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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-07-11 Historic Resources Board Summary Minutes City of Palo Alto Page 1 HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD MEETING MINUTES: July 11, 2024 Council Chambers & Zoom 8:30 AM Call to Order / Roll Call The Historic Resources Board (HRB) of the City of Palo Alto met on July 11, 2024, in Council Chambers and virtual teleconference at 8:33 AM. Present: Chair Alisa Eagleston-Cieslewicz; Vice Chair Samantha Rohman; Board Members Christian Pease and Caroline Willis Absent: Board Members Michael Makinen and Margaret Wimmer (Zoom technical difficulties) Agenda Changes, Additions and Deletions None Public Comment None City Official Reports 1. Historic Resources Board Schedule of Meetings and Assignments Chief Planning Official Amy French announced that Council modified the HRB meeting schedule ordinance to meet the first of every month. As the HRB is now a five-member board, either Board Member Makinen or Wimmer could serve as the fifth member for the next regularly scheduled meeting on August 8. Special meetings not included in the ordinance’s scheduled dates, such as the quarterly meeting, must be advertised 72 hours in advance and could be held in the evening. On August 5, the Council will interview HRB candidates. After Council appoints new HRB members, a special HRB meeting for a meet and greet could be scheduled for August 22; however, appointments may not occur in August, so staff would work with the Chair to determine an appropriate date. The City Council directed staff to explore alternatives to the use of Potentially Eligible on online parcel reports of potentially eligible historic properties. Historic Preservation Planner Steven Switzer explained that the California Built Environment Resources Directory (BERD) provided approximately 36 historic status codes for properties and structures. Staff looked at the way other jurisdictions approached identification of historic properties. Staff proposed the following five status codes: (1) Property listed in the National Register or California Register. (2) Property determined eligible for listing in the National City of Palo Alto Page 2 Register or California Register. (3) Property recognized as historically significant by local government (City of Palo Alto). (4) Not eligible for listing or designation. (5) Not evaluated for National Register or California Register; may need evaluation. Status Code 3 applied to each property on the inventory. Status Code 5 replaced the potentially eligible status. Staff addressed Board Member Willis’s questions. Steven Switzer stated that properties in historic districts fell under Status Code 3, following the existing local category designation. Amy French provided the following examples. Professorville was locally and nationally designated. Part of Professorville fell under Status Code 1. Eichler Districts were listed on the National Register but not the local register. The Eichler Districts fell under Status Code 1. Ramona Architectural District would be designated as Status Codes 1 and 3. Status Code 1 did not apply to all properties located in a designated historic district. Status Code 1 applied to individually listed National or California registered properties or districts. No individual Eichler homes were listed on the National Register or local inventory, nor were they all contributing structures. The number of contributing properties determined whether it was a national registered district, which allowed for some non-contributors. Discussions will continue at the staff level before bringing this forward to the City Council, likely in the consent calendar report for the two properties applying to be listed on the register. In October, the HRB approved changes to the Historic Review Bulletin. Mr. Switzer was updating the material in the Historic Review Bulletin for consistency and ensuring compliance with State regulations. Changes included shorter, succinct sentences; removal of “potentially eligible” references; and modification of the table orientation to make it more legible and user friendly. Mr. Switzer was waiting until the status codes were determined before rolling out the updated bulletin. Board Member Willis requested staff to send her the chart by email. Ms. French told Board Member Willis that staff published the PowerPoints after the meeting on the HRB webpage and offered to send Board Member Willis a link to this PowerPoint. Mr. Switzer pointed out that the bulletin was not ready for circulation because it was a draft document and subject to change. Ms. French remarked that the exploration directed by City Council to staff would be shared with the Director when he returned in August. Ms. French planned to agendize this topic for the August HRB meeting. Action Items 2. PUBLIC HEARING / QUASI-JUDICIAL. 431-433 Kipling Street [24PLN-00134]: Request for Historic Designation Reclassification, From a Local Historic Resource Category 4 to a Category 2. Environmental Assessment: Not a project under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines per Section 21065. Zone District: CD-C (P) - Downtown Commercial District with Pedestrian Shopping Combining District. For more information Contact the Project Planner Steven Switzer at Steven.Switzer@CityofPaloAlto.org. Mr. Switzer presented the request for reclassification of 431 Kipling Street from Category 4 to Category 2. The property was located in the Downtown North neighborhood within the Commercial Downtown with Pedestrian Shopping Combining District, Zone District CD-C(P). 431 Kipling Street was a two-story mixed-use building with a commercial unit on the first floor and a residential unit on the second floor. City of Palo Alto Page 3 Mr. Switzer provided a chronology of the property. It was built in 1901 by George Mosher. Thoits Brothers took ownership of the property in the 1980s. Since then, the Vino Locale wine bar has operated in the first floor commercial unit. All facades remained unchanged since the 1980s. There were no documented alterations. George Wilbert Mosher was a contractor and craftsman who constructed hundreds of buildings in Palo Alto during the late 19th and 20th centuries. 