CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4-60 4.17 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 

South End's period of historical significance, 1867 to 1935, comprises the era during which 

the waterfront became a vital part of the city's and nation's maritime commerce. The 

buildings of the South End Historic District represent a rich and varied cross-section of the 

prominent local architects and builders of the period. Four buildings remain from the 

nineteenth century; another four were constructed in the six-year interval preceding the 1906 

earthquake. The majority of the buildings were erected between 1906 and 1929, a period 

during which trade along the waterfront increased dramatically. 

The proposed historic district is an important visual landmark for the city as a whole. The 

large number of intact masonry warehouses which remain to this day are reminders of the 

maritime and rail activities which helped to make San Francisco a great turn-of-the-century 

port city. The warehouse district, because of its distinct building forms, is identifiable from 

many parts of San Francisco and the greater Bay Area.16

4.17 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 

The proposed project would involve construction within an urbanized area, where hazardous 

materials/hazardous wastes would be a concern due to past land uses and undocumented releases 

to the subsurface environment. Potential hazardous materials/waste sources or sites within the 

project alignment are discussed, along with a summary of data sources consulted. 

4.17.1 INTRODUCTION AND DATA SOURCES

Potential areas of contamination that could affect the Transbay Terminal/Caltrain Downtown 

Extension/Redevelopment Project were identified by reviewing previous environmental 

documents prepared for the Caltrain portion of the project (mainly the 1997 Draft EIS/EIR); 

reviewing information from regulatory agency databases; walking the alignment to confirm 

listings in the data base report and making observations at several properties where subsurface 

work or excavation is currently being conducted; and reviewing results of past investigations in 

the area. 

Review of regulatory agency databases focused on the following: (a) known or potential 

hazardous waste sites or releases; (b) sites currently under investigation for environmental 

violations; (c) sites that involve the manufacture, generation, use, storage, and/or disposal of 

hazardous materials or hazardous waste (owner and tenants); (d) sites with underground storage 

tanks (USTs), and (e) sites with recorded violations of regulations concerning USTs and 

hazardous materials/ hazardous wastes. A total of 37 federal, state and local regulatory agency 

lists were searched to identify listed facilities within the project alignment, including lists 

maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), the California 

 

16 Added by Ord. 104-90, App. 3/23/90. See, San Francisco City Planning Code, Article 10, http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/planning/. 

Additional historical information may be found in the South End Historic District Case Report No. 89.065L.
CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4.17 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 4-61 

Environmental Protection Agency (Cal EPA), the California State Water Resources Control 

Board (SWRCB), and the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB). 

During the previous 1997 study, Ms. Pamela Hollis, CIH, with the San Francisco Department of 

Public Health, was consulted to obtain information regarding known Article 20 (known as the 

Maher Ordinance) investigation sites within the project area. Article 20 was amended in 1999 

and is now Article 22A of the San Francisco Public Works Code. Article 20, which was 

originally adopted in 1986, requires historical research and possibly subsurface investigation 

including soil/groundwater sampling at sites bayward of the City's historic (1851) high tide lines 

if more than 50 cubic yards of material will be excavated or disturbed. This is a requirement for 

the issuance of a building or construction permit from the City and County of San Francisco. 

Existing environmental investigations reports within the project area were also reviewed. Other 

Relevant environmental investigation reports were identified and reviewed as part of this study. 

4.17.2 RECORDED HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SITES

There are three main sources of potentially hazardous materials within the study area. By far the 

main source of potentially hazardous material or waste is the fill used to reclaim areas of the Bay 

along the historic shoreline. Additionally, past industrial land uses and the presence of USTs 

containing fuel hydrocarbons and other substances are also significant sources of soil and 

groundwater contamination along the proposed alignment. The proposed project alignment 

includes a large area of reclaimed bay and tidal areas that lay either along or bayward of the 

historic shoreline of San Francisco. (See Figure 4.17-1 for the location of fill areas and the 

historic shoreline.) Materials used to fill the shoreline/tidal areas included general debris (soil, 

ash, slag, etc.) and sources such as dune sand as well as a large amount of debris from the 1906 

earthquake and resulting fire. Fill material from these sources are known to contain elevated 

concentrations of lead and other heavy metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and fuel 

hydrocarbons. In many areas testing of this material often reveals concentrations of constituents 

of concern that exceed State or Federal hazardous waste criteria. 

Past industrial land uses near the historic shoreline contributed to potential contamination of soil 

and groundwater along the proposed alignment. These areas were typically chosen for their 

accessibility from the water and waste disposal practices at that time often included direct 

discharge to the ground surface or the Bay. 

