I think we're ready to go.

Okay, great.

Um, are you ready?

Let's do it.

Okay.

Um, we'll start with roll call this evening uh for the historical advisory board meeting of Thursday, February fifth, two thousand twenty-six.

Uh, starting with board member Brito present.

Board member Bevin present, and board member Hernandez.

Present.

Uh, we have one excuse absence, Board Member Crady.

Um, and one, um, absence on the board.

Excellent.

Um, start off with our non-agenda public comments.

Anyone can speak for three minutes regarding anything not on the agenda.

I don't know if uh anyone here has anything they want to bring up that's not on the agenda, or if there's anyone online.

No hands raised.

No hands raised.

So that brings us to item number three, minutes.

Um, we have uh approval of our draft meeting minutes from the December fourth meeting.

Uh, does anybody have any questions or comments about those meeting minutes?

Anyone care to make a motion about seven minutes?

I will move to approve the draft meeting minutes from December fourth, twenty twenty five.

I second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

The eyes have it.

Which brings us to regular agenda.

Um it's my understanding that item four A, uh, which was on the agenda for tonight, will actually be continued to next meeting.

Correct.

And so procedurally, it would be good if you um open the item, made a motion to continue to March fifth and closed the meeting.

The item that with no comments because you're not hearing it.

We're not hearing it.

Okay.

So item 4A was a certificate of approval for the Radium Theater Performing Arts Center project.

Is there a motion to continue this to the March 5th meeting?

Motion that the certificate of approval be uh moved to the March 5th meeting.

And second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Super.

So that brings us to item 4B, which is a certificate approval for the Lincoln Avenue Marshallway, Pacific Avenue Corridor Improvement Project.

This is on behalf of the City of Alameda.

Is there a presentation on this?

Yes, uh, good evening.

This evening uh we have Gail Payne joining us.

Uh, she's been coordinating this item on our behalf, and we'll make the presentation.

Super welcome, Gail.

Thank you.

Again, my name is Gail Payne.

I'm the project manager for the Lincoln Avenue Marshall Way Pacific Avenue Corridor Improvement Project.

So thank you, commissioners, for caring about history.

I live in town in a colonial revival.

So I appreciate what you do.

And what I'm going to do is give an overview about this corridor improvement project and then go into the historic streetlights that we're requesting to relocate.

So the goals of this project, this corridor project is first and foremost to improve safety, and also to improve mobility, the pavement, while also reducing flooding and improving the landscaping, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and also complying with city plans and policies.

And that's really why why we're here today, because we're wanting to move or needing to move seven different historic street lights that are historic monuments, and so according to our requirements and our policies, we need to come before the historical advisory board.

And to back us up on why we feel this is a high party for the city, is we look at crashes and there it especially the eastern part of the corridor is considered a tier one high injury corridor, and it's really our most dangerous corridor in town.

Any time there's a street of four to five lanes, that uh it causes more speeding.

It's a the one of our widest streets.

It used to be a railroad line, and so we knew this was a high priority based on the data analysis we did with crashes, and then when we did the community engagement process, we we did take a survey.

We got a lot of surveys back, and the survey respondents did confirm in the upper pie chart.

It says that they for safety, very dissatisfied and and dissatisfied, the majority of them.

And then operations, they also were not satisfied.

So that gave us permission to keep going and then ultimately to request city council approval on the concept, and that did indeed happen in spring of 2023, which was almost three years ago, and now we're with our great consulting firm parametrics going through the design.

They just provided us with a 95% design completion drawing.

And this is what the city council approved.

It's a three-mile corridor, and it would it would for the majority of the street go from two lanes in each direction to one lane in each direction with bike lanes, and that's the majority of the green line except for the the very right side east, and already is a one-lane street in each direction.

And we also have the flashing beacons that we would be installing, and then to the left of the screen is the Academy of Alameda.

So that school is a charter school, it has kids coming from all over Alameda to that school.

If you've ever been to the school, the drop off and pickup is is um we've received a lot of complaints.

And so there's a the majority of the historic street lights that we're requesting to be moved is in that location, a total of five because of all the extensive work in that area, and then we are also proposing a roundabout just east of there at Fifth and Lincoln Marshall, and so there is one street light just east of there, and then the last one requested to be relocated is at Broadway.

