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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-07-10 Historic Resources Board Summary Minutes City of Palo Alto Page 1 HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD MEETING MINUTES: JULY 10, 2025 Council Chambers and Hybrid 8:30 A.M. Call to Order / Roll Call The Historic Resources Board (HRB) of the City of Palo Alto met on July 10, 2025, in Council Chambers and virtual teleconference at 8:30 a.m. Present: Vice Chair Rohman, Board Member Pease, Board Member Willis, Board Member Ulinskas Absent: Chair Eagleston-Cieslewicz Public Comment There were no requests to speak. Agenda Changes, Additions and Deletions There were no changes planned. City Official Reports 1. Historic Resources Board Schedule of Meetings and Assignments Historic Preservation Planner Steven Switzer showed a slide of the remaining scheduled meetings for the year with planned absences. Mr. Switzer will resend the link to the required anti-harassment training via email to be completed by July 30. Sunset Headquarters on 80 Willow Road was found eligible for listing on the National Register but will not be listed because the property owner objected. Board Member Willis will be gone for the August meeting and asked the best way to notify staff of a planned absence. Mr. Switzer will update the schedule. Staff could be notified verbally during the meeting or in writing. PUBLIC COMMENT No requests to speak. Board Member Willis asked about rearranging subcommittees and had volunteered for Goals 1 and 3. City of Palo Alto Page 2 Mr. Switzer said subcommittees could be formed at the discretion of the Chair for assignment of board members. Vice Chair Rohman was willing to have Board Member Willis join Goal 3. Action Item 2. Public Hearing / Quasi-Judicial. 271 University Avenue [24PLN-00289]: Request for a Floor Area Bonus Application to Grant 2,500 Square Feet of Bonus Floor Area for Accessibility Upgrades and the Rehabilitation of an Existing Category 2 Historic Resource. CEQA Status: Exempt from the Provisions of The California Environmental Quality Act Per CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Modifications to Exiting Facilities). Zone District: CD-C (P) Downtown Commercial with Pedestrian Shopping Combining District. Mr. Switzer presented on the 271 University Avenue property that was designed by Carl Warnecke and built in 1930. A fabric awning was added in 1946. An aluminum roll-up and swing storefront door system was added in 1965 and was replaced with glazed wood bi-folding swing doors in 1994. The property is currently home to the Local Union restaurant. The property was upgraded to a Category 2 after Council approved the HRB-recommended upgrade from a Category 3 on June 17, 2024. The property qualifies for the TDR program because it is a Category 2 rehabilitation project in the Commercial Downtown (CD) zone. The applicant’s bonus floor area request is for 2,500 square feet. The initial request was submitted on October 16, 2024, with revised plans submitted April 17, 2025. Page & Turnbull prepared a SOI Standards Compliance Memorandum on May 12, 2025, which is Attachment B. The current plan set is under review to address a concern with drainage of the proposed canopy flowing over a public walking surface, which was a recent update to the California Building Code 3201.4 and was detailed in the staff report. The proposal includes accessibility upgrades and rehabilitation work, described in detail on packet page 7. A slide compared the existing storefront with the proposed design. Wiring and piping will be cleaned up in the rear of the building. Staff concurred with the evaluation findings of Page & Turnbull and supported the request of the property owners. The HRB is requested to recommend to the Director that the project conforms to the SOI Standards for Rehabilitation. PUBLIC COMMENT 1. Ken Hayes of Hayes Group Architects said the 271 University Avenue property was constructed by George Peterson and was designed in an Art Deco Zigzag Moderne style. The façade has largely retained its original ornamentation, including the zigzag cornice and window detail, reeded plaster, medallions, and steel sash windows. The work on the rear of the building will include restoring windows, restoring damaged plaster and cornice details, cleaning up wires, and replacing downspouts. The storefront will be removed and recessed to provide additional seating and accessibility compliance. There will be a new steel and glass awning which will project out about 4 feet. It will have a gutter installed on the backside and a 2-inch downspout that will go under the sidewalk and out the curb. The front steel sash windows, plaster, and cornice will be restored. City of Palo Alto Page 3 Page & Turnbull determined the front and rear were in compliance with the SOI Standards for Rehabilitation but had suggestions. The proposed minimal steel canopy would have reeded glass. Slides showed the storefront with and without horizontal mullions. Mr. Hayes preferred horizontal mullions, but Page & Turnbull left the decision up to the Board. Slides showed potential signage locations, either hanging from the sides of the awning or upright on top. The materials would include dark-painted metal for the steel windows and new steel slide fold doors. The plaster on the front and back would be painted to match the existing color. The medallions and cornice would be repainted in a matching color. The steel on the canopy would be painted black. The brick sidewalk would continue into the recessed opening. 