The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-23
THE ARCHITECTS PROTEST
Edward r. Swain Writes a
Convincing Letter to the
Supervisors.
HIS MANY SOUND ARGUMENTS.
Mills Building Fixed the Status OF
MONTGOMERY Street for Many
Years.

Architect Edward R. Swain has adj
dressed the following open letter TO the
| Board OF Supervisors protesting against the
proposed law regarding height OF buildings
! The communication will be found to rep
resent the new spirit OF progress ana 10
contain the best of modern thought on Its
| subject: g.. o, 100.
| Gentlemen: In the matter OF the proposed or
dlnance lately introduced before your nono5-
| able body limiting the height OF hrepoot Duild-
| ings to 100 feet DESIRE as an srchlteeI anu
citizen, to enter my most vigorous ana unquai-
| flied protest. ,.,
! an era of prosperity in the course OF wmch, II
| properly fostered, San FRANCISCO may CON- ON
| mence to take her proper place among tI 4
| cities of the Union by removing the unslghtly
| buildings which have so long dlSgraceu our
| thoroughfares and replacing them with struc'
| lures more worthy OF the station we nope W
| occupy. -
| Ali Eastern cities of any prominence nave
| had discussions relative to the ady1saDinty Oh
building tall structures at just such perloaes IN
their history as the present with US, the qIlioIn
conclusion being that q restriction OF the Klno
mentioned should not be imposed upon the
enterprise OF owners, and that the buildings
| are not detrimental to their surroundings
| Examples of the latter fact may be had IN
our own City in the Mills, Croker ana otner
| large buildings, and the Denent derived Dy
| their erection may be observed in the increase
! in value of the adjacent property. Montgom-
ery street between Bush and Pine was IN q
| very poor way before the erection OF the Mills
| building Rents were low, business was get
ting dull among the storekeepers, the real estate
| had shrunk in value, the tenants OF stores were
| looking for new locations where decent accom-
mediation might be obtained-in fact the street
| for business purposes looked as though In tne
! last stages of decay. Something was needed 10
| help the locality and the Mills building was
! that which fixed the status of Montgomery
| street for many years TO come.
| After the erection OF the building the yalue
| God INN 1af
any Improvement OF that character is sure 10
| do-increased 1t more on account OF the height
and remarkableness OF the structure, ana as no
ordinary five or six story building one hundred
feet high could possibly do. 1t is true that some
of the people who had been occupying old ana
dingy offices in the vicinity moved into the
new building, where light and cleanliness pre-
vailed, and that the landlords OF the old places
objected because they were lett without ten
ants AID said that Mr.. Mills had no business TO
erect such a tall building. 1t probably old not
occur to them that other tenants might be found
who might be induced to rent offices OF them,
provided they would furnish something as
good or better than the Mills building was Of
fering.
Market street, between the Croker and enron
icle buildings. New tenants are moving into
even the old superannuated buildings Tor the
business which the proximity OF the tall build
ings brings.
| The Safe Deposit building, at Montgomery
and California streets, improves itself and the
surroundings by adding two stories, making IL
10 1eet IN nelgnt, increasing the QelSHt 10
! bring business and make the locality desirable:
| The favorite argument against tall freproof
| buildings is that they are inaccessible to the
| Fire Department. 1t is not on record that any
| properly constructed fTeproof building ever
was destroyed by fire occurring within itself,
| and in case of an adjacent fire the tall building
| is very useful in preventing spreading, and can
take care OF itself. l should be in favor OF i'm
proving the Fire Department TO meet the wants
OF the tall buildings.
| 1t is Unfair to owners to restrict the heights
| of buildings. A small piece of property i'll a
| good locality might not be able to pay interest
at five stories, when it might be good invest
ment al ten stories q fact have verified in my
| own practice. How impossible it would be for
| the owner of the new CALL building to attempt
to get decent return from five or SIX stories in
height on such valuable piece OF real estate.
Another point to which wish to draw your
| attention is the fallacy OF fixing uniform
limit OF height for all buildings. A building
| 100 feet high on Merchant Commercial
street, both OF which are about 40 feet wide,
| would be decidedly more Objectionable in
| point of obscuTing light from an opposite
| building than another $50 feet high on Market
| street. which is 125 feet wide. Hence, ii regu-
| lating ordinance must be passed, let 1t be hex-
ible and adapted to the various widths of
streets.
Personally I am in favor of no restriction
being placed on the height OF buildings, and
! in this view | believe l express the sentiments
| of the profession generally.
| would respectfully suggest to your honor
able body that ii you desire to enter into the
| building ordinance business you will do well
! to allow the heights of buildings TO be regu-
lated by the owners desires, and devote your
selves to the framing OF intelligent set of
| building laws tending to improve the charac-
ter OF ell classes of buildings for, strange as it
may SEEM there are no ordinances in this City
| for that purpose except those devised in ante
! diluyian times one copy OF which, tradition
informs US, is in the possession OF the Chief OF
| the Fire Department.
| In conclusion, permit me to say that do not
| apprehend any great rush among our citizens
| to put up ffteen-story buildings for some time
| to come, even if no restriction is placed on
| height; but ii anybody wants to do so let US
not at this time obstruct him, but do all in our
| power to encourage the beautlfying of the City,
| even though the buildings be over 100 feet in
! height. Yours respectfully,
EDWARD R. SWAIN,
| Croker building, San Francisco.
MISS HAAKE'S FUNERAL,