Coal gasification plants (also known as Manufactured Gas Plants (MGPs)) were historically 

located near Second and Townsend Streets and First and Natoma Streets and are known to have 

disposed of residual or waste material known as coal tar, directly to the waters of San Francisco 

Bay prior to some of these areas being reclaimed by filling. The old Yerba Buena Cove was 

commonly referred to as the "Tar Flats" which described the condition of the cove at low tide 

from the disposal of coal tar directly to the shallow waters of the cove. During reclamation of 

the land, fill material was deposited directly on top of the discharged coal tar. As such, this 
CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4-62 4.17 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 

material is often encountered during excavations in areas near the former MGPs. Additionally, 

the South of Market area in general contains a high density of USTs, many of which were 

abandoned, but not removed, which in turn leads to a high occurrence of soil and groundwater 

contamination by fuel hydrocarbons. 

Record reviews identified 39 sites that have the potential to impact subsurface contaminants for 

the Transbay Terminal/Caltrain Downtown Extension/Redevelopment Project. Table 4.17-1 

provides a summary of the sites, and site locations are shown in Figure 4.17-1. The main 

constituents of concern identified in the study area are coal tar residues, lead and other heavy 

metals, and petroleum hydrocarbons associated with USTs and are discussed briefly below. 

4.17.2.1 Coal Tar Residues 

Contamination was encountered at several Article 20 investigation sites within the project area, 

as shown on Figure 4.17-1. 

The Oriental Warehouse site located at Delancey and Brannan Streets (Site 12) and a property 

located at Second and Townsend Streets (Site 13) each have coal tar residues. Historical records 

indicate one MGP existed near Townsend and Second Streets and another near King and Second 

Streets. Coal tar was discharged directly into Mission Bay and, in some areas, may have been 

transported there during filling of the Bay. The areas of the Bay that received the discharges 

were later filled as reclaimed land. The coal tar deposits from these two plants overlap and 

together range in thickness from approximately one to five feet and in depth from five to 10 feet 

below the ground surface. The deposits thin over short distances along Second Street north of 

Townsend Street but extend laterally to The Embarcadero, Mission Creek (China Basin), and 

Third Street. 

The area in the vicinity of First and Natoma Streets is also the historical location of a MGP 

where coal tar was discharged to Yerba Buena Cove. Coal tar and coal tar residues have been 

encountered during investigation and construction of the two high-rise buildings along the 

southern side of the intersection of Howard and Beale Streets and beneath the foundation of the 

building on Fremont Street between Howard and Folsom Streets. Coal tar residues have also 

been detected during investigations conducted as far east as Main Street. Coal tar is known to 

exist on top of Bay Mud deposits along Beale Street from approximately Mission to Folsom 

Streets. It has been found as far east as The Embarcadero and is believed to extend as far west as 

Fremont Street. The thickness of the coal tar deposit ranges from near zero along the fringes of 

the deposit up to seven to 10 feet in the area of Beale and Howard Streets. The approximate 

depth to the top of the deposit is 10 to 12 feet at Beale Street, shallowing to the west and 

deepening to the east, although shallow deposits have been encountered near The Embarcadero 

at Howard Street. Coal tar residues are believed to be present in soil throughout the entire area 

of the former Yerba Buena Cove from First Street to The Embarcadero. 
CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4.17 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 4-63 

Table 4.17-1 

Known Hazardous Materials Sites Identified within the Study Area (2) 

Site No. (1) Site Name and 

Location 

Agency 

Database 

Nature of 

Release 

Resources 

Affected Status Remedial Actions EDR Map ID (3) 

1 

Federal Reserve 

Bank, 100 

Mission/ Main St 

LUST Gasoline Not Indicated Leak being 

confirmed 

No Action 

Taken 12 

2 Talco, Inc., 621 

First St 

LUST, 

CORTESE Diesel Soil Only 

Remediation 

completed or 

deemed 

unnecessary 

Excavate & 

dispose of 

contaminated 

soil 

35 

3 

San Francisco 

Gas Light Co., 

401 Howard St. 

Coal Gas 

Sites Coal Gas Soil Only Not Indicated Not Indicated 51 

4 

Caltrans 

(Transbay 

Terminal), 150 

First St. 

