Part 11 – On-ramp, Off-ramp, and Muni Up Close

The previous update in this series summarized the eminent domain activities executed by the Dept. of Public Works, Division of Highways, District IV in the 1960s to complete the right-of-way for Highway 280. This follow-up will feature ground images of the Muni facility, seen here in a southwest view above Ocean Ave. on Mar. 31, 1953, and present the comparable data collected to appraise the value of Muni and the three other properties reviewed along with it in the previous update.

L289-05-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-15, (Image 1 of 38)

A west view of the Muni facilities on the left from Mar. 31, 1953 is paired with an overhead view on the right from 1938 of what was then operated by the Market Street Railway, the latter showing the physically separated parts of the transportation agency. The next image will provide the identifying activities in each.

L289-10-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-5, and Google Earth, (Image 2 of 38)

Color coded to match, details from Panel 963, left, and Panel 964, right, from Sanborn Map Company, 1915 – Mar 1950 Vol. 9 provide the general function of the Muni operations in 1950. Ref: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, Sanborn Maps Collection

L289-15-Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, Sanborn Maps Collection, (Image 3 of 38)

Recall from the previous update that District IV had provided Muni with three alternative proposals in which to modify the facilities as the new highway construction was to be placed along the northwest border. Of these options, Alternative Plan C, far right, was the preferred choice carried forward.

L289-20-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 4 of 38)

Next to review the scouting ground shots to support either of the three proposals to Muni offered by District IV, including the descriptions they provided. Description, as written in the District IV report, ca. 1962: Under Alternative Plan C, a 300-plus foot connection would be made from existing tracks in San Jose Ave. to the interior of the Geneva carbarn for streetcars. This plan appears to be in the nature of a planned capital improvement in the Municipal Railways long range plan.

L289-25-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 5 of 38)

Description: Looking southeasterly across the intersection of San Jose and Niagara Aves. Removal of a portion of the paint shop at the left will provide area for the perimeter track realignment.

L289-30-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 6 of 38)

Description: Alternative Plan B, the new track would connect the paint shop and the carbarn located on the southeasterly side of Geneva Ave, behind the photographer.

L289-35-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 7 of 38)

Description: Looking southerly along the perimeter track, the spur at the right serves a yard storage area. Realignment of the perimeter track will necessitate removal of a 40 ft. by 20 ft. section of the paint shop as part of Alternative Plan A.

L289-40-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 8 of 38)

Description: Looking northerly from Niagara Ave. Removal of one bay of the paint shop and replacement walls will provide room to reconstruct the perimeter track around the shop.

L289-45-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 9 of 38)

Description: Looking northwesterly along San Jose Ave. and up Geneva Ave. Slope easement 30494-2 extends from the freeway to the westerly bend or far side of the timber trestle and is required to provide area for confirmation of the over crossing to the planned future 60 ft. width of Geneva Ave.

L289-50-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 10 of 38)

Description: Looking southerly across Geneva Ave. The left track serves a track-platform scale; the center track leads to the paint shop, and the right hand track is the perimeter track; all track sections in the foreground will be shifted easterly or to the left.

L289-55-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 11 of 38)

Description: Looking southerly towards the paint shop. The perimeter track is shown at the left, and a storage yard spur at the right.

L289-60-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 12 of 38)

Description: The three reconstructed track sections will extend up this bank on a new fill to the left of the right-of-way line. The three sets of track will be laid to meet a 2-plus ft. rise in grade on Geneva Ave. In the future, under a city contract, Geneva Ave. will again be elevated and these tracks must be reset.

L289-65-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 13 of 38)

Description: Looking northeasterly. The lower track will be realigned and extended southerly to replace the perimeter track. There will be a 20-plus feet clearance between the right-of-way line and the compressor shed shown at the right.

L289-70-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 14 of 38)

Description: Looking southerly from the terminus of the General Shops’ track. This track will be relocated outside of the easterly right-of-way line and extend up the bank to connect to trackage serving the paint shop.

L289-75-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 15 of 38)

Description: Looking northeasterly towards Ocean Ave. from a point 20-plus ft. right of Engineering Station 180, GF line.

L289-80-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 16 of 38)

Description: Again looking northeasterly towards Ocean Ave. beyond the fence. Both stockpiles of rail.

L289-85-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 17 of 38)

Description: Looking northeasterly from a point which is southwesterly of Niagara Ave. This photo illustrates the size of the entire holding. The houses at the left are set on timber cribs awaiting removal from the freeway right-of-way.

L289-90-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 18 of 38)

Description: Looking northeasterly down San Jose Ave. across Niagara Ave.

