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1999 05 27 HPC Minutes MINUTES HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING A regular meeting held at the La Quinta City Hall Session Room 78-495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta, CA May 27,1999 This meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission was called to order by Chairman Robert Wright at 3 :34 p.m. who led the flag salute and asked for the roll call. I. CALL TO ORDER A. Pledge of Allegiance. B. Roll Call. Present: Commissioners Barbara Irwin, Mike Mitchell, Maria Puente, Judy Vossler, and Chairman Robert Wright. Staff Present: Planning Manager Christine di Iorio, Principal Planner Stan Sawa, and Executive Secretary Betty Sawyer. II. PUBLIC COMMENT: None. III. CONFIRMATION OF THE AGENDA: Confirmed. IV. CONSENT CALENDAR: A. It was moved and seconded by Commissioners V ossler/Irwin to approve the Minutes of April 15, 1999, as submitted. Unanimously approved. V. BUSINESS ITEMS A. Phase I and Phase II Cultural Resource Assessment for a Proposed Lake Expansion; located on the west side of Washington Street, south of Eisenhower Drive, within La Quinta Country Club, by Archaeological Advisory Group, Mr. James Brock and Brenda D. Smith" 1. Principal Planner Stan Sawa presented the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Community Development Department. 2. Chairman Wright asked if Mr. Brock had anything to add to the report. Mr. Brock stated the only item for consideration is whether or not the Commission would want the site monitored. In his opinion the findings were substantial enough that it should not be required. C:IMy DocumentslWPDOCSIHPC 5-27-99.wpd -1- Historic Preservation Commission Minutes May 27,1999 3. Commissioner Irwin stated she was disappointed that the Commission received the report after the work has started. Her concern is that since they will be excavating to a deeper depth than the testing, the site should be monitored. Mr. Brock stated that in preparing their study they did dig to 2.5 meters below where the applicant is anticipating to dig and found nothing. Christine di Iorio, Planning Manager, stated the site is currently going through the grading review process. Commissioner Irwin stated she was still concerned that they are reviewing the project after the fact. 4. Chairman Wright stated the applicants have known for a long time when their project would start and the Commission should of been informed earlier. Mr. Brock stated he was confident that no significant items would be found. 5. There being no further questions, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners PuenteNossler to adopt Minute Motion 99-015 accepting Phase I and Phase II Cultural Resource Assessment for a Proposed Lake Expansion for the La Quinta Country Club, as recommended by staff. Unanimously approved. II B. Phase'l Test Excavation Report for property owned by the City's Redevelopment Agency; located at the northeast corner of 48'h Avenue and Jefferson Street, by Archaeological Advisory Group, Mr. James Brock and Brenda D. Smith. 6. Principal Planner Stan Sawa presented the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Community Development Department. 7. Chairman Wright asked ifMr. Brock had anything else to contribute to the report. Mr. Brock stated they had completed a systematic backhoe trench across the entire site consisting of 99 trenches down to two meters at a minimum of 50 meter intervals and found no new sites. It had a low density of artifacts and most artifacts were in deflated surface blowouts that had been picked over so the good cultural materials were gone. The one small area they found was buried and they ran radio carbon tests and found there had been serious disturbance to the area. Therefore, the research area of the site was dubious at best. 8. Commissioner Irwin asked how much sand would shift in 350 years. Mr. Brock stated it would depend on the location. This area is pretty level as far as dunes are concerned. In some areas at two meters you are not even scratching the surface. At this site, you could get sites below the two meters, but it is unlikely. However, you never know, this is why they are recommending monitoring. C:\My DocumentslWPDOCSIHPC 5-27-99.wpd -2- Historic Preservation Commission Minutes May 27,1999 9. Commissioner Irwin asked if any evidence of another cultural before the Cahuilla Indians had been found. Mr. Brock stated that if there was any to be found, it will be found during the monitoring of the sewer trenching as it will go the deepest. 10. Commissioner Puente asked who the remains were given to. Mr. Brock stated they were given to the coroner and it is unknown what they did with them; they were probably give to Katherine Saubel, traditional Cahuilla Indian elder and Commissioner on the Native American Heritage Commission. II. Chairman Wright stated he agreed that if anything were to be found it would be very deep due to the sand and in essence what they are doing is capping the site with the development of the site. 12. There being no further questions, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners PuenteNossler to adopt Minute Motion 99-016 accepting Phase II Text Excavation Report for the 50 acres located at the northeast comer of Avenue 48 and Jefferson Street, per staffs recommendation: a. Monitoring during the rough grading and trenching. C. Cultural Resources Guidelines: Curation of Archaeological Resources. I. Planning Manager di Iorio presented the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Community Development Department. 2. Commissioner Irwin asked what the requirements were for a repository. Staff stated they would have to obtain that information. 3. Commissioner Irwin stated the Guidelines appear to be generic and she would like to have a study session where the Native American representatives would be invited to discuss what should be done with the items found. After attending the Symposium and listening to what was said, she would like to have a workshop with representatives from the Indians who lived in La Quinta to discuss what is being found and how those artifacts are processed and/or handled. Some items that are found do not need to be curated, or sent to Riverside, and could be retained in the desert. 4. Chairman Wright asked what the process was when artifacts were found and asked that a copy of the State Guidelines be sent to each of the Commissioners so they could review and plan a meeting with the local representatives to discuss the Guidelines and look at the possibility of building a repository. C:IMy DocumentslWPDOCSIHPC 5-27-99.wpd -3- Historic Preservation Commission Minutes May 27,1999 5. There being no further comments, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners Puente/Irwin to continue this item to the next meeting. Staff was directed to get a copy of the guidelines and CEQA Guidelines to each of the Commissioners. Unanimously approved. VI. CORRESPONDENCE AND WRITTEN MATERIAL VII. COMMISSIONER ITEMS: A. Chairman Wright requested copies of the survey on the historic structures be given to each of the Commissioners. B. Commissioner Vossler informed everyone that Commissioner Irwin had been voted La Quinta Citizen of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce and also named Chairman of the Volunteers for the La Quinta Arts Foundation. C. Commissioner Puente asked if there was any further information on the Betty Williams project. Staff stated no further work had been proposed. D. Commissioners Discussed the Conference they had attended in Palm Springs. VIII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners V ossler/Puente to adjourn this meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission to the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Historical Preservation Commission on June 17, 1999. This meeting of the Historical Preservation Commission was adjourned at 4:22 p.m. May 27, 1999. Unanimously approved. C:\My DocumenlslWPDOCSIHPC 5-27-99.wpd -4-