish to make comments? i will make a few comments. welcome to the new planning staff. we look forward to working with you in the years to come. a shout out to supervisor peskin for really understanding how important it is to continue to promote legacy businesses. particularly small businesses. we thank you for your leadership and addsvo cassie and being a promoter in your district. we have three businesses and we hope other supervisors will join you in making sure we keep small businesses alive. i also wanted to particularly

call out sheer beauty in district 10. we have few legacy businesses in this particular district. i am happy to see the legacy business here today that survived gentrification and redevelopment. that is huge. as we talk about the african-american historic contact statement we see how damaging redevelopment was, particularly to the bayview and filmore. i just credit and honor you and respect you for being able to survive all of these years and to all small businesses as commissioner black said about being willing to give back to the community. i know it is tough this past year and a half to stay alive and for you to continue to think about your community and to want to support your community as something that is special and that you don't see with other big businesses.

thank you very much. i want to see if there is anybody who wants to add final comments. if not if anybody would like to propose a motion. >> i move these be approved. >> second. >> thank you, commissioners. seeing no additional requests to speak for members of the commission motion seconded to adopt recommendations for approval for all legacy businesses on that motion commissioner wright. >> yes. >> commissioner black. >> yes. >> commissioner foley. >> yes. >> commissioner johns. >> yes. >> commissioner so. >> yes. >> commissioner nageswaran. >> yes. >> commissioner president matsuda. >> yes. >> so moved. that motion passes unanimously 7-0. item for case 2020-00380 3-d

es at 1801 green street. staff are you prepared for your presentation? >> yes. thank you. >> we can see your notes. you may want to go full screen. sorry. i am having issues here.

>> good afternoon, melanie bishop planning department staff here to present the department's recommendation regarding the land mark designation of the golden gate carnegie library at 1801 green street. on june 2, 1999 the landmark advisory board added 1801 green street golden gate valley carnegie library along with six other libraries in san francisco. due to an error by the department the golden gate valley carnegie library was never designated as a landmark. they brought this error to the attention of the commission and the department and prepared the

designation report in your packets dated july 22, 2020. department staff reviewed the report and consulted with library staff to begin the process. the golden gate carnegie library is significant for the following. patterns of social and cultural history of san francisco political and cultural power between groups, association with carnegie library grant program established by andrew carnegie in 1886. excellent example of institutional building designed by the master architect with distinctive character as associated with the city.

1918 is the period of significance. it is the construction and association with patterns of social and cultural history. the defining features are found in the landmark designation report. the department beliefs the building meets the established eligibility requirements of the landmark status is wanted. department recommends the designation. it will return at a subsequent hearing with a resolution recommending article 10 landmark designation to the board of supervisors. the staff is notified of the designation and submitted that is included in the packet. there is no known opposition to the designtion of the golden

gate carnegie library. this concludes my presentation. i am happy to answer yourkies. we will have a brief presentation on the history and the significance. >> bridgett. >> thank you. i am getting an echo. if i closeout of web ex will that help? >> i will get off the phone. can you hear me now? >> we hear you just fine. >> thank you, commissioners for

hearing this initiation today. i will keep my remarks brief since i believe you have a wealth of information in your packet. the golden gate valley library is one of seven branches under the carnegie program built between 1914-1921. the other lie brars are mission, sunset, and the last two were north beach and presidio built in 1921. main library now the asian art museum was financed with carnegie funds which were supplemented by city approved bonds. branch libraries we're carnegie funded. it is an exercise in the city beautiful movement and was designed to conform to the carnegie prescription for branch

libraries. it is rounded and has centrally located entrance and generallysem met -- [indiscernable] there is a dental course and across the façade there are arched windows in between. the main entry is marked with a shield. it is unusual in several regards. first it is the only one of the seven branch that strays from rectangular plan executed in the plan evidenced in the rounded east end. second. represents a distinct departure from the religious and residential work often executed with the construction and wood chicago shingles.

