Sacramento Preservation Commission Meeting - October 21, 2020: Landmark Designation and Planning Updates
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Sacramento Preservation Commission Meeting - October 21, 2020
The Sacramento Preservation Commission met virtually on Wednesday, October 21, 2020, at 5:30 p.m. via teleconference in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All seven commissioners were present, with Commissioner Bowns joining at 5:47 p.m. and Commissioner Carter at 6:00 p.m. The commission unanimously approved the prior meeting minutes, recommended a landmark designation, and reviewed two significant planning items. No public comments were received during the meeting.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (September 16, 2020): Motion by Commissioner Valania, seconded by Commissioner Miller, carried 7-0 to approve the minutes of the prior meeting.
Public Comments
- No public comments were made on matters not on the agenda or on any agenda items. No eComments were received.
Public Hearing: 1425-1427 G Street (Leinberger Residence) Landmark Designation
- Staff presented the nomination for 1425-1427 G Street, a 1910 triplex associated with Charles E. Leinberger, a significant figure in the development of train brake technology at the Southern Pacific Railroad Machine Shops. The nomination was based on City Code Criteria 2 (association with a significant person) and Criteria 3 (embodying distinctive architectural characteristics, specifically Colonial Revival and Craftsman styles).
- The property owner's representatives, Don Cox and Paula Boghosian, expressed support, stating the nomination speaks for itself and the building meets the criteria for listing. No opposition was received.
- The commission unanimously voted (7-0) to recommend the City Council approve the landmark listing and determine the action exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15308 (protection of the environment). The vote carried with no discussion.
Discussion Item: Preliminary Draft Historic & Cultural Resources Element for the 2040 General Plan Update
- Staff (Sean de Courcy, Associate Preservation Planner, and Greta Soos, Assistant Planner) presented the draft element, which combines policies from the 2000 and 2035 General Plans, including new sections on tribal cultural resources and historic district plans. The element is part of the city's comprehensive 2040 General Plan update.
- Commissioners provided the following feedback:
- Add "districts" to the definition of historic and cultural resources (Chair Whitelam).
- Incorporate preservation as a sustainable practice (Commissioner Miller-Cruiess).
- Clarify terminology such as "conservation" and "historic neighborhoods."
- Combine overlapping policies (A.1 and A.2) and ensure consistent language (Commissioner Miller).
- Address emergency response plans for historic resources (Commissioner Miller).
- Staff confirmed the element will return to the commission in 2021 for final review. No formal action was taken; the item was for review and comment.
Discussion Item: Status Update on Objective Design Standards for Historic Districts
- Staff (Ryan Dodge, Associate Planner, and Bruce Monighan, Urban Design Manager) presented the status of creating objective design standards for historic districts, required under SB 35 (streamlined ministerial approval for housing projects). They explained that SB 35 mandates a ministerial process using objective standards, which only apply to projects of two or more housing units.
- The commission discussed the scope: objective standards are necessary for SB 35 projects within historic districts, while the existing discretionary review process remains for other projects. Staff outlined their approach to convert subjective design guidelines from the Historic Districts Plan into objective standards, acknowledging that some guidelines cannot be made objective (e.g., "design with an understanding of historic context").
- Staff plan to present draft standards in November 2020 for commission and public review, with adoption expected in spring 2021 after multiple rounds of stakeholder input. No formal action was taken; the item was informational.
Director's Report
- Director Carson Anderson reported:
- Commissioners Valania and Miller were reappointed to the Preservation Commission; the City is still seeking a candidate with Commissioner Bowns' qualifications (landscape architecture and planning).
- Sacramento Heritage filled three board seats and expanded its board to include a web design position.
- New staff hires in the Neighborhood Development Action Team, and Tom Pace was officially appointed as Director of the Community Development Department.
- Jennifer Venema was appointed as the city's new Climate Manager.
- The ADU ordinance saw a significant increase in applications (8-12 per month) and will be brought back as a permanent ordinance in early 2021.
- The city's Historic District Plan received an award from the California Preservation Foundation.
- Staff reminded commissioners to compile training records for the annual Certified Local Government report.
Key Outcomes
- Approved the September 16, 2020 meeting minutes (7-0).
- Recommended the City Council list 1425-1427 G Street as a landmark and approve CEQA exemption (7-0).
- Provided review comments on the draft Historic & Cultural Resources Element and the Objective Design Standards; no votes were taken on these items, as they were informational/discussion only.
- No public comments were received, and all votes were unanimous.
Meeting Transcript
Sorry for the challenges. It's sort of living and learning with Zoom. There's always a new wrinkle at every day. Just a few more seconds. We are starting the meeting. Chair Whitelum, I will hand things over to you. Okay. In response to the governor's executive order. We are holding this virtually. And I'm just letting people know that there's a there is a dedicated phone line that's been established for public participation during the meeting related to a specific agenda item or matters not on the agenda. And what I will do is when we get to the each agenda item, I will tell you what telephone number to call. And there's a um there is Carson, you can chime in if I'm getting this wrong. But I will say which which line you should need to dial um extension to uh make the uh to make a comment. Um it's also my understanding that we have um you know that you can submit e-comments. I don't know if we have had any e-comments that have been submitted for this meet uh for this meeting, but we will check uh before we uh take any action on an item to make certain we take a look at e-comments that have been received. So um with that Carson, would you like to um do the roll call? Yes, Commissioner Bowls, Commissioner Carter, Commissioner Lemon. Here I forgot to direct you to each unmute yourself as I call your name. Commissioner Miller Cruz. Here commissioner Velania. Yeah. If you will unmute yourself. Here and Chair Whitelam. Okay, um the first item on our agenda. We have a consent calendar, and we only have one item on that, which is the approval of our preservation commission minutes of the September 16th meeting. So um I don't know if any commissioners have any comments or corrections to make on the minutes. Otherwise, I'd ask for a motion to approve the minutes. I move that we approve the minutes. Do I have a second? I second the motion. Okay. Uh Carson, you want to take the roll call. Yes, uh, Commissioner Volonia, we can barely hear you when you speak, so ask you to adjust your microphone. Commissioner Lemon. If you will unmute, please. You are still muted. Sorry about that. Yes. Commissioner Miller. Yes. Commissioner Miller Cruz. Yes. Commissioner Velonia. Yes. And Chair Whitelam. Yes. The motion carries. Okay, our um, we have one public hearing item. Um, and uh if anyone wishes to call in on that item, the telephone number is 916 808-7213, and you can dial two to make a comment on this item uh when it's the appropriate time. So the tribal of this item.
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