HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-23-2016 CHC Minutes
Minutes
CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMITTEE
Monday, May 23, 2016
Regular Meeting of the Cultural Heritage Committee
CALL TO ORDER
A Regular Meeting of the Cultural Heritage Committee was called to order on Monday, May 23rd,
2016 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Hearing Room, located at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo,
California, by Chair Hill.
ROLL CALL
Present: Committee Members Sandy Baer, Shannon Larrabee, James Papp (arrived 5:38), Leah
Walthert, and Chair Jaime Hill
Absent: Committee Member Craig Kincaid & Vice Chair Thom Brajkovich
Staff: Senior Planner Brian Leveille, Planning Technician Kyle van Leeuwen, and Assistant
Planner Walter Oetzell
CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES
None.
PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
None.
PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS
1. 1034 Church Street. ARCH-2947-2016; Construction of two dwellings behind an existing
residence that is a Contributing List Historic Resource in the Railroad Historic District, with
a categorical exemption from environmental review; R-3-H zone; Tom Garris, applicant.
Chair Hill announces having received two pieces of Agenda Correspondence, one from a
neighbor of the project and the other from project architect.
Assistant Planner Oetzell presented Staff Report and passed material board around to Committee
Members.
Minutes – Cultural Heritage Meeting of May 23, 2016 Page 2
Committee Member Larrabee inquired about the proximity between original & new buildings
and the distance of setbacks between them and the buildings on Leff Street.
Chair Hill inquired whether there were any exceptions required for project.
Applicant Representative & Architect, Louisa Smith, provided a presentation on the in-fill
project and responded to perspective & line-of-sight questions raised by Committee with the
assistance of a flat elevation rendering.
Public Comments
None
Committee Discussion
Committee Member Papp questioned at what point the build-out of additional units
overwhelms the historic sense of the Historic District; commented that architects designing in
context of landmarks appear to be prompted to forge designs that will not clash, leading to an
overly-homogenized area.
Chair Hill opined that the Committee needs to apply regulations regarding in-fill projects as
they exist currently, but suggested that if Committee is not in favor of those rules, the Body
should direct or recommend that Staff study or evaluate them toward possible revision.
Chair Hill indicated that projects that Committee continues to see are modern-sized structures
being built behind historic-sized structures that are not only inappropriate in terms of scale
and massing, but also alter the character and livability of downtown.
ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER LARRABEE, SECOND BY COMMITTEE
MEMBER WALTHERT, to approve the two dwellings in a new two-story building located
behind a residence on property that is a Contributing List Historic Resource in the Railroad
Historic District, within the Medium-High Density Residential (R-3-H) Zone with Historical
Preservation Overlay, located at 1034 Church Street, with the added Conditions that 1.) Windows
used in the project shall be of high-quality materials differing from the proposed, unacceptable
vinyl; 2.) Window details shall be included in construction plans and include manufacturer “cut
sheets” or physical samples sufficient to enable evaluation of compliance with this Condition and
to satisfaction of Community Development Director; and 3.) The Landscape Plan submitted with
plans for construction permits shall include landscaping for the entire site, including the front
yard area around the existing residence. Motion passed 4:1:0:2 on the following vote:
AYES: Larrabee, Walthert, Baer, Hill
NOES: Papp
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: Kincaid, Brajkovich
2. 1404 Broad Street. ARCH-3036-2016; Architectural review of exterior building façade
modifications on a non-historic commercial building within the Old Town Historic District,
Minutes – Cultural Heritage Meeting of May 23, 2016 Page 3
with a categorical exemption from environmental review; O-H zone, Covelop Holdings,
LLC, applicant.
Planning Technician van Leeuwen provided Staff Report.
In response to Committee Member Walthert’s inquiry, Applicant Representative Aisling
Fearon, Ten Over Studios, indicated that Applicant wished to provide a facelift for the plain
and flawed façade after recently moving a new tenant into the building, adding a level of
architectural detail to give it a street presence and make it more functional with a demising
wall and swinging barn doors.
Public Comments
None
Committee Discussion
Committee Member Papp commended the clear explanation of the project. Committee
Members Baer and Larrabee voiced that the design will upgrade the prominent street corner.
Chair Hill requested assurances that the parapet would be tall enough to fully screen
equipment.
ACTION: MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER PAPP, SECOND BY COMMITTEE
MEMBER BAER, to approve plans to make façade improvements to the exterior of the building
at 1404 & 1406 Broad Street and 719 Pismo Street, Old Town Historic District, O-H Zone.
Motion passed 5:0:0:2 on the following vote:
AYES: Papp, Baer, Larrabee, Walthert, Hill
NOES: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: Kincaid, Brajkovich
Staff Discussion
Informal discussion ensued regarding the current regulations in zoning and density being of
disservice to a Cultural Heritage Committee attempting to maintain the atmosphere of
Historic Districts. Means by which compatibility issues might be communicated to Staff was
also discussed.
Senior Planner Leveille provided the Agenda Forecast.
Agenda Forecast:
June 6th: Special Meeting on Long-Bonetti Ranch as modified from its original proposal
Minutes – Cultural Heritage Meeting of May 23, 2016 Page 4
June 27th: New proposals for modification on The Creamery project @ 570 Higuera; 71
Palomar wherein Applicant responded to CHC direction; Master List Kimball House @690 Islay
for Mills Act
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 6:35 p.m.
APPROVED BY THE CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMITTEE: 07/25/2016