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1996 02 08 HPC Minutes MINUTES HISTORICAL PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING A regular meeting held at the La Quinta City Hall Session Room 78-495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta, CA February 8, 1996 3:00 P.M. 1. CALL TO ORDER A. This meeting of the Historical Preservation Commission was called to order at 3:07 P.M. by Chairman Millis. II. ROLL CALL A. Chairman Millis requested the roll call: Present: Commissioners DeMersman, Puente, Wright, Chairman Millis and Advisor Weiss-Bricker. B. It was moved and seconded by Commissioners Wright/Puente to excuse Commissioner Woodard. Unanimously approved. C. Staff present: Planning Manager Christine di Iorio, Administrative Assistant Britt Wilson, Associate Planner Leslie Mouriquand, and Executive Secretary Betty Sawyer. III. PUBLIC COMMENT: None IV. CONSENT CALENDAR A. There being no corrections to the minutes of November 16, 1996, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners WrightlPuente to approve the minutes as submitted. Unanimously approved. V. BUSINESS ITEMS A. Context Statement; Associate Planner Leslie Mouriquand informed the Commissioners of the progress on the Context Statement and asked that the Commission submit any information or comments they may have on the Statement to staff. 1. Commissioners reviewed and discussed information staff had received on existing homesteads, grants, and lands that had been granted to the railroad by the government. Staff explained that the government issued patents on the land to the homesteaders, but in order to have the patent there must be a structure on the land. HPC2-8 Historical Preservation Commission Meeting February 8, 1996 2. This was the type of information that would be included in the context statement and would generate the information to write the Context Statement. Planning Manager di Iorio stated that some of the architectural styles could be integrated into the time period staff had identified. So some of the homesteads have both significance as historical as well as architectural. Commissioners discussed some of the known homesteads in La Quinta. 3. Members discussed with staff people they would try to contact to gain additional information on the homesteads. 4. Commissioners asked questions on the Context Statement Outline. Staff asked that the Agenda be reorganized by put Item B as Item D. It was moved and seconded by Commissioners Wright/DeMersman to so reorganize the agenda. Unanimously approved. B. Archaeolo~ical Report - Rancho La Ouinta (Proiect MaD 20469) 1. Associate Planner Leslie Mouriquand informed the Commission that the applicant had requested this item be continued to the next meeting of the Commission on March 21,1996. 2. There being no discussion, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners Wright/DeMersman to continue the archaeological report to March 21, 1996. Unanimously approved. C. Archaeolollical ReDort - Desert Sands Unified School District. Administrative Center 1. Associate Planner Lesile Mouriquand presented the information contained in the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Community Development Department. 2. Chairman Millis asked if any significant findings had been made. Staff stated several pot sherds were found and the reports suggests having a monitor present during the grading process. 3. Staff stated the report was before the Commission for their acceptance as partial compliance. It was moved and seconded by Commissioners Wright/DeMersman to accept the report as submitted. Unanimously approved. HPC2-8 2 Historical Preservation Commission Meeting February 8, 1996 D. Archaeolo~ical Report - La Ouinta Water Tank Proiect. Coachella Vallev Water District HPC2-8 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Associate Planner Leslie Mouriquand introduced Dr. Bruce Love, Ph.D., SOP A, of CRM Tech, a cultural research management firm from Riverside, who gave a slide presentation of the artifacts that had been found at the above-noted project site as noted in the staff report. A copy of which is on file in the Community Development Department. Dr. Love described the process whereby the study was conducted, how the sites were marked, and what had been found. They proceeded to record the first step, evaluating their significance, and a literature review as to what the purpose could have been for the objects found. They disassembled the cairns to see if any indication could be reached as to the purpose of the cairns. Some of the hypotheses were that they were used as planting vines, or corrals for chasing wild game, or to herd antelope into. Methods were tried and tested for each of the hypotheses. As nothing was found inside the cairns, it was determined that they were functional in purpose only. The hypothesis settled on was that they were used as anchors for fences to catch big game. Brush fences were used to replicate the hypothesis to see if it would work. Results were that the number of rocks used to build a cairn to support a brush fence were the same. This proved their hypothesis. The brush fence was used to channel the sheep to an area where the hunters would wait for them. A determination was made that the site was eligible for the National Registry as the study increased the knowledge of the prehistoric game hunting and the site itself contained information that was valuable and could answer a research question. Because of this a mitigation program was initiated to protect the site until excavation could occur to recover all the data they could prior to the installation of the well. Commissioners asked if any dating was done on the pieces found. Dr. Love stated there was and it was determined to be in the 1000's. Staff asked if Dr. Love would be nominating the site for the National Register. Dr. Love stated they would not. Discussion followed between the Commissioners and Dr. Love regarding the various sites. 3 Historical Preservation Commission Meeting February 8, 1996 7. There being no further discussion, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners DeMersmanlPuente to approve the report as submitted. Unanimously approved. VI. OTHER: A. SB 875 - Historic Tax Credit for seismic retrofitting I. Associate Planner Leslie Mouriquand gave a description of the bill and stated it did not require any action by the Commission, unless they wished staff to draft a letter stating their support of the Bill. 2. Following discussion, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners Wright/DeMersman to instruct staff to write a letter to Senator Kelley stating the Commission's support of the Bill. Unanimously approved. B. Discussion of Commission Vacancies 1. Associate Planner Leslie Mouriquand informed the Commission of the progress of the City Council to replace the positions that had been vacated by Commissioners Terry Henderson and Drew Pallette. Staff introduced new Commissioner Jim DeMersman who gave a short biography of himself to the other members. VIII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners DeMersmanlPuente to adjourn this meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission to a regular meeting. on March 21, 1996. This meeting of the Historical Commission was adjourned at 4:26 P.M. Unanimously approved. .,.....- HPC2.8 4