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2005 05 19 HPC Minutes MINUTES HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING A Regular meeting held at the La Ouinta City Hall Session Room 78-495 Calle Tampico, La Ouinta, CA May 19, 2005 This meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission was called to order by Chairman Allan Wilbur at 3:05 p.m. He then led the flag salute and asked for the roll call. I. CALL TO ORDER A. Pledge of Allegiance. B. Roll Call. Present: Commissioners Mouriquand, Puente, Sharp, and Chairman Wilbur Absent: Commissioner Wright Staff Present: Principal Planner Stan Sawa and Temporary Secretary Anna Sampson II. PUBLIC COMMENT: None III. CONFIRMATION OF THE AGENDA: It was moved and seconded by Commissioner Puente and Commissioner Mouriquand to approve the minutes of March 17, 2005, April 10, 2005, and April 21, 2005 as submitted. Unanimously approved. IV. CONSENT CALENDAR: None V. BUSINESS ITEMS: A. Archaeol09ical Testin9 and Evaluation Report - Site CA-RIV-7205/H (33-12956): Applicant: RT Hughes, LLC Archaeological Consultant: CRM TECH (Michael Hogan, Principal) Location: Southwest corner of Madison Street and Avenue 60 . 1 . Principal Planner Stan Sawa presented the information contained in the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Community Development Department. P:\CAROl YN\Hist Pres Com\HPC 5-19.05.doc Historic Preservation Commission May 19, 2005 2. Commissioner Puente asked if the remains had been positively identified as human. Michael Hogan, Principal of CRM Tech, replied they had not. They were very small pieces and consistent with human remains. 3. Commissioner Sharp asked if they were cremated remains. Mr. Hogan replied they were. Staff asked Mr. Hogan if a positive determination could be made as to whether they were human remains or not. Mr. Hogan replied the remains could not be positively identified. It would just have to be assumed they were, based on the fact they were burned. 4. Commissioner Sharp said the report stated amethyst glass was found, but the archaeological catalog referred to it as purple glass. He asked if these were the same items. Mr. Hogan replied they were. The names are interchangeable. 5. Commissioner Mouriquand commented the report was well written. 6. Chairman Wilbur said the report concluded this was not a historic resource and would only require monitoring during earth-moving operations. That would be the final mitigation needed even though there were potential human remains found on this site. He asked Mr. Hogan if this would be the last time the Commission would review this project and if further mitigation would not be needed. Mr. Hogan replied yes, as only the recommended monitoring would be completed. 7. Commissioner Mouriquand asked if Chairman Wilbur was concerned that a determination was reached that this was not classified as a historical resource. 8. Chairman Wilbur replied he was concerned because of the potential remains. There were a large number of items found in the testing and evaluation of this site. 9. Commissioner Mouriquand pointed out the number of finds in the Management Summary which gives recognition for a cultural resource, even though it doesn't meet the legal criteria of a historic resource. The human bones are undoubtedly of great cultural importance and she was happy to see that reference because it is significant and important and has been recognized. P:\CAROl YN\Hist Pres Com\HPC 5-19-05.doc 2 Historic Preservation Commission May 19, 2005 10. Chairman Wilbur stated one specific item may not meet the historical criteria, but there may be potential for other finds during deeper and more extensive excavation. Mr. Hogan replied that was why they were recommending monitoring. 11. Commissioner Mouriquand added the potential is there for subsurface finds. 12. Chairman Wilbur asked staff if the monitoring would cover any contingencies occurring during trenching and excavation. Staff replied yes. 13. Chairman Wilbur commented it was a good report but was concerned about the conclusions reached. Mr. Hogan replied a few pieces of cremated bones are often found. When that happens, it is better to err on the side of caution and treat them as human remains. However, that does not provide any additional scientific knowledge. 14. It was moved and seconded by Commissioners Puente and Sharp to adopt Minute Motion 2005-013 accepting the results of the Archaeological Testing and Evaluation Report - Site CA- RIV-7205/H, as submitted. Unanimously approved. B. Historical/Archaeological Resources Survey Report For the Dunes Retail Center: Applicant: Jeff Lowden (The Dunes Business Park, LLC) Archaeological Consultant: CRM TECH (Michael Hogan, Principal) Location: North side of Highway 111, east of Dune Palms Road 1. Principal Planner Stan Sawa presented the information contained in the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Community Development Department. 2. Commissioner Mouriquand asked if this was on the Mannino property. Staff replied it was not; it was east of that parcel. 3. Commissioner Sharp asked about the buildings in the development to the east of this project. Staff replied the main buildings were the 99C Only store and Smart and Final. Those buildings are not part of this development. This property is P:\CAROl YN\Hist Pres Com\HPC 5-19-05.doc 3 Historic Preservation Commission May 19, 2005 west of that project. Chairman Wilbur asked if this was to be a retail center. Staff replied it was. 4. Commissioner Mouriquand asked if Mr. Hogan found any homesteads on the property. She commented on a Homestead Map prepared some years back. She thought there might have been some homesteads in this area. Mr. Hogan said they had checked and found some 1920's era information. 5. Commissioner Sharp said he was surprised the report did not include any specific cultural values since the property backs right up to the evacuation channel. 