Historic Preservation Commission

City of Fresno City Hall 2600 Fresno Street Fresno, CA 93721 Meeting Minutes - Final Monday, August 26, 2024 6:00 PM Regular Meeting City Hall, Council Chambers Historic Preservation Commission Chair - James Sponsler Vice Chair - Jason Hatwig Commissioner - Paul Halajian Commissioner - Julie Federico Commissioner - Elizabeth Laval Commissioner - Sarah E. Johnston Commissioner - Vacant Staff: Jennifer Clark, Director; Ashley Atkinson, Assistant Director; Lisha Chen, Historic Preservation Specialist; Janice Monroe, M.A. II Historic Preservation Meeting Minutes - Final August 26, 2024 Commission THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION WELCOMES YOU TO COUNCIL CHAMBERS, LOCATED IN CITY HALL, 2600 FRESNO STREET, FRESNO, CALIFORNIA 93721. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – Any interested person may appear at the public hearing and present written testimony or speak in favor or against the matters scheduled on the agenda. Public participation during Fresno City Historic Preservation Commission meetings is always encouraged and can occur by attending a meeting in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 2nd Floor, 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93721. When called to speak during a meeting, you may approach the speaker podium upon the Chair's call for additional public comment. All public speakers will have up to 3 minutes to address the Commission pursuant to Rule No. 13 of the Historic Preservation Commission Bylaws of the City of Fresno (available in the City Clerk’s Office). VIEWING HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETINGS (non-participatory) – For your convenience, there are ways to view Historic Preservation Commission meetings live: 1. Community Media Access Collaborative website: https://cmac.tv/ 2. Cable Television: Comcast Channel 96 and AT&T Channel 99 3. Participate Remotely via Zoom using the following link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cAUGlBe2SYygn3isiCuy4w a. The above link will allow you to register in advance for remote participation in the meeting via the Zoom platform. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing additional details about joining the meeting. Should any of these viewing methods listed above experience technical difficulties, the Commission meeting will continue uninterrupted. Commission meetings will only be paused to address verifiable technical difficulties for all users participating via Zoom or in the Chambers. The City of Fresno’s goal is to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Anyone requiring reasonable ADA accommodations, including sign language interpreters, or other reasonable accommodations such as language translation, should contact the office of the City Clerk at (559) 621-7650 or clerk@fresno.gov. To help ensure availability of these services, you are advised to make your request a minimum of 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting. City of Fresno Page 2 Historic Preservation Meeting Minutes - Final August 26, 2024 Commission I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Chair Sponsler called meeting to order at 6:00pm. Commissioner Halajian arrived at 6:02pm. Also present were Jennifer Clark, Ashley Atkinson, Lisha Chen, & Janice Monroe. Present 6 - Chair James W Sponsler, Vice Chair Jason Hatwig, Commissioner Paul Halajian, Commissioner Julie Federico, Commissioner Elizabeth Laval, and Commissioner Sarah Johnston II. PROCEDURES - PROCEDIMIENTOS - KEV SAB LAJ 6:01pm Chair Sponsler read the procedures aloud. III. APPROVE MEETING MINUTES 6:02pm III-A ID 24-829 June 24, 2024 Historic Preservation Commission Regular Meeting Minutes On motion of Vice Chair Hatwig, seconded by Commissioner Laval, that the above Action Item be APPROVED. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 6 - Chair Sponsler, Vice Chair Hatwig, Commissioner Halajian, Commissioner Federico, Commissioner Laval and Commissioner Johnston IV. APPROVE AGENDA 6:03pm On motion of Vice Chair Hatwig, seconded by Commissioner Johnston,the AGENDA was APPROVED. The motion carried by the following vote: City of Fresno Page 3 Historic Preservation Meeting Minutes - Final August 26, 2024 Commission Aye: 6 - Chair Sponsler, Vice Chair Hatwig, Commissioner Halajian, Commissioner Federico, Commissioner Laval and Commissioner Johnston V. CONSENT CALENDAR N/A VI. CONTINUED MATTERS N/A VII. COMMISSION ITEMS VII-A ID 24-41 Consideration of the Property Owner's Request to Recommend City Council Designation of the following Property to the Local Register of Historic Resources and Adoption of Findings Pursuant to FMC 12-1607 & FMC 12-1609. 1. 1235 N Arthur Avenue (APN 45016209) 6:04PM Chen made a presentation on the significant history of the property, spotlighting Miles O Humphreys. She talked about the style, criteria for designation, level of integrity, eligibility, Fresno Municipal Code findings met, and Staff's recommendations. Commissioner Johnston asked about the interior of the home but Chen explained it was not noted due to the modifications but that the garage was included. Maggie Discont was present on behalf of the applicant for comments or questions. Vice Chair Hatwig expressed his gratitude for the homeowner coming forward for designation and for the upkeep of the property. No Public Comment was given VII-B ID 24-1157 Consideration of the Property Owner's Request to Recommend City City of Fresno Page 4 Historic Preservation Meeting Minutes - Final August 26, 2024 Commission Council Designation of the Following Property to the Local Register of Historic Resources and Adoption of Findings Pursuant to FMC 12-1607 & FMC 12-1609. 