431 Kipling exemplified the two-story square box identified in the Dames & Survey, an American Foursquare building type with Craftsman stylistic influences. In 1985, the property was surveyed for the local register and identified as Category 4. Per the Palo Alto Municipal Code, Category 4 was a contributing structure, meaning any building or group of buildings which are good local examples of architectural styles relating to the character of a neighborhood grouping in scale, materials, shape, or proportion. On March 19, 2024, Page & Turnbull prepared a Historic Resource Evaluation of the property and determined it was individually eligible for listing on the register under Criteria 2, 5, and 6. Criterion 2: The structure was particularly representative of an architectural style or way of life important to the city, state, or nation. This property was an excellent example of the two-story square box house type in the Downtown North neighborhood, mixed with some Colonial Revival, American Foursquare, and sometimes the vernacular of Greek Revival. Criterion 5: The architect or building was important. George Mosher was a builder of merit who made many important contributions to Palo Alto’s housing stock. Criterion 6: The structure or site contains elements demonstrating outstanding attention to architectural design. Elements of the facade include original wood windows with one-over-one double-hung sashes, an original transom with checkered mullions, a shirtwaist course with flared shingle siding, and high- quality tongue-and-groove siding. On May 8, 2024, the applicant requested a reclassification on the Historic Inventory from a Contributing Building Category 4 to a Major Building Category 2. Staff concurred with the findings of the Page & Turnbull Historic Resource Evaluation and supported the owner’s request for a reclassification upgrade from a Category 4 to a Category 2 on the local inventory. Board Member Willis thought the balcony on the right side of the building was an addition. Mr. Switzer replied that review of the City’s records did not reference a balcony addition. Samantha Purnell from Page & Turnbull stated that the building’s original footprint showed a projecting bay at the right side, so they believed the porch was original. Board Member Willis noted aspects of the eaves and the lower porch enclosure suggested the balcony was an addition to the original building. Ken Hayes with Hayes Group Architects made a presentation on behalf of his client, Thoits Bros. and John Shenk. Mr. Shenk was unable to attend this meeting but had asked Mr. Hayes to deliver Thoits Bros.’ message of having deep care and respect for the community. Thoits Bros. wanted to memorialize these historic buildings by elevating their historic classification. The immediate neighborhood was an early 20th Century residential block where all buildings were listed as 2, 3, or 4 on the local inventory. Sanborn maps showed 431 was probably the first structure on this property on Kipling. The front City of Palo Alto Page 4 elevation was decorated with stylistic elements of Colonial Revival and Craftsman. There was a 1919 rear addition. The building retained its original form with the front porch, balcony, exposed rafter tails, Tuscan columns, shirtwaist belt course, flared wood shingles, tongue-and-groove siding, windows with checkered mullion pattern, and ogee lugs. In 1985, it was elevated on Palo Alto’s Inventory to a Category 4 contributing building. The City recently hired Page & Turnbull to conduct a historic evaluation. Page & Turnbull determined the building met qualifying Criteria 2, 5, and 6, and recommended elevating the building to a Category 2 Major Historic Resource. Although not required for Palo Alto listing, the building maintained integrity of location, setting, design materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. Mr. Hayes urged the Board to recommend to Council that 431 be elevated to a Category 2 historic listing, as per staff’s recommendation. There was no public comment. Chair Eagleston-Cieslewicz invited comments from the Board. Board Member Willis wanted to convey to Public Works her suggestion to do something with the parking lot across the street to enhance the row of historic houses. In the future, Board Member Willis hoped the Board would discuss making this a historic district. Motion Recommend to Council that 431-433 Kipling Street be upgraded from a Category 4 to a Category 2. MOTION: By Chair Eagleston-Cieslewicz, seconded by Board Member Pease. VOTE: Passed 4-0-2 by roll call vote (Board Members Makinen and Margaret Wimmer absent). Approval of Minutes 3. Approval of Historic Resources Board Draft Minutes of May 9, 2024 Public Comment Herb Borock requested two corrections regarding his comments. At the bottom of Page 2, it said he noted that the Council introduced the first name Frederick. Mr. Borock said his oral and written comments were that nobody on the Council mentioned the name Frederick and it was somebody from the City Clerk’s Office who introduced the name Frederick. On Page 5, Mr. Borock’s comments in the middle of the page on the fourth line referred to Public Office candidates identifying themselves as historic figures. Mr. Borock’s statement was Public Office candidates identifying themselves as advocates for historic preservation. On Page 82 of the Board’s packet, Page 9 of the minutes, the fourth paragraph included comments by Council Member Kou about the Mills Act. Board Member Willis thought the comments referred to local inventory and not the Mills Act. Ms. French stated that staff could listen to the video to see if there was an error in the minutes. Council Member Kou thought she said the Mills Act but she would watch the video to confirm. City of Palo Alto Page 5 MOTION: Chair Eagleston-Cieslewicz moved to approve the May 9 meeting minutes with any corrections to sections identified for further review. Vice Chair Rohman seconded. VOTE: Passed 4-0-2 by voice vote (Board Members Makinen and Margaret Wimmer absent). Board Member Questions, Comments, Announcements or Future Meetings and Agendas Vice Chair Rohman announced she had not received any additions, subtractions, or corrections to the letter to Council on the Mills Act pilot. Vice Chair Rohman asked Board Members to route their comments through Mr. Switzer and Ms. French so Vice Chair Rohman could make edits before finalizing the letter. Ms. French stated this could be Board Member Makinen’s last meeting. Ms. French thanked Board Member Makinen for his service. Adjournment MOTION: Chair Eagleston-Cieslewicz moved to adjourn. Vice Chair Rohman seconded. VOTE: Passed 4-0-2 by voice vote (Board Members Makinen and Margaret Wimmer absent). Meeting adjourned at 9:12 AM.