Sacramento Preservation Commission Regular Meeting - December 18, 2019
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Sacramento Preservation Commission Regular Meeting - December 18, 2019
The Sacramento Preservation Commission held its regular meeting on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, at 5:30 PM in the City Hall Council Chamber. The meeting, which adjourned at 7:20 PM, included approval of consent calendar items, a public hearing on a historic landmark nomination, and a discussion on city policies regarding deferred maintenance of historic properties. Commissioners also received public comments on the condition of Old Marshall School.
Consent Calendar
- Item 1 – Approval of November 20, 2019 Minutes: Approved by a vote of 5-0-2 (Commissioners Bowns and Miller-Cruiess absent).
- Item 2 – 2020 Preservation Commission Meeting Calendar: Approved by a vote of 6-0-1 (Commissioner Miller-Cruiess absent).
Public Hearings
- Item 3 – 1121 Swanston Drive Historic Landmark Nomination (Welch House): Staff presented the nomination, noting the property is an excellent example of Art Moderne style with International and Art Deco influences, eligible under Criterion 3. Public comments by William Burg (Preservation Sacramento) and Bruce Marwick (Sacramento Art Deco Society) expressed strong support. The commission voted 6-0-1 (Miller-Cruiess absent) to recommend City Council approve the landmark designation.
Discussion Items
- Item 4 – City Policies Regarding Deferred Maintenance of Historic Properties and Potential Maintenance Incentives: Staff reviewed existing code enforcement tools, incentives (Historic Places Grant Program, Mills Act), and past ad hoc committee recommendations. Public comments from eight speakers focused on the demolition-by-neglect situation at Old Marshall School (Sacramento City Unified School District), urging the commission to send a letter of concern. Commissioners discussed potential improvements, including better code case tracking, owner education (e.g., postcards), and increased collaboration with code enforcement. No formal action was taken; staff will report back at the January meeting on what actions the commission may appropriately take regarding Marshall School.
Key Outcomes
- Vote on Item 3: Unanimous recommendation to City Council for landmark designation (6-0-1).
- Consent items approved as listed.
- Discussion on deferred maintenance: Staff directed to report at the January 2020 meeting on whether the commission can formally address Marshall School concerns.
- Commissioner comments: Requested that future agendas include clearly numbered items for public comment, commissioner comments, and director’s report. Staff acknowledged a templating issue.
- Director’s Report: Announced personnel changes (Ryan DeVore departed, Tom Pace interim CDD, Greg Sandland interim planning director); upcoming chair/vice chair elections in January; and plans to promote the Historic District Plan at the 2020 California Preservation Foundation conference.
Meeting Transcript
I'm calling the December 18th meeting of the preservation commission to order. And if anyone wishes to speak on an item tonight, there are speaker slips in the back. We have one public hearing item. But if you'd like to speak on any item, um, just fill out a slip and give it to the clerk, and so then we'll know if you wish to speak, and you'll have three minutes to speak. Okay, so with that, I'll start on the roll call, Carson. Commissioner Bounds. Commissioner Carter. Commissioner Lemon. Commissioner Miller. Commissioner Miller Cruz. Commissioner Velania? Yes. And Chair Whitelem. Here. Okay, so we have a quorum, correct? Yes. Okay. All right. So our first uh two items are on our consent calendar. They're approval of the preservation commission minutes, and they are uh approval of our 2020 uh preservation commission meeting calendar. Um we can take them as one item if no commissioners have any questions. I have a few comments about the calendar, so I don't know if that means you want to take it separately. Then we'll take them separately then. So on the minutes of the November 20th meeting, um, do we have any corrections or a motion to approve them? Oh, I'm sorry. Uh nobody's in the queue, so Carter. Now we are Carter's moved. Okay, so can hang on a second. I second uh Commissioner Carter's move to approve the minutes. Okay. So Carson, do you want to call the roll call? Commissioner Carter. Yes. Commissioner Lemon. Commissioner Miller. Yes. Commissioner Felonia. Yes. And Chair Whitelin. Yes. Motion passes. And if so the minutes can show up for this meeting that um member bounds has arrived, so she's here for agenda item two. Okay, the next one is the preservation commission meeting calendar for 2020. And um, if any of the uh commissioners have any questions about the item. So I have a couple of comments. Um, it is the third our meetings will be the third Wednesday of each month, with the exception of July. Um I did note when I looked at it that on the May 20th, at first I was concerned because it's it's that's the time when the California preservation um forum conference is going, but it's the last day. So but um so um I think that that's that that's okay. Uh one thing that I would ask, maybe it not here, or maybe be appropriate under the director's report. We have a number of items that are going to be coming up in the next year.
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