lastly, it is the rich terra-cotta interior is one of the few surviving. the building was recently updated and made more accessible with a sensitive elevator to respect the location of the building's arched windows. it is a true neighborhood gem. if you haven't gone inside, i encourage you to do so. while i appreciate the efforts made by the planning department and the library to move this forward, i am disappointed at the length of time it took to get to this point. by no means downplaying the amazing efforts the staff members under took during covid in disaster service to the city. we waited 15 months for the library to issue the letter exhibit d on the last page of

your packet. i believe that is did city's responsibility to serve as role model to private property owners and ex he diet the resource -- expedite the resources. i appreciate your review and efforts to get us where we are. i will answer any questions you may have. >> thank you. that concludes staff presentation we should open public comment. members of the public this is your opportunity to address the commission on this item. press star 3 to begin speaking. >> good afternoon, commissioners. i am robert tourney. i was a member of the landmark preservation advisory board when we landmarked the other six

carnegie libraries. i shot we had done them all. better late than never. i have just two comments for you. one of them is the line from the historic context statement for all seven carnegie libraries which describes this one as the jewel of the seven. i think that you should certainly go ahead with this landmarking. my other comment is more general which is that andrew carnegie once said to die wealthy is to die disgraced. that well she people had an obligation to the community to give back to the community. these libraries that he scattered across the country are a splendid example of that that should be presented to some of our current day billionaires. thank you.

>> good afternoon, commissioners. woody from san francisco heritage. i want to express our strong support of this initiation. i also want to tag on to bridgett's comment. another library park side branch library, one of the first modern libraries. went before this body in 2009. it was not initiated even though the marina branch was. it was first one to keep with the designation put forward. there was a renovation project in place. they didn't want to slow that down and decided to hold off land marking the park side until the renovations were done. that was in 2009. i would like to encourage planning staff to bring forward the park side branch library to join golden gate and these other wonderful examples we have in

the city. thanks so much. >> good afternoon, commissioners. this is the chief operating officer for the san francisco public library. we appreciate this opportunity to speak in support of the landmark designation for the golden gate valley branch library. as melanie indicated our staff reviewed the report. we are aware of it and in support of the character defining features of the library. thank you for this time and consideration. we look forward to continuing to work with the planning staff. thank you. >> good afternoon, commissioners. catherine petrine calling in support of the carnegie library. nothing else to add that hasn't been said just a voice saying

great building. thank you for bringing this forward. happy to see it designated. thank you. >> last call for public comment on this item. press star 3 to be added the queue. [please stand by]

. >> this library is actually my neighborhood library, and i've been in it many times, and it is a gem. i've been to the other branch libraries, also, so i wanted to -- and maybe miss mary can also type in on this. i wanted to sort of refine the character defining features a bit more. i went there this morning just to look at it once more. at the exterior, there is a clay tiled roof, which is visible across the street. and then, in addition to the west terra cotta wall and

piers, there is also an east wall with a pier that should be included. and at that east side, you can also see the rear facade, which is part of the basilica shape, which is also made of buff brick, and it's accessible to the rear of the building, which is also highly decorative. and as far as the windows, i would say in that statement window patterns and configuration, wood windows, trim, pattern, and configuration, and then, let's see...at the entryway, i would say granite steps, marble floor and steps at the interior side of the entry. and miss maille recommended the

steps. the bronze exterior doors, the wood interior doors, and open body was in there. and architectural wood work, which includes the shelves, the wood work above the shelves, the plaster walls, and the ceiling was mentioned and, i would include the plaster walls. the brass grills on the bottoms of the shelves, and those i think are all character defining features of this gem, and they all contribute to the character defining features. if miss maille would let me know if she has feedback on

that. >> i see a request to speak from mr. sucre. do you want to respond to commissioner nageswaran? >> sure. we want to make sure we do this in coordination with the landmark report writer. it is a little untraditional to do this off the cuff, but i'll further study how and when and how some of these features are relative to the history of the building. >> and so this today is just the initiation, and so about

that be -- as well as the parties agree? >> yeah. today is only the initiation. you could provide us the list of things that you would like us to study further, and then when it comes back before the commission, we would provide an update as to where those features lie relative to the history of the building and the origin. >> yeah, that would be great. thank you. >> are there any other questions or comments from the commission? commissioner black? sorry. >> no problem. i just wanted to say, this one's just a no brainer, and i wanted to talk a little bit about the architecture because it really is quintessentially a carnegie library. you look at it and know exactly what it is.

