Junipero Sierra Statue: 50 Years Was Enough

What he's pointing at is a mystery (Macor/S.F. Chronicle)

Father Junipero Serra is a major figure in California history. From 1769 to 1782 the Franciscan priest founded nine missions, some of which became major metropolitan areas [e.g., Mission San Diego de Alcalá, Mission San Gabriel Arcángel (Los Angeles), Mission San Francisco de Asís, aka Mission Dolores].

Schools, roads, and monuments have been dedicated to Junipero Serra, but none stranger than the 26-ft-tall statue that was erected in 1975. Caltrans quietly removed it in August.

Caltrans officials disputed claims made by the San Francisco Archdiocese that accused the transportation agency of neglecting to inform the church of its decision to destroy a polarizing statue of Junipero Serra at an Interstate 280 rest stop near Hillsborough.

The colossal freeway icon — a 26-foot tall monument to the Roman Catholic saint who is remembered by many Indigenous communities as an enslaving colonizer — was a landmark for the last 50 years before the transit agency removed it in August.

Caltrans officials said the statue, created by artist Louis DuBois in 1975, did not meet current criteria for its Transportation Art program, which installs graphic or sculptural artwork that expresses “unique attributes of a community’s history, resources or character.” The agency reviews applications for proposed artworks by cities, counties, incorporated towns, tribal governments or non-federally recognized tribes.

Caltrans officials did not respond to direct questions about what criteria the statue failed to meet. Officials told the Mercury News that the statue was “frequently targeted” with vandalism and graffiti.

The I-280 rest stop became known for its views of the reservoir. It was also rumored to be a place for gay hookups in the 1980's.

I won't be mourning the statue's removal; it's big and not beautiful, and Caltrans had good reason to take it down quite apart from the prevalence of anti-settler ideology in academia and progressive government. A 50-year run was probably long enough.

A Good Idea, but They Didn't Ask Permission

(Chronicle photo)

Last week we wrote about how the Hillsborough "Flintstone" House will become open to the public for a short period as a high-end sushi restaurant.

Your humble blogger wondered why the snooty community would allow such commercial use, especially since the property's owner, Florence Fang, had a history of disputes with her neighbors about the use and appearance of the house. Now that shoe has dropped.

On Friday, the Hillsborough Police Department sent the owner of the Flintstone House, Florence Fang, a letter warning her that the sushi business could be in violation of the town’s zoning ordinance.

“Restaurants and other commercial uses are not permitted in a residential zone, even on a temporary basis,” wrote Linda Stevens, code enforcement officer for Hillsborough police. “You and the restaurateurs may not have been aware that this use would be illegal. Since you are now on notice about this restriction, please inform the operators that they may not open for business.”

In a statement, the owners of Stoneage Omakase said the business has been “incorrectly classified as a restaurant, which has led to this misunderstanding. We look forward to working with the city to resolve this issue.”

The business owners said that the food will be catered, not cooked on premises. In the meantime, reservations will be canceled and any deposits returned.

Hillsborough, the home of the descendants of Bing Crosby and William Randolph Hearst, doesn't sound like a fun, welcoming place, and I'm sure the town likes to encourage that impression.

Not the Caveman Diet

Bedrock architecture (Chronicle photos)

The last time we posted about the "Flintstone" house was five years ago.

In its latest iteration the Hillsborough home is a high-end sushi restaurant:

Stoneage Omakase will launch July 12 with a 15-course, $230 omakase menu inside a dimly lit, cave-like private dining room at the Bay Area landmark. A temporary pop-up run by a catering company, it’s the first time the Flintstone House, which sold in 2018 for $2.8 million, has been open to the public. (It was available to rent on Airbnb in 2016.)

The acclaimed chef behind the sushi is Masa Sasaki, who previously worked at the Michelin-star Maruya in San Francisco and his own restaurant Sasaki, both now closed. Sasaki was also slated to open a sushi bar as part of a splashy project at the Salesforce Transit Center rooftop before the plan fell apart. An Instagram video shows a menu with dishes like kurodai (black sea bream) nigiri and akami zuke (marinated tuna).

This is an inspired use of the property. Patrons get a Michelin-quality dinner along with a tour of the house.

I'd sign up, but Stoneage Omakase has stopped taking reservations. Here's wishing Chef Sasaki a successful, extended run.

The Full Flintstone

(Chronicle photos)

We've admired Hillsborough's "Flintstone House" for decades. From three years ago (scroll to bottom for update):

For nearly 40 years Peninsula motorists have been driving by a white, mushroom-shaped structure off Highway 280. When it was re-painted in 2007, the 2,730-square-foot orange-and-purple home was nicknamed the Flintstone House.

The unique Hillsborough property is listed at $4.2 million. If you can afford to cut a check for such a whimsical purchase, you're entitled to shout Yabba-Dabba-Doo.

The interior's special, too.

The metal dinosaurs are new (Mercury News photo)

2019: Hillsborough sues to declare Flintstone House a ‘public nuisance’

Calling it a “highly visible eyesore” and “out of keeping with community standards,” Hillsborough planning and building officials are asking a judge to officially declare the iconic Flintstone House a “public nuisance,” and they want a recently-erected metal menagerie of prehistoric animals, along with other features, removed.

Media mogul Florence Fang purchased the property in 2017 and quickly got to work remaking the backyard with a herd of 15-foot dinosaurs, plus a giraffe, mastadon, and brightly-colored mushrooms.

You've gotta admire owner Florence Fang for her commitment. If you're gonna go Flintstone, go full Flintstone.

Wilma, We're Home

(Chronicle photos)

For nearly 40 years Peninsula motorists have been driving by a white, mushroom-shaped structure off Highway 280. When it was re-painted in 2007, the 2,730-square-foot orange-and-purple home was nicknamed the Flintstone House.

The unique Hillsborough property is listed at $4.2 million. If you can afford to cut a check for such a whimsical purchase, you're entitled to shout Yabba-Dabba-Doo.

The interior's special, too.