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Home My WebLink About2004-03-09- HSPB minutes CITY OF PALM SPRINGS HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD MEETING Minutes of Regular Meeting -Tuesday, March 9, 2004, 8:15 a.m. Large Conference Room, City Hall, 3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way Palm Springs, California 92262 ROLL CALL Present This Meeting Present Yea-to-Date FY 2003-2004 Excused Absences To-Date John Williams, Chairman X 6 1 Shevlin Rush, Vice Chair X 5 2 Lee Bledsoe X 6 1 Ron Chespak X 5 2 James Hayton X 6 1 William Scott 6 1 Jim Isermann X 6 1 STAFF PRESENT: Jing Yeo, Principal Planner Loretta Moffett, Senior Secretary * * * * * Chairman Williams called the meeting to order at 8:17 a.m. * * * * * * REPORT OF POSTING OF AGENDA: The Agenda was available and posted in accordance with state and local procedures for public access at the City Hall exterior bulletin board and the Department of Planning & Zoning counter by 4:00 p.m., Thursday, March 4, 2004. * * * * * * PUBLIC COMMENTS: N O N E * * * * * * APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Chairman Williams asked for comments or corrections to the February 10, 2004 Minutes. Board Member Isermann advised that Chairman Williams called the meeting to order. M/S/C (Scott/Isermann) (6 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent, 0 Abstentions) to approve the February 10, 2004 meeting as corrected. CHAIRMAN=S REPORT: There was no Chairman=s report. PUBLIC HEARING: N O N E ARCHITECTURAL APPROVALS: N O N E AGENDA ITEM #1: MEDIA OUTREACH SUB-COMMITTEE UPDATE - MEMBER RUSH No report. Sub-Committee has not met yet. Member Rush asked Planner Jing Yeo to report on the TV program. Planner Yoe reported that she talked with Omar this morning and he is ready to start on photographing all the properties and can start work almost immediately. Member Rush asked about the time frame to collect all the photos and produce the program. Planner Yeo reported there are 40 sites to photograph, and it will probably take a few weeks to complete. HSPB Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 4 Tuesday, March 9, 2004 Chairman Williams advised all those listening and watching that Historic sites are in the process of being photographed and will be shown on Channel 17 when the project is completed. AGENDA ITEM #2 HISTORIC SITE PLAQUE SURVEY UPDATE - MEMBER RUSH Member Rush passed around the updated plaque survey. Progress has been made since the original audit: the Loewy house plaque has been located; the Oasis Hotel Tower plaque has been found, and both listings are now shown in the visible section of this survey. Frey House 2 is on a private road and not really visible to the public, but there is a plaque there and it is now listed in the visible section of the audit. The section of not visible plaques is now at three - the Carey-Pirozzi House on Via Escuela, the Kaufmann House on Vista Chino, and the Cork >N Bottle on Palm Canyon. The Carey-Pirozzi house is in the process of un-doing the Mills Act Agreement. Planner Jing Yeo advised that current discussions are ongoing with the City Attorney re the Carey-Pirozzi House. The Board understands that the Cork >N Bottle is not intending to plaque their site. Planner Yeo advised this will be researched to determine if there is a plaque and if the owners are agreeable to having it installed. Staff will be contacting them. Member Rush advised that contact is pending on the Kaufmann-Harris House. There are several properties in the APending@ category, the first being the Edris house. The owners are in possession of the plaque awaiting someone to do the installations. The Grace Miller-Lewis House plaque is also pending completion of the remodeling and grand opening event. Planner Yeo and Director Evans have contacted the owners of the O=Donnell House and the language for that plaque is being prepared. Wording for the Ingleside Inn, the Fire Station, and the Willows plaques is also being prepared. That should be ready for the Board=s review by the next meeting. Member Rush also reported that the Tramway Gas Station plaque was inadvertently left off the previous audit report, but it is now appropriately listed and is awaiting installation. Staff was asked to follow-up on that as well. Need to have the designation number for this site. Board Member Isermann asked staff if progress had been made on finding someone to install the plaques? Planner Yeo reported that no one has been found, and there are different options being reviewed for these installations. Chairman Williams advised that as part of the designation process, all owners agreed to plaque the properties. It=s very important to have a visible plaque on a designated Historic Site property. Staff was asked to contact the Cork >N Bottle and the Kaufmann-Harris House. These really need to be taken care of without too much further delay. AGENDA ITEM #3: HISTORIC SITE SURVEY UPDATE - STAFF Planner Yeo advised