CHC Minutes-2008-06-24MEMORANDUM
TO: Dave Adams, City Manager
Steven Apple, AICP, Community Development Director
FROM: Teri Delcamp, Historic Preservation Manager
Cultural Heritage Commission Secretary
SUBJECT: Cultural Heritage Commission Actions of June 24, 2008
July 2, 2008
This memorandum summarizes the actions taken by the Cultural Heritage Commission at
their Tuesday, June 24 meeting. No action is required unless the City Council wishes to
hold special review of an item.
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Nunez called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.
DnI i gni I
Present: Ed Nunez, Chair
Nathan Banda, Vice -Chair
Lorie Porter
Don Tryon
Absent: Janet Siegel (excused)
Staff: Teri Delcamp, Cultural Heritage Commission Secretary
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
OLD BUSINESS
None.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Consideration of Historic Deaiction Proaram (HDP) for Orteaa Hiahwav Gas Station
Architectural Control 04-03 (Applicant: Bundy -Finkel Architects) Teri Delcamp made the
staff presentation and recommendation that the Commission conditionally approve
the HDP. The HDP consists of a plaque with image and text commemorating Jose
Francisco Ortega to be located to the right of the main entry door of the Ortega
Highway Gas Station located on the north side of Ortega Highway between 1-5 and
Avenida Los Cerritos (APN 650-151-28).
Dave Adams, City Manager 2 July 2, 2008
Richard Finkel responded to Commissioner's questions and requested to make the
plaque 24" wide and give credit to the student artist along the bottom of the plaque.
No other speakers were present for the item.
Commissioner Porter asked questions related to the narrative on the plaque. She
requested minor refinements to the text.
After due consideration, Commissioner Tryon moved, and Vice -Chair Banda
seconded, adoption of a resolution to approve the HDP subject to Resolution No.
08-6-24-1 with the following additions to the conditions of approval:
4th paragraph, verify if Ortega assisted in establishing another (or other)
Mission(s) and replace "for this area" with "San Juan Capistrano" and insert the
name of the other Mission if applicable.
5th paragraph, replace "sired" with "fathered."
The plaque is to be 24" square and may acknowledge the name of the artist.
The motion was approved by a vote of 4-0.
INFORMATION ITEM
1. Consideration of Mexico Lindo-Vaquero West Historic Report and Project
Conditions, 26755 Verdugo Street: a request to receive and file the informational
report regarding the history of the site and mitigation measures. Teri Delcamp made
the staff presentation and recommendation that the Commission receive and file the
report.
A historic report was prepared as part of the CEQA process to address project
revisions directed by the City Council in response to the applicant's appeal of the
Planning Commission's denial of the original project. A Historic Resources
Technical Report was prepared by the City's Historic Preservation Manager and
completed on February 29, 2008. The report indicates that the existing building was
constructed in 1938 by Nick and Canuta Arbonies. A previous wood -frame dwelling
that was home to John McCarty, the town's first stationmaster, was demolished
before the current building was constructed. The Arbonies were Basques from
Spain and their business, Nick's Cafe, also functioned as a spin-off of earlier era
Basque boardinghouses (" ostatuaW) in a later era as the wave of Basque
immigration had subsided.
As such, the building is historically significant under,CEQA notfor its architecture,
but for its association with events that contributed to the patterns of California's
history at the local level pertaining specifically to San Juan Capistrano's Basque
Dave Adams, City Manager 3 July 2, 2008
history. A project mitigation measure requires the site HDP to commemorate this
Basque history.
The Commission commended staff for the thorough and enlightening information
and received and filed the Historic Resources Technical Report for the Nick's Cafe
building.
COMMISSION/STAFF COMMENTS
Staff announced that the San Juan Law Center wall mural HDP on Ortega Highway is
complete and is stunning.
The Mission Rectory Garden project will be scheduled for the Adjourned Regular meeting
of the Cultural Heritage Commission on July 29, 2008. Commissioners Nunez and Banda
have a conflict of interest and will not be able to participate in the meeting for this project.
The zone change for the Troubleman's Cottagerelocation was approved by the City
Council in April 2008, but they imposed a deadline for the physical move of the structure off
the City's Los Rios Park and Parking Lot project site by no later than August 1, 2008, so as
not to delay the Park project. The applicant has yet to submit plans to begin the plancheck
process, so staff is developing a contingency plan in the event the applicant does not meet
the deadline. Unfortunately, since the Los Rios Park and Parking Lot project is anticipated
to start construction in August or September, the structure will have to be removed from the
site one way or another so as not to delay the Park since it is a City Council priority project.
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Nunez adjourned the meeting at 5:35 p.m. to the Adjourned Regular Cultural
Heritage Commission meeting to be held at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 29, 2008.
cc: Cindy Russell, Assistant City Manager
Grant Taylor, Assistant Community Development Director
Teri Delcamp, Historic Preservation Manager
Christina Gomez, Administrative Specialist
CHC Members
CHC Minutes File
Douglas Dumhart, Economic Development Manager