New Fire Boat Station 35, located at Pier 22.5 along The Embarcadero at Harrison Street.

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1 Port of San Francisco Waterfront Design Advisory Committee Agenda Item No. 3 Meeting Date: Staff Report To: From: Re: Waterfront Design Advisory Committee: Laura Crescimano Marsha Maytum Kathrin Moore David Winslow Ming Yeung and Dan Hodapp New Fire Boat Station 35, located at Pier 22.5 along The Embarcadero at Harrison Street. Project Proponents and Property Owners San Francisco Fire Department ( SFFD ), San Francisco Public Works ( SFPW ), and Port of San Francisco. Project Summary The Pier 22.5 Fire Station (FS) #35 (Project) consists of construction of a new two-level, 16,000+ sq. ft. fireboat station behind the existing fire station. The new structure would rest on a new 181 ft. x 95 ft. floating pier. Access to the new pier from The Embarcadero would be provided by a ramp located south of the existing historic firehouse building and would connect to the existing FS by a gangway. The new pier would provide mooring for three fire boats and several small watercraft. The existing shed and portions of the existing Pier 22½ would be demolished. The existing historic FS would continue to be used for one fire engine and ancillary support services. The new facility would improve the City s capacity for meeting current and future demands for water rescue and emergency-response services including staff training requirements. SFFD currently operates out of the existing FS 35 building which is insufficient for meeting SFFD needs for serving the public and expanding its water-rescue service area. SFPW is managing the Project on behalf of SFFD, in partnership with the Port. In Summer 2017, SFPW selected a design-build (D/B) team to undertake the Project. The selected team is a joint venture between Swinterton Builders and Power Engineering and also includes Shah Kawasaki Architects and Liftech, Inc. Construction is expected to begin in Review Status The review on February 26th, will be the first review of the proposed Project by the Waterfront Design Advisory Committee (Committee). Project Representatives. Anthony Rivera (SFFD, Chief Deputy), Magdalena Ryor (SFPW, Project Manager), James Hurley (Port, Project Development Manager), Ming Yeung (Port, Waterfront Planner), Bill Krill (Swinerton-Power Joint Venture, Swinerton Builders, Project Executive), William Knudson (Power Engineering) Construction, Project Manager), Alan Kawasaki (Shah

2 Kawasaki Architects, Project Architect), Erik Soderberg and Leah Olson (Liftech Consultants, Project Engineers), Ellen Johnck (Environmental Permitting Consultant). Project Site. The project site is at Pier 22½, on The Embarcadero, northeast of Harrison Street (Exhibit 2). The site is bound by Rincon Park including the Waterbar and Epic Steak House restaurants to the north, the Bay to the east, Pier 24 to the south, and The Embarcadero to the west. The Ferry Building is located approximately 2,250 feet to the north. Existing Conditions. Pier 22½ is a non-historic finger pier with a 2,200-square-foot shed, along which two fireboats are moored. The shed is used as a repair shop for the fireboats and living quarters for the fireboat pilots. A small parking lot is located on the pier adjacent to The Embarcadero Promenade. Directly south of Pier 22½ is a pile-supported marginal wharf structure, upon which SFFD is located. The two-story fire station was built in 1915, and is a designated San Francisco Landmark and a contributing resource to the Port of San Francisco s Embarcadero Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The fire station includes a garage with capacity for one fire engine, lodging facilities serving a 21-person fire company, a kitchen, a fitness area, and equipment storage. The historic firehouse does not meet modern design standards for firehouse facilities. A small parking lot is located directly south of the fire station on the marginal wharf, within which an auxiliary water supply system (AWSS) manifold (to draw water from the Bay for use in an emergency) and backup generator are also located. Off the marginal wharf to the south is a dilapidated pile supported pier which is a remnant portion of the former Pier 24. This pier is not in use due to its failing condition. Proposed Project. The proposed project would demolish Pier 22½ (including the shed), a portion of the marginal wharf (the south parking area), and the remaining section of Pier 24 (south finger pier) (Exhibit 5). A two-level, approximately 16,000-square-foot (151 feet by 52 feet), two-story fireboat station would be constructed on a 16,435-square-foot steel float (173 feet by 95 feet). The apron around the new floating fire station (ranging from 10 feet to 33 feet in width) would provide mooring for at least three fireboats and one small rescue watercraft. A gangway and access ramp would connect the existing marginal wharf to the float and provide for pedestrian and vehicle access to the floating fireboat station. The floating fireboat station would be constructed off-site and transported to the project site by tug boat. The existing Fire Station 35 would remain in place and no renovation work is proposed for that structure nor the portion of the marginal wharf that would remain. The Project includes the following (also see Exhibits): Steel Float. An approximately 16,435-square-foot (173-foot by 95-foot) steel float would be installed approximately 44 feet offshore of the marginal wharf and moored by six 48-inch vertical steel pipe guide piles. Lift cranes mounted on the float would be used to move equipment and small craft between the float and the water. Fireboat Station. A two-story, 36-foot tall fireboat station would be built atop the steel float. The perceived height of the fireboat station from the shoreline would vary as the float rises and falls along with the tides. The first floor of the fireboat station would include the 2

