Sacramento Preservation Commission Meeting

This summary covers the regular meeting of the Sacramento Preservation Commission on October 21, 2026. The agenda and minutes were not available; this summary is based on the meeting transcript. The commission approved consent items, recommended three landmark designations, discussed a National Register delisting request and the Old Sacramento Sign District update, reviewed the draft annual report and work plan, and received the director’s report.

Consent Calendar

• The consent calendar was approved by unanimous voice vote. No public speakers or commissioner comments were offered.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Kilvin Lee, President of the Grant Union High School Alumni Association, spoke in support of landmarking 1400 Grand Avenue. He described the school as the third-oldest public high school in the Sacramento area and the oldest still educating students in its original buildings, and emphasized its role as a community anchor.
• John Gurkin, property owner of 1111/1115 F Street, asked the commission not to oppose the National Register delisting of 1111 F Street. He said he and his wife restored 1115 F Street, are exploring adding two to four housing units, and argued that 1111 F Street was built outside the National Register district’s period of significance.
• Andrew McLowed spoke during matters not on the agenda about archaeological research at a waterfront site he called Slater’s, along the Sacramento River near the I Street Bridge. He said the site contains brick ruins and underground resources, has been misidentified, and faces potential threats from levee replacement and the I Street Bridge project.
• No public speakers were heard on the consent calendar, the Gormley sign, 2548 Eighth Avenue, the Old Sacramento Sign District, or the annual report/work plan.

Landmark Nominations

1400 Grand Avenue – Grant Union High School

• Staff presenter Hazel Bass summarized the nomination (file M26-18). Staff concluded the property is eligible under Criteria 1, 3, and 4 because of its association with Public Works Administration (PWA) funding, earthquake-resistant construction related to the Field Act, and the work of architects Harry J. Devine Sr. and Charles F. Dean.
• Staff reported that Grant Union High School received more than $300,000 in PWA grants between 1934 and 1939 and was reportedly the first school in Northern California to meet Field Act standards after its 1935 construction.
• The property was added to the National Register by unanimous vote at the August 8 State Historical Resources Commission meeting. The preservation director approved the nomination on September 10.
• The commission voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council determine the listing is exempt from CEQA under Section 15308 and adopt the landmark ordinance.

W. F. Gormley and Sons Funeral Chapel Sign

• Hannah Toby presented the nomination (file M26-19). The sign was determined eligible under Criterion 3 as an early example of neon signage.
• The sign was constructed in 1931 and restored in 2018 by Pacific Neon using traditional techniques. The property owner supported the designation.
• The commission voted unanimously to recommend City Council approval of the CEQA exemption and the landmark designation.

2548 Eighth Avenue – “Norman Castle”

• Ms. Toby presented the nomination (file M26-24), which was identified by a master’s student in Sacramento State’s public history program. The property was found eligible under Criteria 1, 2, and 3 for its association with the Better Homes Movement, photographer DeWitt Bishop, and Tudor Revival architecture.
• The 1928 residence was constructed for display during Sacramento’s 1928 Better Homes Week. Staff noted the property owner supported designation and the preservation director approved the nomination on October 16.
• Commissioners asked about the student nomination program; staff said they had provided a list of potentially eligible properties to the university.
• The commission voted unanimously to recommend City Council approval of the CEQA exemption and the landmark designation.

Discussion Items

1111 F Street National Register Delisting Request

• Staff Planner Henry Fuse presented the owner’s request to remove 1111 F Street as a contributor to the National Register-listed Alkali Flat Central Historic District. The National Register district’s period of significance is 1853–1913, and staff did not dispute the corrected 1924–25 construction date. Staff said the 1984 National Register nomination is outdated and noted that the city’s local reevaluation extended the period of significance to 1936. The property owner, however, referred to a 2018 Historic District Plan extending the period of significance locally; the transcript does not resolve the discrepancy between the 2018 and 2019 references.
• Staff recommended that the commission oppose the delisting and authorize oral comments to the State Historical Resources Commission at its November 12–13, 2026 meeting.
• The property owner argued that 1111 F Street is not a contributor, does not appear on the local register, was substantially altered, and is not needed for their modest infill housing plans.
• Commissioners discussed the 30-foot setback rule for infill, CEQA’s mandatory versus presumptive historical resource categories, and the city’s role as a certified local government. Staff estimated approximately 60 feet of buildable depth behind the primary structure if the 30-foot setback is measured from 1115 F Street.
• The commission adopted an amended motion to make no comment on the delisting, and to direct Preservation Director Sean DeCourcy to provide oral testimony about the discrepancy between the National Register listing and the city’s updated local register, with discretion to send a follow-up letter. The motion passed with one vote in opposition.

Old Sacramento Special Sign District – Chapter 15.152

• Hazel Bass presented concept documents for updating Chapter 15.152, originally codified in 2005. Staff described existing rules as outdated and inconsistently enforced, and proposed clear objective standards for sign types, sizes, materials, lighting, placement, maintenance, and addressing.
• Staff described outreach that included district meetings, Downtown Sacramento Partnership meetings, and a working group of business and property owners.
• The commission voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council adopt the ordinance deleting and adding Chapter 15.152.

2026 Draft Annual Report and 2027 Work Plan

• Director DeCourcy presented a verbal report. The draft highlights landmark nominations, National Register reviews, public projects, environmental review, and preservation policy, including efforts to document underrepresented histories.
• The proposed 2027 work plan includes completing the Old Sacramento National Register update, advancing the Old Sacramento Sign Ordinance, continuing the LGBTQ+ historic context and survey, and starting the Japanese American Historic Context and Survey project.
• Commissioners praised the historic context surveys and encouraged professional outreach and possible funding for related travel and training. No vote was taken; this item was for review and comment.

Director’s Report

• DeCourcy announced a $99,500 National Park Service Underrepresented Communities grant for a Japanese American Historic Context and Survey project, the largest such grant the city has received. The project will include research, community engagement, oral histories, and National Register nominations.
• He announced a $750,000 National Park Service America’s Treasures grant, paired with city bond funding, to replace 1,300 linear feet of boardwalk in Old Sacramento. Work is expected to begin early next year.
• He reported that 27 Mills Act contracts are scheduled for City Council approval next Tuesday, the highest number recommended since the program was reactivated in 2018.

Key Outcomes

• The consent calendar was approved unanimously.
• The commission recommended City Council approval of landmark listings for 1400 Grand Avenue, the W. F. Gormley and Sons sign, and 2548 Eighth Avenue, each with a CEQA exemption under Section 15308.
• The commission made no comment on the 1111 F Street National Register delisting and directed staff to present oral and possible written comments on the discrepancy in periods of significance; one commissioner opposed.
• The commission recommended City Council adoption of the updated Old Sacramento Special Sign District ordinance.
• The draft 2026 annual report and 2027 work plan were reviewed for comment, with no vote.