Title
Draft Meeting Minutes - March 7, 2019
Body
DRAFT MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY OF ALAMEDA HISTORICAL ADVISORY BOARD
THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019
1. CONVENE
Chair Saxby called meeting to order at 7:03pm.
2. ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Saxby, Board Members Jones, Lau, Sanchez, Wit.
Absent: None.
3. MINUTES
3-A 2019-6625
Draft Meeting Minutes - December 6, 2018
Board Member Wit made a motion to approve the minutes. Board Member Sanchez seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
3-B 2019-6626
Draft Meeting Minutes - January 10, 2019
Board Member Lau made a motion to approve the minutes. Board Member Sanchez seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
4. AGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSION
*None*
5. ORAL COMMUNICATION
*None*
6. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
7. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS
7-A 2019-6628
PLN19-0044 - Del Monte Warehouse Certificate of Approval Amendment - 1501 Buena Vista Avenue - Applicant: TL Partners I L.P. Public hearing to consider revisions to previously approved Certificate of Approval (PLN14-0059) to modify the design of the monitors (rooftop structures) on Bays 1 and 4 as part of restoration and rehabilitation of the historic Del Monte Warehouse. The proposal is limited to architectural changes only and does not affect the previously approved land use, unit count, and parking. The site is zoned M-X, Mixed-Use with a Multi-Family Residential Overlay. The Environmental Impact Report for the Northern Waterfront General Plan Amendment and Subsequent Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Del Monte Warehouse Project satisfies environmental review requirements for this project under the California Environmental Quality Act.
Staff Member Tai gave a presentation. The staff report and attachments can be found at: <https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3873062&GUID=1EA4A375-7D9B-4599-8D6D-2DC2496C6844&FullText=1>
Board Member Wit asked if the glass canopy would remain in the changed plan.
Staff Member Tai said the courtyard would be open air under the new plan.
Board Member Sanchez explained that the removal of the trusses eliminates the need for the canopy.
Mike O’Hara, Tim Lewis Communities, gave a presentation detailing the proposed changes.
Board Member Wit asked how high the monitor windows would be.
Mr. O’Hara said they would be about 35 feet.
Board Member Sanchez asked if the glazing on the new windows would be multi colored or clear glazing.
Mr. O’Hara said they would have clear glazing.
Chair Saxby asked if options to preserve the wood trusses were considered.
Mr. O’Hara said they have considered alternatives. He said preservation of the trusses has been the biggest sticking point in figuring out how to construct the parking podium and units in a financially viable manner.
Board Member Lau asked if the removal of the center trusses would require additional support for the sides of the building.
Mr. O’Hara said that the building on either side would be new, independent structures on top of a new podium with their own supports.
Board Member Jones said the scale of the structure is large enough that the new windows will be okay.
Chair Saxby said the board’s duty should be focused on preservation issues and let other boards and council deal with financial feasibility issues. He said the board previously approved of the aluminum windows for sound and egress and Title 24 reasons. He said the change of the monitors does improve the preservation of character defining features and he supports that change. He has concerns about the plans for bays 1 and 4 because those trusses are character defining features, and he thinks it would be a mistake to allow them to be removed. He disagreed with the interpretation of the Secretary of the Interior findings in the staff report. He said the proposal to do more demolition for cost savings pushes the project where too much historic integrity is lost. He said he does not support the removal of the roof trusses in bays 1 and 4.
Board Member Sanchez said the new grouping and rhythm of the monitor windows is an improvement from the previously approved plan. He said when the trusses came to the board the first time, the trusses were not within the board’s scope for approval. He said the amount of the trusses that were already being removed made saving these relatively small portions of them less important to preserve.
Board Member Jones said she thought the more important factor was what was more visible to the public and questioned whether the interior of the project is a major factor for the board’s consideration.
Staff Member Tai said that in private buildings, the interior is not typically subject to that scrutiny.
Chair Saxby said the Secretary of Interior standards do not exclude the interiors.
Board Member Lau asked if it was possible to keep portions of the timber structure.
Mr. O’Hara showed which post structures would remain and which would need to be removed.
Board Member Sanchez asked if the approved plan has the posts continue down through the new podium structure.
Mr. O’Hara said there would be new posts and the bottom of the existing trusses would be cut.
Board Member Wit said eliminating the trusses and roof is a missed opportunity by the Planning Board.
Chair Saxby said he would like to split the voting to take the monitor window issue separate from the truss issue.
Staff Member Tai said his belief is that the Historical Advisory Board was established to do more than focus 100% on preservation. He said the makeup of the board is mixed because the board is charged with taking a balanced approach to issues before them when advising City Council decisions.
Board Member Lau said he sees the building every day and that it needs improvement. He worries what will happen to the building if it nothing is done to it soon.
Mr. O’Hara pointed out the limited number of people (residents of bays 1 and 4) that would ever be able to see those trusses.
Chair Saxby referenced standard #10 prevents the proposed plan from meeting the standards for preservation.
Board Member Sanchez made a motion to approve the changes to the monitor windows according to the draft resolution. Board Member Jones seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
Board Member Jones asked if it would be possible (referencing standard #10) to ever restore the trusses in the future.
Chair Saxby said the trusses would be gone. He lamented that the board did not have a chance to see the inside of the building, which he called remarkable.
Board Member Sanchez made a motion to approve the request to remove the trusses at bays 1 and 4. Board Member Jones seconded the motion. The motion passed 3-2. (Saxby and Wit opposed.)
Staff Member Tai mentioned the existing conditions on the project which will require capturing the existing conditions of the building, including the trusses in question.
8. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS
Board Member Sanchez said the City is looking for a partner to take over the Carnegie Library space for a new use and put out an RFP. He said he sat on a panel to hear the two proposals. He said one included a restaurant and bakery. Another proposal focused on an art performance space with a community focus.
Board Member Lau said he was aware of someone with an idea to turn the building into a museum and asked if it was too late to submit applications.
Staff Member Tai said it was probably too late, unless the chosen candidate does not progress.
9. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
Staff Member Dong gave an informational presentation of smaller scale, staff approved restoration projects.
Board Member Sanchez asked if people could apply for amnesty for windows that had previously been replaced.
Staff Member Tai said they would likely still be asked to replace the windows to meet the design guidelines.
10. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
11. ADJOURNMENT
Chair Saxby adjourned the meeting at 8:15pm.