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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCutltural Rsrcs Prsrvtn Cmte - 11/24/09 _��� r � �"'-''��� CITY OF PALM DESERT / � BUILDING & SAFETY DEPARTMENT INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM To: Rachelle Klassen, City Clerk .�� From: Suzanne Cicchini, Administrative Secretary Date: January 26, 2010 Subject: Submission of Approved Minutes for the Cultural Resources Preservation Committee Meeting held on November 24, 2009. Attached is a copy of the November 24, 2009 Minutes of the Cultural Resources Preservation Committee Meeting approved by the Committee on January 26, 2010. Please include on the next City Council agenda. Thank you Attachment CITY COU1�iCIL ACTION APPROVF.D p1FNIrn RECEIVED��,�=` „�� C)TFif:R MEF,TINC UATE -��/L AYF,S: � '� � � v i�' , i �' NOF,S: l_�/j�; ABSF,N'1': _N�/)P AI;ST'AIN: VF,[zIFIF:d) I3Y: / - Original on File with City Clcrks O�� �cc G:\BldgSfty\Suzanne Cicchini\Word Files\Cultural Resources Preservation CommitteeVuleeting ItemsVulemo-City Clerk-Minutes 01 2610.doc CITY OF PALM DESERT �--�---� � � CULTURAL RESOURCES PRESERVATION COMMITTEE Minutes November 24, 2009 Administrative Conference Room I. CALL TO ORDER Committee Chair Gale Broeker called the meeting of the Cultural Resources Preservation Committee to order at 10:02 a.m. II. ROLL CALL Present: Absent: Gale Broeker pon Graybill Kim Housken Vera Handley Bob Pitchford Kent Routh Also Present: Russell Grance, Director of Building and Safety Sam Szymanski, Plan Check Manager Ricki Brodie, Palm Desert Resident K Kaufmann, The Desert Sun Newspaper Suzanne Cicchini, Recording Secretary Note: Ricki Brodie was asked by Committee Member Kent Routh to report on the California Preservation Foundation Conference held in Palm Springs recently. Her comments are included in Section III, Oral Communications. Committee Member, Mr. Routh commented about a historic home tour in New Canaan, Connecticut. His comments are located in Section IX, Reports and Remarks. III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Ricki Brodie — 40591 Pebble Beach Circle. Ms. Brodie attended the California Preservation Conference. She walked away from the conference with a really good feeling. If you want to do a historic preservation of your house there are enormous resources. There are people who will walk you through the stages and provide referrals. It is not a daunting prospect anymore. She was impressed by how conscientious the people were and how much they really cared about saving things. There are enormous amounts of resources and companies involved and she was very pleased with that. She announced that Modernism Week will be celebrated in Palm Springs February 12 through the 21St, 2010. There will be architectural tours, film screenings, art exhibits, lectures, and parties. Discussion commenced about activities at previous celebrations of Modernism Week. CULTURAL RESOURCES PRESERVATION COMMITTEE NOVEMBER 24, 2009 IV. CONSENT CALENDAR A. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF OCTOBER 27, 2009 Committee Member Kim Housken noted that at the end of the second paragraph of Oral Communications, the word "look" should be changed to the word "lose." Committee Member Kent Routh moved that the Minutes be approved with that one correction. Committee Member Kim Housken seconded the Motion. All were in favor and the Motion passed unanimously. V. CONSENT ITEMS HELD OVER None VI. NEW BUSINESS A. DISCUSS POTENTIAL BUS TOUR FOR RESIDENTS The Committee discussed whether to pursue conducting a bus tour again. The last tour was primarily offered to staff, but a few residents did attend. Committee Chair Gale Broeker noted that last Spring, Committee Member Kim Housken did a tour of mid century modern homes for the preservation conference. Committee Member Kim Housken mentioned that most of the tours were centered in Palm Springs, since the conference was located there. Tours were conducted by different groups. Two tours came down valley. Committee Member Kent Routh remarked that the challenge would be getting the word out to the public in time. Too much advance notice and people forget to attend, yet a week in advance is not enough time. He suggested checking to see if any events will occur on the same date under consideration for the tour. The time and place should be convenient for people to obtain tickets. Committee Member Kim Housken requested that Russell Grance, Director of Building and Safety weigh in on the subject. Ms. Housken inquired if this could