CHC Minutes-2010-11-30MEMORANDUM
TO: Joe Tait, City Manager
Grant Taylor, Development Services Director
FROM: Teri Delcamp, Historic Preservation Manager,'
Cultural Heritage Commission Secretary
December 15, 2010
SUBJECT: Cultural Heritage Commission Actions of November 30, 2010
This memorandum summarizes the actions taken by the Cultural Heritage Commission
at their Tuesday, November 30, regular adjourned meeting. No action is required
unless the City Council wishes to hold special review of an item.
CALL TO ORDER
Vice -Chair Porter called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Present: Lorie Porter, Vice -Chair
Nathan Banda
Ed Nunez
Don Tryon
Absent: Janet Siegel, Chair (excused)
Staff: Teri Delcamp, Historic Preservation Manager/Cultural Heritage
Commission Secretary
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Eric Groos, San Juan Capistrano resident, representing Great Opportunities non-profit,
addressed the CHC regarding their organization's participation with Trout Unlimited to
restore steelhead trout to Trabuco Creek through a planned trout ladder project. Great
Opportunities provides disadvantaged youth with hands-on involvement opportunities to
make a difference in communities. He hopes they can partner with the City through CIP
or other avenues.
George Sutherland, Trout Unlimited, said they have been working with the City primarily
through Ziad Mazboudi for the last seven years on the trout ladder project. He and
Great Opportunities are excited about the opportunities for partnerships with the City
and the community.
OLD BUSINESS
None.
Joe Tait, City Manager 2 December 15, 2010
NEW BUSINESS
1. Discussion and Input from Cultural Heritage Commission on the City's 2011-2018
Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Project Manager Teri Delcamp made the staff
presentation and recommendation that the Commission provide input to staff
regarding the City's 7 -year CIP program relating to cultural resources, identify
new capital projects for consideration, and/or make recommendations on project
priorities for existing capital improvement projects.
Commissioner Tryon expressed a desire to see appropriately designed
monument signs at gateways to the City like other nearby cities.
Commissioner Nunez recalled a suggestion that he has been making to the City
Council and staff over the past few years for a Native American Village Site. He
feels that, rather than the Native American community asking for it, the City
should initiate a site and project to recognize the importance of our indigenous
heritage.
Vice -Chair Porter asked about the feasibility of a project to locate a Bower's
Museum satellite at the Garcia Adobe as recently suggested by Chair Siegel, and
about the status of the sidewalk project on EI Camino Real fronting Historic Town
Center Park. Staff responded that the Garcia Adobe is on private property and it
would not be appropriate for staff to initiate a CIP without the owner's initiation or
consent. Interested parties could follow up with the property owner to ascertain
their level of interest. The sidewalk project at HTC Park was combined with an
SDG&E undergrounding project. The funds had to be transferred to a different
undergrounding/sidewalk/bridge widening project at Del Obispo over Trabuco
Creek so the HTC Park project was eliminated. If the City is successful in
obtaining funding from the State Proposition 84 NEF grant application for the
Blas Aguilar Adobe project, then a decomposed granite sidewalk in front of the
Adobe down to the HTC Park entrance will be completed as part of that project.
Commissioner Nunez asked about the sidewalk that was currently being installed
in front of the Blas Aguilar Adobe. Staff followed up with Public Works and
determined that a temporary decomposed granite/concrete slurry material was
installed prior to the December 4 Tree Lighting Event to eliminate some uneven
surface issues for event participants.
Staff received the input and will take it into consideration in developing the CIP
submittals for the FY 12-18 CIP program. The public will have opportunities to
review the program recommendations as the CIP budget moves through
Planning Commission and City Council meetings early next year.
Joe Tait, City Manager 3 December 15, 2010
INFORMATION ITEM
1. Consideration of Inventory of Historic and Cultural Landmarks (INCL) GIS
Mapping. Project Manager Teri Delcamp made the staff presentation on the
status of creating more user-friendly GIS -based IHCL maps that will be available
in large and small scale hard copies. The next map will utilize data from the IHCL
map to create an updated Los Rios Specific Plan land use map and National
Register Historic District boundary showing which sites are the contributors and
which the non -contributors to the district. Staff requested any input from the CHC
on suggested revisions to make the IHCL map more user-friendly.
Questions were raised about whether the IHCL sites are on a map on the City's
website, and whether the draft Historic Town Center Master Plan has a map with
the historic sites in it. Staff responded that the GIS Community View page of the
City's website has several layers that can be clicked on and off, one of which
marks the IHCL sites with a colored dot, and another which shows the Buildings
and Sites of Distinction sites. Information is available by clicking on the dots, but
the dot does not tell viewers the boundaries of the sites. The consultants
preparing the Historic Town Center Master Plan have exhibits in the appendices
showing not just designated historic sites, but also archaeologically sensitive
sites and sites the community considers important based on the IHCL list,
archaeological site records and community input obtained through the public
workshops on the document.
The CHC thanked staff and was in consensus that the version of the map which
has the aerial photograph as a watermark background is the most user-friendly.
Staff will bring the Los Rios map to the CHC at a future date after it is completed.
COMMISSION/STAFF COMMENTS
Commissioner Banda announced that Monsignor Holquin and Mission Executive
Director Mechelle Lawrence -Adams have invited him to be an official Mission bell-
ringer. He was honored to accept the invitation and will begin training next month.
Commissioner Nunez reminded the CHC that November is Native American Heritage
Month and numerous events in the state and region have been held to celebrate that
heritage.
Vice -Chair Porter announced that the Montanez Adobe and Garcia-Pryor/O'Neill
Museum will both be decorated for the holidays and open for the City's Tree Lighting
Event on December 4.
Staff noted that the City had a contractor install a single large tarp on the Parra Adobe
to protect it from the elements this winter while the City investigates marketing the
Harrison House/Parra Adobe property for sale.
Joe Tait, City Manager 4 December 15, 2010
Staff noted the City's Proposition 84 NEF grant applica tion projects have m et the
threshold to warrant site visits by the State. City staff will be meeting with state
Department of Parks and Recreation staff at each of the City's NEF project sites during
this next level of review before the state makes decisions on the grants in the spring.
There are no business items that need to be discussed by the CHC in December, so the
meeting tentatively planned for December 15 instead of the 28 will be canceled. The
CHC should adjourn to the January meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
Vice -Chair Porter adjourned the meeting at 6:02 p.m. to the regular meeting of January
25, 2011.
cc: Steven Apple, AICP, Deputy City Manager
Teri Delcamp, Historic Preservation Manager
Christina Gomez, Administrative Specialist
CHC Members
CHC Minutes File