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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-24-2014 CHC MinutesSAN LUIS OBISPO CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMITTEE MINUTES November 24, 2014 ROLL CALL: Present: Committee Members Thom Brajkovich, Hugh Platt, Patti Taylor, Victoria Wood, Vice -Chair Jaime Hill, and Chair Bob Pavlik Absent: Committee Member Sandy Baer Staff: Deputy Community Development Director Doug Davidson, Senior Planner Phil Dunsmore, Assistant Planner Erik Berg- Johansen, and Recording Secretary Diane Clement ACCEPTANCE OF THE AGENDA: The agenda was accepted as presented. MINUTES: Minutes of October 27, 2014, were approved as presented. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON - AGENDA ITEMS: Buzz Kalkowski, SLO, showed photographs of historical buildings and signs in Natchez, Mississippi, including directions for historical walks on small brass plaques embedded in sidewalks. He noted that some newer structures replacing old buildings maintain the shape and /or some of the architectural features of those buildings but are not replicas. There were no further comments made from the public. Deputy Director Davidson presented a Development Review Process Improvements Update report including a review of Standard Conditions — Best Management Practices. PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS: 2881 Broad Street. HIST- 0554 -2014; Review historic status of a potentially contributing historic property; R -2 -S zone; Dustin Pires, applicant. (Erik Berg - Johansen) Assistant Planner Berg- Johansen presented the staff report, recommending review of the historic significance of the property and adoption of a recommendation that the City Council add the property to the contributing list of historic resources. Applicant Pires stated he disagrees with staff that this house should be listed. He noted that the property has been looked at several times by the City and that a recommendation for listing has never been made. He added that it is noncontributing because it is outside the City's historic zone and has no context because it is across the street from Staples and adjacent to a car wash. He noted that most of the nearby Yoachim tract is in bad condition and the corner where the house sits needs sprucing up. He stated that the house has no specific style and was just a simple structure for a family that is now unsafe and beyond feasible structural repair, and the garage sits 6 -8 feet inside the public right -of -way on Perkins Lane. He noted that the City has CHC Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 2 designated this lot R -2. Applicant Newton added that saving the building would require a complete teardown and reconstruction. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Eleanor Emily Sweeney Gonyer, SLO, stated she was raised in the house, which was part of a family compound, until she married. She related some of the family history that pertained to the house. Jim Sweeney, SLO, stated he was the last resident of the house and that the house was built with bricks from the Faulstich Brickyard. He added that he was born in the house and also cared for his elderly father there. He stated that he does not want to see it completely torn down because it is historical. He shared historical photographs of his family with the Committee. Reginald Corella, SLO, stated he was a brick tender for the brick yard and that bricks stamped with the Faulstich name are probably on one or more bricks in the house because that was always done. He added that the building can be saved but it will be expensive. He stated that he is a structural house mover who has moved historical homes in Hollywood and his company could move the building or relocate it on the property. He added that he is a chaplain at The Grange across the street and that this home used to host musicians for The Grange. He called the house unique because it is across from the old brickyard and represents some forgotten history. There were no further comments made from the public. COMMITTEE COMMENTS: Comm. Member Taylor stated she had recently been given a family history written by Jim Sweeney in 1983. She read parts of this history but noted that she would need time to read and analyze it. She added that this document states that the bricks are from the Faulstich Brickyard that used to be across Broad Street from the house and that some of the replacement roof tiles for the mission were made at this brickyard. She also read that there is a relationship between this family and the brother of General Vallejo. There was discussion of the relationship of the Faulstich, Sweeney and Yoachim families and the location of an older Sweeney family home. Comm. Member Pavlik stated that someone did a survey of chicken ranches in the southern part of the City that would reveal more about the history of the property. He noted that he would call the architecture of the house a simple bungalow style. At this point Comm. Member Platt made a motion to continue the hearing that was seconded by Comm. Member Taylor. Discussion ensued. Comm. Member Brajkovich stated that the issues are about whether the house should be saved and whether integrity or style is more important. CHC Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 3 Comm. Member Taylor stated that the question is how much emphasis to put on the historic value if the Committee decides it does have important historic value. Comm. Member Pavlik noted that a property may be more significant because of an association with a family or industry. He added that the style is unique but may not rise to a high level and the question is whether it still retain its original characteristics. Comm. Member