Sacramento Preservation Commission Meeting Summary, March 15, 2023
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Sacramento Preservation Commission Meeting Summary - March 15, 2023
The Sacramento Preservation Commission met in person on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. After roll call established a quorum, the commission approved the February 15, 2023, meeting minutes under the consent calendar and reviewed two comment items: the 2021-2022 Certified Local Government Program Annual Report draft and the Central Shops Draft National Register Nomination and Proposed Historic District Plan. The meeting also included the Director's Report, commissioner comments and future project ideas, and public comment periods during which no public speakers appeared.
Land Acknowledgment and Opening
- Vice Chair Root offered a land acknowledgment honoring Sacramento's Indigenous peoples and the Wilton Rancheria, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
- Commissioner Nayyar was initially absent but arrived at 5:34 p.m.; Chair McSlavkin noted a quorum was present.
- Members briefly introduced themselves, including newly seated Commissioner Burns, who said he was replacing former Commissioner Ryan Miller.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of February 15, 2023, Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes. Vice Chair Root moved approval; Commissioner Montemayor seconded. The motion passed unanimously, 5-0, with Commissioners Burns, Montemayor, Nayyar, Vice Chair Root, and Chair McSlavkin voting yes.
Public Comments and Testimony
- No public speakers addressed the meeting on the consent calendar, the discussion calendar, or matters not on the agenda.
Discussion Items
- 2021-2022 Certified Local Government Program Annual Report Draft (File ID: 2023-00198). Staff presented the draft, noting the City of Sacramento must submit the annual report to the California Office of Historic Preservation by April 1, 2023, and that the commission's comments would be incorporated before submission. The item was for review and comment only; no vote was required.
- Central Shops Draft National Register Nomination and Proposed Historic District Plan (File ID: 2023-00250). Staff presented the proposed historic district plan prepared for the Central Shops Historic District. The plan is required before development permits at the site. Key details included the district's prior local listing and 2016 boundary amendment; the removal of the water tower from the district and its designation as a local landmark; the site's purchase by Downtown Rail Ventures in 2015; the plan's use of objective design standards due to current state requirements; and a separate draft National Register nomination intended to support federal historic tax credit eligibility.
- During discussion, Vice Chair Root asked how the water tower's historical significance is overseen if it is not in the proposed National Register district. Staff replied that local processes and the Secretary of the Interior Standards still apply, but it is not covered by the district plan's design guidelines. A commissioner also noted the name difference between the local district and the National Register nomination, and the consultant agreed to provide a breakdown of naming options before finalization. Commissioner Montemayor asked how the plan would help with funding; Director Corsi and staff clarified that while a plan is similar to a historic district planning document, the National Register listing would make federal rehabilitation tax credits available for projects such as the approved paint shop rehabilitation and other Central Shops buildings.
Director's Report
- Staff reported receiving a California state certified local government grant of $4,000 to launch a historic plaques program for eligible historic properties.
- Staff reported community liaison meetings in North and South Sacramento for the African American Experience project; the public comment period closed and the remaining draft is being revised. The project also received an oral history collection from Sacramento's first Black police officers, which will be housed at the Center for Sacramento History.
- A community meeting is planned for May 2023 in South Land Park Hills with property owners to discuss a mid-century modern historic context and a potential historic district of planned land design homes.
- The California Preservation Foundation conference is scheduled for April 19-21, 2023; the commission's next meeting conflicts with the first day, but the city department will support commissioner training reimbursement as part of the city's certified local government obligations.
Commissioner Comments, Ideas, and Questions
- Vice Chair Root proposed potential future projects, including an architectural salvage program and additional surveys of the central city and surrounding historic neighborhoods to cover carriage houses, accessory buildings, and other lesser-known structures.
- Commissioner Montemayor praised Vice Chair Root's ideas and suggested focusing on community engagement, building the preservation commission's mailing lists, and increasing public attendance at meetings.
- Chair McHlavkin raised improving committee recruitment and membership diversity and suggested doing more to uplift Native history, Native people, and underrepresented historic resources and stories in the Sacramento region, possibly through an ethnographic study or similar effort.
Key Outputs
- Adopted the February 15, 2023, meeting minutes by a 5-0 vote.
- The 2021-2022 Certified Local Government Annual Report draft was acknowledged and no formal vote; staff will incorporate commissioner comments before submitting the final document to the California Office of Historic Preservation by April 1, 2023.
- The Central Shops National Register nomination and historic district plan were presented for review and comment only; staff will document naming names and further questions before finalization.
- No public comment or action on community-identified items. The meeting was adjourned after the commissioner comments and closing public comment period.
Meeting Transcript
And Chair, we are live. Thank you. Evening, everyone, and welcome to the March 15th, 2023 Preservation Commission meeting. The meeting is now called to order. Will the clerk please call the role to establish a quorum? Yes, thank you, Chair. Commissioner Burns. Here. Thank you. Commissioner Montemeyer. Here. Thank you. Commissioner Naar is currently absent. Vice Chair Root. Present. Thank you. And Chair McSlavkin. Present. Thank you. We have a quorum. Great. I would like to remind members of the public and chambers that if you would like to speak on an agenda item, please turn in a speaker slip when the item begins. For members of the public who wish to join virtually, please refer to the agenda for your Zoom for the Zoom link. Once you have joined the meeting and wish to speak, raise your hand using the Zoom function to provide public comment. When the chair confirms the public comment speaking period for your desired time. If you're online, click on the raised hand on the bottom of your screen. If in the mobile app, you can raise your hand by tapping the raise hand option in the more tab. If you are calling in via telephone to raise your hand, dial star nine, then to unmute or dial, then to unmute or mute, dial star six. Speakers will be called on by the last four digits of their phone number. You will have two minutes to speak once you are called on. After the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips and raise hand feature in Zoom will be disabled. We will now proceed with today's agenda. Please rise for the opening acknowledgement in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands from Vice Chair Root. So the original people of this land, the Nissanan people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains Me Walk, Patoin Wintune peoples, and people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. 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 the appreciation of Sacramento's indigenous peoples' histories, contributions, and lives. Thank you. Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. So maybe just you know briefly, let's start at the end. Introduce yourself and what brought you to the commission. Hi everyone, I'm Garrett Root. I'm serving as the vice chair for this year. Um I am a uh principal cultural resources uh team lead for uh environmental consulting firm here in Sacramento. Um I uh been passionate about Sacramento's history and the preservation of its resources for a long time. I previously served as uh the preservation uh preservation Sacramento's president. Um and I'm very excited to be here and excited to be in person. Hello, my name is Brian Burns. I am uh new to the uh preservation commission. I am taking over uh C for the uh leaving uh past uh C structural engineer um chair or I'm sorry, not chair, but um commissioner. Uh that was Ryan Miller.
openpublica.com