City of San Luis Obispo - Cultural Heritage Committee Action Update

Cultural Heritage Committee Action Update

March 24, 2008 Monday 5:30p.m.

ROLL CALL: Committee Members, Chuck Crotser, Lynne Landwehr, John Fowler, Dean Miller, Elise Wheeler, Vice Chair Robert Pavlik and Chairperson Barbara Breska

STAFF: Jeff Hook, Senior Planner, and Kim Murry, Deputy Director of Community Development, Tyler Corey and Michael Codron, Associate Planners and Michelle Lakey, Recording Secretary Jeff Hook, Senior Planner

PUBLIC COMMENT: There was no public comment.

MINUTES: Minutes of February 25, 2008, regular meeting. Minutes of February 25, 2008. On a motion by Committee Member Crotser, seconded by Committee Member Miller, the minutes of February 25, 2008, were approved as amended on a 7:0 vote.

PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS:

Chairperson Breska announced that she had a conflict of interest for items #1 and #2 and left the room.

1. 1266 Mill Street. CHCMA 10-08; Request to add the Shipsey House to the Mills Act Program; R-2-H zone; Matthew Quaglino, applicant.

Jeff Hook presented the staff report and Pierre Rademaker, applicant’s representative and designer, explained the project.

Acting Chairperson Pavlik opened the public hearing, and hearing no public comment, closed the hearing.

On a motion by Committee Member Crotser, seconded by Committee Member Miller, the Committee voted 6:0 (Chairperson Breska - recused) to recommend approval of the Mills Act Contract to the City Council and to recommend the Community Development Director approve the proposed garage structure based on the recommended findings and conditions.

Findings:

1. Conservation and Open Space Element program 3.6.2 indicates the City will participate in financial assistance programs such as property tax reduction programs that encourage maintenance and restoration of historic properties.

2. The Shipsey House located at 1266 Mill Street has been recognized as a historic asset in the community by its designation as a Master List Historic Property. As such, maintaining the structure will meet the City’s goals for historic preservation listed in policies 3.3.1 through 3.3.5 of the Conservation and Open Space Element.

3. The proposed single-car garage is consistent with standards contained in the Historical Preservation Program Guidelines; project does not involve the demolition or substantial modification of a historically-significant structure, it’s complementary to the historic Shipsey House, and will be compatible with surrounding structures.

4. The proposed single-car garage is consistent with General Plan Policy LU 2.2.10 for compatible development and Housing Element policy HE 3.13.1 since the project is consistent with the neighborhood character.

5. The project is categorically exempt under Class 3, New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures, of the CEQA Guidelines.

Condition:

1. Simplify the architectural details on the garage structure, to the approval of the Community Development Director.

2. 1333 Mill Street. CHCMA 143-07; Request to change the historic designation of the property from contributing to the Master List and Mills Act contract; R-2-H; Pierre and Terri Rademaker, applicants.

Jeff Hook, presented the staff report and Pierre Rademaker, applicant, provided additional information on his house. Mr. Rademaker suggested that the home be called the “Burch House” because of the impact that Mr. Burch had on the community.

Acting Chairperson Pavlik opened the public hearing, and hearing no public comment, closed the hearing.

On a motion by Committee Member Crotser, seconded by Committee Member Miller, the Committee voted 6:0 (Chairperson Breska – recused) to recommend the property be placed on the Master List of Historic Resources and to forward the recommendation for both the nomination and the Mills Act Contract to the City Council subject to the following findings.

Findings:

1. The property qualifies for nomination to the Master List of Historic Resources based on listing criteria of Environmental Design Continuity (eligibility criteria V.) and the Building Design Criteria (criteria II) of the Historic Preservation Guidelines, since the property is consistent with the Mill Street Historic District’s character of large front and side yard setbacks built with structures of various architectural expressions.

2. Conservation and Open Space Element program 3.6.2 indicates the City will participate in financial assistance programs such as property tax reduction programs that encourage maintenance and restoration of historic properties.

3. With nomination to the Master List of Historic Resources, the property located at 1333 Mill Street has been recognized as a historic asset in the community. As such, maintaining the structure will meet the City’s goals for historic preservation listed in policies 3.3.1 through 3.3.5 of the Conservation and Open Space Element.

Chairperson Breska returned to the meeting.

3. 1052 Islay Street. CHC 27-08; Request to add a contributing historic property in the Old Town Historic District to the Master List of Historic Resources; R-3-H zone; Leanne Singleton, applicant.

Jeff Hook presented the staff report. Staff recommended the Committee recommend that the City Council add the property located at 1052 Islay Street to the Master List of Historic Resources and remove it from the Contributing Properties List.

Leeanne Singleton, applicant, gave some history of the residence.

Acting Chairperson Pavlik opened the public hearing and, hearing no public comment, closed the hearing.