Hill stated that the Committee has considered similar projects where an historic house not in the historic district has been found to be important because of the story it told. She noted that condition is not really part of the Committee's purview. She stated that if the hearing is continued, the Committee should be specific about the kind of information it wants and, for her, that would be documentation about its relationship to the brickyard. Senior Planner Dunsmore noted that the City would need to hire an historian to really put the pieces together and, if the property is listed, the issue will be whether to reconstruct the house or use the bricks on a new project. Comm. Member Hill stated that if the house is listed, it has to go through a CEQA process and be rebuilt exactly as it was originally. There was a discussion of whether the house could be moved. Comm. Member Wood asked why anyone would consider moving a brick house. Comm. Member Pavlik stated it was preferable to keep an historic house on its original site to avoid losing the context. Comm. Member Hill asked if there was any way to condition the design of a new project to reflect the house if it is found not to be historic. Comm. Member Wood responded that, in this case, the issue is really about the bricks, which -could be used in a new development, and how the story of the land and the families could be reflected in the new development. Comm. Member Pavlik stated that it is important to be sensitive to this Broad Street corridor even though it is not in an historic district. Comm. Member Wood stated that the housing along Perkins Lane will eventually be torn down because it is in poor condition and the area needs to be spruced up. She stated she would like to have some ability to suggest how development can bring in the historic story and how the bricks can be reused. Comm. Member Brajkovich noted that this area is noisy for housing. Comm. Member Taylor expressed concern for the history and how to preserve it. She noted that the history of the brickyard was lost. CHC Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 4 Comm. Member Hill stated that the City can declare a property historic without declaring the structure on it historic. Senior Planner Dunsmore noted that an historic residence on Chorro Street was a total demolition and the new house built on that property did not resemble the old home. He added that this is a similar situation and the only mechanism available is to state what is significant about the property and condition it to incorporate the brick and the history of the family. He stated that voting to continue would mean the applicant would be requested to present a plan. Comm. Member Pavlik asked what would come next if it is determined that this is a contributing property. Senior Planner Dunsmore stated that to be consistent with City and State standards, there would have to be a facade that resembles the house and a plaque. Comm. Member Hill suggested doing something like Railroad Square where bricks were used in a new way. Comm. Member Pavlik stated that if the Committee had additional information about the historical significance, then the Committee could ask the applicant what could be done with the house and still go forward with development. He added that the first choice would be to restore and maintain the house and incorporate it into the development plans. Comm. Member Taylor stated that this house is comparable to the red house on South Higuera with the trailer park in that the applicant can go ahead with the project but preserve the house. Comm. Member Wood responded that this is different because it is a brick house in a ghetto area. Comm. Member Hill stated that the City cannot save just the pretty houses. She added that staff needs to let the Committee know if the property, not the house, could be designated historic. There were no further comments made from the Committee. On motion by Committee Member Platt, seconded by Committee Member Comm. Member Taylor, to continue the hearing to a date uncertain to allow time for staff to do additional work on the history, architecture and context, and time for the applicant to develop ideas about incorporating the house into their development plans. AYES: Committee Members Brajkovich, Hill, Pavlik, Platt, and Taylor NOES: Committee Member Wood RECUSED: None ABSENT: Committee Member Baer CHC Minutes November 24, 2014 Page 5 The motion passed on a 5:1 vote. At this point Comm. Member Taylor left the meeting. COMMENT AND DISCUSSION: 2. Staff a. Final Budget Goals: Senior Planner Dunsmore stated he reworded the goals to hone in on what can be accomplished within the constraints of the budget. Goal 1 was accepted as presented by the Committee. Goal 2 was accepted with the addition of a reference to grant funding. Goal 3 and 4 were accepted as presented. b. Agenda Forecast: December 15, 2014 at 4 p.m.: joint meeting with the Architectural Review Commission on Pacific Courtyards with the CHC hearing first, then the ARC hearing, and then the CHC hearing on a 4 -unit project on Santa Barbara Street. On motion by Comm. Member Hill, seconded by Comm. Member Brajkovich, to begin the December 15, 2014, meeting at 4 p.m. AYES: Committee Members Brajkovich, Hill, Pavlik, Platt, and Wood NOES: None RECUSED: None ABSENT: Committee Members Baer and Taylor The motion passed on a 5:0 vote. 3. Committee: Comm. Member Pavlik recommended the April 2016 meeting of Society of Architectural Historians. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:14 p.m. Respectfully submitted by, Diane Clement Recording Secretary Approved by the Cultural Heritage Committee on December 15, 2014. Lauri6 Thomas Administrative Assistant III