6. Commissioner Mouriquand commented it would be easy to check the Government Land Office records on line to see if the foundation on the property had been a homestead. Mr. Hogan did not have any further information on whether this was a homestead. 7. Commissioner Mouriquand commented there was probably no building permit because it was in the County's jurisdiction and they didn't start issuing building permits until 1950. 8. Commissioner Puente asked if there was a significant find during trenching and the archaeologist stopped the project, would the Commission be contacted. 9. Commissioner Mouriquand answered no. The Commission reviews the monitoring report after the fact. 10. It was moved and seconded by Commissioners Puente and Mouriquand to adopt Minute Motion 2005-014 accepting the Historical/Archaeological Resources Survey Report for The Dunes Retail Center as submitted. Unanimously approved. C. Historical/Archaeological Resources Survey Report - Tentative Tract Map 33085: Applicant: Core Homes, LLC Archaeological Consultant: CRM TECH (Michael Hogan, Principal) Location: West side of Madison Street between Avenue 50 and Avenue 52. P:ICAROL YNIHist Pres ComlHPC 5.19.05.doc 4 Historic Preservation Commission May 19, 2005 1. Principal Planner Stan Sawa presented the information contained in the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Community Development Department. 2. Chairman Wilbur asked if Mr. Hogan was getting a better response rate from the local Native Americans. Mr. Hogan replied he was, even if it was only through form letters. 3. Commissioner Mouriquand said the Morongo Tribe responds by e-mail. Mr. Hogan agreed. There was a brief discussion regarding the response of Tribes in the area and the current status of some of the tribal representatives. Apparently, the funding for Gary Resvaloso's position had ended and staff should now contact the Planning Director, Ben Scofield and Joe Loya, of the Torres Martinez Tribe, with an invitation to attend the Commission meetings. 4. It was moved and seconded by Commissioners Puente and Sharp to adopt Minute Motion 2005-015 accepting the Historical/Archaeological Resources Survey Report for Tentative Tract Map 33085 as submitted. Unanimously approved. D. Paleontolo~ical Resources Assessment Report - Tentative Tract Map 33085 Applicant: Core Homes, LLC Archaeological Consultant: CRM TECH (Michael Hogan, Principal) Location: West side of Madison Street between Avenue 50 and Avenue 52. 1 . Principal Planner Stan Sawa presented the information contained in the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Community Development Department. 2. Chairman Wilbur commented on the potential of invertebrate remains stated in the report. 3. It was moved and seconded by Commissioners Puente and Sharp to adopt Minute Motion 2005-016 accepting the Paleontological Resources Assessment Report - Tentative Tract Map 33085 as submitted. Unanimously approved. VI. CORRESPONDENCE AND WRITTEN MATERIAL: None VII. COMMISSIONER ITEMS: P:\CAROLYN\Hist Pres Com\HPC 5-19-05.doc 5 Historic Preservation Commission May 19, 2005 A, Research Grants: 1. Chairman Wilbur asked staff if they had looked into research grants and funding for the initiatives that had been previously discussed by the Commission, Staff replied they had not actively pursued the information due to understaffing. The Community Development Department Director is currently working on adding staff, The Department should be fully staffed within the next two months and assigned staff should be able to concentrate more on extra projects. 2. Commissioner Mouriquand asked if the City had a staff member assigned to writing grants. Staff replied there was someone in the City Manager's office currently assigned to that. 3. Commissioner Mouriquand asked if that person could do some preliminary research on what grants are available. Staff replied they would check into that. Commissioner Mouriquand suggested they could prepare a list of available grants and staff could check on them. Staff replied they would check to see if that was a possibility. 4. Chairman Wilbur added he would be willing to check on the internet for grant-giving organizations and check to see if the City qualified, 5. Commissioner Mouriquand suggested staff begin with the SHPO website, and check under the CLG Annual Grant, The grants, while not large, can still go as high as $15,000, The grants are specifically designated for survey work, writing general plan elements, amending preservation ordinances, and similar activities. She offered to check the website. 6. Commissioner Mouriquand said the CLG Annual Grant is a matching grant, The match can be in-kind services utilizing staff time, City services, etc. It does not have to be a funding match, She added the Commission could also look at foundation funding. 7. Chairman Wilbur said he was considering private foundations, and asked if the City was allowed to accept foundation funding. P:\CAROLYN\Hist Pres Com\HPC 5-19-05.doc 6 Historic Preservation Commission May 19, 2005 8. Commissioner Mouriquand said she couldn't remember an instance where the City had. Staff replied they would have to look into the matter. 9. Commissioner Mouriquand stated the Commission was a non- profit entity and should qualify. 10. Chairman Wilbur said he would have to check on the available grants to see if there were any limitations that would exclude the City from obtaining funding. Staff replied they would check on what the City's policy was. 11. Commissioner Mouriquand commented that there are grants available for as much as $40,000 to $100,000. These types of grants are perfect for assistance on large projects such as the City museum. She asked if the City still owned the Museum. Staff replied, yes, with future plans to expand it. 12. Commissioner Mouriquand suggested the Commission identify potential projects, and the necessary outlay, and then start searching for the funding. Staff could begin by looking into the Fortune 500 foundations, such as Ford, Packard, and Coca Cola. 13. Chairman Wilbur said there's a book of Foundations, Granting Institutions, Non-Profits, and Private. He got it when he was working as a fund raiser. He said there are about half-a-dozen foundations that pre-qualify their recipients which would be a good resource to use. He would be willing to check this resource if someone had a question about a specific website or foundation. 