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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Historic Preservation Commission - 4/14/2008 MINUTES ORO VALLEY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION REGULAR SESSION April 14, 2008 ORO VALLEY COUNCIL CHAMBERS 11000 N. LA CANADA DRIVE I. Call to Order: at of after 5:00 p.m. II. Roll Call. PRESENT: Chair Bob Baughman Vice Chair Salette Latas Commissioner Daniel Zwiener Commissioner Pat Spoerl Commissioner Marilyn Cook Commissioner Lois Nagy Also present: Twink Monrad, Oro Valley Historical Society Margo Hurst, Parks & Rec Advisory Board Paul Loomis, Mayor (arrived at 6:30 p.m.) Pamela Pelletier, Planner Lexa Mack, Civil Attorney III. Call to the Audience opened and closed with no speakers. IV. Approval of March 10, 2008 minutes. MOTION: A motion was made by Commissioner Cook and seconded by Vice Chair Latas to approve the March 10, 2008 Historic Preservation Commission minutes. MOTION carried, 6-0. V. Discussion and possible action of Commission vacancies. Al Kunisch, Town Council Vice Mayor and liaison to the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) reported that three positions will be replaced: Historian, Vice Chair Latas's position, and Marilyn Cook are planning to retire. Mayor Loomis prefers the Historian position to be a voting position. The Historian will be working closely with Town Council (TC) and HPC. The Council selects the Historian. Vice Mayor Kunisch said that although Town policy states that members be citizens, the TC can waive that stipulation. An ad has been placed in the Explorer for two commission vacancies. VI. Discussion and possible action regarding the Preservation Easement for Steam Pump Ranch. April 14, 2008 Approved Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes Attorney Mack gave a presentation regarding the easement for Steam Pump Ranch. The Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) entered into by Pima County and the Town for the County to provide bond funds to purchase the Steam Pump Ranch site includes a provision that the Town grant the County a Preservation Easement over the property in perpetuity stating what the Town must do to preserve the site. The Preservation Easement creates a property right which gives the County legal remedy to enforce if the property is not being protected properly. The easement will be going forward to Council this week for their consideration and approval, and then it will go on to the County. The County will not release the remainder of the bond funds until the easement is signed, approved and accepted by the County. Commissioner comments and questions: - Section 4.1 provides that no building will be torn down, Section 4.1, except as provided in paragraph 12 which are acts of God. If the Town decided not to rebuild the chicken coops, for example, but to demolish them, would this come into play? Response: Section D of recitals referring to the buildings, does not include chicken coops. - Page 3 item 3.2, does this say the Town will start clean up approximately a month after all paperwork is taken care of? Response: Attorney Mack stated that is correct. - Page 5, 4.3 temporary structures, if the present caretaker is kept on, will his current residence be used? If a temporary structure for the caretaker was put in during maintenance and rehabilitation, would it have to go and the renovation of the tack room as a residence have to be completed? Response: Attorney Mack thought the trailer would not have to be moved until something else was available. This will be circumstance driven and could be worked out. - Page 5, Sec. 4.2 3rd sentence regarding the "buffer", it would be appropriate to say "the vegetation is consistent with Steam Pump Ranch Master Plan and with the guidelines for Oracle Road as a scenic corridor." Response: Attorney Mack said the paragraph is not requiring a buffer, but that nothing can be built except a vegetative buffer area. The County was not enthusiastic about referring to the Town Zoning Code, because it can always be changed. -It could say native vegetation or vegetation consistent with the historical significance of the site. - Page 7, 6.3, grantor further agrees...."failure of grantee to respond to grantor within the 30 day period should be deemed to constitute disapproval of the grantor's request" • should be deleted. Page 3, Stabilization and rehabilitation section, should stipulate that the Town will provide archaeological monitoring during the stabilization and rehabilitation work that necessitates any ground disturbance, and the if major ground disturbing, the Town will carry out archaeological testing. - Page 4, 3.3, regarding language regarding archaeological site, is this relevant? 2 April 14, 2008 Approved Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes Response: It implicates Commissioner Spoerl's concerns, but her suggestion goes further. Mrs. Mack will address this with Linda Mayro. Mrs. Mack will email HPC the staff report going to TC on Wednesday. - Recommend the Town develop an internal process for implementing the easement that would define the role of HPC at SPR. - What is the role of HPC according to the easement? Response: Ms. Mack said the easement does not contemplate a specific role for the HPC except that HPC is part of the Town. - If the bond issue fails, what will happen? There are no provisions for that. Response: Mrs. Mack said the easement is an extension of the 2004 bond. There isn't a funding source contemplated in the easement language. The underlying sentiment regarding SPR in general, through the easement and through the IGA, is that everyone wants to do right by the site. She will look into it. - Page 2.1 "Town is contracted....", the wording seems ambiguous. Page 3.2, Purposes, the wording is specific. Page 2.1, second sentence, at end of arts and crafts shop, add the wording to include "or other similar uses." - Rehabilitation, lower case for reconstruction. The easement document should be gone through and all capital "R" in rehabilitation should be made lower case whenever the word is used to mean reconstruction, etc. Response: Ms. Mack spoke with Ms. Mayro regarding this and the County's intent was not to restrict our activities to rehabilitation. VII. Final Report on Steam Pump Ranch: Presentation by Drew Gorski of Poster Frost Associates. Drew Gorski, from Poster Frost and Associates gave a PowerPoint final report on the status