Preservation Commission Meeting - June 15, 2022: Landmark, Incentives, African American Heritage Grant
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Preservation Commission Meeting - June 15, 2022: Landmark Designation, Incentives Subcommittee, and African American Heritage Grant Update
The Sacramento Preservation Commission met on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at 5:32 p.m. via teleconference. Commissioners present: Daniel Herrick, Ryan Miller, Max Slavkin, and Chair Alice Valania. Commissioner William Carter was absent. The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m. All votes were unanimous (4-0).
Consent Calendar
- Approved the Preservation Commission meeting minutes of May 18, 2022 (File ID: 2022-01140) by a single motion.
Public Hearing
- Item 2: Ordinance Listing 2722 Coleman Way (Affleck-Thomas-Abbott House) as a Landmark – Conducted a public hearing. The homeowners expressed support for the listing. No public comments were received. The Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council adopt the ordinance listing the property as a landmark on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources, finding it exempt from CEQA under Guidelines Section 15308.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Barry Boyd spoke on several items:
- On Item 3 (Historic Preservation Incentives Ad Hoc Subcommittee), he questioned why the proposed subcommittee would be limited to only two members, advocating for the maximum allowed.
- On Item 4 (African American Cultural Heritage/Black History Grant Project), he expressed concerns about the lack of public notice for the project partners meeting held June 8, 2022, the composition of the proposal review committee (which he felt should have more African American members), and the selection of Page & Turnbull (a non-African American firm) as the consultant. He also noted that oral histories conducted by Sacramento State students in spring 2021 occurred before the project was publicly known, and he questioned who was interviewed.
- During Public Comments on Matters Not on the Agenda, he reiterated his concerns about the oral history process and the city's investment in the project, stating the city should have matched the grant with a larger amount.
Discussion Items
- Item 3: Historic Preservation Incentives Ad Hoc Subcommittee – Staff recommended forming a subcommittee to study and recommend improvements to the city’s historic preservation incentives (e.g., Mills Act, density bonus, building code application). After discussion, Commissioner Herrick and Chair Valania volunteered to serve. The Commission voted to create the subcommittee and appoint them, with the understanding that new commissioners could join later in the year. The motion passed unanimously.
- Item 4: Status Update: African American Cultural Heritage/Black History Grant Project – Staff presented updates on the $50,000 National Trust grant awarded in 2021. Key deliverables include oral histories (already completed by Sacramento State students), a historic context statement, a survey methodology, and field surveys. Two new preservation interns (Kristen Ross and Ashley Green) have been hired to assist. A supplemental grant of $10,000 is pending (decision by July 1, 2022) to compensate community liaisons and subject matter experts. The Commission received and filed the report.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Approved.
- Landmark Designation: Recommended to City Council for 2722 Coleman Way (Affleck-Thomas-Abbott House) under criteria 2, 3, and 4.
- Ad Hoc Subcommittee: Formed; Commissioners Herrick and Valania appointed. Staff will bring the subcommittee back for expansion when new commissioners are seated.
- African American Heritage Grant: Received and filed; staff will continue public outreach and provide updates.
- Director’s Report: Noted new interns, the California Preservation Foundation conference (planned in Sacramento for spring 2023), nominees for commission vacancies expected by August/September 2022, and the return to in-person meetings starting September 2022.
Commissioner Comments
- Chair Valania noted the California Preservation Foundation conference was well-attended and featured Sacramento buildings.
Public Comments – Matters Not on the Agenda
- Barry Boyd spoke again, as summarized above.
Meeting Transcript
Chair, we are live and staff is ready when you are. Thank you. Okay, great. Thank you. Good evening. Welcome to the Wednesday, June 15th, 2000 2022 Preservation Commission meeting. Meeting is called to order. Clerk, please call the roll. Thank you, Chair. Members at this time, please unmute and turn on your video. Commissioner Carter is currently absent. Commissioner Herrick. Commissioner Slavkin. Here. Vice Chair Miller. Here. And Chair Volonia. Here. Thank you. We do have quorum. Great. So for members of the public who wish to join, please refer to the agenda for the Zoom link. Once you've joined the meeting, if you wish to speak on an item, please use the raise your hand feature when the item comes begins to provide public comment. And when it is time, the clerk will call on you and you will have two minutes. All of the options for providing public comment are listed with directions on the agenda for tonight's meeting as well. So with that, we will move on in the agenda to the land acknowledgement. Please rise for these opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands. May we acknowledge and honor the native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather together today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous people's history, contributions, and lives. Thank you. And please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance led by Vice Chair Miller. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. So we will now move on to tonight's agenda, and there are no changes to the agenda. Thank you very much, Chair. I have no members of the public with their hands raised to make comment on the consent calendar tonight. Great. Are there any comments or questions from the commissioners? Okay. And can I have a motion to approve the consent calendar? I'll make the motion. Thank you. I have a motion by Commissioner Herrick. Second. Thank you. Second by Commissioner Slavkin. Clerk, please take the roll. Thank you, Chair. Members again, please unmute and turn on your video. Commissioner Carter is absent.
openpublica.com