be done through the City. Could the cost be recovered, so it would not be an expense to the City? Mr. Grance noted that it was probably a good tool to create interest and publicity. Research will be done to determine what the last bus tour cost and if interest exists in another tour. Mr. Grance was not in favor of charging for the tour if the Committee thought that the tour would be beneficial. He felt it might be an impediment to someone who might want to participate. Ms. Housken emphasized that she did not want the cost to be a burden on the City. Committee Member Kent Routh considered the possibility of combining a bus tour with a driving tour but was concerned that it might present a parking problem in a residential area. Ms. Housken thought that the residents really enjoyed the last tour and learned quite a bit. The morning of the last tour, there were a few available spaces on the bus. Committee Members learned of the openings and placed calls to people who were G:\BldgSfty\Suzanne Cicchini\Word Files\Cultural Resources Preservation Committee\Minutes 2009\112409 Minutes.docx Page 2 CULTURALRESOURCES PRESERVATION COMMITTEE NOVEMBER 24, 2009 available and could fill the spots. Committee Member Kent Routh suggested obtaining a list of names from The Historical Society of people who might be interested in participating. Committee Member Kim Housken suggested an announcement in the BrightSide Newsletter. Committee Member Kent Routh thought The Desert Sun might mention the tour also. Committee Chair Gale Broeker noted that realtors that deal with mid century modern homes could be of assistance also. Ms. Housken recommended having a limit in mind because the tour would fill up. The Committee discussed having the tour in Spring, 2010. B. DISCUSS CALIFORNIA PRESERVATION FOUNDATION CONFERENCE Committee Chair Gale Broeker announced that Committee Member pon Graybill will bring all the paper work he received from the conference to the January 26th meeting. Committee Member Kim Housken was there and noted it was more of a Sustainability Symposium. She had a lot of information but didn't have a summary prepared. She will provide the information to Suzanne Cicchini if anyone is interested. Energy use data by decades was supplied. The buildings built now are comparable to the buildings built eighty years ago. The buildings built in the 1980's were energy hogs. It was very interesting. Ms. Housken learned that it is more energy efficient to cool a building than heat it. More people could be moving to warmer climates because of this. Statistics on the years needed to recoup costs for replacing windows were offered. These statistics challenged the notion of upgrading windows to dual pane windows from the viewpoint that while it's worth upgrading them, you may not recoup your costs. It was a look at sustainability and the idea that energy has already been invested in the existing building. The afternoon portion was about financing. Committee Chair Gale Broeker mentioned that Committee Member pon Graybill was amazed at how much money was available for historic preservation. It was mostly available at the Federal level. There were a number of obstacles to get at the money. VII. CONTINUED BUSINESS None VIII. OLD BUSINESS A. DISCUSS PROPERY OWNER LETTERS Russell Grance, Director of Building and Safety reported that he sent a second survey letter to Jerry Patton, President of College of the Desert. This was the second letter sent regarding a Cultural Resource Designation for The O'Dell Ranch House. Mr. Grance worded his letter noting that Mr. Patton had a conversation with Committee Member Vera Handley, and it was our understanding that they had changed their position. We received the response G:\BldgSfty\Suzanne Cicchini\Word Files\Cultural Resources Preservation CommitteeVvlinutes 2009N 12409 Minutes.docx Page 3 CULTURAL RESOURCES PRESERVATION COMMITTEE NOVEMBER 24, 2009 and Mr. Patton of College of the Desert is still not interested in a designation. B. DISCUSS WEB PAGE SUGGESTIONS Committee Chair Gale Broeker mentioned sometimes people confuse Palm Desert with another local city. A person she knows complains to her about issues he has with that other local city. This person wrote a letter to the Desert Sun complaining about that other city and Ms. Broeker responded with her own letter in the paper about finro years ago. He recently complained about the page on our web site regarding the powers a city acquires under historic preservation. That web page struck a few people as being very anti-historic