Cultural Heritage Committee Action Update

February 26, 2007                       Monday                                5:30p.m.

ROLL CALL:      Committee Members Sandy Baer, Dan Carpenter, Robert Pavlik, Lynne Landwehr, Tom Wheeler,  Vice Chair Barbara Breska and Chairperson Chuck Crotser. 

                              Absent:  Committee member Wheeler. 

STAFF:                Tyler Corey and Jaime Hill, Associate Planners; Jeff Hook, Senior Planner.                                   

MINUTES:          The minutes of January 22, 2007 were approved as amended on a 6:0 vote.                       

PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS: 

1.        1119, 1123, 1125, 1127, 1129, and 1137 Garden Street, 712, 720, 722, 728, 736, 742, and 748 Marsh Street.  ARC 124-06; Applicant presentation and introduction of the Garden Street Terrace mixed use infill redevelopment project;   C-D-H zone; Garden Street SLO Partners, applicants.  

Tyler Corey introduced the Garden Street Terrace mixed-use development and explained the project’s status, key development review steps and principle planning and design issues.  He introduced the project developer, Hamish Marshall, and representatives Carol Florence (Oasis Associates) and George Garcia (Garcia Architects and Design) who further explained the project and presented a detailed project description and PowerPoint slides.  The slides showed the project elevations from all sides, highlighting the adjacent buildings and the project’s possible effects on historically significant or potentially significant historic resources.   

Following these presentations, the public hearing was opened and five citizens spoke on the project.  They individually raised concerns, variously, about the project's scale and height, effect on Garden Street’s architectural character, increased shading of Garden Street and Garden Alley, loss of historic buildings through relocation or demolition, and the proposed upper building setbacks facing Garden Street. 

Lengthy discussion of the project followed, with CHC members offering wide-ranging comments on cultural resources potentially affected by the project and the project’s design compatibility with the Downtown Historic District.  Following is a summary of the Committee members’ comments, on which there was general Committee agreement: 

Committee member Carpenter was surprised that the Garden Street historic resources were not designed and/or retained so that they stood out visually as part of this proposed project.  He was very concerned about the proposed removal and relocation of four historic, “Pioneer False Front” buildings on Garden Street, especially since they were proposed to be moved outside the City.  He felt their loss would result in a significant loss of the City’s “historic fabric.”  He also expressed major portions of the “Traditions Furniture” building at 728 Marsh Street and the historic Smith Building at 1123 Garden Street were proposed to be removed.  He agreed with citizen comments expressing concerns with the proposed treatment of the Smith Building. 

Committee member Breska felt that Garden Street is a “heritage street” and she did not support removing the historic Pioneer False Front buildings at all, and was also concerned about the proposed demolition of the “Black Sea” building at 712 Marsh Street.  She noted that although the building was not historically listed, it was 75 years old and wanted to know more about its history.   

Committee member Landwehr agreed with previous comments and had concerns with the project’s massing and scale.  She suggested that the proposed building’s street elevations be shown both with and without street trees delineated, since these tended to obscure the buildings’ true scale and massing.  She felt that this project, taken together with other similar, large-scale Downtown projects will cause many people to be dissatisfied when they realize what’s happening.  She asked the developer to do whatever was possible to reduce the project’s scale to it make it more compatible with its surroundings. 

Committee member Baer agreed with all previous comments.  She liked the “funkiness” of Garden Street and couldn’t see how this project fit in here – it was too large, too cold and too dark. 

Committee member Pavlik agreed with all previous comments and felt the historic resources were being overwhelmed by this development proposal.  He felt the project would result in very sudden change in the Downtown in comparison to the more gradual transformation that has been going on for many years.  Referring to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, he added that the proposal would trigger problems with the “integrity” standards, particularly with regard to the “setting and feeling” of historic resources.  He concurred with one citizen’s comments regarding the need to study the project’s effect on shading and shadow along Garden Street and Garden Alley. 

