And we have additional staff here if needed. Do we have any Public Comment on this item . I dont have any speaker cards. Okay. With that, Public Comment is closed. Commissioner richards. I missed the first part of the presentation, are these only for a rated structures under sequa . Ceqa . We are thinking these would apply to nonHistoric Resources. They would not apply to article 10 or 11. They could apply to individual resources that are a rated resources, but they would not meet the secretary of the interior standards. We would see them as causing an impact. I think where i am going is i would have loved to have this on 450 farrell when we did the e. I. R. And it would be the facade alternative. When we looked at the mitigation and all of that, we had some liver age with the developer leverage with the developer. This is really, really good. I seen it applying to some arated structures. I am happy to see it. The question i have is if it is a Housing Project and we ask for this, will it trip up any state laws . I mean if we are going through the normal review and it would come here. I think the main one would be if it was sd330, we are limited to public hearings. If you are talking to restrictions on development potential, that would also maybe depending on those, yes, what we would do is the retained elements are done. We cant lose housing. I think what we are talking about state density bonus projects or housing accountability acts. The state density bonus they would have to justify it costs more, there is an impact that affects the ability to do the housing. A lot of the pieces we are talking about retaining are relatively small. We have been where a number of projects these might apply to internally now and looking at those and making sure that whatever the alternatives rv the same number of housing units. We are trying to make sure the number of units are the same. Under 330 the guidelines will be adopted before january 1, they wont apply to additional cost to the building. We are bringing them to you for a reason. We appreciate that. Commissioner fung. Questions for staff. Why are complete New Buildings included here . Could you repeat that . Why are complete New Buildings included here . You mean as examples . You have it listed under guideline structure. If a new building is proposed in lieu of retention, evaluating replacement, why is that there . That is in the introduction portion of the Design Guidelines. Often times the project would come forward where we might evaluate it. This happened recently. We looked at something, the storefront or some aspect of the project is interesting on the existing structure. It is a project not including that. There is assumption everything would be demolished. That is a possibility to keep the fabric. Even though the guidelines are discretionary. You consider the possibilities and if you would consider it too be retained. Why would we keep it or not keep it. We do want to ask those questions. That led to my next question. How does one appeal this if it is a preliminary process in the early design works for a project, it doesnt come to the commission. If there is a disagreement with that specific staff member . What if there are cultural differences that that staff member does not recognize . Those are the challenges the Design Review staff and the process in preparing the project for commission we face in a lot of other ways fairly frequently. We are trying to prepare the project in anticipation of Planning Commission review so we have policies that help direct us on that. That is why we wanted the guidelines a set of policies approved with this in the introduction to help guide staff in determining whether or not this what is the appropriate thing to recommend. If the applicant did not agree if it is related to the demolition of Historic Resource it goes through h. P. C. And alternatives review. They get early feedback now that that process has changed. For planning for projects not related to that, it is just as complex as how we prepare projects. There may be an informational on something particularly big or challenging. That could come before you to get your early guidance. An information has no actional item to it. If it is a list of comments, it doesnt always become an action item. These are discretionary, not mandated. It is when these might come into play when a piece of building or mural, we might think it is a good idea. These come into play. These arent code requirements. I understand, director, however, the vast majority of people coming in for projects will attempt to get the current with the planner they are working with. There are instances where there is disagreement and that doesnt get them very far. How does that get adjudicated . There is no formal process. That is part of the Design Review that we negotiate. That is the indicate for many, many years. Commissioner moore. Thank you for tackling an extremely complex subject matter. This is a big question. I would like to ask mr. Highland are the graphics that are being used sufficient to fully address the complexities of the questions that come with this topic . I believe that what i visually see could potentially be ramped up a little bit more to show better examples. In town examples. I am not convinced the visual references fully embrace the complexities and possibilities these guidelines try to address in words. Very astute, yes. Maybe we should have given them a couple of the previous versions of this. We are on a deadline. We want to get this policy adopted in the next month, and what we have is not perfect, but it is miles ahead of what we had even six months ago. The biggest challenge, and ms. Small can add to this. There are few