06/18/2014 Historic Heritage Committee Regular Meeting Adopted 09/17/2014
Historic Heritage Committee Meeting
June 18, 2014 at 4:30 P.M.
I. OPEN MEETING
Chair Nicole Robinson called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m.
II. REPORT ON POSTING THE AGENDA AND ROLL CALL
Planning Technician Kelsey Heyd reported that the agenda for the Regular Historic Heritage
Committee meeting of June 18, 2014 was posted on Friday, June 13, 2014 at 9:08 a.m.
Roll Call:
Present: Committee Member Steve Ashford, Chair Nicole Robinson, Committee Member
Edith Edde, Committee Member Peter Leroe-Muñoz
Absent: Committee Member Paul Kloecker
Staff Present: Planning Division Manager Sue Martin, Planning Technician Kelsey Heyd,
Building Official David Chung, Operations Manager David Stubchaer
III. APPROVAL OF ACTION MINUTES: May 21, 2014
Motion on Item III
Motion: to approve the minutes of May 21, 2014 as written
Moved by Committee Member Peter Leroe-Muñoz, seconded by Committee Member Edith
Edde
Vote: Motion carried 4-0-0-1
Yes: Chair Nicole Robinson, Committee Member Steve Ashford, Committee Member Edith
Edde, Committee Member Peter Leroe-Muñoz
No: None
Abstain: None
Absent: Committee Member Paul Kloecker
IV. PRESENTATION BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC:
Carol Desantis spoke up as a concerned citizen, urging the committee members to
remember they’re working for and representing the community, not the City. Desantis also
expressed she had been concerned at a previous meeting about the committee member’s
discussion of cost and how that played into their decision making process. She stated she
did not believe cost should be a factor in this committee’s decision making, that their
objective is to determine historical significance and that cost shouldn’t impact their
judgment.
V. OLD BUSINESS:
A. Review of possible historic significance of buildings located at 7400 Railroad
Street for demolition purposes; Request by City of Gilroy, Public Works
Department
Planning Manager Sue Martin provided an update regarding the proposed demolition of
two buildings at 7400 Railroad. She spoke to new items that have been provided since
the May 21, 2014 meeting, including newspaper articles and an engineering report that
had been conducted for the property in 2008. The engineering report addressed the
URM aspect of the buildings, to which the Building Official David Chung addressed.
Building Official David Chung spoke to the two methods of retrofitting URM buildings.
Committee Member Steve Ashford spoke to the engineering report provided.
Building Official David Chung clarified that the report was done in 2008 prior to the
current URM ordinance, and that a new report would need to be generated to comply.
Committee Member Steve Ashford expressed that he didn’t think demolishing the
building strictly because it had difficult walls was necessary but acknowledged the
committee has other issues to consider for the building’s historic significance.
Planning Manager Sue Martin spoke again to the Staff Report for the project, which
included the four criteria to consider in deeming the buildings historically significant.
Committee Member Peter Leroe-Muñoz asked the other committee members that
attended the tour of the buildings if there was any pertinent information that came to light
that had not been included in the updated staff report.
Chair Nicole Robinson stated that she personally did not see anything during the tour
that would indicate any of the four criteria could be met.
Committee Member Peter Leroe-Muñoz asked if Connie Rogers or the historical society
had found any further information about the property.
Connie Rogers stated that she had not found any further information other than the two
articles provided in the packet and that those articles were not clear if the buildings
discussed in those articles were the same buildings located on the property today. She
stated she did not find any information that could prove the buildings met any of the four
criteria required for historical significance.
Committee Member Steve Ashford spoke to blueprints that had been done by a pertinent
architect in the Bay Area, who had also designed buildings in W atsonville and Santa Cruz
for the Gas Company. He went on to say that there is no information to prove or disprove
that the architect in question was the designer of the buildings at 7400 Railroad. He stated
the buildings in Watsonville and Santa Cruz had similar design aspects as the buildings
located at 7400 Railroad.
Planning Manager Sue Martin spoke to the fourth criteria regarding notable architects.
Chair Nicole Robinson asked how much credit or weight should they give that architect if
they don’t have any definitive information that he designed the buildings at 7400
Railroad.
Committee Member Edith Edde stated that because they had no information definitively
saying the architect in question designed the buildings at 7400 Railroad that it was not
an issue to consider. She stated she felt cost did have a role in their decision making
process, though in this case cost was not the primary consideration to be made rather if
they felt the buildings met any of the four criteria from the City Code.
Planning Manager Sue Martin stated that based on their conversation and discussion of
the matter, it seemed the first three criteria could not be met for the buildings. The last
criteria regarding the notability of the building’s architect was the only criteria that could
potentially be met, per their discussion and the information provided.
Committee Member Peter Leroe-Muñoz stated that based on the information provided
from the community and committee members, there was not enough evidence to make
the required findings for historical significance. He went on to say he did not feel it rose
to the standards of cultural or architectural significance based on the information
available.
Chair Nicole Robinson stated that they could not even determine if the pote ntial
architect could be considered as “notable” and because they had nothing definitive
stating he designed the buildings, the criteria could not be met.
Chair Nicole Robinson confirmed there were no further public comments on the matter.
Committee Member Peter Leroe-Muñoz put forth a motion that the committee makes a
finding that there is no historical, cultural, or social significance of the buildings and that as a
result they do not recommend the buildings be preserved in any way and that would be the
recommendation for the Planning Commission and/or City Council.
Motion on Item V.A.
Motion: the committee makes a finding that there is no historical, cultural, or social
significance of the buildings and that as a result they do not recom mend the buildings be
preserved in any way and that would be the recommendation for the Planning
Commission and/or City Council
Moved by Committee Member Peter Leroe-Muñoz, seconded by Committee Member
Edith Edde
Vote: Motion carried 3-1-0-1
Yes: Chair Nicole Robinson, Committee Member Edith Edde, Committee Member Peter
Leroe-Muñoz
No: Committee Member Steve Ashford
Abstain: None
Absent: Committee Member Paul Kloecker
VI. NEW BUSINESS:
Motion on Item VI.A
A. Motion: to elect new Historic Heritage Committee Vice Chairperson for 2014
Moved by Committee Member Peter Leroe-Muñoz to elect Edith Edde as Vice
Chairperson, seconded by Chair Nicole Robinson
Vote: Motion carried 4-0-0-1
Yes: Committee Member Peter Leroe-Muñoz, Committee Member Steve Ashford,
Committee Member Nicole Robinson, Committee Member Edith Edde
No: None
Abstain: None
Absent: Committee Member Paul Kloecker
VII. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: None
Committee Member Peter Leroe-Muñoz made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by
Committee Member Edith Edde
ADJOURNMENT at 4:59 p.m. to the Next Regular Meeting of July 16, 2014 at 4:30 p.m.
_____________________________
Kelsey Heyd, Planning Technician