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
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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.
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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.
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November 24, 2014
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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
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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