Commission approves restoration at 376 San Carlos Street with conditions

The San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission voted March 4 to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for 376 San Carlos Street in the Liberty Hill Landmark District, with conditions including a site visit after stucco removal and staff review of shop drawings.

Eilish Tuffy, Department staff, described the project as a restoration that would remove nonhistoric stucco, repair underlying wood siding found in good condition, replace ornamental wood trim based on physical evidence, construct a new wood front entry stair and railing, install new wood entrance doors and a wood garage door with partial glazing, replace single-pane windows with insulated wood windows to match in kind, regrade the driveway for drainage, and install front landscaping. "The Department staff recommends approval with conditions to ensure that the proposed work is undertaken in conformance with the Certificate of Appropriateness," Tuffy said.

Commissioner Wolfram questioned the timing and practicality of requiring 'shop drawings' as a condition and whether staff review under tight contractor schedules could be difficult. Tim Frey, Department staff, explained that when shop-drawing review is required the project sponsor must return after permit issuance so staff can verify details and ensure profiles match what the commission approved; he said the requirement depends on the scope of work and is more typical when restoring a primary facade.

After discussion, an unidentified speaker moved to approve the staff motion with conditions; the motion was seconded and approved by unanimous roll call (5–0). The approval includes staff verification steps to ensure trim profiles and final materials conform to the commission’s decision.

Next steps: staff will conduct the post-stucco site visit and review shop drawings prior to final installation as required by the conditions of approval.