14. Commissioner Mouriquand added there's a gentleman, named Mr. Price, who is on contract with the City of Indio to provide leadership and fund raising services for the Coachella Valley Historical Museum. He's written some grants, and gotten funding for their museum facility. Maybe the City could hire him to advise them where to go to get money, and write the grants if staff was short-handed. He could also help identify potential projects. That would be a possible suggestion, but first we would need to identify some projects, such as any old, historic buildings belonging to the City that may need to be seismically retrofitted, or remodeled for adaptive reuse. The City could then either lease the building to some business entity or turn it P:\CAROL YN\Hist Pres Com\HPC 5-19-05.doc 7 Historic Preservation Commission May 19, 2005 into a public building. Staff said they would check on City- owned properties. 15. Commissioner Mouriquand said display work about the history of La Quinta could be eligible for funding if it were to be displayed in a museum. 16. Commissioner Sharp asked about the possibilities available at Point Happy Estates. 17. Commissioner Mouriquand replied that was privately owned. She did add there were grants available for technical studies on historical buildings. 18. Chairman Wilbur gave an example of the Harada house in Riverside. He explained the condition of the building and the amount of money it would take to retrofit and repair the structure. 19. Commissioner Mouriquand explained so many of these structures are demolished because the cost of saving them is so exorbitant. 20. Chairman Wilbur said the Commissioners should prepare a list of projects and sites, and decide which ones are a priority. 21. Commissioner Mouriquand agreed such a list should be discussed in addition to updating the Preservation Ordinance and the General Plan Element. She added the Commission could apply for money to fund an archive room/system when the City builds the new Museum. 22. Commissioner Sharp commented part of the problem with funding the Museum was the need for salaried personnel. 23. Commissioner Mouriquand asked the status of the Museum. Staff replied it is still being considered but didn't know the time frame. The City was currently working on completing the Library. 24. Commissioner Mouriquand asked if the City Library had any interpretive exhibit space. The Commission could apply for a grant to set up or exhibit in that space. She added libraries are wonderful places to exhibit things and have archives. P:\CAROLYN\Hist Pres Com\HPC 5*lS.05.doc 8 Historic Preservation Commission May 19, 2005 25. Commissioner Mouriquand suggested the Commission might consider hiring a consultant to finish the Historic Context Statement to assist staff. 26. Commissioner Sharp commented the Historic Context would be a valuable document to display in several City locations; such as Old Town, the Library, or SilverRock. 27. Commissioner Mouriquand said the development and publication of the Historic Context Statement would be helpful, not only as a public document, but as a planning tool. It could serve as a historical document that could be sold at City Hall, the Museum, and the Chamber of Commerce. Proceeds from the sales could go towards a specific public benefit account, or to make the document pay for itself. 28. Commissioner Mouriquand replied the Commission could come up with ideas and work with staff to promote the project. She added the Commission should start with a project list, such as the one previously provided by Commissioner Puente. 29. Commissioner Mouriquand suggested the Commission begin with a manageable project, such as the brochure. The Commissioners must also be willing to commit more time to achieve their selected goals. 30. Commissioner Mouriquand asked that this item be included on a future meeting agenda. Staff agreed to place this item on a future agenda. Commissioner Mouriquand stated she could bring brochure examples to the next meeting. The Commission would need to figure out how to finance the printing costs. She suggested checking to see if there was a CLG Grant that would cover these expenses. Staff commented they've seen some photocopied brochures that gave a very professional impression. 31. Commissioner Sharp agreed today's technology would allow the Commission to produce a professional-looking, low-cost brochure. B. Chairman Wilbur requested an item be added to a future agenda for Commissioners to discuss the information they received at the Historic Preservation Conference. P:\CAROL YN\Hist Pres Com\HPC 5-19-05.doc 9 Historic Preservation Commission May 19, 2005 C. Commissioner Mouriquand had a question, derived from attending the Conference, about the new L.E.E.D. criteria for public historic buildings. She asked staff to check on this program. Commissioner Mouriquand said this was presented at the Preservation meets Green case study session. Staff agreed to look into the matter. VIII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners Sharp and Mouriquand to adjourn this Regular Meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission to the next Regular Meeting to be held on June 16, 2005. This meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission was adjourned at 3:57 p.m. Unanimously approved. Submitted by: (i iJ11-fUu Wdhu Caro;y~ ~alker Secretary P:\CAROl YN\Hist Pres Com\HPC 5-19-05.doc 10