All of these are just within a few feet to be relocated mainly to the east, but one would be across the street, and I'll get into those details.

Does anyone have any questions about the concept or what we're doing?

Okay, so this is the most complicated area.

So this is from City Council when they approved it.

Only 10% design, so it's just a schematic.

But I just thought there's so many changes that that are going on, it'd be easier maybe for you to understand that we're creating an actual cul-de-sac, and that's because of the the difficult school access and the safety issues there.

And so that's that's the with the red all around emergency access vehicles will be able to get through as well as people walking and bicycling, and then more on the west side uh four street area.

We're extending out where the bus stop is, so we're having the marked crosswalk on the west side of that street crossing Pacific Avenue there, and and so that's the reason for there's a change of slight change of location of historic street light there, and this just shows a summary of where we've been.

We did the majority of the comprehensive community outreach in 2022 and part of 2023, and we've been working on design ever since.

Just got that 95% design for our from our awesome consultants, and then we expect to be into construction, it's a 20 million dollar construction project in 2027 if we end up getting the federal funds, which we got under the Biden administration.

So we're still in negotiation.

It's it's um fingers crossed.

We're we're still hoping to get that.

So going more in depth on the street lights, excuse me.

As I mentioned, the majority of the requested relocations are around Academy School, five total, and then just one is east of the proposed roundabout, and then one is at Broadway at the very eastern end.

Again, it's a three-mile corridor, the westernmost is where we're looking to put a new marked crosswalk, and so the current historic streetlight is in the way of the ADA compliant curb ramp.

So that would be moving a little a wee bit east.

The second out of the seven, or the third are in front of Academy School in the staff report.

Um my apologies.

We thought these were just being raised at one point, and then and I I forgot to update the staff report.

So we're now expecting them to be slightly adjusted to the to the east or to the right there.

And here's the new cul-de-sac again for safety purposes for the school, and so at the top there, that historic street light is in the would be in the street, so recommending that's the main one that's moving significantly, about 85 feet, I think, which is right adjacent on the other side of the street, Pacific Avenue, just on the south by the new marked crosswalk.

So that'll help light that new mark crosswalk.

The double pendant one is will be adjusted more towards Marshall Way.

And that is um historically accurate to Marshall Way.

So it gives it a little bit more visibility.

And the one on Linden, this is a new bus stop, so just some adjustments because the new bus stop island to that one's moving a wee bit to the east.

And then lastly, the one on Broadway is moving a little bit to the west because of some sidewalk reconstruction.

And these are the repl approved replacements that the Historical Advisory Board approved back in 2021 that we'll be replacing it with.

And tonight staff recommends determining that the sites to which the historical monument will be moved contain the appropriate architectural or or cultural context and also recommend approving the certificate of approval to allow the relocation of historic street lights as part of the improvement corridor.

And that concludes my presentation.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Sounds like you're suffering from the air quality like we are.

Yeah, I I did hear one of you cough, so I was actually relieved.

So thank you for making it feel better.

It's not allergies exactly, but yeah.

Thank you.

Um let's see, uh, do we have um any uh raised hands either online or here for public comment?

There are no hands and I have no speaker slips.

Okay.

So questions.

I just have one it's i I guess it's more just a for clarification.

Um exit on the plan that's exhibit five item four B, it says in a few spots, um, remove and salvage the existing uh street light, and then the next note says to install uh a new replica.

It in my understanding that the it the old ones are are being taken out and then just automatically replaced, or I guess it just absolutely confused with that.

They most likely are, they're most likely too rusted out.

Most of them are 60 to 100 years old.

Yeah, and so we're most likely going to use the replacement parts that have been approved and by previous HAB and 2021, and um we expect probably all of them at it it'll like we're gonna try to if there's something that's salv salvageable, yeah.

Okay, thank you.

Josh, do you have some questions?

That was that was actually my first question was um based on the plans.

There is a there's relocation and there's replacement indicated.

Um I guess I think the rest of my questions are probably discussion.

Yeah, yeah, I had some actual questions as well.