LUST, 

CORTESE Diesel Not Indicated 

Remediation 

completed or 

deemed 

unnecessary 

Excavate and 

dispose of 

contaminated 

soil 

29 

5 

San Francisco 

Gas Light Co., 

166 Fremont St., 

498 Howard St. 

Coal Gas 

Sites Coal Gas Not Indicated Not Indicated Not Indicated 42 

6 

US Marine Corps 

–Supply Depot, 

160 Harrison St. 

LUST Diesel Soil Only Case closed Not Indicated 68 

7 524 Howard St. LUST, 

CORTESE Heater Fluid Soil Only Case closed 

Excavate and 

dispose of 

contaminated 

soil 

72 

8 

Department of 

Transportation, 

434 Main St 

LUST Diesel Soil Only 

Remediation 

completed or 

deemed 

unnecessary 

Not Indicated 79 

9 Caltrans, 120 

Richards St 

LUST, 

CORTESE Gasoline Ground-water Leak being 

confirmed Not Indicated 79 

10 

Dahl Beck 

Electric Co., 580 

Howard St 

LUST, 

CORTESE Gasoline Soil Only 

Remediation 

completed or 

deemed 

unnecessary 

No Action 

Taken 86 

11 

141 New 

Montgomery, 171 

New Montgomery 

St. 

LUST, 

CORTESE Gasoline Ground-water 

Remediation 

completed or 

deemed 

unnecessary 

 Excavate & 

dispose of 

contaminated 

soil 

91 

12 

Oriental 

Warehouse, 

Delancey and 

Brannan Streets 

Not listed PAHs/ 

LUST Soil Only Not Indicated Not Indicated Hollis, 1995 

13 

Unspecified Site, 

Second and 

Townsend Streets 

Not listed PAHs/ 

LUST Soil Only Not Indicated Not Indicated Hollis, 1995 

14 Pacific Bell, 611 

Folsom St. 

LUST, 

CORTESE, 

RCRIS 

Diesel Soil Only Not Indicated No Action 

Taken 108 

15 600 Harrison St. LUST Gasoline Soil Only 

Remediation 

completed or 

deemed 

unnecessary 

 Excavate and 

dispose of 

contaminated 

soil 

115 
CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4-64 4.17 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 

Table 4.17-1 

Known Hazardous Materials Sites Identified within the Study Area (2) 

Site No. (1) Site Name and 

Location 

Agency 

Database 

Nature of 

Release 

Resources 

Affected Status Remedial Actions EDR Map ID (3) 

16 

Photosynthesis 

LTD 

Chromeworks, 

425 Bryant St. 

LUST, 

CORTESE Diesel Soil Only Not Indicated No Action 

Taken 134 

17 

George 

Lithograph CO, 

650 Second St. 

LUST, 

CORTESE Gasoline Not Indicated 

Remediation 

completed or 

deemed 

unnecessary 

Not Indicated 143 

18 

San Francisco 

Fire Dept., 698 

Second St. 

LUST, 

CORTESE Gasoline Soil Only Leak being 

confirmed 

No Action 

Taken 150 

19 

Commercial 

Building, 35 

Stanford St. 

LUST Gasoline Soil Only Not Indicated 

Excavate and 

dispose of 

contaminated 

soil 

158 

20 Commercial, 101 

Townsend St. LUST Diesel Soil Only 

Remediation 

completed or 

deemed 

unnecessary 

Remove free 

product 163 

21 

San Francisco 

Gas & Electric 

Co., 120 King St. 

Coal Gas 

Sites Coal Gas Soil Only Not Indicated Not Indicated 174 

22 

Pacific Gas 

Improvement Co., 

169 Townsend St. 

Coal Gas 

Sites Coal Gas Soil Only Not Indicated Not Indicated 177 

23 

McDonalds 

Corp., 701Third 

St. 

LUST, 

CORTESE Gasoline Ground-water 

Remediation 

completed or 

deemed 

unnecessary 

Excavate and 

dispose of 

contaminated 

soil 

186 

24 

Sun Chemical 

Corp.#1, 252 

Townsend St 

Cal-Sites 

(Cal-EPA) 

Not 

 Indicated Not Indicated No Further 

Action Not Indicated 191 

25 Unspecified Site Not listed Metals Soil Only Not Indicated Not Indicated Dames & Moore, 

1990a 

26 

San Francisco 

Iron Foundry, 260 

Townsend St. 

Cal-Sites 

(Cal-EPA) 

Not 

 Indicated Not Indicated Referred to 

another agency Not Indicated 193 

27 Heublin, Inc., 601 

Fourth St. 

LUST, 

CORTESE Diesel Ground-water Leak being 

confirmed Not Indicated 189 

28 

Sun Pacific 

Imports, 530 

Brannan St. 

LUST, 

CORTESE Gasoline Ground-water 

Remediation 

completed or 

deemed 

unnecessary 

 Excavate and 

dispose of 

contaminated 

soil 

194 

29 

Commercial 

Building, 542 

Brannan St 

LUST Gasoline Undefined 

 No leak action 

taken after initial 

report 

Excavate and 

dispose of 

contaminated 

soil 

196 

30 

Southern Pacific 

Trans., 329 

Townsend St. 