i love the basilica aft ends. i think that's just a charming feature. i want to point out the 2012 addition they did is really sensitive and very clear. you can barely see it from the streets, and what looks like it looks like a detached building, so very thoughtful and very impressive. i also want to say that i really appreciate the positions of everybody involved, miss maille, and the staff. and i also want to give a shoutout to tim kelly who wrote the statement in 2001. he really knows carnegie

libraries, and i fully support landmarking with, and i'm interested to see what comes of commissioner nageswaran's recommendations, some of which are very valid. >> thank you. any other questions or comments from the commission? okay. would anybody like to entertain a motion? >> i'd like to make a motion. >> i'd second. >> clerk: very good. if there is nothing further, there is a motion to accept. on that motion -- [roll call] >> clerk: so moved, commissioners. that motion passes 7-0, placing us on your final item on your

agenda, case number 2021-00599 did-des, allegory of california at 1 # 5 sansome street. this is your opportunity to adopt a recommendation for landmark designation. miss lavalley, are you prepared to make your presentation? >> i am, but before i do, i would like to allow lee hepner the opportunity to make some comments. >> thank you. hello, commissioners. just to provide supervisor peskin's support for this landmarking. these murals, there are three diego rivera frescos in the city and county of san

francisco. these are part of the city's patronage. they are undeniable gems, they are treasures. we've brought one of these to you previously. that was the rivera mural at the san francisco art institute, albeit we initiated that in the context of a potential compromise of that fresco's status and place. the same circumstances do not exist here, thankfully, but this did send us down the path of wanting to landmark all three rivera murals and make sure they are firmly ensconced in the city's landmarks. we are aware of the letter from the property owners, and i don't think we have any

questions about the legitimacy or authority to the county to proceed. i would leave that to council because it's not my expertise, but just to say that, again, this mural is an undeniable treasure and belongs on the city's list of landmarks, and i believe we have attempted to initiate contact with the owner to resolve some of the concerns about what this landmarking means for this property pro, particularly as to the contention that it might compromise their ability to maintain it in the longer term. so we are welcoming that conversation and encourage that this afternoon. thank you. and thank you to pilar for putting together this report. reading through this one was just a joy, so thank you to the planning department's preservation staff for tremendous work. i really do just enjoy it.

thanks. >> thank you, lee. all right. i'll go ahead and share. are you seeing my presentation? >> clerk: it looks good, pilar. >> thank you. this fresco is located on the wall and ceiling of a grand staircase between the 10 and 11 floors of the city club of san francisco, formerly the stock

exchange luncheon club at 155 sansome street. on april 24, supervisor mess kin initiated -- peskin initiated a proposal to designate this mural as a historic landscape. this was prepared by diego rivera between summer 1930 and march 1931. fresco is created in a fresco bueno method reaching back as far as the italian renaissance in which natural color is

applied to fresh plaster. this is the same method of rivera's making of a fresco at the san francisco art institute which was landmarked in october 2021 and for the history of medicine in california at the ucsf parnassas campus. this provides the landmarking of significant -- of provide are significant interior architectural features, an allegory, like these other structures, is considered an interior feature of 155 sansome street. it depicts the vibrancy of the area's past, present, and

feeture -- future economy. as detailed in the draft fact sheet prepared by staff, the allegory of california is culturally and historically significant for its association with preeminent mexican artist diego rivera. the first mural painted in the united states by rivera, his other murals are significant for their influence on the new deal era mural program and san francisco's muralism movement of the 1960s and 70s. the fresco is also significant for its association with the

latinx and chicanx arts communities. diego rivera is one of the most important and influential hispanic artists, and after immersing himself in european art, rivera returned in 1920 and began painting prominent buildings. between 1920 and 1934, rivera painted works in san francisco

