HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-24-1983 HPC Minutes CITY OF SARATOGA
HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION
MINUTES
DATE: Wednesday, August 24, 1983, 3:30 P.M.
PLACE: Community Center Meeting Room, 19655 Allendale Avenue, Saratoga, CA.
TYPE: Regular Meeting
ROUTINE ORGANIZATION
Roll Call
Present: Commissioners Cameron, Henderson, Kvamme, Landsness;Chairman
Mc Arthur
Absent: Commissioners Heid, Voester
MINUTES
Chairman Mc Arthur indicated that #75 on Page 3 of the minutes should read
the T.S. Montgomery Stonewall not residence. With this correction, the
reading of the minutes for the meeting of July 20, 1983 was waived and the
minutes approved with Commissioners Cameron, Henderson and Kvamme abstaining
since they were not members of the Commission at that time.
I. INTRODUCTION AND ORIENTATION OF NEW COMMISSIONERS
Chairman Mc Arthur introduced the new Commissioners and briefly described
the beginning of the Commission. She also described the Commission's search
for purpose and the application created by staff and the Commission. Com-
missioner Cameron had a question regarding the nature of the City's Heritage
Resource Designation. Staff described the nature of this designation and
its relationship to state and federal designations.
The importance of ordinance certification by the state and federal governments
was discussed by Chairman Mc Arthur. She indicated that Connie Finster of
the State Office of Historic Preservation had forwarded the ordinance to the
Department of the Interior with a recommendation that it be approved. The
tax benefits of a Historic District designation were then discussed. Individual
structures have to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places to
be eligible for tax benefits.
Discussion then turned to the goals and objectives of the Commission including
inventory correction and expansion, adopting and incorporating the State
Historic Building Code, qualifying for federal funds, regulation of compat-
ility, and library materials for historic preservation. Commissioner Landsness
indicated that part of the Commission's responsibility is the education of
the public. She also described her work in setting aside a portion of the
community library, in the memory of Rob Robinson, where historic preservation
materials can be made available.
Commissioner Kvamme stated she had access to several home computers and
offered to use these computers to store information on the City's heritage
resources. Commissioner Cameron asked how the Commission was going to sell
people on getting their properties designated as heritage resources or the
Heritage Preservation Commission Minutes Page 2
8/24/83
benefits of such a designation. Chairman Mc Arthur replied that that was
was what the Commission was working on now. Commissioner Cameron described
the experience of the community of New Almaden, its establishment of a
historic district, and how it worked.
The Commission then discussed the difficulty of not having concrete tax infor-
mation. Commissioner Henderson said its appeared that historic districts
were important to preservation. The Commission then discussed modifying the
Design Review ordinance so that development within a historic district comply
with historic preservation criteria. The process of designating a portion
of the City as a historic district was reviewed in terms of what was allowed
in the Heritage Preservation Ordinance. The Commission decided that the
designation of a historic district should be made part of their goals and
objectives.
Relative to the Commission's goal of increasing public knowledge. Chairman
Mc Arthur indicated that the Commission was going to have a joint meeting
sometime in the fall with the Saratoga Historical Society. One of the pur-
poses of the meeting is to get more information to expand the City's in-
ventory of heritage resources.
Brochures and self guided tours, as done by the Historical Society, were
mentioned as a means of educating the public. Commissioner Henderson asked
if the Commission could do something, such as a magazine, to improve on what
other groups are doing. She felt that people would be pleased to have their
homes appear in such a magazine.
Commissioner Cameron stated that the City should consider adding a Historic
Element to the General Plan as a basis for considering ordinances to en-
courage preservation.
Commissioner Landsness then discussed the card file she was working on for
the inventory and how this could tie in to Commissioner Kvamme's interest
in putting this information into her computers. Chairman Mc Arthur asked
if any Commissioner wanted to deal with publicity. After some discussion,
the Commission decided that individual commissioners should work on the
publicity for the projects they are working on.
Commissioner Cameron suggested that examples of the County's agricultural
history should be considered as heritage resources.
Chairman Mc Arthur stated that the Commission needed to do something with
the property owners that want to have their properties as heritage resources.
The heritage resource application and the process of filling it out was then
discussed. Commissioners Landsness and Kvamme indicated they would like to
work on the Cloud-Smith Building designation. Chairman Mc Arthur said she
would contact Commissioners Cameron and Henderson later about the other two
property owners that were interested in heritage resource designations.
II. REVIEW HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY
The Commission discussed the need of putting the more detailed information
contained in the "Blue Binder" on the City's Heritage resources into the
computer volunteered by Commissioner Kvamme. Commissioner Henderson suggested
that the information in the "Blue Binder" be verified before it is put in the
computer. It was determined that this information could be corrected once it
was in the computer.
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8/24?83
Discussion then focused on expanding the existing City inventory. Chairman
Mc Arthur mentioned the Commission intended to map the location of the
items listed in the City's inventory and perhaps color coding these items
on the map. She also asked if anyone would be interested in noting the
each of tach of the City inventory items in the "Blue Binder". Commissioner
Cameron offered to work on the map. Chairman Mc Arthur indicated she would
contact staff for assistance when she and Commissioner Cameron were ready
to work on the map. The Commission established a goal of having the map
completed before their meeting with the Historical Society in October.
Chairman Mc Arthur asked for suggestions on strategies for expanding the
City's heritage resource inventory. Commissioner Cameron felt that showing
the Historical Society the map prepared by the Commission would be a good
way to find out what might be missing in the inventory. You have to go to
the people who know. Chairman Mc Arthur indicated that the State suggested
getting as many people involved in the inventory process as possible.
Staff then mentioned that the Volunteer Center had asked if the Commission
needed any volunteers for projects besides someone to work on the minutes.
The Commission indicated it might need a researcher in the future. Chairman
Mc Arthur offered to work on the job description for the volunteer.
The Commission then discussed briefly the oral histories garnered by the
Commissioners that had interviewed Barbara Caldwell and the owner of Lunblad's
Lodge. Commissioner Landsness then brought up the subject of plaques for
those properties that are designated as heritage resources. The Commission
discussed how such a system would work and who would pay for the plaques.
Commissioner Landsness invited members of the Commission and their spouses
to a dessert get together on September 2, 1983 at 7:30 P.M.
III. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjouned at 5:35 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Michael Flores
Secretary