LUST, 

CORTESE Diesel Ground-water Assessment 

underway 

Excavate & 

dispose of 

contaminated 

soil 

203 

31 

SF Newspaper 

Agency, 590 

Brannan St. 

LUST, 

CORTESE Gasoline Ground-water Cleanup in progress 

Remove free 

product 201 
CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4.17 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 4-65 

Table 4.17-1 

Known Hazardous Materials Sites Identified within the Study Area (2) 

Site No. (1) Site Name and 

Location 

Agency 

Database 

Nature of 

Release 

Resources 

Affected Status Remedial Actions EDR Map ID (3) 

32 Unspecified Site Not listed Metals, 

Petroleum Soil Only Not Indicated Not Indicated 

Dames & Moore, 

1990a; Mullinix, 

1995 

33 

California Poultry 

Co., 777 Brannan 

St. 

LUST, 

CORTESE Gasoline Ground-water Leak being 

confirmed 

No Action 

Taken 222 

34 

Flair Electro 

Sales, 516 

Townsend St 

LUST, 

Notify 65 Diesel Ground-water Leak being confirmed 

No Action 

Taken 224 

35 

Independent 

Electric Supply, 

550 Townsend St. 

LUST Gasoline Ground-water Pollution 

Characterization 

No Action 

Taken 228 

36 

Baker/Hamilton 

Bldg. 638 King 

St. 

LUST, 

CORTESE Gasoline Soil Only 

Remediation 

completed or 

deemed 

unnecessary 

No Action 

Taken 235 

37 

Baker/Hamilton 

Properties, LLC, 

650 King St. 

LUST Fuel Oils Soil Only Remediation 

underway 

Excavate & 

dispose of 

contaminated 

soil 

237 

38 

Golden Gate 

Disposal Co., 

900 7th St. 

LUST, 

FINDS Motor Oil Undefined Leak being 

confirmed 

Excavate & 

dispose of 

contaminated 

soil & remove 

free product 

238 

39 

Former Southern 

Pacific Co., 

415 Channel St. 

LUST Gasoline Soil Only Leak was 

confirmed 

No Action 

Taken 240 

40 

Greyhound Bus 

Depot, 150 

Hopper St. 

CA FID None Not Indicated Not Indicated No Action 

Taken 242 

41 The Glidden Co. LUST Misc. Fuels 

& Solvents Ground-water Remediation is 

planned 

No Action 

Taken 

Dames & Moore, 

2001 

Notes: 

(1) Site numbers correspond to site location numbers shown on Figure 4.17-1. 

(2) Information presented in this table is from Environmental Data Resources, Inc. (EDR, 2001); agency correspondence; and 

Dames & Moore (URS) project files. 

(3) EDR Map ID is the ID number as designated in the EDR reports. 

Source: URS, 2001

4.17.2.2 Lead 

The historic industrial land uses in the project area and the nature of the fill material placed 

during land reclamation have resulted in areas where lead concentrations and other heavy metals 

in soil exceed state and/or federal criteria for hazardous waste determination. For example, soil 

with lead was encountered during The Embarcadero Roadway and Muni Turnaround projects as 

well as at recent commercial and residential developments in the South of Market Area. Lead is 

also associated with old UST sites where leaded gasoline stored in USTs leaked and impacted 

soil/groundwater. 
CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4-66 4.17 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS .Figure 4.17-1: Hazardous Material Site Locations 
CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 4-67 

4.17.2.3 Underground Storage Tanks 

Review of the regulatory agency databases included 29 UST (fuel tanks) release sites within 

close proximity of the proposed project as shown in Figure 4.17-1 and listed in Table 4.17-1. It 

is possible that other unidentified USTs may exist in close proximity to the proposed Project. 

Fuel hydrocarbons (gasoline, diesel, and motor oil), aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, 

ethylbenzene, and xylenes), and lead are the contaminant types most frequently associated with 

leaking USTs. 

4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 

The visual and aesthetic environment in the study area is described below to establish the 

baseline against which to compare changes resulting from construction of project facilities and 

the demolition or alteration of existing structures or streetscape elements. This discussion 

focuses on the vicinity of the existing Transbay Terminal, the proposed Caltrain Downtown 

Extension and proposed Transbay Redevelopment Area, and associated properties where the 

project has the potential to change above-ground structures, affecting the visual appearance of 

the study area and views enjoyed by area users. The existing visual quality of the proposed study 

area is determined by a number of factors. Important factors include the: 

• General “image” of the area that results from its location, its overall form, and the degree of 

spatial definition provided by its boundaries; 

• Visual variety of landscape and architectural resources within the area, in terms of type and 

quality; 

• Availability of public views, including of regional landmarks, within the area; and 

• Position of the area in dynamic view sequences, such as entry to San Francisco by water or 

freeway, in which the area may be an important component of the larger cityscape. 