So on the um replacement, like a you know, I understand the basic plan is to try to salvage what we can.

If it can't be salvaged, they'll be replaced with the approved uh version.

Uh who's responsible in the city for that process?

Is it a vendor that's gonna be uninstalling them, or is it public works or yes?

So we uh we typically hire construction firms to do that work for us, and they do the work according to the plans and specifications, and so we that's why um these are included in in the plans and specifications, these standards.

This has the um assembly and fixtures are included in the specifications, and then we monitor to make sure they do it correctly.

We have we typically have a construction management firm that monitors every move basically of a construction firm, and we also have city staff who monitor and oversee the entire construction process.

So it's it's really impressive to see the um the work that goes into uh construction like this is oh for sure.

Yeah, overseeing.

We're we're seeing it all over town currently.

Yeah.

A lot of effort.

The reason why I ask is I'm curious to know is the same firm that's responsible for providing or installing the new ones, the same firm that's going to be taking out the old ones.

The question is really about incentive.

Are they incentivized to try to salvage or more likely are they incentivized to just take the old ones, dump them so they can, you know, essentially install the new ones, which would be simpler perhaps for them.

So I'd be really curious to understand contractually where those incentive lies, you know, are are they being rewarded for successfully salvaging you know, historic lamppost versus is really the contract built to facilitate the replacement rather than the salvage?

And that's in the weeds, but I would just caution the city to really look at that.

When I first read the proposal, I was like, okay, well, you know, it actually would be interesting to me that it just say they're gonna replace them, but it could the city salvage what's being taken out because there is a large body of these things out there, and these replacement parts might be valuable if proper care was taken, you know, to uh depending how things are taken apart can have a lot to do with if it's salvageable.

I just um so first of all, we can we can direct in this the plans and specifications how we want the construction workers to handle uh handle um and so we can we can direct them.

Try to facilitate the salvage of it.

I'm I just want to make sure I understand because we can we can just add that kind of wording into the plans and specifications, and so um do you do you want to what is your highest priority?

I guess is your highest priority to keep the historic poles on the street, or is your highest priority to once they're removed to be able to salvage the parts for historical like a a museum maybe or a or another use at another time.

Yeah, another placement for one that's damaged or something like that.

So, you know, that I think that's a really great question, and maybe one for discussion.

Um, but you know, personally, my um my reaction to that question is like, well, let's relocate them, like the plan says if we can, and then if we can't, then let's consider some sort of inventorying, can it be reused?

You know, can the parts be used to fix ones that are already damaged, and only as a last resort would these things actually be destroyed or you know, recycled.

And obviously, there's a host of questions about the city and how they would inventory that, where they would put the things, you know, like I don't pretend to know any of those answers, but you know, as long as the specifications of the project are very clearly emphasizing the relocation and restoration.

And then I would have a host of questions around that, like what's the actual color green these things are supposed to be painted?

They're all kind of faded now, but that's not the color they started out.

And who would be responsible for, you know, sandblasting it and re-coating it, and you know, if if that's the true intent, so that these would be restored to, you know, like new versus like we're gonna unbolt it if we can and just move it, and it it's the same street light, and no extra care has been taken to, you know, restore, you know, or revitalize or at least repaint it.

Yeah.

Um I wouldn't assume they'd want to save all the uh the old wire inside it and that kind of thing, but I don't know, you know.

Yeah, just questions.

Right, right.

Okay.

No, that's good.

I will take this back to the consulting um firm and our city engineer staff, and that we do I'd I'd have to look, but I think they do get all color, there's a certain color green.

I would guess that's like a moss green, I think there's an RAL number to it that we would have a zero spectrum.

It's like six six six zero zero three, something like that, but I I'd have to look it up.

Um that we could specify that specific moss green color, and um either the relocated with the new moss green color, that would be the preference, it sounds like.

Right.

Okay.

And then obviously the new ones, whatever had to be replaced, those would come in that color, I would assume.

I don't know, but we would also then if we had to replace it, then we would also paint them somehow, make sure that they were matching-ish.

Yeah, you know.

They're not gonna be the same fluted, you know, version necessarily.

