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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-20-2019 CHC Agenda - CancelledAgenda Cultural Heritage Committee REGULAR MEETING CANCELLATION NOTICE The followingRegular Cultural Heritage Meeting has been cancelled: May 20, 2019 NOTICE is hereby given that the Regular Meeting of the Investment Oversight Committee scheduled for Monday, May 20, 2019 at 5 :30 p.m. has been cancelled due to lack of quorum. The agenda packet for the meeting can be foundon the following pages. The next regular meeting of the Cultural Heritage Committee is scheduled forMonday, May 27, 2019 at 5 :30 p.m. in the Council Hearing of City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA. Agendas for this meeting will be posted at least 72 hours in advance. CityofSanLuisObispo,CouncilAgenda,CityHall,990PalmStreet,SanLuis Obispo Agenda Cultural Heritage Committee Monday, May 20, 2019 5:30 p.m. RESCHEDULED REGULAR Community Development MEETING 919 Palm Street Conference Room 1 San Luis Obispo, CA CALL TO ORDER: Chair Haydu ROLL CALL: Committee Members Thom Brajkovich, Eva Fina, Glen Matteson, James Papp, Vice-Chair Shannon Larrabee, and Chair Damon Haydu. ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIR (Continued Item from the April 22, 2019 meeting) PUBLIC COMMENT: At this time, people may address the Committee on items not on the agenda. Items raised are generally referred to staff and, if action by the Committee is necessary, may be scheduled for a future meeting. CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES 1. Approve minutes of the April 22, 2019 Cultural Heritage Committee meeting. PRESENTATION & DISCUSSION 2. Plaque and Interpretive Panel Guidelines Discussion (Committee) COMMENT AND DISCUSSION 3. Agenda Forecast & Staff Updates San Luis Obispo – Cultural Heritage Committee Agenda of May 20, 2019 Page 2 ADJOURNMENT The next Regular Cultural Heritage Committee Meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 24, 2019 at 5:30 p.m., in the Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California. The City of San Luis Obispo wishes to make all of its public meetings accessible to the public. Upon request, this agenda will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with disabilities. Any person with a disability who requires a modification or accommodation in order to participate in a meeting should direct such requests to the City Clerk’s Office at (805) 781-7100 at least 48 hours before the meeting, if possible. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (805) 781-7107. Agenda related writings or documents provided to the City Council are available for public inspection in the Community Development Department located at 919 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California during normal business hours, and on the City’s website http://www.slocity.org/government/advisory-bodies DRAFT Minutes – Cultural Heritage Committee Meeting of April 22, 2019 Page 1 Minutes - DRAFT CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMITTEE Monday, April 22, 2019 Regular Meeting of the Cultural Heritage Committee CALL TO ORDER A Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo Cultural Heritage Committee was called to order on Monday, April 22, 2019 at 5:33 p.m. in the Council Hearing Room, located at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California, by Chair Papp. OATH OF OFFICE Deputy City Clerk Christianson administered the Oath of Office to Commissioner Papp. ROLL CALL Present: Committee Members Thom Brajkovich, Damon Haydu, Vice-Chair Shannon Larrabee, and Chair James Papp Absent: Committee Members Eva Fina and Glen Matteson Staff: Senior Planner Brian Leveille, and Recording Secretary Summer Aburashed ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR Chair Papp nominated Committee Member Haydu for Chair; Seconded by Larrabee, consensus vote was unanimous. By consensus, the Vice Chair elections was moved to the May 20, 2019 Cultural Heritage Committee meeting to allow for additional Committee Members to be present. PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA Ernie Crook End of Public Comment-- APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Consideration of Minutes of the Regular Cultural Heritage Committee Meeting of March 25, 2019: ACTION: UPON MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER PAPP, SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR LARRABEE, CARRIED 4-0-2 (COMMITTEE MEMBERS FINA & MATTESON DRAFT Minutes – Cultural Heritage Committee Meeting of April 22, 2019 Page 2 ABSENT), the Cultural Heritage Committee approved the Minutes of the Regular Cultural Heritage Committee Meeting of March 25, 2019, as presented. PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS 1. Review of Sign Program for the Hotel Cerro Project in the Downtown Historic District; Project Address: 1119 and 1125 Garden Street. Case #: ARCH-0152-2019, C-D-H zone; Arris Studio Architects, applicant. Assistant Planner Walter Oetzell provided a PowerPoint presentation and responded to Committee inquiries. Applicant representatives, Shawn Matthews and Alex Hirsig from Arris Studio Architects provided a PowerPoint presentation and responded to Commissioner inquiries. Public Comment None End of Public Comment-- ACTION: UPON MOTION BY COMMITTEE MEMBER PAPP, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER BRAJKOVICH, CARRIED 4-0-2, (COMMITTEE MEMBERS FINA & MATTESON ABSENT), to recommend that the Hotel Cerro sign on the second floor of the Smith Building is consistent with Secretary of the Interior Standards; that the leaf transom sign on the Smith Building is inset and therefore has a slight effect on the appearance of the building; and that the transom sign on the Union Hardware Building does violate Secretary of the Interior standards and should be replaced with a plaque sign, halo lit individual lettering, or similar sign that does not interfere with the architectural character of the building that is located in the original location of the Union Hardware sign. COMMENT AND DISCUSSION The Committee indicated interest in discussion of plaque and interpretive panel guidelines on a future agenda. Senior Planner Leveille provided an agenda forecast. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:56 p.m. The next Meeting of the Cultural Heritage Committee will be a Rescheduled Regular Meeting on Monday, May 20, 2019 at 5:30 p.m., in the Council Chamber, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California. The Regular Cultural Heritage Committee Meeting for Monday, May 27, 2019 has been cancelled. DRAFT Minutes – Cultural Heritage Committee Meeting of April 22, 2019 Page 3 APPROVED BY THE CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMITTEE: XX/XX/2019 CityofSanLuisObispo, CommunityDevelopment, 919PalmStreet, SanLuisObispo, CA, 93401-3218, 805.781.7170, slocity.org May 20, 2019 TO: Cultural Heritage Committee FROM: Brian Leveille, Senior Planner SUBJECT: Guidelines for Plaques and Interpretive Panels on City Property Discussion: At the previous meeting of April 22, 2019, the CHC agreed to agendize a discussion to establish guidelines for plaques and interpretive panels. Please see the attached proposal prepared by Committee Member James Papp to guide the discussion. The intended use of guidelines is to provide a framework and guidance guidance for the composition and review of future proposals for plaques and interpretive panels on City property. Attachment: Draft Guidelines for Plaques and Interpretive Panels on City Property Plaques and Interpretive Panels on City Property Definition A plaque or interpretive panel is not a sign and does not fall under city signage regulations, which focus on commercial signage. Text accompanying a statue or other historical physical representation is considered a plaque. Standards and Guidelines Plaques and other historic markers are usually placed at the initiative of individuals, organizations, and ad hoc groups. The content and presentation of plaques and interpretive panels on city-owned property is approved by the Cultural Heritage Committee, which reflects the community’s interest in accuracy, relevance, sensitivity, and accessibility. City guidelines for plaque and panel content are based on the standards that the Secretary of the Interior has established for recognition of historic properties and limits information to that which is 1. documentable 2. historically significant 3. sensitive to racial, gender, and other bias Accessibility is based on the Smithsonian guidelines for accessible exhibition design, including visual and language accessibility. Documentation Content of plaques and interpretive panels shall be limited to information that can be confirmed by primary sources that are publicly available for examination, such as contemporary letters, oral histories, business and government documents, and newspapers. Secondary sources such as later histories may be used if their primary source material for a particular fact is clearly referenced. Interpretation based on primary documentation is acceptable. Significance The National Register of Historic Places defines significance as the association of a site, building, or landscape with Criterion A. events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history Criterion B. the lives of significant persons of our past Criterion C. characteristic of a type, period, or method of construction; the work of a master; high artistic value; a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction Criterion D. the yielding of information important in history or prehistory. The National Register further defines significant persons of our past as “individuals whose activities are demonstrably important within a local, state, or national historic context. […]. It must be shown that the person gained importance within his or her profession or group.” Information on a plaque should be about what is significant, not merely interesting, in such a person. For instance, a historical figure’s children would only be mentioned if they were also historically significant or if the subject’s claim to historic significance were based on her or his parenthood rather than accomplishments in some other sphere. Personal or professional activities not associated with the person’s significance should be omitted in preference to expanding on significant activities. The National Register defines a historic resource that is characteristic of a type as “an important example (within its context) of building practices of a particular time in history. Examples of properties associated with design and construction: A house or commercial building representing a significant style of architecture; a designed park or garden associated with a particular landscape design philosophy.” On a plaque or interpretive panel for such a resource , it will be important to define the historically significant style, period, or construction method and (if known) designer or maker of the resource. The city strongly recommends seeking the judgment of professional historians, architectural historians, or archaeologists for statements relevant to their areas of expertise. Sensitivity Plaques and interpretive panels should not use language in their own voice that is likely to offend a reasonable person against whom such language might be directed. For example, the standard for language about Native Americans is whether it would likely offend Native Americans, not whether it would offend a non–Native American. At the same time, the reasonable person” legal standard does not preclude language that might possibly offend anyone. Historically significant quotations that are insensitive are allowable but may need contextualization. It is important for today’s audience to have available clear, uncensored views of the past, however unpleasant that past may be. Facts are not in themselves offensive; interpretation or treatment of facts may be. We are not required to apologize for the past, but modern interpretive material may be necessary to contextualize it. Plaque or panel content and language should take care not to treat different groups in different ways. For instance, women historical figures should not be referred to by their first name when male historical figures are generally referred to by their last name, and women should not have their activities in the domestic sphere highlighted while men are discussed in the public sphere. Accessibility Metallic plaques, though an important expression of permanence, inherently do not meet Smithsonian guidelines for visual accessibility, having non-contrastive type. The typeface should therefore be large enough to compensate as much as possible. Interpretive panels are more accessible because of their ability to use visual contrast, break up text, and use illustrations. Short, simple sentences increase linguistic and cognitive accessibility. Current practice in plaques and interpretive panels suggests focusing on that part of the narrative that is locally peculiar while leaving general terms (such as “Gothic” or Gardenesque”) for the audience to research or web search on its own. A plaque or panel writer may, however, reasonably expect that the audience will not do further research and can choose to explain general terms and relate them to the person or thing the plaque or panel commemorates. Plaques are generally 75 to 300 words. Interpretive panels are generally a maximum of 500 words.