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Record of Proceedings

Preservation Commission Meeting – February 19, 2020

Preservation Commission — Wednesday, February 19, 2020
BodySacramento, California
SessionPreservation Commission
DateWednesday, February 19, 2020
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:24

I'm going to call the February 19th meeting of the Preservation Commission to order.

0:35

We have uh speaker slips in the back, and the agenda is also in the back.

0:40

So if you'd like to speak on an item, please give a speaker slip to the clerk, and we'll hear you when we come to that item.

0:49

I think we're taking all items in order.

0:52

Um when you do speak, there'll be like a three minute limit.

0:56

That's what it's set for.

0:58

Okay.

0:59

And so I guess with that, we'll proceed with the roll call.

1:07

Commissioner Bones.

1:10

Commissioner Carter.

1:12

Commissioner Lemon.

1:14

Here Commissioner Miller.

1:17

Commissioner Miller Cruz.

1:21

Commissioner Bellania.

1:25

And Chair Whitelum.

1:27

Here.

1:28

Quorum attained.

1:29

Okay.

1:30

Um the first item.

1:32

Uh we have one item on the consent calendar.

1:34

It's approval of the preservation commission.

1:37

Minutes of January 15th, 2020.

1:42

So I would uh welcome any comments or a motion to pass the uh minutes.

2:21

Well, it's unusual.

2:24

So do any of the commissioners have comments on the minutes?

2:31

Do do we usually take public comment on the minutes?

2:35

Okay, then um ask for a motion.

2:42

So I'd like to ask there's nothing on the legal counsel.

2:52

Do you want to ask?

2:53

You can ask for those comments on the consent agenda.

2:58

Okay.

2:59

Do we have any comments on the consent calendar item?

3:09

Come to the microphone, please.

3:12

It's the minutes of the last meeting, yes.

3:15

And do you have any comments?

3:18

I didn't come to your first now concern about it.

3:22

I don't know what was on the agenda.

3:27

You could I get it out of order or something.

3:29

Yeah, go go go to the mic if you'd like.

3:34

Could you state your name for the record, please, and then your question or concern?

3:39

Um and thank you for your indulgence for just a minute while I get oriented here to what you're doing.

3:44

Uh I am Roxanne Miller.

3:47

And uh I served as um a member and a chair uh of the design review preservation board for the city of Sacramento.

3:58

Um a total of over uh eight, eight years, and which you I guess partially morphed into.

4:07

So congratulations on your assignment and responsibility.

4:10

I I do appreciate the fact that you're you're serving.

4:14

Now my question was, did you at your meeting or any meeting in the past have a discussion about the future of the historic train station?

4:28

Um counsel, do are we doing don't enter into a dialogue?

4:33

Oh, okay.

4:34

Well, if it if it wasn't part of the list of I have a printed off copy of the minutes we're approving.

4:40

Do you want to look at it?

4:42

And that's all that's the only action we're taking under the consent calendar.

4:45

Can you can somebody yam this to her, please?

4:48

Thank you.

5:07

Okay, I'm you know, um, um we will address okay.

5:23

I'm we're we're going to move on.

5:28

Yeah.

5:30

Okay, we're may I have a motion to approve the minutes, please.

5:38

Do I have a second?

5:42

And um maybe have roll call.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Historic Preservation█████████████████████████████████████████████57%
Urban Forestry███████████14%
Public Comments███████9%
Procedural████5%
Public Works████5%
Environmental Health██3%
Sustainability██2%
Land Use Planning██2%
Personnel Matters██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Preservation Commission Meeting – February 19, 2020

The Sacramento Preservation Commission convened on Wednesday, February 19, 2020, at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber. The meeting addressed the consent calendar, public comments, and four discussion items, including a draft comment letter on the State Capitol Annex Project’s recirculated draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR), a case study on adaptive reuse, and the annual Certified Local Government report.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes (January 15, 2020): Unanimously approved. Commissioner Roxanne Miller (former member) asked during public comment about a prior discussion on the historic train station; the Chair clarified the minutes were the only action under the consent calendar.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Matters Not on the Agenda: William Burg (Preservation Sacramento) invited the public to a February 29 roundtable on African American historic sites and provided updates on the Capitol Fountain and Annex lobbying efforts.
  • Agenda Item 2 – Capitol Annex DEIR:
    • Luree Stetson (Preservation Sacramento): Urged restoration of the State Capitol Fountain per Secretary of Interior standards; noted efforts to secure budget language.
    • Elise Fandrich (350 Sacramento): Requested stronger emphasis on the historic nature of the treescape in the comment letter.
    • William Burg (Preservation Sacramento): Recommended a complete documentation and survey of Capitol Park’s cultural landscape as a mitigation measure; noted the DEIR erroneously states the fountain will be demolished.
    • Kate Riley (Trees for Sacramento): Emphasized that heritage trees (many over 100 years old) are irreplaceable and requested the DEIR list specific trees proposed for removal.
    • Dan Pskowski (Trees for Sacramento, certified arborist): Expressed concern about the loss of large trees (e.g., 65‑inch coast redwood) and loss of growing space due to underground parking; argued for designing around trees, not just mitigation.
    • Chair Whitelum read into the record numerous public emails (from Boulevard Park, Candace Kefauer, Julie Durett, and others) echoing concerns about tree removal, especially for the proposed underground parking garage.