and detroit. to capture the distinctive features of california as depicted in allegory, rivera spent many weeks touring california and making frescos and drawings, capturing harmony between neighbor and machine, a glorification of the past while glorifying the future. rivera also included his friend and fellow artist, ralph stackpole and his son in the figure of the boy with the

airplane. we received one comment on this landmark designation, which was forwarded to the commission earlier today. we have received comment from the owner of the property noting that they do not support the designation and believes that it exceeds the reach of rule 10. as previously noted by staff, the fresco is found to be historically and culturally -- as it's found to be historically and culturally historic feature which is outlined by planning code section 1004-a-1, which states

that the board of supervisors may designate, quote, an individual design or feature having a special character or special historical architecture or aesthetic interior of value as a landmark. planning code section 1004-c-2 provides further for landmarking privately owned significant interior architectural features in those areas that are or have been historically accessible to members of the public. the department believes that there is sufficient evidence of public accessibility of the fresco. as noted in the summary and supporting documentation submitted by staff as an amendment to the packet, access to the fresco by members of the public has occurred in several of the following ways.

guide led tours organized by the city club or events in cooperation by organizations such as s.f. heritage or the art society, the stock exchange was once the location of a special dinner for the san francisco wide and food society in 1938, and then, the public was also invited to tour the building, including the fresco, at the grand unveiling in march 1931. finally, there is long-standing case law that landmarking is not a taking. for these above reasons, the department, in consultation with the city attorney, believe that the h.p.c. and the board of supervisors have the authority to landmark the allegory of california fresco.

designation of the allegory meets two of the historic preservation commission's two of the four criterias for designation, and that landmark status is warranted. the department recommends the commission recommends the mural for designation and forward it for approval to the board of supervisors. i'd like to thank [indiscernible] for her assistance in the preparation of the designation fact sheet. that concludes my presentation and i'm happy to answer any questions. >> clerk: thank you, pilar, so no immediate questions from the staff, through the chair, we should hear from owner's representative, and again,

through the chair, we're providing you five minutes. mr. junius, are you with us? >> i certainly am, jonas. thank you. >> clerk: you're welcome. >> thank you for the opportunity allowing me to speak to you. my name is albert junius of reuben, junius, and rose. nobody's questioning the importance of this incredible piece of art at this location, but before i jump into my legal arguments, i do want to mention, you know, one of the troubling things that the owner is having difficulty with with this proposal is that it may be inadvertently giving people the wrong impression about the location of the mural. it's located in the city club. the city club is in the 10 and 11 building of a private owned

building. let me be clear for the record, the city club is a private space, and we object to all statements in the draft report that argue to the contrary. the city absolute has significant latitude to landmark various building sites and areas in the city because these are all part of the public realm and can be viewed and enjoyed by the public. this is not a public space, it's not a museum, it's not a restaurant open to the public. it's not a banquet haul frequented by general members of the public, it's not in a hotel lobby. it's in a provide area not accessed by the public of the city. if the art is landmarked, it is subject to the controls and standards under article 10. article 10 was designed to deal with buildings, sites and

areas. it was not intended to deal with artwork, so we are frankly at a loss to understand what the landmarking of an art piece like this means. this is another reason why the owner is concerned with the designation. we may have created a situation where it may prove harmful to care for the mural in the future. but there's even more compelling reason to reject this proposal. this does not extend to areas of the landmark that have been historically accessible to members of the public. that's the quote from section 1004-c-2, and there in lies the entire problem.

the mural is located on the 10 floor of a building of a private club. in every situation cited by the city, a key fact that is left out is that the members of the general public who had the opportunity to see the mural were invited guests. we'll be submitting additional briefing on this issue, and the fact that the club rents out club facilities for various events does not turn a private space into a public space. these events are no different from a private invitation at a hotel, for example. invitation only events do not convert private spaces to public spaces. should the city want to recognize the mural, we would

suggest rule 1001, records of evidence of merit. the decision to place the mural there was a significant one. in other words, it was put there because it was a private club. we believe this proposal does not further the policy goals of article 10, creates a significant level of uncertainty as to what controls actually do apply, and is improper because the subject of the proposal is in a space that has never been open to the general public. timothy pfluger, the architect of the building, had this to say about the art piece. the building is not in any

