Cultural Heritage Committee Action Update

August 27, 2007                       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

                       Committee members Fowler and Pavlik were absent. 

STAFF:                Jeff Hook, Senior Planner          

PUBLIC COMMENT:  None  

MINUTES:      Minutes of the July 23, 2007 regular meeting were approved as amended on a 5:0 vote.              

 PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS: 

1.        1746 Chorro Street.  CHC 97-07; Request for Mills Act contract for the historic Aston House; R-2 zone; Cornel Artho and Shelby Bentz, applicants. (Brian Leveille) 

Jeff Hook presented the staff report and Cornel Artho explained the request.  He noted that much of the house’s original interior was intact and that they planned to use the Mills Act tax savings to repair and restore the house’s historic exterior.  Fortunately, there were no serious structural issues with the house.  The asbestos roof is still in good condition and they have spare shingles, so he felt the asbestos shingles could remain for the foreseeable future.  He noted that the original roofing was wood shingle and that he hoped to eventually reconstruct that type of roof.  The Committee supported that approach. 

There was no public comment. 

Committee members supported the Mills Act request and on a motion by Committee member Crotser, seconded by Committee member Landwehr, the CHC voted 5-0 to recommend the City Council approve a Mills Act contract for the historic Aston House, as described in the draft contract attached to the staff report, subject to these 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 Aston Home located at 1746 Chorro Street has been recognized as an 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.  

BUSINESS: 

2.      Certified Local Government Program (CLG) -   Review of Information Related to the Certified Local Government Program (CLG), California Office of Historic Preservation (Jeff Hook) 

Jeff Hook presented the staff report and noted that the CHC had discussed the CLG program several years ago but had tabled the item because of the amount of work involved developing a historic preservation ordinance, a requirement of the CLG program.  He added that the recently-adopted General Plan Conservation and Open Space Element calls for the preparation of a historic preservation ordinance, and that a preliminary draft was being prepared by staff, so that the timing for CLG participation may now be more appropriate. 

Committee members felt the program could help leverage for historic surveys or preservation projects and that the program could help the City implement its General Plan policies for historic preservation.  On a motion by Committee member Crotser, seconded by Chairperson Breska, the CHC voted 4-1 to recommend that once the City has adopted an historic preservation ordinance, the Council approve participation in the Certified Local Government Program and direct staff to proceed with the application process, subject to the following findings:  

A.     Preserving our heritage of historic buildings and places is supported by General Plan policies 3.31 through 3.3.5 of the Conservation and Open Space Element.  

B.     The Certified Local Government Program is operated by the State of California to assist local governments with identifying and preserving historic buildings, and provides benefits to participating local governments in recognition of their commitment to follow state-approved historic preservation standards and procedures. 

C.    The Certified Local Government Program is consistent with General Plan programs 3.6.1 and 3.6.2 in that it will help identify cultural resources and guide the review of new development for consistency with adopted standards, and will help provide financial assistance and incentives for historic preservation. 

COMMUNICATIONS: 

A.     Agenda Forecast – Staff 

Staff noted that Committee members were invited to attend the upcoming Advisory Body Training meeting on Thursday evening, September 20, 2007 at the City’s Corporation Yard, and gave a forecast for the September 24, 2007 CHC meeting. 

B.     Historic Survey Status 

Committee members discussed the recent walking tour and survey of the South Broad Street “little Italy” area and asked staff to schedule the item for the September 24^th meeting.  It was agreed that Committee member Miller would research the properties’ title information and that Committee member Crotser would complete the photographs and get any survey information to staff. 

C.    Committee 

Committee members discussed historic research on historic property located at 2030 Johnson Avenue, provided by former CHC member and the property’s owner, Dan Carpenter.  They asked staff to schedule the item for the September 24^th meeting for discussion of a possible historic name change, and also wanted to discuss the possibility of the being able to approve historic name changes, based on persuasive historic documentation, without the need of Council review unless such action were appealed.  They also asked that possible changes to the historic plaque program be brought back at a future meeting, with consideration of including Contributing Properties and historic properties that had been lost in the program. 

Committee members discussed a new book entitled Business History of Higuera Street, by local historian Guy Crabbe, and asked staff to purchase a copy for the CHC historic library. 

Committee members asked staff to report back at a future meeting on historic signage for the historic Sheriff Hathway house located at 1325 Ella Street, and to check with the owners of the historic Judge’s House at 1720 Johnson Avenue on whether the historic plaque on the front wall, adjacent to Johnson Avenue, would be reinstalled. 

The meeting ADJOURNED at 7 p.m. to the next regular meeting on Monday, September 24, 2007, at 5:30 p.m., in the Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.