L289-95-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 19 of 38)

The final piece of this update is to get some understanding how the properties in this and the prior update were appraised versus existing comparable properties. The following will concern a Market Data Approach executed in 1969 in which the land itself minus structures was considered, likely needed for the revised appraisal values. The far right panel shows that these comparable properties were scattered across San Francisco.

L289-100-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 20 of 38)

The first set of properties were adjacent to one another, a gas station and corner lot, at 19th Ave. and Junipero Serra Blvd., and both visible in the image in the center panel. This image and the ones to follow in this set were taken in 1969, with one exception from 1967.

L289-105-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 21 of 38)

A second property closer to downtown is shown and described here. Plottage refers to the value gained by combining lots for sale relative to selling individual ones.

L289-110-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 22 of 38)

The panel on the left concerns the former site of Seals Stadium, abandoned by the Giants a decade earlier. The property described in the right panel was a nursery, now a shopping center. Collages made from images for both sites follow, starting with the old ballpark site.

L289-115-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 23 of 38)

The collage shows a northwest view taken at Potrero Ave. and 16th St.

L289-120-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 24 of 38)

This collage shows a southwest view of the shopping center from approximately Arch. St. and Alemany Blvd.

L289-125-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 25 of 38)

The last two properties in the market data analysis are shown here, the good quality image in the center across from the Muni facility is described in the left panel.

L289-130-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 26 of 38)

In 1961, during the initial appraisal of the property, this list of comparables was complied. The map shows that the majority were close to the former SP crossing of Alemany Blvd. in the Ingleside District, soon to be Highway 280.

L289-135-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 27 of 38)

The first property from this list on Lawrence Ave., not St. as noted, is described in the document on the left to be most compatible with the Muni property. As the right document shows, this had been the site of the H. Plath Nursery described in Part 4 of this series, along the southeast border of the SP San Bruno Branch Line, the descending berm of the line still visible behind the supermarket.

L289-140-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 28 of 38)

The table of properties in L289-135 lists five considered as pottage. Four are presented here, with an image of the far right sale in the next frame.

L289-145-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 29 of 38)

This southwest view from Alemany Blvd. shows the lot in question in the left center with what appears to be a service station behind it. Interestingly, related to the comment that the City of San Francisco had denied the owners access to Alemany Blvd., this lot remains empty in 2023.

L289-150-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 30 of 38)

No. 245-247 Plymouth Ave. is marked by the red arrow in this southwest view, the lot in question is still filled with this apartment building, and to its left no. 241 in 2023, the latter now lacking covering of the fire escape. The Muni track came off the M streetcar line and no longer exists. Bay Area rail historian Grant Ute notes that the “Wye” was installed in early 1958 along with the one at the end of the “J” Church line to accommodate single ended PCC cars. The M was extended to Geneva and San Jose on August 30, 1980, making the track here expendable.

L289-155-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 31 of 38)

This property is a stone’s throw from Highway 280. Looking up Tara St. to the northeast and Geneva Ave., this block is truncated in 2023 by a well-maintained community garden.

L289-160-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 32 of 38)

This corner is unchanged in 2023, but the southeast view from Broad St. in this image also shows the Muni wye track formation coming off the M line that continued as the single track in the previous view of Plymouth Ave.

L289-165-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 33 of 38)

This northwest view captures a Chevron service station that is still at this spot just where the southwest directed lanes of San Jose Ave. also serve as an off-ramp for Highway 280. The building on the right edge is still in place in 2023, but the building separating it from the service station no longer exists.

L289-170-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 34 of 38)

In 2023, this lot up against Sheridan Elementary school is now filled with no. 226 Farallones St. The school yard to the east in this north view is also filled, and the house to the west seen on the left edge is still intact.

L289-175-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 35 of 38)

Three more properties are described here that are very close to the north side of the highway in 2023, each having escaped eminent domain removal.

L289-180-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 36 of 38)

South views of the three properties on Sagamore St., nos. 127, 219 and 235, left to right.

L289-185-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 37 of 38)

This update finishes up with two more properties along the M line streetcar tracks on Broad St.  No. 182 is a very well maintained Victorian, while a separate structure for no. 163 does not appear to exist in 2023. With eminent domain reviewed in broad strokes in the past several updates, next to build a highway. Appreciation to Grant Ute for his comments on the M streetcar track configuration. Given all this background provided in first eleven parts of this series, the highway is ready to be built.

L289-190-Copyright California Department of Transportation, Folder 1242, (Image 38 of 38)