rooms of the stock exchang club, but in a private room in the club. thank you for your attention, and i'm happy to answer any questions. >> clerk: thank you. we should continue with public comment. when you hear that your line has been unmuted, that's your indication to begin speaking, and to the chair, each member of the public will receive three minutes. >> my name is ann cervantes, a member of the san francisco historical latina society, documenting the city's latina historical assets. thank you, supervisor peskin and commission, for initiating this important asset,

documenting important contributions by latinos in san francisco. before america discovered diego, he was published in the san francisco spanish latin quarter newspapers, one of whom was owned by diego arce. diego rivera was part of a major group of artists [indiscernible] patricia rodriguez, michael perez, and later [indiscernible]. while on vacation in mexico in

1929, [indiscernible] studied the art of diego rivera. on his return, he was able to persuade [indiscernible] and he convince convinced timothy pfluger to create a mural at the stock exchange. these two commissions were presented to rivera at his return to san francisco. this is a period of history due to the depression. there were a lot of antimexican but also antilabor, anticommunist because of

herbert hoover's concerns about policies and his reelection. so to go on, in the chronicle in october 1930 [indiscernible] engages communist to do the work. 91 years ago on november 11, 1930, diego arrives in san francisco to start working on the stock exchange. just to let you know is that my beginning tenure in architecture was at pfluger architecture. john pfluger, the nephew of timothy pfluger, we did a lot of study of the concept -- well, my time is up.

>> clerk: thank you. >> good afternoon, commissioners. this is robert charney again. i would like to note that i have both published and lectured on the rich collection of murals that exist in this city created between 1931, the mural that exists here, and 1941, the murals at the rincon annex. i've always looked at the history of these murals, and one of the things is it's not always been a happy administration. changes in ownership have affected the way that artwork has been treated over time, and i want to give you a few examples over how changes in

administration have threatened or damaged artwork. in the mid 1940s, a new director at what is now the san francisco art institute proposed painting over the diego rivera mural at that place because it was out of keeping with his current emphasis on expressionism. the pied piper painting at the san francisco hotel was once removed and auctioned off until there was a public outcry and it was brought back. most recently, a change in administration at ucsf threatened the bernard [indiscernible] artwork there. they were one considered the

jewels of the campus but they were considering being removed, and you stepped in and prevented that. i am wholly in favor of landmarking this mural. i think it's important that the current owners are taking very good care of it. it's important that they take very good care of it, but what we've seen throughout history is changes in ownership and changes in administration can bring a change in art. thank you. >> hi, good afternoon. this is bridget maille. can you hear me okay? >> clerk: yes, we can hear you fine. >> great. okay. thank you. so i just wanted to say that i think that the property owner's

reasoning that this is not a public space is somewhat flawed. people stop by this building to see the mural. the mural is listed in many guide books that encourage visitors to stop by and see the mural. i myself on numerous locations have stopped by with visitors from out of town and let them see it. it's a special place for me because my husband and i celebrated our wedding reception there, so i would encourage you to, despite the owner's objection, to landmark the site for many of the reasons just outlined. we know that this mural has been fabulously cared for, and we really appreciate that, but we don't know that that would

happen in perpetuity, so thank you so much for your time. >> clerk: last call for public comment on this item. you need to press star, three to be added to the queue. seeing no additional requests to speak, commissioners, public comment on this item is now closed, and it is now before you. >> thank you, jonas. are there any commissioners who wish to make comment? commissioner johns? >> thank you. i think for the reasons as set forth in the excellent, excellent report, this is a fine candidate for landmarking. now -- and it -- when someone makes a motion, i almost certainly will be in support of landmarking for this reason. however, i do want to point out

one thing, and this came out, and i believe i made the same point with the last mural, and that is i do not view this commission as being having within his purview making a decision on the point of whether or not it is legally possible or permissible, permissible to landmark this or whether or not it has been sufficiently open to the public that landmarking is appropriate. those questions, as far as i am concerned, are left to lawyers and eventually the superior court but not this commission, so my vote would be premised on the advice that we have been given that it is appropriate to move forward, but i don't want my vote to be construed as