3 following facilities: a rescue boat bay, night watch room, mechanical room, space for gear cleaning and decontamination after emergency responses, equipment lockers, fireboat maintenance and repair equipment, backup generator (replacing the generator located at the south parking lot), fuel storage, and turn-around area to allow ambulances access to the station. The south side of the first floor would have large doors to allow ambulances to use the large open space on the first floor as a loading and turn-around area. The second floor would include a total of 28 beds (an open dormitory space with 16 beds and 4 privatebathroom officer dormitory rooms with 3 beds each), a laundry room, day room, dining area, kitchen with outdoor observation deck at the east end of the building, and lockers, showers and bathrooms. The roof would contain mechanical equipment. There would be two slide poles, two exit stairs, and one elevator. A balcony would be located at the east end of the building facing out into the Bay, located off the common areas. The new rectangular firehouse building would be finished in board-formed concrete at its base to approximately a 4-foot height, metal siding above the base and have horizontal metal windows. Colors would be similar to the historic firehouse. Vehicle and Pedestrian Access Ramp. An approximately 80-foot-long, 18.5-foot-wide (1,482-square-foot) access ramp and associated corbel would provide vehicle and pedestrian access to the float, with a total footprint of approximately 1,800 square feet. The ramp would be striped for one lane of vehicle traffic and a pedestrian lane. A security gate would be installed at the landside end of the ramp. A triangular portion of the ramp is designed for hose laydown from the fireboats and floating firehouse to the AWSS manifold located on the marginal wharf. Pedestrian Gangway. A 40-foot-long by 4-foot-wide aluminum gangway would connect the marginal wharf and historic firehouse to the floating firehouse. Fencing. Fencing would be installed on the marginal wharf north and south of the historic firehouse 35. Three-feet wide pedestrian access gates and 16-feet wide vehicle gates would be installed north and south of the historic fire station building. Fencing on the south side would extend beyond the face of the historic firehouse into Herb Caen Way to enclose an area that contains the AWSS. Public Observation Deck. A 951-square-foot pile-supported public observation deck would be constructed adjacent to and flush with The Promenade, directly south of the vehicle and pedestrian access ramp. It would include interpretive panels related to the fireboats and historic and modern fire stations. Sea Level Rise Public Art Exhibit. A sea level rise exhibit marker would be installed in the Bay next to the observation deck. Project Approvals and Proposed Construction Timeline. The project has not yet received regulatory approvals. The San Francisco City Planning Department is the CEQA lead agency and is preparing an Initial Study and Preliminary Mitigated Negative Declaration, to be published for 3

