Part 8 – Eminent Domain at the San Jose Avenue Crossing

The last update left off just short of the Southern Pacific, SP, San Bruno Branch crossing of San Jose Ave. and Sickles Ave., the area shown here in a southwest view from Mar. 31, 1953.

L286-05-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-3, (Image 1 of 38)

This map ca. 1956 shows the last portion of properties discussed in the previous update, encircled in red, taken by eminent domain by the Dept. of Public Works, Division of Highways, District IV. Next to proceed to the houses and businesses just to the northeast of the railroad crossing, starting with the penultimate property east of the crossing on the south side of San Jose Ave., Parcel 18413, green arrow.

L286-10-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1153, (Image 2 of 38)

Sharing a billboard as seen in the southeast image, left, this small storage area described in the center panel separated San Jose Ave. from the railroad on the latter’s northern flank. The right-of-way parcel diary adds some color to the moment.

L286-15-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 3 of 38)

Moving to the west to the last structure on the block, also sharing a billboard, is Parcel 18414, a very distinctive structure of longstanding. The structure was housing Three Points Restaurant at the time, confirmed against the 1955-1956 Polk’s reverse directory at no. 2939 San Jose Ave. The listings for nos. 2935 and 2937 are noted to be vacant. The left panel shows a southeast view of the facade, the right panel a northwest view of the rear of the building.

L286-20-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 4 of 38)

From these documents, the address and main function of this space as a restaurant is confirmed. Of significance, the restaurant portion had been leased to the son of the prior owner, and renewed by the new owner of the property. At age 50, the building dates to ca. 1906.

L286-25-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 5 of 38)

These documents disclose that there were other tenants, and that the restaurant tenant wanted to know how they stood to gain in the eminent domain taking given that they had a vested financial interest in the property. Unfortunately, there was no further documentation found to address the outcome of this issue.

L286-30-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 6 of 38)

This northeast view on San Jose Ave. from May 4, 1920 shows the property in question with the word grocery across the awning and front window.

L286-35-City Engineer Photo, Ted Wurm Coll., Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Archi., 42563URR, (Image 7 of 38)

The late 1930s southeast view with car no. 1599 on the Market Street Railway, MSRy, 26 line, left, shows the building with Bartolis across the top, and a sign for the Ocean View In. The 1940 Polk’s Crocker Langley reverse directory of 1940 lists Bartolis Place for no. 2937 Jose Ave. On the right is a portion of an east view used in an earlier update in this series showing the restaurant now as Vince and Pete’s Seafood Grotto Cocktail Bar. Credits: Left: Addison Laflin Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 33637MSRy; Right, Ralph Demoro Photo, Courtesy John Harder

L286-40-Multiple Attributions, (Image 8 of 38)

On the south flank of the railroad, viewed to the south, these three parcels were owned by the same individual.

L286-45-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 9 of 38)

These properties were part of the San Francisco Flower Mart. A northeast view of the entrance from Sickles Ave. is shown on the left, and the appraisal details to the right.

L286-50-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 10 of 38)

Starting at the Flower Mart, left edge, and walking southeast on Sickles Ave. away from San Jose Ave. and the railroad, led to three residences to be removed for the highway, marked by their parcel numbers in this east view collage. The paperwork for each taking follows.

L286-52-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 11 of 38)

Starting north to south, first the paperwork for Parcel 18429.

L286-55-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 12 of 38)

One house to the south, the paperwork for Parcel 18428 is shown here. As the right panel explains, this is the same owner of Parcels 18416 and 18430 as shown in L286-45 and L286-50. Referring back to the Flower Mart, the right panel illustrates the unintended complexities and difficulties brought about by having property taken, and then having to find land to relocate a business requiring this type of space.

L286-60-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 13 of 38)

Then to the appraisal of the last house on that short block, Parcel 18427.

L286-65-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 14 of 38)

On reaching the corner of Sickles Ave. and Alemany Blvd., after making a left turn onto the latter, these three properties and billboards come into view.

L286-70-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1153, (Image 15 of 38)

Just to recap the last two sequences, the review started at the Sickles Ave. entrance to the Flower Mart, Parcel 18430, proceeded southeast for three residences, red arrow, and turned the corner to view the final three residences, green arrow. Next, two service stations, circled, starting across Sickles Ave. to the north side of Alemany Blvd., Parcel 18675, blue circle.

L286-72-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1153, (Image 16 of 38)

Parcel 18675, the Richfield service station, is seen from the south side of Alemany Blvd. in north, left panel, and northwest, right panel, views.

L286-75-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 17 of 38)

Service station appraisals were complicated as they depended not only on location, but also nearby competition, if it existed. The appraiser’s comment about green stamps are just one of the many examples of how thorough and detail-oriented the District IV review process proceeded.