expressing an opinion of that on these interesting legal questions. thank you. >> thank you. commissioner foley? >> hi. thank you, president matsuda. i was -- andrew junius, the lawyer representing the building owner, did talk to me the other day, so full disclosure. i read the brief. i read all the work the preservation planners did. i thought it was excellent work. i also read mr. junius' brief, and i have to say, commissioner johns, i agree with you. i'm not a lawyer, but i do believe that this should be landmarked. i -- i understand the frustration of the building owners because they've maintained it so well, but i believe one of the callers that called in said what happens when they're not around? and luckily, at a certain point, i'm not going to be

around, either, so i truly appreciate the building ownership. i believe they've done a masterful job keeping that mural in great condition. i think they do a great job with the city club, and i think they do a great job with their building, but i would also definitely be in favor of landmarking. thank you. >> thank you. commissioner nageswaran. >> i am in favor of landmarking. this fits the landmarking criteria a for events and as described in the labd mark report, it's part of social and cultural history, and the description from miss cervantes showed how it's a pan-mexican mural that has a lot of cultural significance.

and under criterionc, it's a legacy of a master, diego rivera who led this artwork to be made with his group, and he is an exceptional character in history and master of his art. so for those reasons and the national register criteria, i move to designate this as a landmark and forward it to the board of supervisors. >> thank you. commissioner wright? >> thank you. i had a question or a comment and question, and maybe miss lavalley can chime in or this will be thought about and considered if the landmarking

moves forward. and the surrounding features of the mural itself contribute to the interpretation and the experience of the mural, and i think that, you know, it appears that planning attempted to cover that when listing in the character defining features the, quote, stairwell configuration walls, ceiling where the fresco is located. i'm wondering if that adequately covers original qualities -- all of the original qualities and experience of the space such as -- even though it says stair

wall configuration, it doesn't say steps or the rail. i think the exception would be carpet or something like that, but, you know, the lighting qualities and/or fixtures that may be in the space i think are all -- lighting qualities, i should add, are all important qualities to that mural. thank you. >> clerk: thank you, commissioners. i heard a motion to adopt a recommendation for approval. i have not heard a second. >> i second the motion. >> clerk: thank you. if there's no further deliberation from members -- >> jonas, i'd just like to make some very quick comments. >> clerk: of course. >> i appreciate miss lavalley's information that she provided us, particularly the addendum that you shared with us just a few hours ago.

i think that clearly demonstrates to me that this building has and continues to grant public access. i am not a member of the city club and probably will never have the means to be and appreciate the ability to spend time, to spend many minutes and hours in the building to admire this diego rivera mural. and i appreciate what mr. junius has shared with us, but i do believe there has been and continues to be public access. and one of the slides that he has listed in his letter to us, indicating that other buildings that we have landmarked are different, actually, the one at 1830 sutter is even more restrictive in its access because it's a daycare center,

and it cannot be open to the public during weekday hours. i pass by this building at least four times a day. it's just a matter of safety for these young people, but yet, it has been given landmark designation status, and people can still enjoy it when young people are not in the facility. so i believe that this particular designation fits public accessibility, and it is something that we should support, particularly because of our racial and social equity. thank you. >> clerk: thank you. if that concludes commissioner deliberations, there is a motion that has been seconded to adopt a recommendation for approval to landmark this site. on that motion -- [roll call]

>> clerk: so moved, commissioners. that motion passes unanimously, 7-0, and concludes your hearing today. >> thank you, everybody. >> thank you.

>> everything is done in-house. i think it is done. i have always been passionate about gelato. every single slaver has its own recipe. we have our own -- we move on

from there. so you have every time a unique experience because that slaver is the flavored we want to make. union street is unique because of the neighbors and the location itself. the people that live around here i love to see when the street is full of people. it is a little bit of italy that is happening around you can walk around and enjoy shopping with gelato in your hand. this is the move we are happy to provide to the people. i always love union street because it's not like another commercial street where you have big chains. here you have the neighbors. there is a lot of stories and the neighborhoods are essential. people have -- they enjoy having their daily or weekly gelato. i love this street itself. >> we created a move of an area

where we will be visiting. we want to make sure that the area has the gelato that you like. what we give back as a shop owner is creating an ambient lifestyle. if you do it in your area and if you like it, then you can do it on the streets you like.

