Heritage Commission

City Hall Meeting Minutes 601 4th Avenue E Olympia, WA 98501 Heritage Commission Contact: Michelle Sadlier 360.753.8031 Wednesday, October 28, 2015 6:30 PM Room 207 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Davies called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m. 1.A ROLL CALL Present: 9 - Chair Holly Davies, Vice Chair Dwayne Harkness, Commissioner Stephen Austin, Commissioner Benjamin Helle, Commissioner Patricia McLain, Commissioner Rachel Newmann, Commissioner Mark Rentfrow, Commissioner Nicholas Vann, and Commissioner Heather Youckton Excused: 1 - Commissioner Garner Miller Absent: 1 - Commissioner Mary Coacher 1.B OTHERS PRESENT Community Planning and Development Principal Planner Tim Smith Mayor Pro-Tem Nathaniel Jones Community Planning and Development Associate Planner & Historic Preservation Officer Michelle Sadlier 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA The agenda was approved. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 3.A 15-1027 Approval of September 23, 2015 Olympia Heritage Commission Meeting Minutes The minutes were approved as amended. 4. PUBLIC COMMENT - None 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS Commissioner McLain attended the Quixote Village celebration and announced Heritage Commissioner Garner Miller was the recipient of the Rudy Burner award for Urban Excellence. City of Olympia Page 1 Heritage Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2015 Ms. Sadlier announced the listing of the Richard and Lydia Stoecker House on the Washington Heritage Register and subsequent recommendation of the building for the National Register of Historic Places by the State Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. She distributed the Mid-Century Modern Olympia poster by Sherwood Press for Commissioner viewing. 6. BUSINESS ITEMS 6.A 15-1028 Introduction to Tim Smith as the City’s New Principal Planner for Current Planning Mr. Smith discussed his scope of work as the new current planning team manager and conversed with the Commission about his former work on the Olympia Brewery site in Tumwater. He explained how projects are distributed to planners within Community Planning and Development. The discussion was completed. 6.B 15-1030 Considering Historic Preservation Code & the Downtown Strategy - Direction to Policy & Ordinance Committee Ms. Sadlier gave a briefing on the existing code identifying aspects of the City’s heritage regulations. She discussed how the Commission will provide guidance on Olympia's municipal code to determine those that work and ones that could be improved, particularly with respect to the historic downtown. She reviewed: OMC 18.12 Historic Preservation OMC 3.60 Special Property Tax Valuation OMC 18.37.060(A)(3) Nonconforming and Conforming Buildings & Uses OMC 18.100 (Design Review), OMC 18.105 (Historic Structures and Buildings within Historic Districts) and OMC 18.120 (Commercial Design Criteria Downtown) Mr. Smith discussed the elements that trigger Design Review. Discussion: - Problems with cookie cutter designs. - Clarifying recommendations for the Policy and Ordinance committee. - Whether the framework is creating desired results. - Strategic look at the issues after identifying the problems. - Need for discussion of the purpose/need for the Olympia Historic Inventory. - Establishing equity for Heritage Commission representation in design review process. - Design review for sites adjacent to historic properties. The discussion was completed. 7. REPORTS 7.A Downtown Committee City of Olympia Page 2 Heritage Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2015 Commissioner Newmann discussed the Downtown Strategy public outreach plan. She announced the need for a Chair for the Downtown Committee. Ms. Sadlier said she would help organize a meeting of the Committee. 7.B Heritage Review Committee Ms. Sadlier discussed potential development proposals for the Swantown Inn and Olympia Federal properties, which may trigger review by the Joint Design Review Committee should they come to fruition. 7.C Outreach Committee Ms. Sadlier discussed the possibility of highlighting the historic significance of Priest Point Park on its 100 year old birthday for the 2016 Historic Preservation Month celebrations. 7.D Policy & Ordinance Committee - No Report 7.E Survey & Inventory Committee - No Report 7.F Staff Ms. Sadlier discussed her attendance at the first meeting of the staff technical group and consultants for the Downtown Strategy. She announced that two Heritage Commission items are due to be reviewed by City Council on the November 10, 2015 consent agenda. They are the proposed revision to the ordinance on the Olympia Historic Inventory and the special valuation application for 301 Maple Park Avenue SE. She discussed a stop work order by the City's Building department for non-permitted window replacement at the American Legion Hall (219 Legion Way SW), and explained her temporary status change to half-time. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m. City of Olympia Page 3