L286-80-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 18 of 38)

A few buildings away heading west on Alameny Blvd. where it meets San Jose Ave. was an Associated service station, Parcel 18708, circled in purple in L286-72. A southeast view of the property from San Jose Ave. is shown on the left, a northwest view from Alemany Blvd. is seen on the right.

L286-85-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 19 of 38)

The appraisal and metrics for this service station are presented here, and continue on the panels that follow.

L286-90-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 20 of 38)

A continuation of the appraisal of Parcel 18708 is seen in the left and center panels. The far right southwest view from Mar. 31, 1953 shows the initial and last service stations reviewed, blue and purple arrows respectively, and indicates by the yellow line the next set of buildings under review, reached by turning onto San Jose Ave. and heading southeast toward the railroad crossing.

L286-95-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, left, 3326-3, right, (Image 21 of 38)

More billboards surrounding the properties of interest are seen in this southwest view down San Jose Ave. ca. 1957. Parcel 18710 is behind or to the south of 18711 and out of view. The appraisal and an image of Parcel 18715 follows.

L286-100-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1153, (Image 22 of 38)

The details for Ocean View Coal are presented here, with a southeast view included taken across San Jose Ave.

L286-105-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 23 of 38)

Having explored the northeast section of the SP crossing of San Jose Ave., the area to the southwest is next. The railroad right-of-way southwest of the crossing is seen in this southwest view ca. late 1930s of car no. 1553 on the MSRy 26 line entering the single track SP crossing with a sliver of a SP steam locomotive about to enter the west side private right-of-way.

L286-110-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 201864MSRy, (Image 24 of 38)

Description, as written in the District IV report, ca. 1956-1957: Westerly view across San Jose Ave. showing commercial frontage. Signboards at right are on parcel. Billboards mark the beginning of SP Parcel 18415-6, west view.

L286-115-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1197, (Image 25 of 38)

Description: Easterly view showing area easterly of Capitol Ave. The billboards at the San Jose Ave. crossing are seen in the distance.

L286-120-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1197, (Image 26 of 38)

Description: Easterly view from Alemany Blvd. showing area readily divisible into building lots. This brings the right-of-way to the east side of the crossing of Alemany Blvd.

L286-125-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1197, (Image 27 of 38)

Presented here is the appraisal of SP Parcel 18415-6 in the left and center panels. A southwest view from Mar. 31, 1953 is shown on the right, the orange line indicating the final set of properties to be reviewed in this update.

L286-130-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1197, left, 3326-11, right, (Image 28 of 38)

The review of this section to the south of the railroad tracks begins to the east with Parcel 18723, orange arrow.

L286-135-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1197, (Image 29 of 38)

This north view from the south side of San Jose Ave. shows parcel 18723 to be nothing more than a place for billboards along the south side of the railroad tracks.

L286-140-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 30 of 38)

The first structure to the west of the previously shown lot is Parcel 18724. A two-sided billboard is perched above it, shown in a north view to the left, and shifted more to the west on the right.

L286-145-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 31 of 38)

The appraisal for Parcel 18724 is shown here, with a very amusing right-of-way parcel diary entry that provides some levity to the situation.

L286-150-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 32 of 38)

Continuing west on San Jose Ave. just short of Alemany Blvd. was a lot backing onto the railroad, Parcel 18725, used as a parking lot by Safeway, north view, left panel. The appraisal and diary on the center and right, respectively, recount the saga of Safeway’s attempts to purchase the land.

L286-155-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 33 of 38)

Further west and turning onto Alemany Blvd., this north panoramic collage introduces the Safeway store, Parcel 18726. The components of the property will be exhibited next. This is one of the few ground shots found that features SP freight cars on the branch line, seen here in the background.

L286-160-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 34 of 38)

This northeast view features the parking lot for the Safeway store, and another angle of the SP freight on the branch line in the background.

L286-165-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 35 of 38)

Finally, there is the store itself. Mitchell Schwarzer in his very informative book “Hella Town”, page 295, concisely describes how Safeway was undergoing a transition with Robert Magowan in charge by 1955, leading to larger stores, design changes, and locations away from old streetcar routes. Although the reference is to Oakland, the documents that follow capture the same transformation in San Francisco.

L286-170-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 36 of 38)

Here, the appraisal and background on the building’s history and ownership.

L286-175-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 37 of 38)

Reading through these three panels, it is very clear this Safeway store would not have survived in its current form had District IV not taken it for the new highway. Next time, across the Alemany Blvd. crossing to the San Mateo County border. Appreciation to the San Francisco Planning Dept. and Preservation Planner Melanie Bishop for making the District IV files available.

L286-180-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1190, (Image 38 of 38)