The locations of viewpoints discussed in the following section are shown on Figure 4.18-1. 

4.18.1 VISUAL CHARACTER OF THE AREA

The visual character of the study area is varied, reflecting changing development patterns and 

uses over the past 95 years. Its physical character is a combination of low-, mid-, and high-rise 

buildings, ranging from early 20th century historic structures and districts, to new, single and 

clustered office towers. A large amount of the Transbay Area is underdeveloped, much of it 

occupied by surface parking lots. Blocks and streets are punctuated by vehicular overpasses 

from the highway, the Bay Bridge, related off-ramps, and bus ramps. Low-scale neighborhoods 

exist in several disparate areas. 
CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4-68 4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 

Figure 4.18-1: Viewpoint Location Map 
CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 4-69 

The overall Transbay Redevelopment Area does not currently have a high degree of visual 

definition or coherence. Certain elements provide a formal order, giving the area its general 

character. The street grid is rectilinear and regular and generally consists of larger blocks typical 

of South of Market. First Street acts as a seam between two development patterns south of 

Market Street. This is manifested in block orientation and building type, where the 550-foot by 

825-foot blocks generally west of First Street are nearly twice as large as the blocks to the east 

and nearly four times as large as those north of Market Street. Coupled with the generally lowrise nature of development south of Mission Street and west of Beale Street and the lack of 

vertical relief north of Rincon Hill, the result is a pattern of small-scale buildings on large-scale 

blocks. 

The northern boundary of the study area is visually defined by Market Street’s abrupt transition 

from the diagonal street grid of the proposed Transbay Redevelopment Area to the alignment of 

streets to the north,17 and also by the high-rise structures in the downtown urban core. These 

structures in aggregate produce a large-scale visual edge that is somewhat relieved by building 

qualities and exterior architectural treatments on the high-rise buildings (Figure 4.18-2A). The 

eastern boundary of the study area is also marked by the strong visual contrasts that typically 

occur at the water's edge: the clarity of the edge itself; vivid changes in forms, texture and color; 

and a moving open water surface juxtaposed with visual walls (Figure 4.18-2B). The western 

edge of the study area is less distinct, although the strong identity of Yerba Buena Gardens 

clearly comes into prominence west of Third Street. 

The elevated Bay Bridge approach dominates views in a southerly direction along Rincon Hill, 

creating a visual boundary in the southern portion of the study area (Figure 4.18-3A). In places, 

the Bay Bridge Anchorage lacks ornament and formal variation and tends to be absorbed by 

surrounding structures, except where Rincon Hill falls away and the Beale Street anchorage and 

bridge steel work take on sculptural qualities (Figure 4.18-3B). South of Bryant Street, mid-rise 

residential structures and a collection of large-lot, mid-rise warehouses in the South End Historic 

District and vast expanses of open water of the San Francisco Bay characterize views of the 

study area’s southern edge. 

The relative flatness of the proposed Redevelopment Area adjacent to the Rincon Hill Area 

accentuates those features that do reach above the surrounding landscape. Such features include 

the Moderne form of the Pacific Telephone Building on New Montgomery Street 

(Figure 4.18-4A), the most striking element on the western edge of the study area; the Second 

Street corridor, with new development and contemporary design coexisting with the historic 

urban fabric (Figure 4.18-4B); and the heavily excavated yet important form of Rincon Hill on 

the south, with the newly remodeled spire of the Bank of America clock tower accentuating its 

height (Figure 4.18-5A). 

 

17 The South of Market street grid is oriented off of true north by approximately 45 degrees. Thus, Mission Street and streets 

parallel to it run in a southwest-northeast direction and perpendicular streets, such as First Street, run in a northwest-southeast 

direction. For purposes of this analysis, local convention directions are used. Thus, Mission Street runs in an east-west direction 

and First Street runs in a north-south direction.
CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4-70 4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 

Figure 4.18-2: Existing Views
CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 4-71 

Figure 4.18-3: Existing Views 
CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4-72 4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 

.Figure 4.18-4: Existing Views 
CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 4-73 

.Figure 4.18-5: Existing Views 
CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4-74 4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 

Large structures visually define the northern and southern edges of the study area. The Bay 

Bridge stands high over the southeastern corner of the study area and a wall of modern 

skyscrapers define the northern and northeastern edge of the project area, while the office towers 

at 199 Fremont Street and 301 Howard Street rise above the Transbay Terminal ramps 