of Steam Pump Ranch (SPR). Questions and comments from HPC: - Have more pedestrian areas been added? Response: Connections are proposed in the area near to the Steam Pump Village building near the multi-purpose building and another at the north end of the site. Access will be determined in the future. - Does opening phase #10 propose 2 sets of restrooms? Response: Yes. - In the ConsultEcon section, page 111-3, the map should show Saddlebrooke and to the western edge of Pima County, as well as the southern Pinal County marketing area. - The "Turn of the Century" phrase needs to be used carefully. - A modest per car admission charge would be easier to handle than the docents having 3 April 14, 2008 Approved Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes to take admission. Response: It isn't determined if the TC has decided to change what the Task Force recommended. The Town is bound to not charge any more than the County would charge for a park. Chair Baughman merged items VII and VIII on the agenda to allow for comments and questions regarding the Master Plan and having Mr. Gorski available for response. - Page 9 Pre-Opening Phase, the diagram isn't consistent with the text that describes the pre-opening phase. It should include in the listing of 2008 priorities signage and graphics mentioned on page 7. The legend on the map for the Pump House says "acquire funding to completely restore the Pusch era Pump House. That is not essential to preopening. Take out the word "completely" or add a note saying that buildings 1 and 2 are desirable during this phase but may extend into the opening phase. - Suggested adding comments from public meetings and the Task Force's original comments from the form filled out at the beginning of the Task Force meetings to the appendices. - Reference the report by Harris Sobin, the Cultural Resource Survey, Initial Building and Landscape Assessment, and the IGA. - Include the National Historical register eligibility criteria and the areas of significance as part of the Master Plan. - Three comments not specific to content of MP but are recommendations HPC might want to make to TC: 1. TC plan to budget $105,000 for preopening phase in next year's budget, 2. TC plan for the $60,000 estimated for the interpretive plan, and 3. Assign a staff area of responsibility for exploration of a "Friends" type of organization. - Regarding financial aspects, why not include item #11, multipurpose building, in the opening phase? Response: The TF emphasis was to do historic buildings first. The funding source is different for the multipurpose building as it is not historic. - Why not put the water well in sooner? Response: It is at the discretion of the TC to implement the various phases. The TF recommended it in the build out phase. Water Utility Director forwarded a memo asking for it at the opening phase or the pre-one phase so they could plan their budget. - There was never a response in the TF meetings as to the urgency of putting in the well. - HPC recommends forwarding this memo on to TC for their consideration, stating that HPC was unable to make a judgment at this time. MOTION: A motion was made by Commissioner Nagy and seconded by Commissioner Zwiener move that the Historical Preservation Commission recommend approval of the 4 April 14, 2008 Approved Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes Master Plan with the following recommendations: - that the admission fees be reviewed, - that the TC plan for $105,000 for operation and maintenance, and $60,000 for an interpretive program in the 2008-09 budget, - that TC assign staff responsible to coordinate the formation of a "Friends of SPR" type organization, - that HPC supports the Task Force decision on the well site and forwards the Oro Valley Water Utility memo to Town Council for its consideration. MOTION carried, 6-0. VIII. Discussion and possible action regarding Steam Pump Ranch: Evaluation of the Master Plan utilizing the Evaluating Criteria. This item was discussed in conjunction with item VII. IX. Discussion and possible action regarding Oro Valley Historical Society Liaison. MOTION: A motion was made by Vice Chair Latas and seconded by Commissioner Zwiener postpone items 9, 10, and 11 until the next HPC meeting and continue with item 12. MOTION carried, 6-0. X. Discussion and Possible action regarding HPC Work Plan. a. CLG Application b. Cultural Resource Inventory Plan c. Budget d. Community Outreach e. Process Plan for Historic Designation f. Role of the HPC g. Training XI. Discussion and possible action regarding HPC special projects: a. National Alliance of Historic Commission b. HPC Rules c. Santa Cruz Heritage Alliance XII. Announcements. - Site security plan staff is proposing in conjunction with the Town Manager: there was an internal meeting with Police Department, Legal, Parks and Recreation, and Planning staff for what steps to put in place after the Liebers move out on April 23rd to have a continued presence on site. PD has indicated that they would like to put bicycles for patrols in the Lieber house or in a mini mobil. Also they would like a sub-station for officers to stop in Lieber house. The cost of including webcams is being considered, as well as additional security at night. Carlos will be moving off site. - Staff is working on the heritage grant writing request for $150,000, which is due to go to TC May 21. - Staff is working with PAG transportation enhancements funding request. There was a 5 April 14, 2008 Approved Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes preapplication workshop and PAG was very positive about the request. This request is due the end of June and the maximum award is $500,000. This request focuses on SP building rehabilitation. - Reminder of training in CC on Tuesday, 4/29 at 9:00 am. Please review the booklets you received ahead of time. - HP conference will be in Rio Rico this June. - Santa Cruz Heritage Alliance is sponsoring a heritage foods workshop Saturday, May 3rd, from 9:00 am to 5 pm, at the Desert Diamond Casino. For more information go to: santacruzheritage.com. Vice Chair Latas will email the information out. XIII. Items for future agenda. - Election of Vice Chair to fill Vice Chair Latas' 2 month vacancy. XIV. Adjourn. MOTION: A motion was made by Commissioner Spoerl and seconded by Vice Chair Latas adjourn. MOTION carried, 6-0. Prepared by: i9C4-44,(A- 0),a/eAdyrYta/t/ Diane Chapman Senior Office Specialist 6