Loading...
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. Heritage Preservation Commission Minutes Page 3 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