(Figure 4.18-5B). Building heights range from 550 feet along Mission Street, among the highest 

in the City, to 40 feet along Second Street between Harrison and Bryant. Building heights 

decrease toward the southern side of Rincon Hill. Smaller scale development characterizes 

South Park, where building heights are roughly 40 feet. South of the Bay Bridge anchorage, 

buildings are a more moderate scale, ranging from 40 to 105 feet. Heights at the eastern edge 

facing the waterfront step down from the maximum at Mission and Fremont, to between 100 and 

250 feet in the Rincon Center and Rincon Hill districts. Building heights at the western end of 

the study area approaching Yerba Buena Gardens range from 350 feet near Mission off New 

Montgomery to 40 feet at the southern edge of the area adjacent to the freeway. 

Certain subareas are visually distinctive within the study area. The buildings within the Second 

Street-New Montgomery Corridor to the east convey their historic character in design and 

materials; their scale, and the visual importance given to architectural elements that face directly 

onto the streets (e.g., windows, doors), emphasize activity at street level. This historic corridor, 

between Market and Howard Streets, has a more traditionally "urban" character than most of the 

project area, emphasizing the activity of workers, shoppers and students moving within a built 

environment that retains a human scale.

In recent years, new office, hotel, and residential developments have been constructed along 

Second Street. The 143-foot tall office tower, clad in buff limestone with cool aqua windows, is 

one of the newer office buildings at 201 Second Street. The C-Net Building at 235 Second Street 

is 88 feet tall and is clad with a masonry façade joined to a contemporary glass curtain wall. The 

Marriott Courtyard Hotel with its slender and slightly arched massing reaches a height of 170 

feet on the corner of Second and Folsom Streets. The new development on Second Street, 

contemporary in design, respects the street wall established by older structures, by setting towers 

back from the street.

Three subareas within the Transbay Terminal Area present relatively coherent overall images of 

place: the corridor of undeveloped land along Folsom Street; the area to the east of the existing 

Transbay Terminal that is a visual extension of the downtown office district; and the area within 

the Terminal loop, with its collection of small-scale commercial buildings. 

As shown in Figure 4.18-6A, an expanse of pavement and parking exists along Folsom Street in 

the former location of the now-demolished Embarcadero Freeway. This visual setting is 

repeated on parts of the south side of the street, as well, where commercial and Postal Service 

parking lots and a Golden Gate Transit bus storage lot are interspersed among occasional 

buildings, including the landmark Klockars blacksmith shop beneath the massive PG&E 

substation at Folsom and Fremont. The recently restored loft building at Beale Street, the 

renovated Hills Plaza, and the Gap building just outside the Transbay Terminal Area at Spear 

Street are exceptions to the general visual character of this area. 
CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 4-75 

Figure 4.18-6: Existing Views
CHAPTER 4: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 

4-76 4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 

The downtown’s large-scale buildings extend south of Mission Street, crossing at the Pacific 

Gateway Plaza at Beale and Mission Streets, reaching just south of Howard Street, east of Main 

Street (Figure 4.18-6B). In their relationship to the street, these newer buildings are in keeping 

with the post-1970 Market Street office towers, sometimes set back from the street and typically 

with plazas and other open spaces in front and behind. While differing from the uniform street 

wall typical of the early 20th century downtown, the spaces between and around newer towers 

set off these taller buildings and moderate the perceived scale of the South of Market blocks. 

Within the Transbay Terminal ramp system, where development has been restricted by the 

presence of the ramp structures, is a relatively intact early 20th century commercial 

neighborhood. Looking out from within, the elevated ramps provide a sense of enclosure. This 

is particularly pronounced in the Tehama Street alleyway, where the scale of street and building 

combines to distance the larger city beyond. 

The southern edge of the study area is visually defined by larger-scale industrial and warehouse 

structures, transportation infrastructure, residential buildings, and recreational facilities. Three to 

four-story brick structures with large floorplates front on wide (82.5 feet) streets in the vicinity of 

the existing Caltrain Station at Fourth and Townsend Streets. Many of these former 

manufacturing structures have been rehabilitated and adaptively reused. Transportation 

infrastructure visually dominates the area between Seventh to Fourth Streets along Townsend 

Street. Caltrain tracks traverse the rail yard, and parked trains, utility sheds, light stands, and 

power lines characterize the rail yard’s visual attributes. Figure 4.18-7 shows the Caltrain 

storage yard in the foreground, the Sixth Street off-ramp from I-280 to the east, buildings 

fronting on Townsend Street to the north, and the distinctive downtown mound of high rises in 

the background to the northeast. 

Residential development visually differs from the warehouse and light industrial structures in the 

area. Since the mid-1980s, mid- and large-scale residential buildings (generally four to 14 

floors) have been constructed within the southern edge of the study area (predominately in the 

South Beach neighborhood along The Embarcadero). These taller structures stand out from the 

industrial buildings surrounding them due to their height and massing. Newer apartment 

buildings are taller and include landscaped open spaces. Mission Bay North, southeast of the 

existing Caltrain Terminus, is being developed with dense, large scale (80 to160 feet) residential 

structures on the blocks adjacent to Third, Fourth, Fifth, King, and Townsend Streets. 

Recreational uses are concentrated in the southeastern section of the study area. These uses are 

characterized by larger-scale public facilities and smaller, more intimate spaces. Pacific Bell 

Park is located at Third and King Streets. The 45,000-seat baseball park recalls traditional 

architectural elements in its design, such as its location within the existing urban street grid, the 

use of building materials (brick and steel), public spaces with shops and restaurants, landscaping 

features and a unified signage program. The ballpark harmonizes with existing adjacent 

structures. 
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4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 4-77 

Figure 4.18-7: Existing Views
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4-78 4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 

Just to the south of Pier 40, the South Beach Marina provides a visual break from the built 

environment along The Embarcadero. Watercraft can be seen docked in the marina. Strong and 

organized smaller-scale development adjacent to the grassy open space and play area in South 

Park creates an effective contrast and makes the street space between the two pleasing. 

4.18.2 VISUAL RESOURCES 

Within the general area near the proposed project (see Figure 4.18-1), several buildings, 

generally in the New Montgomery-Second Street Conservation District and adjacent Rincon Hill 

area, exhibit architectural styles of historical interest. The area also has a limited number of 

structures that have been recognized as possessing exceptional value either by themselves or 

because they represent the work of major architects. A notable example is the existing Transbay 

Terminal, designed by Timothy Pfleuger in 1939 (Figure 4.18-8A). Others in the Rincon Hill 

District include: the PG&E and Matson Buildings on Market between Beale and Main Streets; 

the aforementioned Bank of America (former Union 76) clock tower by Louis Hobart; the Hearst 

Building at Third and Market Streets; and the Pacific Telephone Building, Rialto Building, 

Sharon Building, Call Building, Palace Hotel, and Palace Garage, among others, in the New 

Montgomery-Second Street Conservation District. Most of these buildings are north of Mission 

Street, and nearly all are north of Howard Street. 

Aside from the more distinguished examples of the architectural works listed above, the area 

contains a diversity of building forms, masses, building styles and materials that provide visual 

interest. Massive buildings visually define the northern boundary of the study area. High-rises, 

varying in height and bulk, color and façade treatment, punctuate the northern edge of the area 

and provide a clearly delineated visual edge from the generally low-rise area to the south. 

Narrow streets such as Minna, Natoma, Tehama, and Clementina Streets provide a diversity of 

scale and views compared to the larger blocks generally found west of First Street. Narrow 

streets (typically about 35 feet wide) are generally developed with lower structures with larger 

footprints and minimal setbacks that create a sense of enclosure at the street level. In contrast, 

the area also contains larger streets (typically about 86 feet wide) such as Folsom, Harrison and 

Mission Streets, developed with larger structures, some with setbacks or open space that tend to 

accentuate the width of the street and the size of the buildings fronting them. 

Natural features such as the San Francisco Bay complement the built environment within the 

proposed Redevelopment Area and provide an edge to the area to the east. The water’s edge 

provides a visual resource and is revealed at the termini of Folsom, Howard, and Mission Streets 

at the eastern edge of the district. Other than the landform of Rincon Hill, natural features within 

the study area are generally limited to landscaping associated with residential and commercial 

developments. Specific landscape designs create small areas of visual interest, such as the grassy 

oval park in South Park, the open space along the Embarcadero Promenade on the eastern border 

of the study area, or the grass "benches" in front of the Marathon Plaza on Second Street. 
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4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 4-79 

Figure 4.18-8: Existing Views 
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4-80 4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 

Transportation infrastructure provides other unique views within the Transbay Terminal Area. 

The network of ramps connected to the Terminal visually defines the area. These ramps cross 

over Howard, Beale, Fremont, First, Folsom, Essex, Clementina, Tehama, and Natoma Streets. 

Ramps interrupt views across the district and provide a sense of enclosure. From the Transbay 

Terminal, the ramps lead to the Bay Bridge. These ramps block views to the Bay and to Rincon 

Hill, create dark and cramped spaces underneath (generally attracting surface parking uses) and 

act as visual reference points within the Transbay Area. To the south, the proposed Transbay 

Redevelopment Area is visually subsumed and blocked by the greater mass of the Bay Bridge 

and its western approach. 

4.18.3 SCENIC VIEWS AND VISTAS 

Due to its location at the eastern edge of the City, its generally flat terrain, and the low-rise 

character of most of its developed uses, the proposed Transbay Redevelopment Area provides a 

rich variety of views. Unobstructed long-range views of major regional landmarks are available 

throughout the study area. These include the Bay, Treasure Island, Yerba Buena Island, the East 

Bay Hills, the Bay Bridge, Twin Peaks, and the downtown skyline. The study area also affords 

smaller-scale views, such as streetscapes in which visual interest is provided by architectural 

elements or vegetation in the foreground. 

As a result of its generally level topography and the regular street grid, regional landmarks are 

framed in well-defined visual corridors established by such major streets as Market, Mission, 

Folsom, Harrison, and Howard Streets. In these axial views, Twin Peaks to the west and the Bay 

to the east provide the visual endpoints of the corridor and consequently a measure of orientation 

(Figure 4.18-8B). Where these endpoints are built elements, parallel horizontal lines defined by 

the roadway, sidewalks, and building elements appear to converge toward those buildings, 

further enhancing their visual importance (Figure 4.18-9A). Because the visual landmarks 

generally visible along the east-west corridors are natural features, they also provide strong and, 

under some lighting and water conditions, dramatic contrast with the built urban environment. In 

certain cases – for example, the easterly view down Market Street of the Ferry Building – the 

area's visual corridors may frame buildings with distinctive architecture and historic or civic 

meaning. Views toward the water are partially framed by buildings of varying height along 

Mission, Howard, Folsom and Harrison Streets. Views at some points are interrupted by 

overpasses, and dissipate and are distracted by the numerous surface lots (Figure 4.18-9B). 

North-south axial views within the study area (e.g., First and Second Streets, Main, Beale, and 

New Montgomery Streets) typically focus on structures, although with expanses of sky behind. 

The structures, too, may be regional landmarks and include the Bay Bridge and downtown office 

towers. Under certain viewing conditions, the sky is an important component of the north-south 

axial views: in the evening, skyscrapers may be viewed against banks of fog blowing into the 

Bay, with the setting sun highlighting the edges of clouds and buildings. 
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4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 4-81 

Figure 4.18-9: Existing Views 
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4-82 4.18 VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SETTING 

The existing Transbay Terminal and its ramps obstruct important axial views including northsouth views along First, Fremont, and Beale Streets that are walled off by the structure of the 

Terminal that bridges the street. In addition, views southward through the proposed 

Redevelopment Area are partially obscured by the Terminal ramps and the rising topography of 

Rincon Hill. Views in the southern section of the study area are of I-280, China Basin Channel, 

the Bay, Potrero Hill, the downtown high-rises, and intervening development in South of Market 

neighborhoods. 

4.18.4 ELEMENT IN THE CITYSCAPE

The proposed Transbay Redevelopment Area is a component of panoramic views of the City and 

it is part of the dynamic view sequences experienced while entering the City on I-280 from the 

south and the Bay Bridge from the east. From northbound I-280, views of downtown are readily 

available to the north. From this vantage, the dense cluster of high-rises gradually rising in 

height from SOMA produces a total effect that characterizes San Francisco’s dense downtown 

core. To the west, Sutro Tower is visible atop Twin Peaks and fragments of the Bay Bridge can 

be seen to the east. 

In views from westbound lanes of the Bay Bridge, the Transbay Redevelopment Area occupies 

the near land edge; in northerly views from the approaches to the Bay Bridge, it establishes an 

open foreground for panoramic views of the downtown area beyond. In these views, the area’s 

generally level terrain and lack of prominent large-scale structures reduce its visual importance, 

especially in relation to the distinctive features beyond (e.g., downtown high-rise structures, 

Twin Peaks). The proposed redevelopment area thus serves now as a generally neutral part of 

the visual context for major view elements. 

Due to variations in San Francisco’s topography, the proposed Transbay Redevelopment Area is 

visible from many locations from within the City. Views of the proposed project area are 

available from Dolores Park in the Dolores Heights neighborhood. The general flatness of the 

proposed redevelopment area contrasts with the high-rises located north of Market Street. This 

view is framed by the Bay and East Bay hills in the background. Similar views are available 

from Twin Peaks; the proposed project area is a part of a sweeping vista that stretches as far as 

Russian Hill to the north and Portrero Hill to the south. Views of the proposed Transbay 

Redevelopment Area are also available from the upper stories of downtown high-rises, 

specifically from windows with a southern orientation.