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Commission approves COA for 2229 Webster with conditions; Page & Turnbull to finalize technical specifications
Summary
After staff described illegal demolition and options for restoration, the Historic Preservation Commission approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for 2229 Webster Street on Jan. 7, 2026, 7-0, conditioning approval on final technical specifications from preservation consultant Page & Turnbull and a commemorative plaque recognizing Anne Bloomfield.
The San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission on Jan. 7 approved a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for 2229 Webster Street, resolving an enforcement case involving unpermitted work and demolition that exceeded thresholds in Article 10 of the Planning Code.
Gretel Gunther of the Planning Department presented the staff report, saying the property — a circa‑1878 Italianate two‑story residence within the Webster Street Historic District — had been the subject of enforcement (case 2024‑009420 ENF) for work done without approvals, including removal of more than 25% of exterior walls, which the staff characterized as exceeding the threshold set out in Planning Code section 10.05(f)(3). Staff recommended approval of the proposed project with conditions and noted it met the Secretary of the Interior standards for rehabilitation.
Project sponsor Janine Giswaldo and architect Alaaam Riley presented two restoration options. Riley described Option 1 as restoring the house to the condition it had when purchased, with limited exceptions (garage, skylight, parapet), and Option 2 as restoration guided by archival evidence and observed scarring to avoid speculative work. Riley said staff and Page & Turnbull would produce the technical specifications that will govern the facade restoration.
Commissioners questioned scope and precedent. Commissioner Chen Strang asked whether windows would be restored to their original openings; Riley replied they would be restored “in kind” and that frames would be restored to fit the existing openings. Commissioners also raised concerns about planter/ironwork and DBI review for rail heights. Commissioner Baldauff urged caution about speculative ornamentation and asked staff to avoid adding trim not supported by physical evidence.
Commissioner Foley framed the item in enforcement terms: "I hope that enforcement staff working with you all and Page and Turnbull, we won't actually have to come back here again. Because it's really upsetting," expressing frustration at unpermitted demolition and the burden it places on preservation oversight. Staff said fines from enforcement feed an enforcement fund used to support the department’s enforcement activities.
After deliberation, Commissioner Foley moved to approve the COA with a condition that staff, working with Page & Turnbull, finalize technical specifications and return to the Historic Preservation Commission with a presentation of findings before permits are released. Commissioner Cox seconded. Commissioner Baldauff successfully requested an addendum asking that speculative trim not be installed absent clear physical evidence. The motion passed by roll call, 7-0.
The commission adopted conditions intended to ensure that final work is guided by documented physical evidence and professional preservation standards; staff will not release building permits until the department has reviewed and confirmed the technical specifications provided by Page & Turnbull. The commission also directed that a commemorative plaque recognizing Anne Bloomfield be specified by a qualified preservation architect and historian.