good examples at a large scale, and what staff has done is photographed or used images of the intersections of the old and new as opposed to larger full pictures. They used diagrams to show the massing and scale of the old and new. As i am sure we can update the guidelines. As projects come forward that we have better examples of to incorporate. We have been doing this for four years now and talking to other cities trying to figure out good examples. I believe they intentionally used the larger projects not San Francisco because of that challenge. Then there is also the difference of opinions of is that a good example or not a good example. You are right. I am very happy with the current standpoint tuesday, even status. The Graphic Design can be improved. I agree the Graphic Design is fine. I would hope as we become more versed in the topic that we will continueiously update images and learn from other mistakes they are making using some images far less clear than potentially others. I can point out one where i say why dont you use that image. One other item not mentioned is this is another first in the nation. This is the first city to public anything like this. This conversation has been happening for 30 years. I had a ph. D. Dissertation student study this 25 years ago. It is not a new topic, but it hasnt evolved far enough. We are the first city to tackle it. As other cities start adopting it, it will evolve and get better. We did struggle to find good examples. We know of bad examples. We have within the Design Guidelines avoided the donts and showed the dews. We showed nonSan Francisco examples in a very specific way to show the ambition and be opportunity of how well it is done in so many places. I believe with sb330 we can update examples in the future as long as we dont change the content of the guidelines. I have a question for staff as well, too. Whatever version of sd50 is passed retains the language about increasing density near bus corridors and increasing height within a halfmile of the transit lines. Are these a tool you would help whatever buildings are renovated or construct would . Are these guidelines a way to help make sure that the renovated structures fit within the neighborhood . I havent looked at it in a long time. I will say that i think these guidelines are intended to have a conversation around the best Public Benefit what the opportunities of the site may be. We have a lot of soft sites. You know, there are a lot of reasons why we have one story things that arent providing we know we need housing. This is an opportunity to have a public conversations keeping the qualities there or adding institutional uses. There could be a use the commission reviews and says this has a great public purpose. There can be more conversation around that. There is a sense of dislocation when projects are taken out. We get benefiteds what is arriving. That erosion can feel disorienting. This is to help and allow for those things that arent old enough to be resources or fitting in with the more conventional preservation might request to be saved. For all of those issues, this is one of the goals of the project. Commissioner johnson. Thank you for mentioning the fact this is the first like we are one of the firsts to put this forward. I have heard people talking about facades and wha what wha e spirit and what does it mean in a meaningful way. It is really about a larger conversation. These are helping everyone involved. Individuals and mak neighbor lad groups into a conversation about that. I love that it is discretionary to invite us into a conversation. It is not one side fits all. I echo and i am excited about it able to support a public process that invites people in. That actually hasekwitabl has te outcomes. We are looking to you to formize and begin to be on the same page across the city with family and the folks we interact with is a great start. I love the usability of this guide. It was fun to read and look through. I appreciate the astute questions brought up by commissioner more and commissioner fung. I think that preservation is so personal to communities, to individuals, and it is part of that publicprivate. It is important to the owner of the building, to the community, to the city and so there is a balance that needs struck in conversation and making sure people feel like they have a say or a say in what is important. It makes sense to look at how people do appeal or what happens when thinks when people disagree more closely so we can continue be that public equitable process to make sure it gets implemented. I would move to adopt. Thank you to staff for all of your work. Second. Thank you, commissioner johnson. I love this. I think it is beautiful and elegant. Again, thank you, president highland for working on this for so long. It is great work. I am excited that we are having this conversation, yes, i also wish that we had this conversation 10 years ago, but it is what it is. I am excited to see it progress. Once we start discussing this through the lens, we will find ways to see nuances, to adapt it and have it evolve. I am very, very excited about it and good work, guys. Commissioner moore. Commissioner moore. The topic Design Guidelines is too long. Is there a way to simplify that . R. E. D. Or stdg . As we continue to work in acronyms, you use them every day, i say what does this mean . It is awful. I called them retained elements. That is the shorthand in the office. I think the director said nothing longer than three letters. He appreciate that. We dont need acronyms. The restdg is awful. I think it is important that we see the system. We have topic Design Guidelines and area Design Guidelines working with urban Design Guidelines and supersede the qualities because they are specific. We dont want the acronym for special topic Design Guidelines. No, we dont want to do that. Thank you. Very good. There is a motion seconded to adopt the guidelines. Commissioner diamond. roll call . So moved. That passes unanimously 70. Item 10. 