2. John S. from Thoits Bros. was excited to see the Palo Alto History Museum gaining traction. John S. had 6 different applications for rehabilitations through the TDR program and said the TDRs help offset the expensive cost. John S. believed the community valued the TDR program. Board Member Ulinskas confirmed a seismic upgrade was not associated with this project. The notes regarding the storefront frame system and metal panels said they could be steel or aluminum. Board Member Ulinskas asked which it would be, opining the HRB preference would be steel. Board Member Ulinskas wondered about the note relating to an overhead electrical service being removed. Mr. Hayes said the preference was for steel windows because of the sightline, minimal muntin pattern, and the frame. Some aluminum systems had a nice sightline. Mr. Hayes was willing to review that with staff if it must be aluminum. The note referenced the removal of an extension cord for the parklet. The power on University Avenue is underground. Board Member Willis preferred the horizontal mullions and wanted to give a recommendation for them. Vice Chair Rohman supported the horizontal mullions for the balance it provides between a modern and historic look. Vice Chair Rohman clarified that property taxes do not increase with the square footage. Vice Chair Rohman asked if there needed to be a vote on the horizontal mullions and stated everyone supported using them. Mr. Switzer explained that the TDR program was designed to offer incentive for seismic and historic rehabilitation of buildings in the downtown area. The floor area can be used on-site or sold on the private market to eligible receiver sites. This property chose not to use the floor area on-site. It will be available for sale on the private market. The City bookmarks the awarding of floor area and the transfer to the other property but the sale is not monitored by the City. Mr. Switzer said the mullions were detailed on packet page 13-14, Standards for Rehabilitation Number 9. The plan presented at the meeting included the mullions. The packet cited the plan could be improved by removing them. The Board could include a modified recommendation to the Director citing use of the mullions. MOTION: Vice Chair Rohman moved, seconded by Board Member Pease, to recommend to the Director that the project complies with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and to move forward as shown today. VOTE: The motion passed 4-0-1 by voice vote, Chair Eagleston-Cieslewicz absent. City of Palo Alto Page 4 3. Review and Submit the Historic Resources Board (HRB) 2025-2026 Work Plan to the City Council for Approval Mr. Switzer showed the draft Work Plan, which is scheduled to go to Council for approval in September. Any recommendations or modifications would be made on the screen. PUBLIC COMMENT No requests to speak. Vice Chair Rohman asked how much the goals had been amended from the 2024-2025 Work Plan and felt that the subcommittees were forwarding the goals and did not have any additions or deletions. Board Member Ulinskas wanted to clarify the explanation of the timeline for Project Goal 4. Mr. Switzer said the majority of goals carried over from the most recent Work Plan but some language and timelines had been changed. Some goals were carry-overs for the continuing work of the Board. Some work plans and project goals were added, most notably the awards. Mr. Switzer corrected the language of the timeline for Project Goal 4. MOTION: Vice Chair Rohman moved, seconded by Board Member Willis, to approve the 2025-2026 HRB Work Plan and forward to Council. VOTE: The motion passed 4-0-1, Chair Eagleston-Cieslewicz absent. Announcements The Work Plan Goal 3 subcommittee had taken a current inventory through 2023 and created a Google Map with pins where inventory assets were noted. Vice Chair Rohman wanted a group of volunteers who could submit photos of historic inventory properties with notes on the property’s condition to a Google intake form. The HRB could then review the properties for removal, upgrading, or downgrading. The subcommittee will present to PAST next month. Board Member Willis welcomed suggestions of interested groups or individuals from Board Members and wanted clarification on whether that information must go through staff. Mr. Switzer asked that any correspondence go through staff and felt that the monthly meetings would be an appropriate time to discuss those items. Board Member Ulinskas identified a property as a case study for the different approaches for incentives and was hoping to have conversation with new owners to continue analysis of the residential property. Vice Chair Rohman said there were 5 plaques committed for the 1925 Plaque program. Vice Chair Rohman presented at the PAST Award Ceremony which was available on Vimeo and YouTube. Adjournment Adjourned at 9:18 a.m.