2020-008490Des
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Landmark Designation REcommendation Executive Summary HEARING DATE: November 18, 2020 Record No.: 2020-008490DES Project Address: 1830 Sutter Street, Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building Zoning: RM-3 – Residential – Mixed, Medium Density 40-X Height and Bulk District Block/Lot: 0676/035 Project Sponsor: Planning Department 49 South Van Ness Avenue, Suite 1400 San Francisco, CA 94103 Property Owner: Nihonmachi Little Friends 1830 Sutter Street San Francisco, CA 94115 Staff Contact: Frances McMillen, 628-652-7376 [email protected] Recommendation: Recommend Landmark Designation to the Board of Supervisors Property Description On October 21, 2020 the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) adopted Resolution No. 1151 to initiate landmark designation of 1830 Sutter Street, known historically as the Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building (“subject property”), pursuant to Article 10 of the Planning Code. Under Article 10, initiation and recommendation are two distinct steps of the landmark designation process which require separate hearings and resolutions. The Department is not aware of any opposition to the Article 10 landmark designation of 1830 Sutter Street (Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building). The Department has received a letter in support of the landmark designation from the Japantown Task Force. The Department also received a copy of the National Register nomination for the subject property signed by the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places. Landmark Designation Recommendation Case Number 2020-008490DES 11/18/2020 1830 Sutter Street Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building The item before the HPC is consideration of a Resolution to Recommend Article 10 landmark designation of the subject property to the Board of Supervisors under Article 10 of the Planning Code, Section 1004.1. Basis for Recommendation The Department recommends that the Historic Preservation Commission recommend to the Board of Supervisors landmark designation of the Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building as the building is individually eligible for its association with Japanese American (Nikkei) women, the African-American civil rights movement, LGBTQ history and the LGBTQ rights movement, and as an important example of the work of master architect, Julia Morgan. ATTACHMENTS Draft Resolution Recommending Landmark Designation Exhibit A – Resolution No. 1151 Initiating Landmark Designation Exhibit B – Draft Landmark Designation Ordinance Exhibit C – Executive Summary Initiating Landmark Designation Exhibit D – Landmark Designation Fact Sheet Exhibit E – Maps and Context Images Exhibit F – National Register nomination Exhibit G – Letter from Japantown Task Force 2 Historic Preservation Commission Resolution No. XXXX HEARING DATE: November 18, 2020 Record No.: 2020-008490DES Project Address: 1830 Sutter Street, Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building Zoning: RM-3 – Residential – Mixed, Medium Density 40-X Height and Bulk District Block/Lot: 0676/035 Project Sponsor: Planning Department 49 South Van Ness Avenue, Suite 1400 San Francisco, CA 94103 Property Owner: Nihonmachi Little Friends 1830 Sutter Street San Francisco, CA 94115 Staff Contact: Frances McMillen, 628-652-7376 [email protected] RESOLUTION TO RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS LANDMARK DESIGNATION OF 1830 SUTTER STREET (JAPANESE YWCA/ISSEI WOMEN’S BUILDING), ASSESSOR’S PARCEL BLOCK NO. 0676, LOT NO. 035, AS LANDMARK NO. XXX CONSISTENT WITH THE PURPOSES AND STANDARDS OF ARTICLE 10 1. WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Commission, at its regular meeting of September 18, 2013, added 1830 Sutter Street (aka Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building), Assessor’s Parcel Block No. 0676, Lot No. 035, to the Landmark Designation Work Program; and 2. WHEREAS, Department Staff, who meet the Secretary of Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards, prepared the Landmark Designation Fact Sheet for 1830 Sutter Street (Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building), and consultant Donna Graves, who also meets the Secretary of the Interior Professional Qualification Standards, prepared the National Register nomination, which was reviewed for accuracy and conformance with the purposes and standards of Article 10; and 3. WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Commission, at its regular meeting of October 21, 2020, reviewed Department staff’s analysis of 1830 Sutter Street (Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building) historical significance pursuant to Article 10 as part of the Landmark Designation Executive Summary dated October 21, 2020, and initiated Landmark designation through Resolution 1151; and Resolution No. XXXX – Recommendation to Board of Supervisors Record No. 2020-008490DES 11/18/2020 1830 Sutter Street (Japanese YWCA) 4. WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Commission finds that the nomination of 1830 Sutter Street (Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building) as a Landmark is in the form prescribed by the Historic Preservation Commission and contains supporting historic, architectural, and/or cultural documentation; and 5. WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Commission finds that 1830 Sutter Street (Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building) is eligible for local designation for association with Japanese American history and culture in San Francisco, specifically, with Japanese American (Nikkei) women who established the first independent Japanese YWCA in the United States and commissioned what may be the only building purpose-built by and for Issei women in the United States; and 6. WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Commission finds that 1830 Sutter Street (Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building) is eligible for local designation for association with the African American civil rights movement, as the building served as the location of the San Francisco chapter of the Committee on Racial Equality (CORE) and was the site of numerous meetings, events, trainings, and gatherings organized to advance the civil rights of African Americans during the 1942-1959 tenancy of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC); and 7. WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Commission finds that 1830 Sutter Street (Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building) is eligible for local designation for association with LGBTQ history and the movement for LGBTQ rights as the building was the center of civil rights leader Bayard Rustin’s organizing work early in his career and was the site of the first convention of the pioneering LGBTQ organization the Mattachine Society in 1954; and 8. WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Commission finds that the designation of 1830 Sutter Street (Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building) is also proper given its significance as an excellent example of the work of master architect, Julia Morgan; and 9. WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Commission finds that 1830 Sutter Street (Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building) meets one of the Historic Preservation Commission’s four priority areas for designation: property types associated with underrepresented racial, ethnic, and social groups; and 10. WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Commission finds that 1830 Sutter Street (Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building) meets the eligibility requirements of Section 1004 of the Planning Code and warrants consideration for Article 10 landmark designation; and 11. WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Commission finds that the boundaries and the list of character-defining features, as identified in the Landmark Designation Fact Sheet, should be considered for preservation under the proposed landmark designation as they relate to 1830 Sutter Street’s historical significance and retain historical integrity; and 12. WHEREAS, the proposed designation is consistent with the General Plan priority policies pursuant to Planning Code, Section 101.1 and furthers Priority Policy No. 7, which states that landmarks and historic buildings be preserved, and will serve the public necessity, convenience and welfare pursuant to Planning Code, Section 302; and 2 Resolution No. XXXX – Recommendation to Board of Supervisors Record No. 2020-008490DES 11/18/2020 1830 Sutter Street (Japanese YWCA) 13. WHEREAS, the Department has determined that landmark designation is exempt from environmental review, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15308 (Class Eight - Categorical); and, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Historic Preservation Commission hereby recommends to the Board of Supervisors approval of landmark designation of 1830 Sutter Street (Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building), Assessor’s Parcel Block No. 0676, Lot No. 035 consistent with the purposes and standards of Article 10 of the Planning Code. I hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was adopted by the Historic Preservation Commission at its meeting on November 18, 2020. Jonas P. Ionin Commission Secretary AYES: NOES: ADOPTED: November 18, 2020 3 Landmark RESOLUTION initiation RESOLUTION NO. 1151 HEARING DATE: OCTOBER 21, 2020 Project Address: 1830 Sutter Street, Japanese YWCA/Issei Women’s Building Zoning: RM-3 – Residential – Mixed, Medium Density 40-X Height and Bulk District Block/Lot: 0676/035 Project Sponsor: Planning Department 49 South Van Ness Avenue, Suite 1400 San Francisco, CA 94103 Property Owner: Nihonmachi Little Friends 1830 Sutter Street San Francisco, CA 94115 Staff Contact: Frances McMillen, 628-652-7376 [email protected] RESOLUTION TO INITIATE DESIGNATION OF 1830 SUTTER STREET (AKA JAPANESE YWCA/ISSEI WOMEN’S BUILDING), ASSESSOR’S PARCEL BLOCK NO. 0676, LOT NO. 035, AS A LANDMARK PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 10 OF THE PLANNING CODE. Preamble WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation