Fresno Historic Preservation Commission Meeting – August 25, 2026

The Fresno Historic Preservation Commission met at 6:02 p.m. on August 25, 2026, and adjourned at 7:06 p.m. The commission initiated local historic designation for the former IRS facility at 5045 East Butler, received an informational workshop on proposed federal Section 106 regulation changes, and heard staff and subcommittee updates. No consent calendar or continued matters were before the commission.

Procedural Items

• Minutes of the previous meeting and the evening’s agenda were both approved by unanimous voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Bob Bethel, a 40-year resident of the neighborhood, spoke in support of listing the former IRS building. He said the building had been part of the community for a long time and urged the commission to keep it as part of the neighborhood so it could move to the next phase of use.
• Beth Stevens spoke during the opposition period but did not directly argue against listing. She identified herself as a nearby resident, former educator, and supporter of Southeast Fresno, and said she would like to see the property repurposed, including a possible children’s museum.

Discussion Items

7A – Proposed Local Historic Designation: 5045 East Butler (Former IRS Center)

• Staff presentation: Ashley Atkinson, Assistant Director of Planning and Development, explained that the hearing was limited to whether the existing building is eligible for the Fresno Local Register of Historic Resources; the owner’s redevelopment entitlement was not under consideration. The LSA historic resource assessment found the property retains integrity and is significant under Criteria 1 and 3: association with events important to local history and embodiment of distinctive architectural characteristics or representation of the work of a master.
• The building was constructed in 1970–1971 as the IRS West Coast Processing Center, designed by FAIA architect Walter Wagner of Wagner Temple Inc. The site was selected over another location after debate between Fresno and Sanger, and the city annexed 564 acres on its southeast boundary, including this site. The center became a major employer, peaking at 5,700 employees. IRS tax return processing was phased out starting in 2016 and the center closed in 2021.
• The one-story complex has five interconnected buildings around interior courtyards, flat roofs, metal fascia, and concrete walls with repetitive rubble-style cast stone panels. Staff noted the city’s mid-century modernism context statement does not cite the building as a defining example of Brutalism but lists it among Wagner’s 13 most significant works.
• Applicant’s position: Daniel Cho, manager for property owner AFI Fresno Residential Investors, opposed designation. He argued the building is not a true example of Brutalist architecture because the tilt-up concrete walls are inlaid with river rock and are simple vertical slabs without monumental forms. He said he found no reference to the building as a prime example of Brutalism, including on the website of TAM Architects, the successor firm to Wagner Temple, which referenced the center for its business significance but not for architectural significance. He called it a ‘nice looking but functionally obsolete’ facility.
• Commission discussion: Commissioner Johnston questioned the report’s 1971–1976 period of significance, saying it should extend through the facility’s long operating life, roughly 1972–2021. She noted the property had also been found eligible for the National and State Registers, and that local listing would not preclude demolition but would open the door to adaptive reuse consideration or documentation such as HABS/HAER. She requested a tour of the interior. Staff clarified that a lobby mural was painted by an IRS employee around 2003, is not historic by age, but could fall within an extended period of significance.

7B – Workshop: Proposed Amendments to Section 106 Implementing Regulations

• Ashley Lasco of Rincon Consultants presented an informational workshop on the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s proposed changes to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, currently under review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA).
• The proposed changes would increase federal agency discretion over the Section 106 review process, make consultation with local interested parties, tribes, and the public optional, and narrow the definitions of ‘undertaking’ and ‘historic property.’ This could remove archaeological sites, tribal cultural resources, and cultural landscapes such as Bears Ears and Grand Canyon from Section 106 review.
• Lasco stated no changes are in effect yet. Advocacy options now include requesting a meeting with OIRA and contacting state and federal representatives, including Governor Newsom and Representative Jim Costa. A 30-day public comment period is expected after Federal Register publication, and legal challenges are likely. CEQA and Fresno’s Historic Preservation Ordinance would remain in place.
• In response to questions, city staff said no decision had been made on whether Fresno would submit formal comments. Lasco said the effects would be agency-by-agency and could extend to projects using federal funding, but local and state review requirements would not automatically change.

7C – Monthly Updates

• Brewer Adobe: No new applicant or property owner plans; Rincon is working on an assessment using available historical documentation, and staff will check the protective tarp before the rainy season.
• Chinatown Historic District Survey: Stantec consultants have finished reviewing city documentation and were in Fresno conducting on-the-ground surveys and research; an update is expected next month.
• Staff workload: Rincon is now assisting with architectural historian and more complex project reviews. Plan entitlement reviews are on pace; building permit reviews are generally completed within 10 days; a few Section 106 reviews were completed; three Mills Act applications are being processed, with site visits planned and contracts expected this fall.
• Subcommittee reports: Architectural review had no updates; the code update subcommittee held its second working session; other subcommittees did not meet; plaque inquiries were referred to staff.

Key Outcomes

• The commission voted 5-0 to initiate designation of 5045 East Butler for the Fresno Local Register of Historic Resources. The motion was made by Vice Chair Hatwick and seconded by Commissioner Federico. The separate redevelopment project will continue through its own review process.
• The Section 106 workshop was informational only; no action was taken.
• The next regular meeting was announced for September 28, 2026, at 6 p.m.
• The meeting adjourned at 7:06 p.m.