4 public comment in March The proposed construction timeline is anticipated to be April 2019 through early 2021, pending regulatory approvals. Operations & Maintenance. The construction of the new steel float and fireboat station is intended to improve San Francisco s ability to meet current and future demands for water rescue and emergency response services, including training of staff. The existing company of fire department personnel would be relocated from the historic firehouse to the floating fireboat station, to bring this station s company up to modern standards, in addition to consolidating SFFD s Marine Assets into a single location. During emergencies, the proposed facility will accommodate additional staff. The existing will continue to house the single fire engine, store firefighting gear, and include space for a fitness room for firefighters. The proposed fireboat station is a critical facility and is being designed to meet the Immediate Occupancy Performance Level in the event of a Design Earthquake, and the Life Safety Performance Level in the event of a Maximum Considered Earthquake, in addition to meeting Port Building Code requirements. Resilience and Adaptation to Rising Sea Level. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ), current 100-year-base flood elevation (BFE) for the project site is +9.8 NAVD88. As proposed, the steel float and new fireboat station are intended to accommodate projected sea level rise through its floating design with the piles extending to +25 NAVD88. The top of the float would rise and fall with tides on guide piles. The existing fixed pier and Embarcadero Promenade are situated at elevation NAVD88. The proposed public access observation area would also be at NAVD88. For planning purposes, the project proponents have estimated 2.8 feet (33.6 inches) of sea level rise by 2070 (BFE+2.8 SLR = NAVD88). The design total water level (TWL) in 2070 is NAVD88. The steel float and fireboat station have a design life of 50 years. The top of the steel float guide pile collars at the design high water will be approximately NAVD88, and the guide piles have a top elevation of +25 NAVD88, which indicates that the steel float and fireboat station would not be inundated by sea level rise projections for 2070, as they would rise with increased water levels. The access ramp and gangway connection would be inundated by 2070 at their current land-based elevations; the design of these connections is intended to accommodate disconnection and reinstallation if the shoreline needs to be raised in the future due to sea level rise. The public access observation area and existing pier, including and Herb Caen Way, would not be inundated daily by 2070, but will likely flood beginning with the 2-year Still Water Flood Event (elevation NAVD88) when wave action is taken into consideration. The Embarcadero Promenade, the historic Fire Station, and the proposed public access will be inundated by the 100 year BFE in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Compliance Public Works is seeking LEED Gold certification for the work under the system established by the US Green Building Council. Committee Review of the Project 4

5 The WDAC reviews Port Projects to ensure that they are consistent with policies and design criteria set forth in the Design & Access Element of the Port s Waterfront Land Use Plan. Below are policies and criteria in the Design & Access Element that apply to the proposed project. Historic Resource Policies Page 51, Preservation Preserve and adaptively reuse significant historic resources where feasible. SFFD would continue to use the historic fire station at Pier 22 ½ in its current condition. The project does not include changes to the building at this time. Page 61, Pier Shape Any extensions beyond existing pier shapes should visually complement the linear, rectangular form of the historic finger piers and not detract from San Francisco s unique city pattern. The proposed firehouse on the floating pier is a rectangular shape, similar in proportions to the historic finger piers. The firehouse building would be 151-feet long, 52-feet wide, and 36-feet tall. Page 61, Linear Form Architecturally emphasize the length and linearity of piers with a rhythm of doors, windows, perimeter lighting, or other pier edge improvements. The proposed firehouse program does not call for multiple large garage openings similar to other Port piers, however the design uses rectangular horizontal window patterns to emphasize its linear shape. Page 55, Bulkhead Buildings and Piers Sheds Retain and reuse the historic bulkhead buildings and pier sheds at Piers 9, 15, 31, 33, The Project plans include retaining and reusing Pier 22 ½ firehouse in its current condition. Page 61, Industrial Maritime Character The architectural character of pier development should respect, but not mimic, the historic industrial/maritime character of the waterfront. The new firehouse building would be finished in board-formed concrete at its base to approximately a 4-foot height and metal siding above the base, both of which could be interpreted to have an industrial/maritime character. The metal siding is a modern material common to industrial use. Page 105, Historic Preservation Preserve and reuse the Pier 22 ½ Fireboat house consistent with The Secretary of the Interior s Standards for Rehabilitation. The Project plans include retaining and reusing the Pier 22 ½ firehouse, but not making improvements to the structure. Page 105, Massing The massing of any new ancillary structures on the pier should be lower and narrower than the Pier 22 ½ Bulkhead Building to maintain that building s dominance in the area. Although not an ancillary structure, the new firehouse building would be 36-feet tall above the floating steel deck. The historic firehouse is approximately 32-feet tall. Because the new building is on the floating deck its apparent elevation changes with the tide by as much as 8- feet. For the near future it would be lower than the existing building most of the time. As sea 5

6 level rise raises the elevation of the Bay it would be higher than the historic building with increasing frequency. Page 105, Character Ancillary structures should be compatible with the scale, proportions and materials of the historic pier. Although not an ancillary structure, the new firehouse may be compatible in its proportions to the adjacent piers, although substantially shorter in length and width than Pier 26 or 28. Page 105, Service Locate service and trash facilities within enclosed structures if feasible, or screen from public view with fences or other lockable enclosures. Service and trash would be located inside the new firehouse. P:\Planning\Waterfront Design Advisory Committee\Projects\Pier 22.5\FS-35_ doc 6