Cultural Heritage Committee Action Update

October 23, 2006                       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  

Committee Members Breska and Landwehr were absent.  

STAFF:  Mary Phillips, Planning Intern, Pam Ricci, Senior Planner, and Jeff Hook, Senior Planner 

PUBLIC COMMENT:   

There were no public comments on items not on the agenda. 

MINUTES: Minutes of September 25, 2006 regular meeting. Approve or amend.  

The minutes of September 25, 2006 were approved on a 5-0 vote. 

SPECIAL PRESENTATION:  Update on Advisory Body Recruitment. (Audrey Hooper, City Clerk). 

City Clerk Audrey Hooper noted that four CHC member’s terms were expiring in March 2007 and that the Clerk’s office was beginning its advisory body recruitment program earlier than usual to find citizens interested in serving.  She encouraged committee members to “re-enlist” and continue serving on the Committee or to encourage interested colleagues and friends to apply.  

PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS: 

1.   460 Broad Street.  MOD ARC MI 228-05; Modification to previously approved request to deconstruct, rebuild and restore a contributing historic property regarding building setback and conditions of approval; R-1 zone; Roger Zanetti, applicant.   

Jeff Hook presented the staff report and Jim Newell, applicant’s representative, explained the request.   He noted that the applicant had taken the new garage through the City’s plancheck process and that there was no concern expressed about architectural compatibility with the house at that time.   The applicant didn’t feel it was fair to require changes to the garage now, after the garage was approved and built. 

After a brief discussion, Committee members agreed that the architectural differences between garage and house were not likely to be highly visible to the public and that it would not be appropriate to require changes now when the City failed to require them during the garage’s initial review.  On a motion by Committee member Baer, seconded by Dan Carpenter, the Committee voted 5-0 to determine that the applicant’s requested modifications to the project are consistent with the CHC’s original action to support the project, and to refer the project to the Community Development Director with direction to modify the conditions of project approval and building setback, as requested by the applicant. 

2.   1880 Santa Barbara Avenue. ARC 180-03; Review of a proposal to structurally reinforce and rehabilitate the fire-damaged historic Railroad Square building; C-R-S-H zone; Depot Square, LP, applicant. 

Pam Ricci presented the staff report and asked the Committee to provide conceptual direction on the applicant’s revised plans to preserve and seismically strengthen the historic Channel Commercial Building.  Carol Florence, Oasis Associates, introduced the applicant’s development and design team:  Hamish Marshall, project developer, Robert Chattel, architectural historian, Jim Duenow, attorney, and Bill Wallace, structural engineer. 

Victoria Wood, a neighbor of the project and former CHC member, spoke in support of the proposed rehabilitation plan.  Chris Felatevski, National Trust for Historic Preservation, said she was there at Robert Chattel’s request and offered to assist with National Register nominations if the applicant chose to use Rehabilitation Tax Credits.                                                                      

After a lengthy discussion of the applicant’s proposed rehabilitation strategy, the Committee took two actions:  1)  on a motion by Chairperson Crotser, seconded by Committee member Baer, Committee members voted 5-0 to support a rehabilitation strategy that favored internal bracing with minimal or no visible changes on the building’s exterior and minimal use of shotcrete on interior walls, and 2) regarding the more recent wood-clad building additions, on a motion by Committee member Pavlk, seconded by Committee member Baer, the Committee asked the applicant to investigate the history of the additions and that if proposed, changes to or replacement of the additions should be consistent with the Railroad District Plan and “open up” views to the sides of the historic brick building.  The motion carried, 5-0. 

3.        DISCUSSION ITEM: 

Goal Setting and the Budget Process:  Identify CHC goals and programs for 2007 - 2009. 

After a brief discussion, and on a motion by Chairperson Crotser, seconded by Committee member Wheeler, the Committee voted 5-0 to identify the following CHC  program goals for 2007 – 2009,  with goal one being the highest priority, and to forward these to the City Council with a request for resources to complete the work during the 2007 – 2009 budget: 

CHC WORKPROGRAM FOR 2007 – 2009 

1)     Historic Preservation Ordinance: Prepare a Historic Preservation Ordinance, pursuant to the Conservation and Open Space Element Program 3.30.10, and provide funding for the preparation of a historic character assessment of city historic districts. 

2)     Historic Resource Inventory: Provide adequate funding for updating and maintaining the Historic Resource Inventory of Master List and Contributing properties, including potential annexation areas and threatened structures. 

3)     Historic Plaque Program:  Provide funding to evaluate, improve and expand the existing Historic Plaque Program. 

4)     Southern Pacific Freight Warehouse:  Provide funding to complete the rehabilitation of the historic Southern Pacific Freight Warehouse within the two-year budget cycle. 

COMMUNICATIONS: 

     a.  Agenda Forecast – staff 

Staff noted that an evaluation of the Mills Act Program would be on the CHC’s November meeting. 

b.  Committee 

ADJOURN to the next regular meeting on Monday, November 27, 2006, at 5:30 p.m., in the Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.