Cultural Heritage Commission

OFFICIAL CITY OF LOS ANGELES Cultural Heritage Commission Minutes December 7, 2017 200 North Spring Street, City Hall Los Angeles, California 90012 MINUTES OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION HEREIN ARE REPORTED IN ACTION FORMAT. COMPLETE DETAILS, INCLUDING THE ENTIRE DISCUSSION, RELATING TO EACH ITEM ARE CONTAINED IN THE AUDIO RECORDING FOR THIS MEETING. COPIES OF COMPACT DISC RECORDINGS ARE AVAILABLE BY CONTACTING CENTRAL PUBLICATIONS, AT (213) 978-1255 AND ARE ALSO ACCESSIBLE ONLINE AT planning.lacity.org. Commissioner Barron called the meeting to order at 10:15 a.m. with Commissioners Buelna, Kanner, Kennard and Milofsky present. Also in attendance were Ken Bernstein, Principal City Planner representing the Director of Planning; Lambert Giessinger, Architect with the Office of Historic Resources; Melissa Jones, Planning Assistant with the Office of Historic Resources; Lucy Atwood, Deputy City Attorney; Etta Armstrong, Commission Executive Assistant, Jason Wong, Senior Administrative Clerk and Rocky Wiles, Commission Office Manager. ___________________________________ ITEM NO. 1 DIRECTOR’S REPORT • The Council’s Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee on November 21, 2017 considered and recommended approval of the procedural amendments to the Cultural Heritage Ordinance. As a reminder, these changes would provide earlier notification to property owners of proposed HCM nominations and concurrently ensure that a stay on demolition or major alteration is in place from the time a nomination is deemed complete by staff. The Committee incorporated some minor technical amendments as well as two specific changes: 1) to change the ordinance’s requirement that initial notification of a nomination occur “forthwith” upon an application being deemed complete, to instead reference a specific deadline – 10 days; and 2) To ensure that the initial 30-day deadline for the Commission to take a nomination under consideration, following an application being deemed complete, cannot be further extended without the consent of a property owner, in addition to the mutual consent of an applicant and the Commission. We anticipate the final ordinance will be heard by the Council either next week or immediate after the Council’s winter recess. • We have been closely monitoring developments in Washington regarding the Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit, the nation’s most significant incentive for historic preservation. The House version of the tax bill proposed elimination of the credit; however, the Senate version approved last week did retain the 20% credit. The legislation is now going into the reconciliation process and advocacy efforts are focused back on House members. Here in the City, Mayor Garcetti joined 60 mayors of large cities in urging retention of the credit, and Councilmember Jose Huizar also introduced a Council motion urging retention of the credit, as well as federal incentives supporting affordable housing. Meeting Minutes December 7, 2017 Cultural Heritage Commission __________________________________ ITEM NO. 2 COMMISSION BUSINESS A. Old Business 1. There was no update on the Los Angeles Unified School District Historic Schools Investment Fund Board. 2. The Commission reviewed and concurred on the following proposed Historic-Cultural Monument Plaque Artwork: • Heritage Square Museum, HCM No. 1009 (Heritage Square Museum) • Schaefer House, HCM No. 1150 (Schaefer House, Ranch Style) B. New Business 1. Advance Calendar – There no planned absences reported. 2. Commission Announcements/Requests – There were no announcements or requests from the Commission. 3. Approval of Minutes Approval of the minutes for the meetings of May 18, 2017, June 1, 2017 and November 16, 2017, was postponed until the next Commission meeting. ___________________________________ ITEM NO. 3 NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL There were no presentations given by any Neighborhood Council representative. ___________________________________ ITEM NO. 4 RE-APPOINTMENT OF RAY MARTINELLI AS THE MEMBER-AT-LARGE TO THE VINEGAR HILL HISTORIC PRESERVATION OVERLAY ZONE BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM FROM DECEMBER 7, 2017 TO DECEMBER 7, 2021. Commissioner Barron moved to approve the re-appointment of Ray Martinelli as the Member-At-Large to the Vinegar Hill Historic Preservation Overlay Zone Board for a four year term beginning December 7, 2017 until December 7, 2021. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Milofsky and the vote proceeded as follows: Moved: Barron Seconded: Milofsky Ayes: Buelna, Kanner, Kennard Vote: 5-0 MOTION PASSED 2 Meeting Minutes December 7, 2017 Cultural Heritage Commission ___________________________________ ITEM NO. 5 RE-APPOINTMENT OF TOM SMITH AS THE MEMBER-AT-LARGE TO THE COUNTRY CLUB PARK/ WILSHIRE PARK/ WINDSOR VILLAGE/ OXFORD SQUARE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OVERLAY ZONE BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM FROM DECEMBER 7, 2017 TO DECEMBER 7, 2021. Commissioner Barron moved to approve the re-appointment of Tom Smith as the Member-At-Large to the Country Club Park/Wilshire Park/Windsor Village/Oxford Square Historic Preservation Overlay Zone Board for a four year term beginning December 7, 2017 until December 7, 2021. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Buelna and the vote proceeded as follows: Moved: Barron Seconded: Buelna Ayes: Kanner, Kennard, Milofsky Vote: 5-0 MOTION PASSED ___________________________________ ITEM NO. 6 PROPOSED MONUMENT: F. & W. GRAND SILVER STORE BUILDING CHC-2017-3967-HCM CEQA: ENV-2017-3968-CE Council District: 14 – Huizar PROPERTY ADDRESS: 537 South Broadway IN ATTENDANCE: Elizabeth Peterson, Elizabeth Peterson Group, Inc., applicant’s representative. MOTION: Commissioner Milofsky put forth the actions below and moved to include the F. & W. Grand Silver Store Building in the list of Historic-Cultural Monuments. 1. Determine that the property, conforms with the definition of a Monument pursuant to Los Angeles Administrative Code (LAAC) Section 22.171.7; 2. Recommend that the City Council consider and designate the subject property a Historic-Cultural Monument; 3. Determine that the proposed designation is categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to Article 19, Section 15308, Class 8 and Article 19, Section 15331, Class 31 of the State CEQA Guidelines; and 4. Adopt the staff report findings as the findings of the Commission. 3 Meeting Minutes December 7, 2017 Cultural Heritage Commission The motion was seconded by Commissioner Kennard and the vote proceeded as follows: Moved: Milofsky Seconded: Kennard Ayes: Barron, Buelna, Kanner Vote: 5-0 MOTION PASSED ____________________________________ ITEM NO. 7 PROPOSED MONUMENT: A. MAXSON SMITH HOUSE CHC-2017-3729-HCM PROPERTY ADDRESS: 214 South Westmoreland Avenue CEQA: ENV-2017-3732-CE Council District: 13 – O’ Farrell IN ATTENDANCE: Yael Lipschutz, applicant; Pam O’Connor, owner’s representative. MOTION: Commissioner Kanner moved to deny the application and not declare the A. Maxson Smith House an Historic-Cultural Monument pursuant to LAAC Section 22.171.7, and further adopt the staff report findings as the findings of the Commission. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Kennard, and the vote proceeded as follows: Moved: Kanner Seconded: Kennard Ayes: Barron, Buelna, Milofsky Vote: 5-0 MOTION PASSED 4 Meeting Minutes December 7, 2017 Cultural Heritage Commission ______________________________________ ITEM NO. 8 PROPOSED MONUMENT: JOANNES BROTHERS COMPANY BUILDING CHC-2017-3688-HCM PROPERTY ADDRESS: 800 East Traction Avenue; CEQA: ENV-2017-3689-CE 310 South Hewitt Street Council District: 14 – Huizar IN ATTENDANCE: Teresa Grimes, owner’s representative. MOTION: Commissioner Milofsky put forth the actions below and moved to include the Joannes Brothers Company Building in the list of Historic-Cultural Monuments. 1. Determine that the property, conforms with the definition of a Monument pursuant to Los Angeles Administrative Code (LAAC) Section 22.171.7; 2. Recommend that the City Council consider and designate the subject property a Historic-Cultural Monument; 3. Determine that the proposed designation is categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to Article 19, Section 15308, Class 8 and Article 19, Section 15331, Class 31 of the State CEQA Guidelines; and 4. Adopt the Staff Report Findings as amended by the Commission. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Kanner and the vote proceeded as follows: Moved: Milofsky Seconded: Kanner Ayes: Barron, Buelna, Kennard Vote: 5-0 MOTION PASSED ___________________________________ The Commission took a brief recess at 12:10 p.m. and reconvened at 12:20 p.m. with all Commissioners present. __________________________________ 5 Meeting Minutes December 7, 2017 Cultural Heritage Commission __________________________________ ITEM NO. 9 PROPOSED MONUMENT: BENEFICIAL PLAZA AND LIBERTY PARK PROPERTY ADDRESS: 3700 - 3732 Wilshire Boulevard; CHC-2017-3695-HCM 658 - 674 South Oxford Avenue; CEQA: ENV-2017-3696-CE 651 - 673 South Serrano Avenue Council District: 10 – Wesson IN ATTENDANCE: Annette van Duren, Friends of Save Liberty Park, applicant; Katie Horak, Architectural Resources Group, Incorporated, preparer; and Bob Lisauskas, CallisonRTKL, owner’s representative. MOTION: Commissioner Milofsky put forth the actions below and moved to include Beneficial Plaza and Liberty Park in the list of Historic-Cultural Monuments. 1. Determine that the property, conforms with the definition of a Monument pursuant to Los Angeles Administrative Code (LAAC) Section 22.171.7; 2. Recommend that the City Council consider and designate the subject property a Historic-Cultural Monument; 3. Determine that the proposed designation is categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to Article 19, Section 15308, Class 8 and Article 19, Section 15331, Class 31 of the State CEQA Guidelines; and 4. Adopt the staff report findings as the findings of the Commission. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Kennard and the vote proceeded as follows: Moved: Milofsky Seconded: Kennard Ayes: Barron, Kanner Nays: Buelna Vote: 4-1 MOTION PASSED 6 Meeting Minutes December 7, 2017 Cultural Heritage Commission ITEM N0.10 PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD Several speakers addressed the Commission during general public comment. There being no further business to come before the Cultural Heritage Commission, the meeting adjourned at 1:42 p.m. ADOPTED CITY OF LOS ANGELES MAR 15 2018 CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT COMMISSION OFFICE Etta M. Armstrong, Commission E Cultural Heritage Commission 7