>> this is one place you can always count on to give you what you had before and remind you of what your san francisco history used to be. >> we hear that all the time, people bring their kids here and their grandparents brought them here and down the line. >> even though people move away, whenever they come back to the city, they make it here. and they tell us that. >> you're going to get something made fresh, made by hand and made with quality products and something that's very, very good. ♪♪ >> the legacy bars and restaurants was something that was begun by san francisco simply to recognize and draw attention to the establishments. it really provides for san francisco's unique character. ♪♪ >> and that morphed into a request that we work with the

city to develop a legacy business registration. >> i'm michael cirocco and the owner of an area bakery. ♪♪ the bakery started in 191. my grandfather came over from italy and opened it up then. it is a small operation. it's not big. so everything is kind of quality that way. so i see every piece and cut every piece that comes in and out of that oven. >> i'm leslie cirocco-mitchell, a fourth generation baker here with my family. ♪♪ so we get up pretty early in the morning. i usually start baking around 5:00. and then you just start doing rounds of dough. loaves.

>> my mom and sister basically handle the front and then i have my nephew james helps and then my two daughters and my wife come in and we actually do the baking. after that, my mom and my sister stay and sell the product, retail it. ♪♪ you know, i don't really think about it. but then when i -- sometimes when i go places and i look and see places put up, oh this is our 50th anniversary and everything and we've been over 100 and that is when it kind of hits me. you know, that geez, we've been here a long time. [applause] ♪♪ >> a lot of people might ask why our legacy business is important. we all have our own stories to tell about our ancestry. our lineage and i'll use one example of tommy's joint. tommy's joint is a place that

my husband went to as a child and he's a fourth generation san franciscan. it's a place we can still go to today with our children or grandchildren and share the stories of what was san francisco like back in the 1950s. >> i'm the general manager at tommy's joint. people mostly recognize tommy's joint for its murals on the outside of the building. very bright blue. you drive down and see what it is. they know the building. tommy's is a san francisco hoffa, which is a german-style presenting food. we have five different carved meats and we carve it by hand at the station. you prefer it to be carved whether you like your brisket fatty or want it lean. you want your pastrami to be

very lean. you can say i want that piece of corn beef and want it cut, you know, very thick and i want it with some sauerkraut. tell the guys how you want to prepare it and they will do it right in front of you. san francisco's a place that's changing restaurants, except for tommy's joint. tommy's joint has been the same since it opened and that is important. san francisco in general that we don't lose a grip of what san francisco's came from. tommy's is a place that you'll always recognize whenever you lock in the door. you'll see the same staff, the same bartender and have the same meal and that is great. that's important. ♪♪

>> the service that san francisco heritage offers to the legacy businesses is to help them with that application process, to make sure that they really recognize about them what it is that makes them so special here in san francisco. ♪♪ so we'll help them with that application process if, in fact, the board of supervisors does recognize them as a legacy business, then that does entitle them to certain financial benefits from the city of san francisco. but i say really, more importantly, it really brings them public recognition that this is a business in san francisco that has history and that is unique to san francisco. >> it started in june of 1953. ♪♪

and we make everything from scratch. everything. we started a you -- we started a off with 12 flavors and mango fruits from the philippines and then started trying them one by one and the family had a whole new clientele. the business really boomed after that. >> i think that the flavors we make reflect the diversity of san francisco. we were really surprised about the legacy project but we were thrilled to be a part of it. businesses come and go in the city. pretty tough for businesss to stay here because it is so expensive and there's so much competition. so for us who have been here all these years and still be popular and to be recognized by the city has been really a huge

honor. >> we got a phone call from a woman who was 91 and she wanted to know if the mitchells still owned it and she was so happy that we were still involved, still the owners. she was our customer in 1953. and she still comes in. but she was just making sure that we were still around and it just makes us feel, you know, very proud that we're carrying on our father's legacy. and that we mean so much to so many people. ♪♪ >> it provides a perspective. and i think if you only looked at it in the here and now, you're missing the context. for me, legacy businesses, legacy bars and restaurants are really about setting the context for how we come to be where we are today.