Chairperson Chuck Crotser agreed with most of the previous comments and was surprised that 712 Marsh Street (The Black Sea Gallery Building) was not already historically listed.  He had a dilemma with the proposed changes to the Smith Building.  He wanted to see the building’s façade preserved, as a minimum.  He was concerned with moving the four wooden Pioneer False Front buildings, and felt the proposed Garden Street elevation doesn’t recapture the richness those buildings now added to the streetscape.  He asked the developer to ensure that any digital model of the proposed building address lighting, shading and shadow, and architectural materials accurately.  He would like to learn more about the building at 712 Marsh Street and to consider other alternatives for preserving the False Front buildings, including an alternative that would maintain these facades intact. 

Committee member Pavlik added that the four wooden buildings had achieved significance in their own right having been at their Garden Street location for over 100 years (even though it was noted earlier that they’d been moved to this site). 

Committee member Breska agreed and noted that if we lose the four false front buildings, whether moved or not, they are gone forever and Garden Street’s character will be adversely affected. 

Two citizens asked if it were possible to provide “story poles” so that lay persons could understand the size and height of the proposed buildings.  Hamish Marshall felt that could be misleading in terms of massing and felt that a digital model would show the building more clearly and accurately.  Chairman Crotser suggested that a digital model would provide a better way to assess the height.  One citizen countered that he did not think a digital model was easy for the lay person to understand.   

Other than providing the above comments and recommendations, the Committee took no action on the project. 

2.        667 Monterey Street. ARCMI 188-06; Review of proposed demolition of four accessory buildings to the rear of the Leitcher apartments; O-H zone; Shearedge Development, applicant.  

Jaime Hill presented the staff report, and Mike Hodge,  Marshall Ochylski, and historian Betsy Bertrando explained the reasons for the requested demolition and provided additional information about site security and recent vandalism.  After discussion, the Committee accepted the Historic Resource Inventory and Initial Stucture Evaluation and Addendum for the Leitcher Apartment Building and accessory structures, and directed staff to use the Inventory and Evaluation, and Addendum, along with all other available resources, as the basis for evaluating the project’s impacts on historical and archaeological resources as part of an Initial Study of Environmental Impact. 

3.        535 Islay Street.  ARCMI 2-07; Review of a relocation, remodel and addition to a master list historic residence; R-2-H zone; Gordon and Stacy Edmonds, applicants. (Jaime Hill)  

Jaime Hill presented the staff report, and Gordon and Stacy Edmonds, and Tom Brajkovich, architect, explained the project.  Committee members lauded the project design and felt it was an appropriate design solution to preserve and rehabilitate a historic home to accommodate a large family. 

On a 6-0 vote, the Committee determined that the proposed project was consistent with the Historic Preservation Program Guidelines and that it would be compatible with the Old Town Historic District.  The Committee referred the project to the Community Development Director (Minor or Incidental Architectural Review) with recommendation to approve the proposed design. 

Committee member Dan Carpenter recused himself from the meeting. 

4.        2030 Johnson Avenue.  CHC 190-06;  Request for Mills Act Contract for the historic San Luis Obispo High School Economics Building;   R-2 zone; Dan and Sandy Carpenter, applicants.  (Brian Leveille) 

Jeff Hook introduced the item and noted that this was house was one of the City’s most recent additions to the Master List of Historic Resources.  Committee members felt the house was a good candidate for the Mills Act Program, and on a 5-0 vote, recommended that the City Council approve a Mills Act contract for the historic Old San Luis Obispo High School Home Economics Building, as described in the draft contract attached to the agenda staff report. 

Discussion Items: 

Communications: 

A.     Agenda Forecast – Staff   

Staff gave a brief forecast of upcoming meetings and pending projects. 

B.     Historic Survey Status 

C.    Committee 

Committee member Baer noted that this would be her last CHC meeting and thanked other members and staff for helping to make her participation on the Committee such a positive learning experience.   She added that she would attend the upcoming Advisory Body Dinner. 

The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. to the next regular meeting on Monday, March 26, 2007, at 5:30 p.m., in the Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.