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Historic Preservation Commission approves amended permit for 300 Grant Avenue; deletes north‑elevation scrim requirement
Summary
The commission voted unanimously to approve a major permit to alter at 300 Grant Avenue, authorizing demolition of two non‑historic buildings for a six‑story mixed‑use development while amending staff conditions to delete a requirement that a terracotta scrim wrap onto the north/Harlan elevation and to allow limited flexibility on final bulkhead materials.
The San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission on Nov. 2 voted unanimously to approve a major permit to alter at 300 Grant Avenue with amended conditions that give the project sponsor more flexibility on final materials and remove a required scrim on the building’s north (Harlan Place) face.
The project sponsor proposes demolition of two existing unrated buildings and construction of a six‑story mixed‑use building with retail on the basement through third floors and office uses above. Planning staff told commissioners that staff finds the proposal consistent with Article 11, Appendix E and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for rehabilitation and that an addendum to the Final Mitigated Negative Declaration remains valid, requiring no supplemental environmental analysis.
Architect David Delos Santos of MBH Architects described the design intent as contemporary but compatible with the conservation district, citing terracotta scribe elements, a bronze‑colored steel vertical frame and Carrara marble portals at a prominent corner. “The scrim element … provides passive solar shading,” he said, describing why the team located the device on the south and west exposures. He added that a scrim on the narrow northern alley would not function as shading and would be largely unseen.
Neighbors’ counsel raised concerns about impacts to the historic Hotel Triton across a narrow alley and urged typical mitigation measures including pre‑construction vibration and noise surveys, monitoring, construction‑hour limits, community liaison and repair obligations for any construction damage. Planning staff said many of those measures are commonly addressed in a mitigated negative declaration or by the Planning Commission when attaching conditions of approval.
On the motion approved by the commission, condition 1 was amended to insert the word “possible,” allowing planners limited discretion on replacement of marble or corrugated metal with “compatible materials,” and condition 2 — the requirement that the terracotta scrim wrap onto the Harlan Street face — was deleted. Condition 3 (signage plan review as a minor permit to alter) remained in place. The commission recorded a unanimous roll‑call vote of 6–0 approving the matter.
The commission’s action forwards the permit with those amendments to the Planning Department for final design review and any subsequent administrative approvals required under the district's delegation. The project team and staff said they anticipate additional coordination with the Planning Department and Architectural Review Committee prior to issuance of permits.