On a motion by Committee Member Crotser, seconded by Committee Member Fowler, the Committee voted 7:0 to recommend that the City Council add the property located at 1052 Islay Street to the Master List of Historic Resources as the historic “Kaufman House”, and remove it from the Contributing Properties List, subject to the following findings:

Findings:

1. The structure is an excellent example of a Neo-Classic Row House architectural style, and has been restored and its original architectural style and structural integrity have been maintained.

2. The property is located in a highly visible location of the Old Town Historic District and reflects and reinforces the unique “row house” setting of that part of the City.

3. The property is associated with prominent citizens who have made significant contributions to the City through their association with government, the railroad, or civic groups, namely: Howard Kirtland, Charles Gates, James Leavitt, and Albert and Mary Kaufman.

4. The property serves as an example of structures in the Old Town Historic District which were home to many of San Luis Obispo’s citizens that worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company and occupies its original site.

4. 712, 720, 722, 728, 736, 742 & 748 Marsh Street & 1119, 1123, 1125, 1127, 1129 & 1137 Garden Street. ARC/ER/U/R/TA/TR 124-06; Discuss the Cultural Resources of the Draft EIR proposed for the Garden Street Terraces Project; C-D-H zone; Garden Street SLO Partners, applicant.

Tyler Corey, Associate Planner, presented the staff report and recommended that the committee take public testimony and provide input to City staff and EIR consultants on any additional analysis or data needed to adequately evaluate environmental issue areas. Barry Price, Applied Earth Works, spoke about the methods used in the Cultural Resources section of the Draft EIR and responded to questions. Carole Florence, Oasis Associates, spoke on behalf of the project applicant, along with George Garcia, project architect, and Robert Chattal, preservation architect.

Chairperson Breska opened the public hearing. Five citizens spoke on the request, asking the Committee to preserve Garden Street’s and Garden Alley’s historic character. Hearing no further comment, she closed the public hearing.

Committee members then commented on the Draft EIR and took no action.

5. Review and discussion of cultural resources policies and programs in the Orcutt Area Specific Plan and Draft EIR. ANNX/GP/R/SP 209-98; Barbara Parsons, applicant.

Michael Codron, Associate Planner, presented the staff report recommending that the CHC should take the following actions relative to this item:

1. Receive a presentation on the Orcutt Area Specific Plan and discuss Section 2.5 of the Orcutt Area Specific Plan and Section 4.5 of the Draft EIR.

2. Continue consideration of the item until the April meeting for discussion and deliberation. (In April, the CHC will be asked to provide staff with direction on any changes identified by the Committee that should be incorporated into the Plan or EIR to insure consistency with the City’s General Plan and Archeological Resource Preservation Guidelines).

Committee members provided comments and continued its review of the item to the April 28^th CHC meeting. There was no public comment.

DISCUSSION ITEMS:

6. CHC Survey – South Broad Street Corridor Planning Area. GPI 49-06

Jeff Hook presented the staff report and recommended that the CHC review the information provided by Committee members Crotser and Miller and: 1) determine which properties, if any, meet criteria for possible historic nomination to the Contributing Properties List or Master List of Historic Resource; and 2) schedule the candidate properties for possible nomination at an upcoming CHC public hearing. The Committee went through each listed property and recommended that all of the surveyed properties listed in the staff report, except the three properties on Woodbridge that are already listed, and one additional “vernacular box style” house that has been highly modified, return to the Committee at its April 2008 meeting for possible nomination as Contributing properties. Committee members agreed that several properties require more research prior to a nomination being made to the City Council.

7. Historic plaques for Contributing and Master List Historic Properties: Discussion of design and placement alternatives.

Chairperson Breska felt that all the plaques for both Contributing and Master List properties should be the same. The Committee agreed that the plaque should read, “Historic Resource” with a small “C” with a date and resource name for Master List properties and “Historic Resource” with a date and no name for the Contributing properties. The plaque material will be different for Contributing and Master List properties.

On a motion by Committee Member Pavlik, seconded by Committee Member Wheeler the Committee voted 7:0 to: 1) recommend the City Council approve an expanded Historic Plaque Program to include historic plaques for Contributing properties and an upgraded plaque design for Master List properties; and 2) endorse new historic plaque designs for Contributing and Master List properties.

8. Consideration of establishing historic district signage in the Mill Street Historic District.

Jeff Hook explained that staff recommended the CHC: 1) approve the proposed sign design and preliminary installation plan; 2) recommend the Community Development Department establish a pilot district sign program for the Mills Street Historic District; and 3) thank Pierre Rademaker for his contribution of design services.

On a motion by Committee Member Wheeler and seconded by Chairperson Breska, the Committee voted 6 -1 (Miller against) to install the sign as designed at the locations being proposed and reflecting the current name of Mill Street Historic District.

9. Schedule CHC retreat.

Chairperson Breska will be out of town during the currently-scheduled retreat. Deputy Director Kim Murry will try to schedule the retreat for April 29, 2008, in the evening.

COMMUNICATIONS: Due to the lateness of the hour, communications were continued to the April meeting.

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 10 p.m.