The Historic Landmarks Commission met on May 8, 2025, at 7:30 PM. The meeting included a proclamation for Historic Preservation Month, a planning referral for the Fountain Alley project (two development options), and a discussion on forming an adaptive reuse incentive committee. No consent calendar or public hearings were on the agenda. Seven commissioners were present (Commissioner Bainowal absent).
Landmarks Commission meeting. Following roll call during our summary of hearing procedure, we will review how the public may provide comment during today's session. We'll start with a roll call. Commissioner Galandari. Present. Commissioner Cohen. Here. Commissioner Camuso. Here. Commissioner Bainowal. Absen. Commissioner Arnold. Present. And Vice Chair Royer. Present. Chair Baim, I'm here. So we have a quorum. We can continue. The procedure for this hearing is as follows. After a staff report, applicants and appellants may make a five minute presentation. If you wish to speak on an item, complete a card and place it. Actually, you can bring it up to our historic preservation officer, Peak Edwards. And when she receives your your card, then she will forward it to me and we'll organize that way. Each speaker will be given up to two minutes for public testimony, and speakers using a translator will have up to four minutes at the discretion of the chair. The time allotted for each speaker may be changed depending on the number of items on the agenda and the number of speakers and other factors. Speakers using a translator will have double the time allotted. After a public testimony, the applicant may make closing remarks for up to an additional five minutes. Historic landmarks commissioners may ask questions of the speakers. Response to the commissioner questions will not reduce the speaker's time allowance. The public hearing will then be closed, and the historic landmarks commission will take action on the item. The commission may request staff to respond to public testimony, ask staff questions, and discuss the item. If a commissioner would like a topic to be addressed under one of the good and welfare items, please contact planning staff in advance of the commission meeting. All public records relating to an open session item on this agenda, which are not exempt from disclosure pursuant to the California Public Records Act that are distributed to a majority of the legislative body will be available for public emailing or for the public by emailing planning support staff at San Jose.gov. At the same time that the public records are distributed or made available to the legislative body. Before we begin, I want to remind our historic landmarks commission members and members of the public to follow our code of conduct at meetings. This includes commenting on the specific agenda item only and addressing the full body. Public speakers will not engage in a conversation with commissioners or staff. All members of the historic landmarks commission, staff and the public are expected to refrain from abusive language. Repeated failure to comply with the code of conduct, which will disturb, disrupt, or impede the orderly conduct of this meeting, may result in removal from the meeting. This meeting of the Historic Landmarks Commission will now come to order. So I want to welcome everyone. And I'd like to introduce our new planning deputy director, Manira Sandar. Welcome. Would you like to say a few words? Yes, thank you. Good evening, honorable commissioners. Uh Manira Santier, the you know, new kid on the block, the deputy director of planning. Uh, very excited and honored to take up this role with the City of San Jose. Uh I come with 18 years of experience in planning in various forms, including historic preservation, where I helped write the City of San Mateo's general plan policies, and you know, also led the environmental impact report effort for that city for preservation of historic policies. It was a big conversation up on the peninsula as well.