Discussion Items

  • Item 2 – Draft Comment Letter on Capitol Annex DEIR: Staff (Preservation Director Carson Anderson) presented the draft letter and outlined the project’s historic districts (Capitol Group Historic District, Capitol Expansion District, and a third district enacted in December 2019). Commissioners supported the letter but suggested additions:

    • Strengthen language about the irreplaceable historic treescape and request a tree removal schedule.
    • Recommend a cultural landscape survey/treatment plan for Capitol Park.
    • Include conservation of the Capitol Fountain as a mitigation measure.
    • Reference the recently adopted historic district plans.
    • Request clearer public graphics and landscape architect involvement.
    • Transmit public comments received to the state.
    • Chair Whitelum expressed deep concern about the underground parking garage and its impact on heritage trees.
    • One commissioner (Carter) recused himself due to prior consulting work on the DEIR.
    • No formal vote was taken; staff will revise the letter and submit it to the Department of General Services by the March 2, 2020 deadline.

  • Item 3 – The Tale of Five Cities (2016 National Trust Case Study): Carson Anderson introduced the study on adaptive reuse strategies from Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. Key points: mapping underutilized buildings, use of the California State Historical Building Code, parking reform, and comprehensive planning. Commissioners noted Sacramento is ahead in several areas and that the study is useful for the General Plan update and commercial corridor revitalization (e.g., Stockton and Franklin Boulevards). The case study also reinforced the green practice of preservation (e.g., retaining wood windows vs. vinyl replacements). No action required; item for review and comment.

  • Item 4 – Final Draft Certified Local Government (CLG) 2018‑2019 Annual Report: Carson Anderson presented a mock‑up of the report due to template formatting issues. A commissioner noted a discrepancy on page 2 (zero properties added to the city register) versus page 17 (listing several designations). Staff acknowledged the error and will correct it for the final version. No action taken.

Director’s Report

  • Four commission seats are up for reappointment; incumbents likely reappointed.
  • Sacramento Heritage Board received two incumbent applications and a new applicant for web design.
  • Three junior planners hired; planning efforts underway for commercial corridors.
  • Historic City Cemetery manager resigned; interim staff in place.
  • General Plan update: Technical Advisory Committee met; public engagement phase being developed.
  • Historic district plan staff trainings completed; GIS layer improvements underway.
  • No planning entitlement projects have yet been delegated to the director level; tracking systems being established.
  • Streamlining efforts (ministerial permit checklist for SB 35) are being renewed.
  • California Preservation Foundation Annual Conference (May 17‑20, 2020) announced; registration is live.

Commissioner Comments – Ideas, Questions and Meeting/Conference Reports

  • Chair Whitelum noted the conference’s closing reception conflicts with the Commission’s May 20 meeting. He asked staff to explore moving the meeting date or finding an alternate venue. A proposal will be brought to the April agenda.

Key Outcomes

  • The Commission provided substantive input on the Capitol Annex DEIR comment letter; staff will revise and send it to DGS by March 2, 2020.
  • The CLG annual report will be corrected and finalized after addressing the discrepancy.
  • Staff will investigate rescheduling the May 20, 2020 meeting due to the preservation conference conflict.
  • No formal votes were taken on discussion items; all actions were advisory or informational.

The meeting was adjourned after commissioner comments.

Meeting Transcript

I'm going to call the February 19th meeting of the Preservation Commission to order. We have uh speaker slips in the back, and the agenda is also in the back. So if you'd like to speak on an item, please give a speaker slip to the clerk, and we'll hear you when we come to that item. I think we're taking all items in order. Um when you do speak, there'll be like a three minute limit. That's what it's set for. Okay. And so I guess with that, we'll proceed with the roll call. Commissioner Bones. Commissioner Carter. Commissioner Lemon. Here Commissioner Miller. Commissioner Miller Cruz. Commissioner Bellania. And Chair Whitelum. Here. Quorum attained. Okay. Um the first item. Uh we have one item on the consent calendar. It's approval of the preservation commission. Minutes of January 15th, 2020. So I would uh welcome any comments or a motion to pass the uh minutes. Well, it's unusual. So do any of the commissioners have comments on the minutes? Do do we usually take public comment on the minutes? Okay, then um ask for a motion. So I'd like to ask there's nothing on the legal counsel. Do you want to ask? You can ask for those comments on the consent agenda. Okay. Do we have any comments on the consent calendar item? Come to the microphone, please. It's the minutes of the last meeting, yes. And do you have any comments? I didn't come to your first now concern about it. I don't know what was on the agenda. You could I get it out of order or something. Yeah, go go go to the mic if you'd like. Could you state your name for the record, please, and then your question or concern? Um and thank you for your indulgence for just a minute while I get oriented here to what you're doing. Uh I am Roxanne Miller. And uh I served as um a member and a chair uh of the design review preservation board for the city of Sacramento. Um a total of over uh eight, eight years, and which you I guess partially morphed into. So congratulations on your assignment and responsibility. I I do appreciate the fact that you're you're serving. Now my question was, did you at your meeting or any meeting in the past have a discussion about the future of the historic train station? Um counsel, do are we doing don't enter into a dialogue? Oh, okay. Well, if it if it wasn't part of the list of I have a printed off copy of the minutes we're approving.

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