Historic Preservation Commission Meeting

DocuSign Envelope ID: 9DB175BA-A3C9-401C-A393-A60A45D62CC5 MINUTES HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Thursday, March 14, 2019 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM 580 PACIFIC STREET, COUNCIL CHAMBERS MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Commissioners Present: Dawson, Napoli, Collum, O'Brien, O'Neil, Smith-Crivello Commissioners Absent: Barlow Staff Members Present: Housing and Community Development Manager Caraker, Senior Associate Planner Bennett, Human Resources Director Hauck, City Attorney Davi, Assistant City Attorney Salameh, Deputy City Attorney Donlon, Recording Secretary Salameh CALL TO ORDER Chair Dawson called the meeting to order at 4:01 p.m. PRESENTATIONS 1. Presentation/Training on the Brown Act, Conflicts of Interest, Public Records Act, and Workplace Harassment and Bullying Prevention City Attorney Christine Davi, Deputy City Attorney Ryan Donlon, Assistant City Attorney Karin Salameh, and Human Resources Director Allyson Hauck gave presentations on the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, the FPPC, and Workplace Harassment and Bullying Prevention and answered Committee Members’ questions. CONSENT ITEMS Approval of Minutes 2. February 14, 2019 Action: Approved as amended. On a motion by Commissioner O'Neil, seconded by Commissioner O'Brien, and carried by the following vote, the Historic Preservation Commission approved the February 14, 2019 minutes as amended: AYES: 6 COMMISSIONERS: O'Brien, O'Neil, Smith-Crivello, Dawson, Napoli, Collum NOES: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: 1 COMMISSIONERS: Barlow ABSTAIN: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None RECUSED: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ***End of Consent Agenda*** PUBLIC COMMENTS Elizabeth Murray said that she lives in a historic house and invited the HPC to visit on an DocuSign Envelope ID: 9DB175BA-A3C9-401C-A393-A60A45D62CC5 Historic Preservation Commission Minutes Thursday, March 14, 2019 upcoming field trip. She spoke of her home’s history and advocated for tree preservation, noting that trees are living pieces of history that deserve to be saved and maintained. PUBLIC HEARING 3. Deny 556 Abrego Street; ART-18-0408 and HP-19-0035 for Request to Remove Moreton Bay Fig tree; Applicant Jason Clarke; Owner Monterey County Bank; Planned Community - Downtown Zoning District with Landmark and Emergency Shelter Overlays (PC-D-H-1-ES); Commercial GP Land Use Designation; Exempt from CEQA per Article 18, Section 15270 Action: Approved ART-18-0408 and HP-19-0035 for request to remove Moreton Bay Fig Tree at 556 Abrego Street with Staff to return to HPC with revised resolution reflecting the approval. Staff Presentation/Commissioner Questions Associate Planner Schmidt presented the Agenda Report and took Commissioners’ questions. Applicant Vice President of Monterey Bank, Jason Clarke, gave a presentation on the subject tree and asked the HPC to approve its removal. He said that the tree was a liability that caused property damage, such as uplifting building walls, cracking sidewalks, and shedding branches in stormy weather. He also said that it nearly concealed the historic building by which it was growing. He noted that they had spent nearly $6,000 in efforts to mitigate the damage done by the tree and to ultimately remove it. Commissioner Smith-Crivello asked Mr. Clarke if the tree had been trimmed during the bank’s ownership of the property and Mr. Clarke replied that yes, extensive work had been done to the canopy. He added that the aggressive root system was largely to blame for property damage. Commissioner Collum asked about another tree on the property and whether it was endangered by the growth of the Moreton Bay Fig. Mr. Clarke said that it was a yew tree and that the subject tree posed risk to it. Commissioner Smith-Crivello asked about the approved removal of other trees onsite and Mr. Clarke responded that the trees previously approved for removal were also causing damage to the property. Frank Ono, certified arborist, explained that the concerns were not so much about the limbs, but that the tree’s aggressive growth rate exceeded the area in which it was planted. He said that even if measures were taken to temporarily curb the growth of the tree, eventually new growth would place a significant amount of pressure on the building’s foundation. Structural Engineer Belinda Taluban reiterated that the subject tree was causing property damage and would continue to do so. She noted that the intention was to preserve the historic resource of the Mary C.W. Black Studio house at 556 Abrego Street. Gerard Rose, Attorney representing Monterey County Bank, spoke about the dangers of aggressive root systems in spaces such as public sidewalks. He said that the subject tree was not native and its growth rate was alarming. Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, March 14, 2019 2 DocuSign Envelope ID: 9DB175BA-A3C9-401C-A393-A60A45D62CC5 Historic Preservation Commission Minutes Thursday, March 14, 2019 Public Comments Jeff Gorman thanked the HPC for their work. He said that while he loved trees, he felt that ultimately this tree was a detriment to the building and would require ongoing maintenance. He said that he felt the tree should never have been planted there to begin with. Elizabeth Murray said that she was familiar with the tree, and advocated for pruning it very heavily. She said that part of owning a historic building involved the maintenance and upkeep of the landscape. She spoke in favor of retaining the tree, adding that she felt mature trees were elders that should be cared for. Commissioner Comments Commissioner O’Neil said that, as Historic Preservation Commissioners, their mandate was to consider historic structures and the Mary C.W. Black Studio House was an H-1 structure, which was significant. Commissioner Smith-Crivello said that she did not understand why the tree had not been continually pruned and why an 18 month waiting period for additional work had been suggested by the Urban Forester. She said that despite loving the tree, she loved the Studio House more. Chair Dawson said that in a worst case scenario, the property owner could spend thousands of dollars pruning and maintaining the tree and the tree could die. She added that the tree was in the wrong place, that it belonged in a park with appropriate open space. On a motion by Commissioner O'Neil, seconded by Commissioner Collum, and carried by the following vote, the Historic Preservation Commission approved ART-18-0408 and HP-19-0035 for request to remove Moreton Bay Fig tree; at 556 Abrego with Staff to return to HPC with a resolution reflecting the approval. AYES: 6 COMMISSIONERS: O'Brien, O'Neil, Smith-Crivello, Dawson, Napoli, Collum NOES: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: 1 COMMISSIONERS: Barlow ABSTAIN: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None RECUSED: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None *** RECESS 5:49 PM *** *** RECONVENE 5:56 PM *** 4. Approve 290 Figueroa Street; Historic Permit HP-18-0442 for Exterior Alterations and Site Improvements for Dust Bowl Brewing, and Sign Permit SI-18-0444; Applicant: Henry Ruhnke for Wald, Ruhnke & Dost Architects; Owner: City of Monterey; PC-W-H1 Zoning Designation; Exempt from CEQA Requirements per Section 15301, Class 1 and Section 15331, Class 31 Action: Approved Historic Permit HP-18-0442 for Exterior Alterations and Site Improvements for Dust Bowl Brewing, and Sign Permit SI-18-0444 at 290 Figueroa Street with staff-recommended conditions of approval. Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, March 14, 2019 3 DocuSign Envelope ID: 9DB175BA-A3C9-401C-A393-A60A45D62CC5 Historic Preservation Commission Minutes Thursday, March 14, 2019 Staff Presentation/Commissioner Questions Senior Associate Planner Bennett presented the Agenda Report and took Commissioners’ questions. Commissioner O’Neil asked questions regarding the square footage of signage on the building in relation to the two proposed Recreation Trail-facing signs. Mr. Bennett explained that options existed for placing signage on the Recreation Trail side of the building, but that the HPC would need to make associated findings. Commissioner O’Brien commended the use of the building, but said that she would like to see its traditional use as a railway depot reflected in the current plans for the brewery. Commissioner Smith-Crivello said that she would like the use of the building to reflect more of Monterey’s local history. Mr. Bennett gave a brief history of Dustbowl Brewing and said that he could appreciate why Commissioners may want to see something more historically appropriate at the subject site. Applicant Business owners Brett Honoré and Brett Tate presented a brief slide show on why they chose the subject site and their love of its original use as a train depot. Mr. Tate went on to give a quick history of Dustbowl