I know the designs are slightly different.

That sounds great.

And and maybe you know, and maybe you don't.

Who who in the city is it public works or is it Alameda Power that's responsible for maintaining the street lights currently?

Public works now.

Public works currently.

Okay.

So this whole project will be coordinated or this element of this project, obviously, you know, everything's coordinated with public works.

But like you'll be talking to them about okay, well, what do we do with these street bites?

If we inventoried them, or they're gonna say, oh no, we don't wanna inventory them, or maybe they have lists of other lights that are in some sort of disrepair.

I don't know, it's a question.

Yeah.

I think it's worth it's it's definitely worse worth making the case for it.

And so relocate if possible with the moss green color and then as and then if not possible, then to replace.

I think that's that's great.

Thank you.

Thank thank you.

Um, so those are all my questions.

I don't know if anybody else has any questions or discussion points.

Yeah, we can have a discussion, I guess.

That's all let's let's discuss.

Okay.

All right, I guess I can start our discussion.

Um so I I looked over the street lights monument report, um, really thorough document and I think pretty impressive to have that coupled with um historic resources element that we have here.

Um lots of great documentation.

One one thing I would like to note is that the in particular the double pendant that we're we're looking at, which is kind of on the uh peninsula-shaped the wide part of the intersection, the gore, if you will.

Um that one it appears as one of two that were built were installed in 1949 at Marshall and Pacific.

And when I visited the site yesterday, I could only count one.

Um, and I'm not sure where the second one may have been, potentially in the kind of crescent-shaped median that divides uh uh opposing traffic in that area.

There may be a kind of a remnant pole or plug plug there.

Um but so to my experience it appears to be kind of unique in that setting, um, not necessarily in the city.

There are 11 at the Ensignal Esplanade from 1947, and there's also one at Central, and it's in all from 1941.

But all kind of 1940 to 49 era infrastructure.

Um it does appear to be the kind of the second rarest type of pole that we're dealing with uh as far as lighting.

The other is the unique post-top trident that's mentioned in the report.

But yeah, so I think the the relocation of the I guess you could call them more ubiquitous pole types, is relatively minor.

Especially they're staying in the same area, in the same context.

And the relocation of the double triad or double pole.

Yeah.

Um is also pretty close to its current location.

I am curious when we when we go to consider approving this certificate of appropriate appropriateness, one of the aspects that's mentioned is complying with the Secretary of the Interior standards and those kinds of treatment approaches for monuments.

And I think one thing that would be helpful is to really understand the condition of each of the poles.

And of course, there's a there's gonna be a threshold of uh this poll's rusted out, or this one has a dent that can't be repaired.

Um one poll, in fact, I think it was the fourth poll shown, um, one of them that is in front of the school.

When I was looking at it yesterday, it looks like it almost has um concrete or some kind of fill in the side.

So maybe that one's already been kind of altered.

Um but understanding the condition, I think would be helpful when I did look at the double pole, that one appeared to be in pretty good shape.

Um I also noticed it had this kind of a maker's mark on the bottom from the tubular pole company in San Francisco that kind of those little uh bits of information and kind of details on this era of equipment, um, I I think helps lend to the sense of integrity and authenticity.

Um, and one of the things I think we should consider is that these lights are you know, there's different groups, different types, but together they're forming a monument.

I'm not sure that every single light pole would necessarily be considered an individual monument, but together they're they're almost like a district in practice.

Um, districts are composed of uh many elements that may not have individual distinction, but together they combine to create this significant hole.

Um so in the grand scheme of things, relocation of seven poles when you're considering a thousand across the city, um it's probably not a huge impact.

Um, but I think in the long run, as if poles are just replaced uh pole by pole, eventually there will be a threshold where we're we're thinking, okay, how many of these are actually from the historic period and how many are contemporary replacements?

And is that a true depiction or representation of historic architecture infrastructure?

So that that's why I do think that retention salvage should be prioritized as much as feasible.

Um, and in this case, particularly for the the double pole because it is kind of uh a rare rare bird.

Rare bird here, yeah.

I concur.

Okay.

Arthur, can we press you for any thoughts?