1. 914 F Street (APN 46707111) 6:13pm Chen made a presentation on the location, historic context, history of neighborhood & building, designation criteria, level of integrity, eligibility, Fresno Municipal Code findings, and Staff's recommendations. Commissioner Halajian asked about the number of resources on the street. Chair Sponsler stated there were 4 between Kern and Tulare. Commissioner Johnston asked about the subterranean basement that wasn't included/mentioned in the report. Lily Ikeda, on behalf of the property owner, spoke about the basement being used to store goods, adding that no on lived there and there was no tunnel under this property. Chair Sponsler asked Chen why this property needed to be registered separate from the neighboring building that shared an APN. He suggested amending the existing DPR/Inventory to include both properties. Chen explained the two properties have separate owners and are treated as different buildings. She recommended keeping them separate to avoid any future confusion if property owners didn't agree on preservation. Public Comment. One person spoke asking questions about the notice he received. Director Clark explained the noticing process & when a project would need to be seen at the Commission. On motion of Commissioner Laval, seconded by Vice Chair Hatwig, that the above Action Item be RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL. The motion carried by the following vote: City of Fresno Page 5 Historic Preservation Meeting Minutes - Final August 26, 2024 Commission Aye: 6 - Chair Sponsler, Vice Chair Hatwig, Commissioner Halajian, Commissioner Federico, Commissioner Laval and Commissioner Johnston VII-C ID 24-1140 Monthly update regarding historic “G” sign located at old Guarantee building (HP#167), located at 1177 Fulton Street. 6:31pm Craig Speece made a presentation on the steps taken and 2 renderings, asking for direction & feedback from the Commission. All 6 Commissioners spoke in favor of the second option that most closely resembled the original G sign. There were some questions on the LED lighting and Halajian suggested that Speece speak to the people at the Hardy Theatre who recently used LEDs in a successful way in their marquee. The Commissioners agreed that the first option resembled more of a billboard and didn't have the same effect as the original sign. VII-D ID 24-1138 Monthly update on the Jose Garcia Brewer Adobe Building (HP #227 located at 5901 W. Shaw (APN 51004038). 6:43pm Mazen Al-hindi reported the status of his project, and discussed wanting to add heavy duty tarps to replace the plastic for weatherproofing. He added that he is currently waiting for the engineer to submit demolition plans, citing the 2 different methods that have been proposed. Commissioners asked for clarification on his plans to shore up the walls to be preserved during and after the demolition, voicing some concern with the length of time the preserved walls would have to withstand before construction would begin. Al-hindi said the property is currently for sale but that if he didn't have a qualified buyer by end of year, he would move forward with construction and that preserving the adobe building per the Commission's direction was a condition of the sale. Commissioner Federico asked about the graffiti and Al-hindi couldn't confirm the two walls were clean because he didn't find it safe to enter the City of Fresno Page 6 Historic Preservation Meeting Minutes - Final August 26, 2024 Commission building, but he believed they were safe from vandalism. Chair Sponsler made the requests that the item stay on the agenda for regular updates and asked that if the sale goes through that the Commission and Staff are notified to assure the protection of the historically significant resource. Commissioner Laval stated that while the stabilization is important she wanted to make sure that the weatherization of the walls receives significant attention to assure no further damage. VII-E ID 24-1139 UPDATE on Regular Monthly Topics: 1. Staff Updates 2. Architectural Subcommittee Updates 3. Plaque Design Subcommittee Update 4. Economic Incentive Subcommittee Update 7:29pm 1. Chen talked about the 86 entitlements and completion of projects. 2. Vice Chair Hatwig summarized discussions on the Warnors Theatre and Bekins Building. Director Clark explained the standards for vacant buildings. 3. Chair Sponsler reported a recent meeting and the 3 potential properties interested in plaques. He asked Staff about the standard purchasing process. Clark explained the applicant would purchase directly from the vendor but that they could look into a long term procurement process through the City. 4. Chen went into detail about the open applications, both old and new. She explained the steps being taken to revise work plans for existing Mills applications and initial site visits for 2024 applications. VIII. CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT N/A City of Fresno Page 7 Historic Preservation Meeting Minutes - Final August 26, 2024 Commission IX. UNSCHEDULED ITEMS 7:19pm IX. - A. Members of the Commission N/A IX. - B. Staff N/A IX. - C. General Public N/A X. NEXT MEETING 9/23/2024 XI. ADJOURNMENT Chair Sponsler adjourned meeting at 7:21pm. City of Fresno Page 8