preservation. Russell Grance, Director of Building and Safety noted that it is a balanced opinion on both sides of the discussion. It is a matter of opinion, depending upon the receiver. He emphasized that this was the Committee's web site and the design was approved by them. If they want something taken off, he will remove it today. He offered to remove any item or update or add any items the Committee requested. Committee Chair Gale Broeker requested that Ken Bernstein's Top Ten Myths about Historic Preservation be placed on the site. Jan Holmlund, former Committee Member provided this item from the Los Angeles Conservancy's web site to the Committee at the October 27, 2009 meeting. Mr. Grance noted that due to copyright issues, a link to the Los Angeles Conservancy will be provided on our web page. The document is available there. He suggested that the Committee prepare a list of changes they want and he will make them. Committee Member Housken has some suggestions and will provide them to Mr. Grance. Director of Building and Safety, Russell Grance, reiterated that this was their web site. He will make any changes they wanted to it. IX. REPORTS AND REMARKS Committee Member Kent Routh announced that his niece, Kendall Sneddon in New Canaan, Connecticut is presenting a preservation tour on December 4, 2009. He provided a link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCDcCCOHVbo to view a preview of it. Mr. Routh will report more details about the tour at the January 26th meeting. Committee Chair Gale Broeker mentioned that Committee Member pon Graybill had the opportunity to visit the Kaufmann house in Palm Springs the night before the symposium on sustainability recently. Ms. Broeker noted that the Home Tour at Palm Desert Country Club will not be held in December, 2009. It was tentatively rescheduled for January 9, 2010, but the organizers still had to get a few more homes for the tour. Ms. Broeker noted Palm Desert Country Club made the Los Angeles Times newspaper this week. The article was about how the recession has affected golfers. There was a photo of a gentleman standing in ankle high weeds on the golf course, references to bankruptcy; not good press. Committee Member Kim Housken mentioned that at a conference last year the idea of open G:\BldgSfty\Suzanne CicchinilWord Files\Cultural Resources Preservation Committee\Minutes 2009\112409 Minutes.docx Page 4 CULTURALRESOURCES PRESERVATION COMMITTEE NOVEMBER 24, 2009 spaces was presented. It was noted that non-golfers like to live on a golf course because of the open space. Obviously, a nice golf course is wanted, but the idea of having open space is a positive. Committee Member Kim Housken announced that the Cavanaugh Adobe in Indian Wells is for sale. The home is neat with nice grounds. Discussion commenced about the attributes of the home and the owner who recently passed away. Hopefully, someone who appreciates a historic home will buy it. If anyone would like to write the City of Indian Wells City Council a letter in support of the The Carl Bray House, please do so before the confirmed comment period ends on December 7, 2009. The EIR is available to read at The City of Indian Wells and a few other locations within that city. Discussion commenced about the house. Committee Chair Gale Broeker noted that there is another historic adobe located in Indian Wells. Committee Member Kim Housken recalled that it was the Beck Adobe on Purple Hills. Ms. Broeker announced that the North Shore Yacht Club will open in March, 2010, possibly earlier. It is coming along well. Committee Chair Gale Broeker announced that that Committee Appointments appeared on the City Council agenda. Discussion commenced about the upcoming appointment and reappointment process schedule and whether existing committee members would be interviewed again. It did not seem likely. Committee Member Kim Housken called attention to an online link that lists all Committee Members for City of Palm Desert. Committee Chair Gale Broeker reminded everyone that elections for the Committee will be in January at the next meeting. The next meeting of the Cultural Resources Preservation Committee will be Tuesday, January 26, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in the Administrative Conference Room at The City of Palm Desert. X. ADJOURNMENT Committee Chair Gale Broeker adjourned the meeting at 10:40 a.m. , _� ���� Suzanne Cicchini, Recording Secretary G:\BldgSfty\Suzanne Cicchini\Word Files\Cultural Resources Preservation CommitteeVulinutes 2009\112409 Minutes.docx Page 5