Not so far, not at nothing additional at this point, no.

Because there are um I didn't I drive by this spot every day, twice a day, three times a day, so I'm very familiar with it.

There are two polls that are more in front of the school that are um, and I have to switch back, you know, what one's been spray painted, uh they're the ones without the the formal uh base on them.

Um so those are in sort of lesser condition, but there's one to the west of the school that is the more formal base, and I think that's another one that is on the list to be moved.

Um so you know that that idea of assessing because you know, any construction project, they're gonna need to order these polls and have them in production and get them, you know, in time to you know fit them in the work schedule well in advance of you know, so doing some of that research now as to like well, which are the ones that are really gonna need to be outright replaced because there's a lead time to have them manufactured of you know so many weeks or months, um, you know, would also give uh the city some more time to think about, you know, okay, well, what effort would be involved in the repair or salvage of a poll if it's gonna come down, you know, on day one of the project, then you have three months before said poll needs to be put back, or maybe you have one year before said poll needs to be put back in its place.

Uh those are going to be impactful decision points.

Um, you know, and I'm sure there'll be financial considerations to this as well of you know replacement poll costs X, revitalization of existing poll costs Y, where does that fit in the budget?

Um, so I would just again, you know, have the city consider those things.

I'm all in favor of you know moving them as needed.

If if I may, I was just gonna add, I know with like development projects, um a typical requirement that public works does is, you know, require in addition, you'll provide us two spare light poles or whatever for this project based on how big it is or whatever.

So I know they do keep an inventory of things like this, so in terms of lead time and stuff, I'll bet they they're managing that inventory.

So like if they can save it and and keep the one that the project paid for anyways, in the inventory for future, I would bet they would they would do that.

Yeah, I was I was gonna add as well.

We we did have this fairly extensive conversation with the city engineer.

So all of your points are well taken, and um they've sort of confirmed that they do all of these things.

So the spec includes the proper green.

They admit that past maintenance crews, whether it was AMP or public works, just spray painted over graffiti rather than repainting the whole poll, and you know, so there is a sort of mismatched green out there.

Um there are missing parts, and that's why the salvage is important is these parts can be used to replace other missing parts or broken parts or polls that get hit by a car, you know.

So that's sort of where some of these polls go as to the graveyard.

Um, or but you know, they they can be pieced out, yeah, for sure.

Pick and pull.

Yeah, cool.

Or yeah, kind of mothballed until.

Where do they live?

They live somewhere.

Yeah.

Is it out on the base?

Yeah, there's a yard somewhere at the base, probably.

What do you call it?

Confidential for security press.

Yeah, we can either confirm or deny.

Um, any other discussion on this?

Yeah, I do have I just have one question.

I the subject of project funding came up, and um do we have a sense of the how does how does this project flow as far as um funding gets approved, construction on project components starts, polls get removed, or um I guess my concern is uh relocation of the polls gets approved, um, but maybe the funding doesn't happen and they they end up removed or whatever.

Um is it is it possible to condition the the COA on the funding being approved?

Or something like that.

That makes sense.

I think so.

I mean, I think they wouldn't take them out.

They are functioning street lights.

So they wouldn't take them out unless they were going to be replaced fairly soon.

Yeah.

Because they're needed.

And they might even replace them ahead of schedule and take out the old ones afterwards.

I'm not quite sure how this, but they would figure out the construction staging.

Yes, and we would need we would only do the demo of demolition or relocation or repairing and salvage.

We would only do any of that for the seven street lights if we had the money for like in front of the school to do the call de sac or and um and it's just becomes part of this much big construction project that we just need to be good at detailing the priorities for salvaging and repair.

And the green color and um and and I I heard what you said about the doing research now to better understand the conditions so we can better scope out the true costs of what the repair work would be and the time frame that it would take.

And so if it's all in there, it's really not that big of a deal for these construction crews to do it.

We just need to spell it out now.

So I so this is really helpful input.

Thank you.

And I think there is some language in at least the draft resolution that um, you know, this this COA is tied to the scope of the project and it has an expiration date, so like let's say they don't get the funding, this C this goes away in three years.

You know, as in if the project never happened, you know, and ten years from now they decide to okay now we're gonna do it.

You know, we would be back, and or somebody would be back in these same seats talking about it again.

So it's not at least the way I read the on page two via further resolved, you know, the three bullet points of tying it to the project.

I guess while we're while we're all looking at it, um what do we think about the draft resolution?

Yeah, I think it's okay.

Um, my only question is um, it mentions uh the this is on on page one, the second whereas from the bottom.

Yeah, um talks about the replica.

The last sentence.

Uh the approved replacement standard for polls and fixture assemblies specifies the materials to be used in the event existing polls are no longer structurally sound or cannot be reasonably salvaged and authorizes the replacement in the same location without further review.

Um I think we may have to massage that a little bit um in uh in one case because I'm not sure is there an approved replacement for the double poll type, or are those just singles that we've I think that are just singles that were Yeah, I didn't see that in the documentation personally.

So that's that's one thing to consider, and and the other is um just noting that maybe we say authorizes such replacement in the locations specified in the plans presented in this exhibit or you know the the existing plans here versus the same location it's a subtle change there.

I don't see anything about yeah as far as the double pendant um I I believe I'm trying to find it but I believe that there actually was an approved double pendant on uh Broadway I think what's the street off the bridge building on tilted um because we were looking at that with a different public works project and determined that there had been some work on those polls and I think there was some double pendants in the median so it might not be in this packet but the city may already have a spec sheet on the double from a previous project.

Yeah and I and I would say if not then using using the standards Secretary of Interior standards as inspiration you could just say a new double pendant will um it would be similar but differentiable from the historic one.

Similar dimension similar width of the the actual arms yeah the arms um and I think that would help with that if if the existing one cannot be reused at the new location that seems fair.

Yeah you know flexibility so we know that there are replicas available of different kinds.

Yeah you can almost use the existing one I guess you call it a physical prototype or something like that.

Any other thoughts on the draft?

In the uh number three in the the resolution of those those three points we were looking at I do appreciate that there is a expiration date on it like we were saying and I when when Gail mentioned it's it's a little up in the air whether the funding was going to come in the federal funding my my initial worry was that well we didn't get all the money so we're gonna do kind of what we can kind of a half-hearted version of this so but it sounds like it has to be this or else we have to kind of kind of start over or do it would be kind of a different different looking project if the the or no project at all if if the federal funding doesn't come through is that correct Gail.

It's a it's a three mile corridor and so we do we do have some of the funding we have about four 4.5 million already in local funds.

So if we don't get this sixteen million in federal funding we would then look we would consider phasing the project and the the um money we have would be for the west end because it's it's tied to bus improved bus operations and so um we need to think we would need to think more internally about how it's phased but that's that's as much as we know at this point and so if if we only go with that west end funding the street light for example at Broadway would not be relocated as part of that first phase.

Okay.

But the three year term should cover the plan construction because I think your slide said we'll end planning design this calendar year construction will be in twenty seven and twenty eight theory.

That's if we get the federal that's if we get the federal funds and everything goes smoothly uh with construction.

Okay.

So my question would be internally, should we have a four year window in an abundance of caution knowing things sometimes don't our approval will expire in three years from today, and it's not unlikely in the world of these things.

You can get a two-year extension so they could the public course could come back and get the two-year extension before that expiration.

Um it's actually provided in the ordinance that you have a three-year inspiration.

So they'll they'll they'll take it upon themselves to come ask for more time.

Yeah.

Okay.

Sure.

Let's see.

Let me get my spot here.

Okay.

I move to approve the categorical categorical exception.

The certificate of approval.

Um with the change to the second paragraph on the first page, second from the last paragraph on the first page, to say um the polls are approved to be moved to their specified locations in the plans, and um the currently available replacement standards that have been previously approved, um, are also okay for this project, um, with the exception of the the double arm light.

If there is an available uh exist or existing template, pre-approved replacement for that, it's okay to use that.

If there's not, um there should be a best effort to replicate, but differentiate whatever new poll is.

Yeah, and it's it talks about the secretary standards in there already, so we'll assume that that's part of that.

So your the main point of uh changing this is really about confirming if there is a double poll version of an approved design.

