Title
Draft meeting Minutes - October 4, 2018
Body
DRAFT MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY OF ALAMEDA HISTORICAL ADVISORY BOARD
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018
1. CONVENE
Chair Saxby called meeting to order at 7:03pm.
2. ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Saxby, Board Members Jones (arrived 7:08pm), Lau, Sanchez, Wit.
Absent: None.
3. MINUTES
3-A 2018-6057
Draft Meeting Minutes - May 3, 2018
Board Member Sanchez made a motion to approve the minutes. Board Member Jones seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
3-B 2018-6058
Draft Meeting Minutes - June 7, 2017
Board Member Sanchez made a motion to approve the minutes. Board Member Jones seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
4. AGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSION
Staff requested to move staff communications up in the agenda for the resolution honoring former member Piziali.
5. ORAL COMMUNICATION
*None*
6. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
7. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS
7-A 2018-6053
Board Elections
Board Member Sanchez made a motion to nominate Board Member Saxby as chair. Board Member Jones seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
Board Member Jones nominated Board Member Sanchez to be Vice Chair. Board Member Saxby seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
***Staff Communications***
Staff Member Dong introduced a board resolution honoring former member Piziali for his service on the Historical Advisory Board.
Chair Saxby read the resolution.
7-B 2018-6054
PLN18-0331 - Certificate of Approval - 1447 ½ Eighth Street - Applicant: James Snider. Public hearing to consider a Certificate of Approval to allow a 447 square foot single story addition at the rear of an existing 497 square foot detached single family house which will require demolition of more than 30% of the structure’s current value, as determined by the Building Official. The property is not listed on the City’s Historic Building Study List. The project site is located in the R-5 (General Residential) Zoning District.
Staff Member Sablan gave a presentation. The staff report and attachments can be found at:
<https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3688748&GUID=70670E94-2DAE-45D6-87CF-5F194EFEF805&FullText=1>
Board Member Sanchez asked if the windows in the front of the house were being replaced. He also asked if the shingles (siding) were being replaced.
Staff Member Sablan said that the windows were being replaced and the shingles would be replaced with redwood shingles.
Board Member Wit asked what the procedure was for researching the building history and significance of whomever built it.
Staff Member Sablan said they use building documents, internet research, and the Alameda Museum as resources.
Chair Saxby asked what the final square footage would be.
Staff Member Sablan said it would be 944 square feet.
Board Member Sanchez asked if the applicant would use Milgard windows.
The applicant said he is unsure. He said he wants it to look period and could use wood or vinyl, if allowed.
Board Member Sanchez offered some suggestions for avoiding the undesirable look of vinyl windows on a historic home.
Board Member Kit asked if the addition would trigger any additional parking requirements.
Staff Member Sablan said it would not trigger any parking requirements.
Chair Saxby said the massing looks appropriate. He said he has the same preference not to use vinyl windows.
Chair Saxby opened and closed the public hearing.
Board Member Sanchez made a motion to approve the project with the condition that the applicant submit documentation regarding the windows at the time of design review and that vinyl windows be avoided.
Chair Saxby asked that the character of the windows match the existing windows. Board Member Sanchez agreed and said that as long as the windows match the designs in the application, they should be sufficient.
Board Member Jones seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
7-C 2018-6055
PLN18-0341 - Certificate of Approval - 2301 Santa Clara Avenue - Applicant: Carolyn C. Fong on Behalf of Lily Angela Chun 1991 Living Trust. Public hearing to consider a Certificate of Approval for the disassembly and removal of a gas station kiosk and canopy to enable ground soil cleanup required by state regulatory agencies. The gas station kiosk will be reassembled once the soil remediation is completed, which is anticipated to take 18-24 months. The subject property is a Contributing Structure to the Park Street Historic District. Per Alameda Municipal Code (AMC) Section 13-21.5 the project requires a Certificate of Approval by the Historical Advisory Board. The property is located in the C-C-T (Community Commercial, Theatre Combining) Zoning District. The project is Categorically Exempt from additional environmental review pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, Sections 15301 - Existing Facilities, 15304 - Minor Alterations to Land, 15330 - Minor Actions to Prevent, Minimize, Stabilize, Mitigate or Eliminate the Release or Threat of Release of Hazardous Waste or Hazardous Substances, and 15331 - Historic Resource Restoration/Rehabilitation. Staff Member Sablan gave a presentation. The staff report and attachments can be found at: <https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3688749&GUID=69B80DC0-8B63-45CF-95E8-818657CEA138&FullText=1>
Board Member Wit asked if anything prevents the owner from not following through with reassembly after the soil is cleaned up.
Staff Member Sablan said that they are trying to use the proof of financing to achieve that goal.
Chair Saxby asked if that requirement would transfer to a new owner.
Staff Member Sablan said that the entitlement runs with the land.
Chair Saxby opened the public hearing.
Carolyn Fong, representing the owners, explained the history of the property and asked the board to consider the priorities of the community and issue the permit.
Alan Chun said he is hoping to get some resolution to this issue which has been going on for many years.
Ted Chun said he worked at that station since he was ten years old. He said they want to clean the property up. He said they are not the type of people to walk away.
Ronald Chun said this has been a family business and he knows this is an important historical part of Alameda.
Chair Saxby closed the public hearing.
Board Member Sanchez asked what would happen if they started cleanup and had to do cleanup beneath the flower shop structure.
<Response not given into microphone/inaudible>
Board Member Sanchez asked whether if during excavation and remediation they needed to do something that affected the structure of the flower shop.
Staff Member Sablan said the flower shop is a contributing structure and would require the same certificate of approval.
Board Member Wit asked what would happen if the canopy structure did not fit in the garage where it would be stored.
Clarence Peterson, the applicant’s contractor, said they have room inside and on top of the garage.
Chair Saxby asked if anyone has considered moving the structure in its entirety to a new site.
Mr. Peterson said the building was old and brittle and they had not considered that option.
Board Member Saxby said disassembling an old structure like that is fraught.
Board Member Lau asked if there was a plan to deal with pedestrian traffic on and around the site during the lengthy construction.
Mr. Peterson said they planned to reinstall a fence around the site during work.
Board Member Jones expressed concern that leaving elements on top of the garage, exposed to the elements could cause damage.
Board Member Sanchez said there is a reasonable plan in place. He said leaving the brittle, fragile cladding on top of the garage could render the material useless. He said a detailed photographic inventory is going to be critical.
Chair Saxby said there should be a detailed drawing and a plan to tag all the pieces before it is disassembled. He said he is concerned that the building will not go back together.
Board Member Wit asked Mr. Peterson had taken a structure this old apart and put it back together.
Mr. Peterson said he had done something similar before. He said they have a plan to catalogue where all the pieces go.
Board Member Saxby said any items stored outside need to be properly protected. He listed possible conditions: storage, record keeping, as built drawings, inventory of components. He said that if there were any alterations in the reconstruction, he would like it to come back for review.
Chair Saxby made a motion to approve the item with condition that staff review the owner’s as built drawings and inventory, tagging of the site conditions and gas station elements, that the components are stored in a secure and weathertight manner, and that any significant changes during reconstruction come back to the board for approval. Board Member Sanchez seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
8. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
9. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
10. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
*None*
11. ADJOURNMENT
Chair Saxby adjourned the meeting at 8:07pm.