>> i just think it's part of san francisco. people like to see familiar stuff. at least i know i do. >> in the 1950s, you could see a picture of tommy's joint and looks exactly the same. we haven't change add thing. >> i remember one lady saying, you know, i've been eating this ice cream since before i was born. and i thought, wow! we have, too. ♪♪ >> when i first started painting it was difficult to get my foot in the door and contractors and mostly men would have a bad attitude towards me or not want to answer my questions or not include me and after you prove yourself, which i have done, i don't face that obstacle as much anymore. ♪♪♪

my name is nita riccardi, i'm a painter for the city of san francisco and i have my own business as a painting contractor since 1994 called winning colors. my mother was kind of resistant. none of my brothers were painter. i went to college to be a chiropractor and i couldn't imagine being in an office all day. i dropped out of college to become a painter. >> we have been friends for about 15-20 years. we both decided that maybe i could work for her and so she hired me as a painter. she was always very kind. i wasn't actually a painter when she hired me and that was pretty cool but gave me an opportunity to learn the trade with her company. i went on to different job opportunities but we stayed friends. the division that i work for

with san francisco was looking for a painter and so i suggested to my supervisor maybe we can give nita a shot. >> the painting i do for the city is primarily maintenance painting and i take care of anything from pipes on the roof to maintaining the walls and beautifying the bathrooms and graffiti removal. the work i do for myself is different because i'm not actually a painter. i'm a painting contractor which is a little different. during the construction boom in the late 80s i started doing new construction and then when i moved to san francisco, i went to san francisco state and became fascinated with the architecture and got my contractor's licence and started painting victorians and kind of gravitated towards them. my first project that i did was a 92 room here in the mission.

it was the first sro. i'm proud of that and it was challenging because it was occupied and i got interior and exterior and i thought it would take about six weeks to do it and it took me a whole year. >> nita makes the city more beautiful and one of the things that makes her such a great contractor, she has a magical touch around looking at a project and bringing it to its fullest fruition. sometimes her ideas to me might seem a little whacky. i might be like that is a little crazy. but if you just let her do her thing, she is going to do something incredible, something amazing and that will have a lot of pop in it. and she's really talented at that. >> ultimately it depends on what the customer wants. sometimes they just want to be

understated or blend in and other times they let me decide and then all the doors are open and they want me to create. they hire me to do something beautiful and i do. and that's when work is really fun. i get to be creative and express what i want. paint a really happy house or something elegant or dignified. >> it's really cool to watch what she does. not only that, coming up as a woman, you know what i mean, and we're going back to the 80s with it. where the world wasn't so liberal. it was tough, especially being lgbtq, right, she had a lot of friction amongst trades and a lot of people weren't nice to her, a lot of people didn't give her her due respect. and one of the things amazing about nita, she would never quit.

>> after you prove yourself, which i have done, i don't face that obstacle as much anymore. i'd like to be a mentor to other women also. i have always wanted to do that. they may not want to go to school but there's other options. there's trades. i encourage women to apply for my company, i'd be willing to train and happy to do that. there's a shortage of other women painters. for any women who want to get into a trade or painting career, just start with an apprenticeship or if you want to do your own business, you have to get involved and find a mentor and surround yourself with other people that are going to encourage you to move forward and inspire you and support you and you can't give up. >> we've had a lot of history, nita and i. we've been friends and we have been enemies and we've had conflicts and we always

gravitate towards each other with a sense of loyalty that maybe family would have. we just care about each other. >> many of the street corners in all the districts in san francisco, there will be a painting job i have completed and it will be a beautiful paint job. it will be smooth and gold leaf and just wow. and you can't put it down. when i first started, it was hard to get employees to listen to me and go along -- but now, i have a lot of respect.

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