If not, one should be developed.

Right.

Or you know, in the slide.

I want to make sure I understand the spirit of the standard, you can use the existing one as a prototype for its replacement, but that replacement shouldn't be down to the millimeter, the same poll.

It should be cast it.

Right.

It should be establishable.

And you know, maybe that ends up being a usable replacement for other polls if they were needed in the future.

So I I wonder, Stephen, based on your knowledge of that other project, um, like how certain are we that may or may not exist?

Yeah, I think we confirmed that I was mistaken that the double pendants were actually a new um uh LED light.

So that was a different different concept.

That kind of thing.

Yeah.

So this this would be applicable.

But yeah, so I think this is a well-stated sort of amendment to just allow the replacement of that poll as well, according to a similar standard.

Okay, yeah, my second the motion.

All in favor, aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Motion carries and staff will take that draft and recreate the language.

Thank you, guys.

Thank you.

Um, next item on the agenda is board communications.

Are there any board communications?

I have a couple if I can.

Wait.

Um, since it's been about two months since we met, um I've reached out to a few um businesses in town who I noticed were um instrumental in kind of reviving buildings that have been vacant for uh a bit, um, one being improv Central and uh the other uh park station, the new uh beer garden that opened up and um I was fortunate to have a tour of Improv Central with its owner Claire Slatterly about a month ago and kind of understand the the ins and outs of how that came to be and I'm hopeful that there'll be a future presentation um to our board kind of just for informational purposes and then I also got to visit Park Station with our former chair Norman Sanchez, who was the architect for that project and gave me a nice explanation of how uh what we would consider preservation best practices were considered and applied for a building that wasn't necessarily a designated historic resource, but there was still that ethos there.

Um and uh similarly I I think they're gonna uh be here to give us our own little uh tour around the building, virtual tour.

Super.

Um I also got to meet the folks at California Historical Radio Society.

I finally visited, um, and I have to say I was so impressed on a Wednesday that building was filled with volunteers, uh many of whom were refurbishing radios, um and just really like they save vintage radio tubes, they recycle them if they're not usable, but they also find ways to use them for equipment, and I think it's a really great example of uh how that kind of building can really be a community center for people who have a similar interest.

Um, many of them are retirees to my understanding.

So um, yeah, I'm staying in touch with them.

I encourage you to visit if you have a chance.

Uh and then I also wanted to add that February is Black History Month.

Um, and uh as a historian who works uh with all types of resources, uh I do want to acknowledge that across the nation there's around 96,000 national register listings, all sorts of different properties, yet only two percent, around two percent as an estimate, are associated with African American history, potentially 10% are linked to minority or ethnic history, um so there's a lot of uh work that uh we have to do to really uh level things out and find those resources that are meaningful to communities that uh were marginalized and um they are underrepresented, so um there are a couple cities that I think uh as we look for opportunities to kind of think about our historic resources element and ways to to update that and the the understanding of Alameda history.

Uh San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles, they're large cities, uh, but they have thematic studies and historic context statements that deal with African American history, black history, um, and I think those are good uh benchmarks for us to consider.

Um let's see what else.

Um that is all.

Thank you.

Any other board communications?

None for me either, so staff communications.

I was just gonna mention that we're uh looking forward to the presentations of of recent uh rehabilitation projects.

And that includes I think a facade grant um from the city.

Yeah.

I yeah.

If I can just add, I know next month one item was continued from this meeting to the next one.

Um if it's possible, maybe we could stagger those informational presentations across two meetings, if they can't go first, that way the the folks that are here by by choice, um, aren't here until ten o'clock in the entry or something like that.

Not on my watch.

No meetings go to ten.

Yeah.

Any other staff communications?

No.

Um, you could add though that we're still on the hunt for another board member.

Yes, that that almost goes without saying.

Uh otherwise we would have a new board member here.

Um so we uh have the mayor and I um do the interviews from the list of people that are um the list with the city clerk, and um it's it's sort of been a rolling list of people and and so we're still looking.

Fingers crossed.

Um so I guess with that adjournment or final agenda item.

We're adjourned.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We still think that we have a little bit of a