Brewing and how excited they were to be in Monterey. Mr. Honoré said that they wanted the building to look historic and that they intended to embrace the train depot motif as much as they possibly could, as well as include the area’s history. He said that they did not strive to maintain a bar-type atmosphere but rather a family-friendly environment. Commissioner Smith-Crivello said that she was happy to have the business in Monterey. Commissioner Collum concurred, adding that it would be nice to have a tenant in that location. Vice Chair Napoli thanked Mr. Tate and Mr. Honoré for threading their vision into Monterey’s history. Commissioner O’Neil asked the applicants if they could include interpretive signs next to the photos that they intended to display and Mr. Honoré said yes. Public Comments Dayv Dunnigan of Wald, Ruhnke & Dost Architects said that they wanted retain the existing monument sign without the need to resize to include additional language. Mr. Honoré elaborated that they hoped to explain the structure had been a train station with photographs inside of the building. He added that they did not intend to remove placards on the Recreation Trail. Commissioner Comments Vice Chair Napoli said that he understood the applicant’s position, but that he felt it was important to include the verbiage suggested by staff about the building’s history as a former train station, as he felt it would be an advantage to the business. He also noted Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, March 14, 2019 4 DocuSign Envelope ID: 9DB175BA-A3C9-401C-A393-A60A45D62CC5 Historic Preservation Commission Minutes Thursday, March 14, 2019 that because Monterey was a destination city, the ebb and flow of business would fluctuate with weekends and holidays and that tying as much of the depot’s history into their vision would be advantageous. Commissioners Collum and O’Neil spoke in support of adding the language, “at the historic Monterey Railroad Depot” to the monument sign, noting that may entice to potential customers. Commissioner O’Neil added that the applicants should work with staff on Recreation Trail signs. Ms. Caraker clarified that the Recreation Trail Design Guidelines had been adopted for application specifically at the Cannery Row portion of the Recreation Trail. Vice Chair Napoli noted that the parking lot behind the Recreation Trail most likely made up a significant portion of the brewery’s potential customers and said that signage there would be helpful. In response to Chair Dawson’s question about having a need for both signs, Mr. Honoré said that they would be amenable to having one sign, rather than two, facing the Recreation Trail. Chair Dawson asked whether the lighting would exceed 2700 Kelvin and Mr. Bennett confirmed that it would not. Mr. Bennett also clarified that the west and east facing signs fell well within total sign area allowed. Vice Chair Napoli asked if it would be feasible to include verbiage, “at the historic Monterey Railroad Depot” on the existing monument sign face, as suggested by staff. Mr. Bennett replied that he felt that would be feasible. On a motion by Vice Chair Napoli, seconded by Commissioner Collum, and carried by the following vote, the Historic Preservation Commission approved Historic Permit HP- 18-0442 for Exterior Alterations and Site Improvements for Dust Bowl Brewing, and Sign Permit SI-18-0444 at 290 Figueroa Street with staff-recommended conditions of approval. AYES: 6 COMMISSIONERS: O'Brien, O'Neil, Smith-Crivello, Dawson, Napoli, Collum NOES: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: 1 COMMISSIONERS: Barlow ABSTAIN: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None RECUSED: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Commissioner Smith-Crivello listed some upcoming area historic and cultural activities and encouraged Commissioners to attend. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS & STAFF COMMENTS Recording Secretary Salameh asked Commissioners to turn in their Form 700s if they Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, March 14, 2019 5 DocuSign Envelope ID: 9DB175BA-A3C9-401C-A393-A60A45D62CC5 Historic Preservation Commission Minutes Thursday, March 14, 2019 had not already. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:41 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Elizabeth Caraker Chair Housing and Community Development Manager Historic Preservation Commission Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, March 14, 2019 6