2019022159c wp japan town special area Design Guidelines. This is an informational presentation. We have a double feature today. We bring forward today an informational item looking at japan town special area Design Guidelines. For this process, it is important to give a more robust description of the history of this particular neighborhood to understand the context of why these guidelines are brought forward and the process by which they arrived here. This is a learning process for staff. We have been looking in japan town for some time. It is important to notice the layers of history that have happened there with the environment, in particular, how the community arrived in the western Edition Japanese and japanese americans. After the earthquake there was a formation of this community in the area which had a lot of victorians and European Architecture influences. Of course, as time progressed there were a number of forces with a impact on the environment, particularly in the world war ii where they were forced from homes by the wartime. The remnants of the community that was able to rebuild. One can imagine the qualities and context how it emerged. In 1956 we had redevelopment that was an external influence on the development of the neighborhood in itself. How this led to the development of Community Resistance and new changes to the environment more driven by Community Needs and internal Decision Making which became very potent in developing a larger contract how the environment would be maintained and developed over time. It continued for a number of decades. We see many remnants of that. The important stance is the Decision Making that happened and the framing of the neighborhood, how it reflected those experiences. In willing cases the qualities of the japanese influences that came in and redevelopment devastation gave rise to a new movement in the city. The history coming from that in the last 20 years we have the development of the japan town task force and the development of planning efforts, some were successful and some less so. The japan town Neighborhood Planning Initiative which goped an area plan and opportunity to make some significant changes. That was not successful. Although the japan town Cultural Heritage amend Economic Strategy came from that. There were good and important pieces of information that came out of that, the community decided to continue with that. Those strategies are wide ranging. Quite complex. Very Community Driven and aspects will be unfolding for years to come. This was a groundbreaking process in the city and beginning of Cultural Heritage districts in the city. There is an interesting part of the larger understanding of culture, the Core Development of community and how that began to function within the environment. A lot of Cultural Heritage districts are coming from that. Within the set of strategies was the intent to create japan town guidelines. It is in the document. If you want to look into understanding the origin of Design Guidelines and the intent it is one of many strategies. It was number 10 to begin to help explain, maintain,laborate upon character and qualities of character within that part of the city. The japan town special use district specifically identifies and encourages the japanese design and cultural andtutional uses. Institutional uses. The guidelines began as early as 2011. One of the first things i did at the department was work on this in 20132014 after the adoption in 2013. As we continued to work with the community, the urban guidelines were forging as a substantial project. There was overlap in the practices and goals in the neighborhood commercial district. That was put on hold until the guidelines were passed. They felt that would be redundant with that process. In some ways these were the special guidelines conceived of. There was another layer to more detail around the unique and special qualities of japan town. Over the past year the special guidelines were revived and titled that instead of how they were titled. We as staff have been looking back to the various outreach processes that happened over the last 10 or 15 years including going into the research and looking at the Community Outreach meetings and the notes around that. The cultural district, Community Benefits district and the department of public works and rec and park have been working hand and hand over many meetings to redesign the peace plaza that is at a successful point currently. This is the applicabilities map. We are trying to update the Property Information map. This is on here to see the history of all of the different des us nations of designation of boundary. It would apply to the urban Design Guidelines. These would supersede the conflicts. The guidelines apply in the r districts where there are institutional uses, where there are remembe residential project5 units or larger or frontage 150 feet or longer. We propose the special guidelines would apply in the r districts within the boundary, cultural boundary for those same conditions where the urban Design Guidelines would apply. We will describe the nature from the outreach as described with conversations with Community Members i. They focus on human centered and unique qualities in the environment. Openness and inclusiveness, diversity, Community Building and identity. Sensitivity. Sustainability is big within this dialogue. Transparency, co