that Architectural Resources Group (our consultants) were here from March 1 to March 3. There were a number of appointments set-up with property owners to view about 32 obscured properties and properties they did not get to see the first trip. Board Member Isermann kindly donated his time to accompany them. It was a successful visit and the second set of primary records should be here by March 22, 2004, and the survey is nearing completion. AGENDA ITEM #4: DISCUSSION OF THE CITY=S HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE, DUTIES, ACTIVITIES No report. AGENDA ITEM #5: PALM SPRINGS PRESERVATION FOUNDATION - MEMBER SCOTT No report. AGENDA ITEM #6: PALM SPRINGS HISTORICAL SOCIETY - MEMBER BLEDSOE Member Bledsoe reported no activities coming up, but received a note asking for volunteers and to call Sally McManus at the Adobe. AGENDA ITEM #7: PALM SPRINGS MODERN COMMITTEE - CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS HSPB Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 4 Tuesday, March 9, 2004 ModCom is involved in this week=s Modernism Show. The next meeting is this Saturday at 10 a.m. at Modern Way on Palm Canyon Drive. All those interested are invited. AGENDA ITEM #8: ARCHITECTURAL & DESIGN COUNCIL - PALM SPRINGS DESERT MUSEUM - MEMBER ISERMANN Member Isermann reported the next event will be Saturday, March 20, 2004. It=s their annual Architecture Symposium and the topic is Desert Edge Architecture. If anyone is interested in attending, please contact the Box Office at the Museum for tickets. There will be two lectures, in the morning featuring Michael Rotundi and John Divola. There will be a guided architectural tour in the afternoon and with that there is a self-guided map for Desert Edge sites from Joshua Tree to the Salton Sea. Tickets are $35.00 for the lectures and the guided tour which includes lunch is $150.00 for ADC members. AGENDA ITEM #9: HSPB INFORMATION BROCHURE FOR PUBLIC OUTREACH Jing Yeo reported that the draft brochure passed out at the last meeting is being revised down into a short form which tells how to get a property designated, information about this Board, etc. She asked Board Members to review the draft and make their comments and edits known as soon as possible so this can be printed for distribution. There will be 38 designated resources. Chairman Williams pointed out the examples listed for what makes a property historic (battlefields, cemetery, early settlements, etc), and because so many of Palm Springs sites are residential, an example of a residential property is very important. Board Member Rush asked for a meeting with staff and the Media Outreach sub-committee once this is finalized to see what kind of press can be derived. There has been discussion that once this is finalized it will be put on the web site. The Board was pleased with the pamphlet and hopes it will soon be in brochure form and available to the public. M/S/C (Isermann/Chespak) (6 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent, 0 abstentions) that this letter-size pamphlet be made available immediately through the Planning Department and to eventually print in brochure format for public distribution and placement at other locations such as the Visitors Center. BOARD AND STAFF REPORTS: No reports. Chairman Williams advised that some friends came back to Palm Springs this year expecting to see the Tramway Visitors Center and they went Aspeeding right by it@ as they did not know it was open yet. Is there an update on signage, budget issues, etc. Where do we stand on this right now? There has been no landscaping because of budget issues, if there are sign and landscaping proposals in the works, etc. the Board would appreciate knowing. Board Member Isermann agreed and also mentioned that the extra gates and concrete globes that were part of the original site are still littered around the site - what is the plan to re-install these or put them in storage? This does make the site look as if it is not open. Planner Yeo advised that there was a letter from the Visitors Center indicating they had one of their best Decembers on record. A report can be brought back at the April meeting if the Board wishes. Board Member Hayton suggested a temporary sign saying something like...@Pardon our dust, we=re expanding@...or some such sign explaining the Center has some constraints regarding it=s growth so that the public knows that the next time they visit it will be further developed. Board Member Isermann asked if the AShip of the Desert@ has gone before the City Council. Planner Yeo advised that it is scheduled for the March 17, 2004 City Council Meeting. There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 8:43 a.m. The next meeting will be at 8:15 a.m., Tuesday, April 13, 2004. Respectfully submitted, (S/ BY Douglas R. Evans) HSPB Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 4 Tuesday, March 9, 2004 Douglas R. Evans Director of Planning and Zoning :ldm HSPB Minutes, March 9, 2004